Ground Stars / 地上星 · Ch.135 第135章 传言是真的
第135章 传言是真的
Chapter 135: The Rumor Is True
「一个失念Moexl，至多稳定几十平方的土地。 你晓不晓得那意味著什么？」
“Each scattered Moxel can stabilize, at most, a few dozen square spans of land. Do you have any idea what that means?”
桌子旁，另一颇具威仪的人点头。
Beside the table, another imposing figure nodded in agreement.
「正是如此，所以才有这次会议的召开。 甲子间货队长，你说是吧。」
“Precisely so, which is why this meeting has been convened. Head of the Jiazi TermCargo Crew, am I correct?”
众人目光在杨子藏与几位大棚负责人身上挪动。 这些中小棚区的棚主，或是代替棚主来开会的成员们，都心中震惊的看著木桌旁的几人。
The crowd’s gaze shifted between Yang Zicang and the heads of several large sheds. These Penglords from the mid-sized and smaller Peng Zones—or their representatives at the meeting—stared in shock at the few seated by the wooden table.
边缘一精瘦方脸男子举手道：
On the edge, a gaunt, square-faced man raised his hand and said:
「我以前是名地理老师，我想提醒你们一下，方圆三四十里只是它大致的面积，而倾斜的山坡，乃至里面的山洞，它们的面积展开会更大，就像褶皱的纸张…」
“I used to be a geography teacher. I should remind you all that a radius of thirty to forty li is only its approximate surface area. The slopes on the incline, even the caves inside—their actual spread would be far larger, like crumpling a piece of paper…”
说到这里，他似乎被自己随意一想的数位所吓住，迟疑的，略显担忧的道：
He paused, as though terrified by the numbers that had just popped into his head, then hesitated, speaking with visible concern:
「如此庞大的面积，所需的失念Moexl… 对你们来说是天文数位。」
“Given such an expanse, the scattered Moxel required… would be astronomical by your standards.”
「我琢磨过了，哪怕以最低四十平方米来算，需要…」
Another voice, trembling with suppressed fury, cut him short: “I’ve estimated, even at the lowest count of forty square spans… You know what that means? Each and every scattered Moxel—do you grasp what they cost!”
有人愤怒的看向元龙，打断道：
Someone angrily fixed their gaze on Yuan Long and interrupted:
「你知道那意味著什么吗！ 你知道每一个失念Moexl，都意味著什么吗！」
“Do you know what that implies! Do you realize what each single scattered Moxel truly signifies!”
「别发怒。」
“Don’t lose your temper.”
人群中两男人将那人拉开了些。 另一人道：
Two men in the crowd pulled him aside. Another spoke up:
「但他也说得没错。 虽然三四十平只是每枚Moexl所稳定的最低面积，好点的Moexl会稳定更大面积，但那几座山依旧不可能是我们所稳定得了的。」
“But he does have a point. Though thirty or forty ping is just the minimum stable area for each Moxel—with higher-grade ones securing a larger zone—those mountains are still far beyond what we can sustain.”
「不一定全部稳定，我们可以只稳定两三匹山，以及里面有价值的区域。」
“We don’t have to stabilize everything; we could secure two or three mountains and the valuable zones within them.”
「所以才集资建立共有棚区？」
“Is that why we pooled resources to establish a shared Peng Zone?”
一个棚主抬手压了压，以沉缓的声音道：
A Penglord raised a hand to gesture for calm, then spoke in a low, steady voice:
「其实如果是三角形Moexl，稳定的面积可以达到数百平。 我们先来算算，各棚区能出多少失念Moexl吧。 我先来，我可以出七千枚，这是我们棚区的所有。」
“Actually, if we use triangle-type Moxels, each can stabilize an area of several hundred ping. Let’s first calculate how many Moxels of Oblivion each Peng Zone can contribute. I’ll start: I can offer seven thousand—that’s all my zone has.”
一些小棚区的人瞬间呆立。
Members from some of the smaller Peng Zones froze on the spot.
张口就七千，那代表著，曾有七千个人的存在。 这是他们不敢想像，也觉得悲伤的事情。
Seven thousand, just like that—meaning seven thousand individuals had once existed. It was a number they dared not imagine and found deeply sorrowful.
