Chapter 84: Validation on the Verge of Zero
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Meanwhile in Nanjing, outside the Confucius temple.
“Is this really Yun Jin?” Zhang Zhou Wei held up a silk scarf and asked the boss. Seeing him nod, he put it down and spoke to w.a.n.g Ya Nan. “This doesn’t look too expensive. How about we buy Xing Ta Ge a rain stone? It’ll count as a gift.”
“It’s already strange to gift a guy a silk scarf.”
“Then you don’t understand the vanity of Xing Ta Ge.”
As they chatted, they headed into another store to pick out some rain stone crafts. They then purchased some sealed traditional snacks like Nanjing salted duck, plate duck, duck stomach and duck belly.
“This food is for…”
Zhang Zhou Wei paused for a moment. Not sure if his brain was stuck or his throat. He couldn’t remember who he wanted to gift it to.
w.a.n.g Ya Nan looked toward Zhang Zhou Wei. “For who?”
“Who was it?” Zhang Zhou Wei scratched his head. He seemed to have remembered something, but it slipped out of his mind immediately.
‘Who was it? F*ck me!’
“You don’t know who it’s for, but you still want to buy it!? Forget it, just buy it. You can figure out who it’s for once we get back.”
w.a.n.g Ya Nan asked the store to pack the bags, and then with Zhang Zhou Wei, she headed to find Chen Da Qiang and Wei Zhi Xue who had been browsing the traditional souvenir stand.
The two girls began to chat about what they bought and who they were for. Zhang Zhou Wei and Chen Da Qiang appeared to have some unspeakable trouble on their minds as they still felt like there was something they couldn’t remember.
“What are you thinking about?”
“Nothing. What are you thinking about?”
“Nothing, nothing.”
Neither of them had told the other that their minds were stuck on something they couldn’t remember.
Of course, everyone had this experience once in a while, so they didn’t think it was strange.
It was just a bit uncomfortable to want to think about it but not be able to remember.
As if something had been presented, but they were unable to digest it heartily and delightfully!
…
“Stand up!”
Qin Jiao basked in a sheet mask as she video called Meng Cai Wei, who had the same sheet mask on. She suddenly felt there was something wrong with Meng Cai Wei.
“Did your brain got fried from being a teacher? This isn’t your cla.s.sroom!” Meng Cai Wei was startled.
“Move your camera down. I want to see your body.”
“Hohoho, the one named Qin. I was wondering why you’re so old and still not married; turns out, you’re into me!” Meng Cai Wei stretched the muscles on her face trying to keep still as she laughed.
“Don’t change the subject!” Qin Jiao’s eyes were like daggers. Underneath the black charcoal mask, she looked particularly menacing. “Cai Wei, why do I feel like you’ve gained a lot of weight!? Could it be… You’re pregnant?”
“Pregnant yourself! This old lady is fertile like soil. The one that could plant anything but not suitable for seeding.” Meng Cai Wei was quite domineering in her tone and did not budge, responding to Qin Jiao with another question, “I just received a role for a movie, and it requires me to gain weight, about 30 pounds. Your eyes are poisonous. I’m only showing my face, and it’s got a sheet mask on, yet you can still tell! It seems like my weight gain is quite obvious!”
As she spoke, she pulled the camera back. She very generously showed Qin Jiao the effects of her labor. She pinched her stomach. She shook her arm flab and then sullenly patted her chest. “Everywhere else seems okay, but it’s lacking a bit over here.”
“If they get bigger, you can’t be s.e.xy anymore!” The two were usually very elegant and dignified women, but when talking privately amongst each other, they tend to be quite explosive. “Hey aren’t these all effects done in post-production? Why do you have to lose weight yourself? Do you have to be so hardcore?”
“A script is hard to come by. Plus, all aspects of the configurations are good, and since the crew asked for it, I couldn’t be the one holding them back. Besides, this is very different from post-production effects, alright!? Moreover, the character’s design has to be worthy of my acting skills!”
“Okay, okay. Your acting skills are good!” Qin Jiao was quite surprised. “You don’t say, you’ve fattened up pretty well. I haven’t called you in a few days, and you’ve already gained this much weight!”
“This kind of thing… Not seeing a pig run doesn’t mean I haven’t had pork I’ve never been fat, but I’ve fattened up someone else! On myself, it’s only a matter of time.” Meng Cai Wei said very satisfyingly. After saying that, she paused for a moment.