「不要惊讶。它一半是大伙儿在外拾荒所获得后交上来的，每个大棚都有几千人口，一人上交一枚都是庞大数量。其中还有些是做生意得来的，但实际上自然死亡后所诞生的失念Moexl也有数百枚。」
“Don’t be surprised. Half of them came from scavenging outside—each dome has several thousand residents, and one token each could add up to a colossal amount. The rest were acquired through trade, but in truth, several hundred Moxels of Oblivion came from natural deaths.”
「实际上，人类的骸骨如果从历史上不断累积，早就能再造一个星球了。Moexl是多年的累积，沉积下来所以你们才感觉多。我们棚区，最多时候，数量比这更多不少。」
“In reality, if human bones had accumulated throughout history, they would have been enough to rebuild a planet by now. Moxel is the accumulation of many years—layered down so deeply that it only seems plentiful to you. At our Peng Zone, at its peak, the quantity was far greater than this.”
「你，你们…」
“You… you people…”
木桌旁一人转头看向身后又惊又怒的小棚区之人，似自嘲般笑道：
A man at the wooden table turned his head to look toward the startled and furious person from the small Peng Zone behind him, then laughed as if in self-mockery:
「我们棚区也差不多，如果大家真要进行这项计划的话，我们还能出更多点。」
“Our Peng Zone isn’t much different. If everyone really wants to go through with this plan, we could contribute even more.”
「天啊，我怀疑我在地狱。」
“My god, I feel like I’m in hell.”
「差不多吧，长命百岁的世界，肯定有更残酷的规则。」
“Pretty much. A world where everyone lives a hundred years is bound to have crueler rules.”
众人不语，只觉得寒气直冒。
The crowd fell silent, a chill creeping into their bones.
杨子藏微微叹息，这场面他根本插不上口，也不想开口。
Yang ZiCang sighed faintly. There was no room for him to intervene in this scene, nor did he wish to speak up.
人们的目光在几名大棚主身上挪动，一人道：
The people’s gazes shifted among several big Penglords. One of them said:
「但那也不够，就算我们这里所有人都…都出资，也不够，远远不够。」
“But even that’s not enough. Even if everyone here… even if we all contributed, it still wouldn’t be enough—nowhere near enough.”
人群议论纷纷，而桌旁的几名大棚主们都晓得元龙才是提议者。
The crowd murmured amongst themselves, but the few big Penglords at the table knew that Yuan Long was the one who had proposed the idea.
他们看向元龙。
They turned their eyes toward Yuan Long.
元龙的目光落在昏暗屋子外明朗的天空。
Yuan Long’s gaze fell upon the clear sky visible outside the dim room.
「不急，还有半年时间。」
“No rush. There are still six months left.”
「半年？」
“Six months?”
一些人细想片刻后，身子一震。他们看向元龙，这丽疆大棚的棚主居然在打那种主意的吗！
Some people took a moment to think, then shuddered. They stared at Yuan Long—was this Penglord of the Lijiang Great Canopy actually considering such an idea!
「半年后就能筹够数量？」
“Enough funds can be raised in just half a year?”
那地理老师有点不忿的道：
That geography teacher said indignantly:
「你知不知道你的提议，那相当于尸骨寸寸铺地，才能留住你口中的美丽山林！」
“Do you realize that your proposal is akin to paving the ground with bones, inch by inch, just to preserve the so-called beautiful forest you speak of!”
「我知道。」
“I know.”
面对如此淡然的回应，这人一时有点哑口。另一人接话问道：
Faced with such a calm response, this man was momentarily at a loss for words. Another person chimed in:
「那你打算怎么做？半年时间筹够几百万失念Moexl？异想天开！」
“So what do you intend to do? Raising millions worth of Lost Moxel in half a year? That’s sheer fantasy!”
桌子旁的杨子藏此刻细想，也觉得这有点太理想主义，根本不现实，是不可能完成的事情。
Yang Zihsang, seated by the table, pondered this for a moment and found it all too idealistic—utterly unrealistic, an impossibility to pull off.
而桌旁几位大棚主们则或摩挲着下巴，或低声嘀咕像是计算着什么，杨子藏细听，身旁两位棚主都在念叨着，五千人一个礼拜能收集多少面积内的失念Moexl，冬日后三千人全力出动又能捡回多少Moexl结晶之类的话。
Meanwhile, the few Great Penglords at the table were either rubbing their chins or mumbling as if calculating something. Yang Zihsang listened closely and overheard two Penglords murmuring about how many square miles of Lost Moxel five thousand people could collect in a week, or how many Moxel crystals three thousand people could scavenge after winter, and the like.
杨子藏心中略微发紧。有那么多失念Moexl给你们捡吗？
Yang Zihsang’s heart tightened slightly. Are there even that many Lost Moxel for you to scavenge?
元龙手指在桌面轻轻点了下。
Yuan Long tapped the table with his finger lightly.
「等到明年开春，应该能筹够很多Moexl结晶。要知道，现在是夏天，我们的夜晚就比较凉，等到冬天…」
“By next spring, we should be able to raise a lot of Moxel crystals. Remember, it’s summer now, and our nights already get rather cold. Once winter comes…”
「一个中型棚区…可能就有几千…」
“In a medium-sized Peng Zone… there might be several thousand…”
「冬天的寒意，很多人顶不住。你…你有那种打算？！」
“The biting cold of winter—many people can’t withstand it. You… you’re planning that kind of move?!”
三张木桌旁，围座的诸棚区负责人沉默不语。而他们身后两三圈小板凳的中小棚区之人面色大变，更后方站立的人们更是瞬间哗然。
Around three wooden tables, the seated heads of the Peng Zones remained silent. Behind them, the people from small and medium Peng Zones, sitting on two or three circles of stools, turned pale, and those standing further back immediately erupted into uproar.
「你这个畜生！」
“You bastard!”
「你是哪个棚区的混蛋，说出这种话？」
“Which Peng Zone’s asshole said something like that?”
「他就是丽疆大棚的棚主。」
“He’s the Penglord of the Lijiang Big Tent.”
众人喧嚣快要把房顶掀翻了。
The clamor from the crowd nearly lifted the roof off.
「够了！」袁昆嘭地一拍桌子站起身来。他之前并没有参与商议，也是此刻才知晓这场会议的计划，虽然心中震撼，但转瞬就立即了元龙的计划。
“Enough!” Yuan Kun slammed the table with a bang and stood up. He had not taken part in the discussion earlier and only learned about this meeting’s plan at that moment. Though shocked in his heart, he quickly grasped Yuan Long’s strategy.
袁昆深吸口气，凶势很盛地扫视周围之人。
Yuan Kun took a deep breath, sweeping his gaze fiercely over those around him.
虽有人转过目光不与之对视，另一些人则愤怒的看向他，大有将怒火烧到他身上的意思。
Some averted their eyes, refusing to meet his stare, while others glared at him angrily, as if eager to turn their fury onto him.
「你又是哪个棚区的？」
“And which Peng Zone are you from?”
「我…」袁昆看了眼面色铁青盯着自己的王馨，转而道：
“I…” Yuan Kun glanced at Wang Xin, who was staring back with a grim face, then turned and said:
「你们一通闹腾，冬天就不会来了吗，那些雪就不会下了吗！你们有几个是在这里活过上个冬天的人？晓不晓得这里的冬天是什么样的，那是你们一出门，就会冷到不断抵消寿命的寒意！」
“You carry on with this fuss—will that stop winter from coming? Will it stop those snows from falling? How many of you have survived a winter here, huh? Do you even know what winter is like here? Step outside, and you’ll be hit with a chill that drains your lifespan all bets are off!”
「哈，所以咯，就是等我们冻死，你们就能去稳定这些什么鬼山林了？」
“Ha, so what, we just freeze to death, and then you go stabilize these damn mountains or whatever?”
「对！」袁昆大声对着那人回应。
“Yes!” Yuan Kun shouted back to that person.
说话之人顿时眼睛怒瞪，抬手指着他，却气得说不出话来。毕竟对面说的没错，愤不愤怒，那件事情都会发生。
The speaker’s eyes flew wide in fury as he raised his finger, pointing at him, yet he was so incensed the words stuck in his throat. After all, what the opponent had said was nothing but the truth, and no matter how furious he was, that cold, hard reality was unavoidable.
「呵，等冻死了人，就去用它们的失频Moexl，稳定你们的山林？呵，哈，可悲，可笑的人类。」
“Ha, so once people freeze to death, you lot will use their lost-frequency Moxel to stabilize this forest of yours? Ha, hah, what a tragedy, what a laughable humanity.”
无忧货贸区的负责人开口道：
The person in charge of the Wuyou Trade zone spoke up:
「但是，有了这片山林，下一个冬天至少能少死很多人。」
“But with this forest, at least we can spare many lives next winter.”