“It’s not good to speak of him like that is it?”
Qin Jiao also paused for a moment.
Who were they talking about!?
After pausing for about three seconds, the two began talking about explosive bedroom subjects again.
Whoever it was, they were probably not important!
…
“Who am I?”
“Where am I?”
“What am I trying to do?”
Meng Fan soulfully asked himself these three questions before determining that he hadn’t forgotten himself. He then let out a sigh of relief.
Seven more minutes pa.s.sed, and Meng Fan was still not able to hail a taxi.
Meng Fan thought about it and decided to approach a guy with an afro who was on the side and was also trying to hail a cab. He walked over and stood in front of him.
“What are you doing?”
The afro guy avoided him twice, but seeing the fat guy still in front of him, he exploded on the spot. He said fiercely, “Hey, you’re blocking me! I’m gonna get angry!”
Meng Fan turned and asked, “You can see me?”
“You psycho! Do you know how big you are? It’s not like I’m blind. How could I not see you!?” The afro glared menacingly at Meng Fan.
“Garbage world, not even a slight aura of spirituality. I can’t even stealth!”
Meng Fan left and was obviously upset.
The guy with the afro was baffled.
‘Where did such a crazy youth came from?’
‘Wait, where did he go? He disappeared!’
The afro discovered that he couldn’t find the fat youth without paying attention. He rubbed his eyes and looked around him, unable to find Meng Fan.
It had only been a few seconds. How could Meng Fan disappear just like that!?
Could it be, there was no stealth spell, but the speed of his moving flesh had increased?
The guy with the explosive afro felt like his brain was actually about to explode!
He took out his phone and prepared to make a status to share this interesting yet terrifying event. After unlocking it, he froze for a moment.
‘What was I doing again?’
Meng Fan tested this about ten times, gaining a certain understanding of the effects of the ‘hat that erased your sense of validation’.
His presence was on the verge of zero.
On the verge meant that it would be infinitely close to but never reach zero.
Evidently, his validation was not at zero yet.
Even if his validation had reached zero, that was only his sense of existence. It didn’t mean he did not exist.
Under the premise of not affecting others, it was difficult for other people to discover him or think of him. This had been Meng Fan’s initial understanding of his close to zero validation.
For example, like the afro guy earlier, if Meng Fan stood next to him very closely, he would not realize that Meng Fan was there. But if Meng Fan stood in front of him and blocked his sight, which would seriously impact him, then he would notice Meng Fan.
Once he stopped impacting his sight and left his vision, it would be difficult to find Meng Fan again.
Just like when the afro guy was about to collapse, Meng Fan had only been standing about five meters away from him.
The same principle applied if Meng Fan touched him or leaned on him.
There was also the case of hailing a cab. Meng Fan tried once again. It was a little risky this time. Instead of reaching his arm out to hail one, he threw his entire body into the taxi’s frame of view. When the car was about three meters away, the driver discovered Meng Fan’s existence.
Of course, the premise was that the taxi had been driving very slowly as there were several people trying to hail one. Otherwise, if he had been on a highway, five meters would have been difficult enough for him to react and step on the breaks, let alone three.
This reminded Meng Fan to not wear the hat when he was on roads where cars were present. Otherwise, people wouldn’t even know that he was already dead!
“h.e.l.lo.”
Meng Fan didn’t head back directly but strolled down the street. He entered a convenience store and pointed to something on the shelves behind the checkout counter. He said to the clerk, “I want a pack of … Zhonghua.”
Meng Fan didn’t smoke, so he didn’t know many brands, but the shelf behind the clerk consisted mainly of cigarettes, so he thought it was appropriate to ask.
The clerk turned to take it… He paused and turned back. “Hey, where’d you go? Oh, there you are! What did you want again?”
“Zhonghua.”
The clerk turned and turned back again. “Where’d you go? What would you like?”
“Zhonghua.”
“What?”
Meng Fan was sure that it wasn’t just this person, as any event that was related to him would have its presence reduced significantly.
“What’s wrong with you? Is your brain broken?”
The clerk standing by couldn’t stand it anymore, so he turned to help… He turned back. “What did you want again?”
“Nevermind, I don’t want it anymore.”
Meng Fan turned to go out, leaving the two clerks befuddled.
‘What happened just now?’
‘Did something happen just now?’