这句话落下，房间内，恶魇排风扇的嗡嗡声渐渐清晰。
Those words hung in the air, and within the room, the haunting drone of the nightmare exhaust fan slowly grew sharper.
丝丝缕缕的凉风将空气吹得流动，让屋内略显沉闷的空气，显得不那么的憋闷。
Thin wisps of chilling wind stirred the air, loosening the otherwise oppressive heaviness and making it easier to breathe.
小光团在屋顶晃悠着。
The tiny ball of light drifted slowly across the ceiling.
「那个，」杨子藏轻轻开口，」此次议题由丽疆大棚的元龙棚主负责，有想参与这个棚区的负责人留下，其他人散会吧。」
“Well then,” Yang ZiCang said softly, “today’s topic is under the authority of the big tent in Lijiang, Yuan LongPeng Lord. If anyone here wishes to participate in this Peng Zone, please stay. The rest of you are dismissed.”
说罢，他感觉浑身火燎似的想要立即离开。
As he said it, he felt as though white-hot flames licked his skin — an overwhelming urge to flee this place immediately.
「等等，甲子间货队长。」桌边的王馨突然开口。她看向杨子藏的同时抬手对着袁昆道，「请问您，认识这位吗。」
“Wait, Squad Leader of Jiazi Term Cargo Crew.” Wang Xin, sitting at the edge of the table, suddenly spoke. Fixing her gaze on Yang ZiCang, she raised one hand in Yuan Kun’s direction and asked, “May I ask—do you know this man?”
杨子藏微微点头。
Yang ZiCang gave a slight nod.
「当然，贵棚区主要负责与箜山大棚贸易的袁昆货队长，是我在这里做生意最先认识的人。他人很好，作为黄昏大棚的人，刚来时还帮箜山大棚订购限量版的香丸。」
“Of course, Captain Yuan Kun of your Peng Zone who primarily trades with the Kongshan Greenhouse is the first person I got to know when I started doing business here. He’s a wonderful man—when he first arrived, he even helped the Kongshan Greenhouse order limited-edition incense pellets, as someone from the Huanghun Greenhouse.”
王馨深吸口气，胸膛起伏。
Wang Xin took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling.
最近来到这里做买卖的人何其多，能被杨子藏记住名字的少之又少，房间内有些人羡慕的看向袁昆。
Countless merchants had recently flocked here to trade, yet few were remembered by name by Yang Zicang. Some in the room cast envious glances at Yuan Kun.
她冷笑声，转头看向尴尬将屁股落座的健硕身材男人。
She gave a cold laugh, turning her head to look at the burly man shifting awkwardly as he sat down.
「朋友，你不打算说点什么吗？」
“Friend, don’t you have something to say?”
袁昆旁，张傲的感应画面中，箜山大棚棚主狐疑道：
Beside Yuan Kun, within Chang Ao’s sensory projection, Penglord of the Kongshan Greenhouse asked suspiciously:
｛张师，你是不是提前知道了些什么？袁货队长是不是在那边惹了什么事？｝
｛Master Zhang, did you know about this beforehand? Has Captain Yuan stirred up some trouble over there?｝
[不不，棚主。我也是刚刚才晓得，大甲方货队的人似乎一直将我们的货队长当成黄昏大棚的人。我并不清楚细节。]
[No, not at all, Penglord. I only just found out myself—it seems our client’s crew captain’s people have always taken our crew captain as one of their own from Huanghun Greenhouse. I don’t know the details.]
感应画面对面的棚主，脸色立时就冷了下去。
On the sensory projection screen opposite, Penglord’s face instantly turned cold.
袁昆额头渗出细密汗珠，他仿佛又陷入了曾经自大甲方货队长身上散发出的精神幻境中。
Fine beads of sweat broke out on Yuan Kun’s forehead, as if he were once again trapped in the spiritual illusion emanating from Captain Jia’s mighty figure.
「那个…甲队长，我…」
“Well…Captain Jia, I…”
突然小光团飞下来。
Suddenly, the small orb of light fluttered down.
｛你的名气在增长喔。｝
｛Your reputation is on the rise.｝
「我…」
“I…”
小精灵凑近了点，盯着他瞪大的眼睛。
The small spirit leaned in closer, staring into his wide-open eyes.
｛说呀~说出来，你这个礼拜就是名人了。｝
{Go on~ say it, you’ll be famous for the whole week.}
房间内众人乃至门外看热闹的众人目光，都落在这站立于桌旁，双手放在木桌面的魁梧结实的男人身上。拥有体育生般体格的他此刻却仿佛是位做错事的小学生。
The gazes of everyone in the room, even the onlookers gathered outside the door, all fell upon this burly, muscular man standing by the table, his hands resting on the wooden surface. Despite possessing the physique of a sports student, he now looked like an elementary school kid who had done something wrong.
「我！」脸憋得通红的袁昆，目光惊颤挪动到漂浮于身前的小精灵小手上。
“I!” Yuan Kun’s face flushed bright red, his trembling eyes darting toward the tiny hand of the spirit floating before him.
她比腿毛粗不了多少的笔放在皱巴巴白纸上，似乎等待自己的发言。这双小小的目光散发着来自小东西的鼓励。
The pen in her grasp, no thicker than a leg hair, rested atop a crumpled white paper, as if awaiting his testimony. Those tiny, tiny eyes radiated encouragement from the little creature.
周围一圈人隐隐靠前。
The crowd around him pressed in, almost unwittingly.
「你什么？」张傲偏着头抬着下巴道，「快说吧，棚主和大家都等着呢。」
“You what?” Chang Ao tilted his head, lifting his chin. “Just say it. Penglord and everyone is waiting.”
咯噔，袁昆咽了口口水。他猛地深吸口气闭目，似要吐露什么难以启齿的事般，一字一句地道：
Gulp. Yuan Kun swallowed hard. He took a deep breath and shut his eyes, as if about to confess something unbearably shameful, then uttered word by word:
「对不起，我是箜山大棚的人。」
“Sorry… I’m one of Kongshan Dapeng’s men.”
一道折线闪过，熟悉的嗓音浮现其中：
A zigzag flashed through the air, and a familiar voice emerged within it:
｛你已经不是了。｝
{You… aren’t anymore.}
袁昆心中「啊」了一声。
Yuan Kun went “Huh?” in his heart.
唰唰，小精灵挥毫记录。
Shush-shush, the little spirit wrote it down in a flurry.
周围等人不明所以的无语凝视，等了半天就等了句这么莫名其妙的话，顿时切了声。
The surrounding crowd stared speechlessly, they had waited all this time only to hear such a baffling remark and couldn’t help but click their tongues in disdain.
王馨看向脸上扯了扯的杨子藏，歉意道：
Wang Xin looked at Yang Zicang, whose face twitched slightly, and said apologetically:
「抱歉，之前听闻有人传言，说集市初开之时，我们黄昏大棚在大甲方货队这里索要保护费，我还当是谣言。」
“I’m sorry. Earlier, I heard some rumors that when the market first opened, our Dusk Greenhouse was collecting protection fees from the big client Cargo Crew here. I thought it was just baseless gossip at the time.”
她竖指如剑，直指袁昆。
She raised her finger like a sword, pointing straight at Yuan Kun.
「没想到啊没想到，今天我才发现，恐怕那并不是谣传。 不管你是抱有什么目的，我王鑫馨在此澄清，是这箜山大棚的人在冒充我们！」
“Who knew that it would be today that I discovered perhaps it wasn’t just a rumor after all. Regardless of your intentions, I, Wang Xin, declare here and now — it was someone from the Kongshan Greenhouse impersonating us!”
「啊？ 啥玩意儿啊。」众人目光重新齐刷刷落在了袁昆脸上。
“Huh? What is this all about?” The crowd’s gazes instantly refocused on Yuan Kun’s face.
「还有这样的事？」
“Something like that actually happened?”
房间内嗡嗡一片。
The room buzzed with murmurs.
「原来传说中那个和几个弹琵琶的一起挨打的人是他？」
“Is he the legendary guy who got beaten up alongside some pipa players?”
「箜山大棚冒充黄昏大棚收保护费吗？」
“So the Kongshan Greenhouse was impersonating the Dusk Greenhouse to collect protection fees?”
袁昆哀默，似乎感觉身上各种蚂蚁在爬。
Yuan Kun remained silent in grief, feeling as if countless ants were crawling all over him.
小光团内的精灵满意地晃晃悠悠起身。
The spirit inside the small light orb stood up shakily, looking satisfied.
｛恭喜你，名气值到达了10。｝
{Congratulations, your reputation has reached 10.}
「……」
「……」