Ground Stars / 地上星 · Ch.124 第124章 电话
第124章 电话
Chapter 124: The Phone Call
说起来，自己好像还有一份庄老板口头赠送的股份来著？
Come to think of it, don’t I’ve got some shares that Boss Zhuang verbally gifted me?
这事儿起了个头就没了下文，全部内容就只有「以后你是老板之一了，有劲爆消息会通知你，但你得尽心尽力的免费给客栈打工，遇到事儿还要来当保镖」这个条约。
This matter started without any follow-up, and the full terms boiled down to: “From now on, you’re one of the owners, I’ll notify you when there’s breaking news, but you’ve gotta put your heart into working for the inn for free, and show up to be the bodyguard when things go down.”
这么几天，要不是庄老板那边把大甲方跟甲子间划上等号，估计自己半年一年都难收到这位独频客栈老板的消息。
These past few days, if it weren’t for Boss Zhuang equating the big client with Jiazi Term, I’d probably not hear a whisper from this sole-frequency inn owner in half a year or more.
「庄老板，你应该也知道那一千年不好赚吧，里面我进去都费劲。」 杨子藏道。
“Boss Zhuang, you should know how hard it is to earn that millennium supply. Even I have a tough time getting inside.” Yang Zicang said.
｛费劲？ 等等，什么庄老板，多生份啊。｝
{Tough time? Wait, what’s with this “Boss Zhuang” business? How distant.}
心灵连接中的矮个子老板站在窗户前的板凳上看著外面，脸上露出既震惊又失望的表情。
In the mental link, the short-statured Boss stood on a stool by the window, looking outward, his face a mix of shock and disappointment.
｛**老弟啊，你找借口能不能过过脑子，那么多人买你们家的香丸都进山去了，你还告诉我你进不去？
{Bro, can’t you cook up an excuse with half a brain? So many have bought your incense balls and gone into the mountains, yet you’re telling me you can’t get in?}
嗐，行啦行啦，大家都是自己人，老哥我也只是抱怨两句，以后这种生意咱们自个儿做，有哥哥在，保证让你赚更多。**｝
“Ah, alright, alright, we’re all on the same side here, old pal. I’m just venting a bit. From now on, we’ll handle this kind of business ourselves—with your big brother around, I promise you’ll make even more.”
「嗯好吧。」 杨子藏捏著鼻子应了声。
“Mm… fine.” Yang Zicang pinched his nose and replied reluctantly.
｛嘿嘿，我已经把你这边的消息放出去了，应该要不了几天，会有更多人来你那边。 这就当是我送给你的礼物好了。｝
{Hehe, I’ve already spread the word about your place. In a few days, more people should be coming over. Consider this a gift from me.}
「这么客气的吗，老哥你可别给我弄些糊弄不了的高手过来。」
“You’re being too generous, old pal. Just don’t send over some experts that are too tough to handle.”
｛我就说你小子不会那么单纯。 哈哈，放心好了，绝对能让你多赚好几万时序。｝
{I figured you wouldn’t be that simple. Haha, don’t worry. They’ll definitely earn you an extra tens of thousands of Chronos.}
说到此处，庄老板低声搓了搓手指道：
On that note, Boss Zhuang rubbed his fingers together in a low voice and said:
｛当然你要是愿意给哥哥我分润点，我也是不介意的，下面的兄弟们也都会念你的好，这也是给客栈做贡献。｝
{Of course, if you’re willing to let me have a cut, I wouldn’t mind at all. The brothers below will also remember your kindness—it’s a contribution to the inn as well.}
杨子藏看向天际左右横飞嬉闹的隐约小光团。
Yang Zicang looked up at the faint specks of light playfully darting across the sky.
「后面再说吧。」
“We’ll talk about that later.”
……
与此同时，遥远的一片古老村庄般的地方。
Meanwhile, somewhere resembling an ancient village, distant and quiet.
佐罗从陈旧的瞭望台下行，身旁一名穿著自制麻衣的质朴中年人跟在他旁边。
Zolo descended from the worn-out watchtower, with a rustic middle-aged man dressed in homemade linen following at his side.
「你们运气不错，竟然能稳定这片村庄，花费不少失念Moexl吧。」
“You’re pretty lucky to have stabilized this village. Must have cost you quite a bit of Lost Moxels.”
「都是多年来大伙儿存的，就为着有天能找个远离人烟的地方来安稳过日子，总算是没失望，给盼到了。」
“That’s what we villagers saved up over the years. We’d always hoped to find a place far from civilization to live in peace. Finally, our wish came true—it wasn’t in vain.”
「挺好。」佐罗看着脚下敦实的异界建筑，「这瞭望台在异界估计是守望怪物的吧。」
“Not bad.” Zoro said, looking down at the sturdy otherworldly structure beneath his feet. “This watchtower—in the otherworld, it was probably used to keep watch for monsters.”
中年人道：「应该是，不过现在嘛，其它地形都塌毁了，怪物也早就不再出现。瞭望台以后就只是用来登高望远而已。」
The middle-aged man replied, “Probably. But now, all the other terrain has collapsed, and monsters no longer appear. In the future, this watchtower will be just for climbing up and gazing into the distance.”
一位穿着粗布衣的妇人在旋转楼梯下方拎着一小篮蔬果，等着他们。
A woman dressed in coarse cloth clothing stood below the spiral staircase, holding a small basket of fruits and vegetables as she waited for them.
「但是那个房间中的魔纹，我们是真想保留下来，可惜，只要一尝试记录就会出问题。」
“But those magical patterns in that room—those we truly wanted to preserve. What a pity, the moment we try to record them, something goes wrong.”
「那东西只能听天由命。」
“That thing? You just have to leave it to fate.”
「小罗，你认识那么多行家，就没有谁懂异界魔纹的吗？」
“Xiao Luo, you know so many experts. Is there no one who understands otherworldly magical patterns?”
「以前有一位，但他去年末已经离开了。根据他所说，魔纹只是看看倒无所谓，越是厉害的越难以抄录，想要记录会损伤精神。」
“There used to be one, but he left at the end of last year. According to what he said, just looking at the magical patterns is no big deal, but the more powerful they are, the harder they are to transcribe. Trying to record them damages your mental energy.”
「那可真是遗憾。」
“That’s truly a shame.”
两人下到地上，佐罗接受了妇人的好意，接过这一小篮水果，这在失频之地上，是非常珍贵的事物。
The two came down to the ground. Zoro accepted the woman’s kindness and took the small basket of fruit—a precious commodity in the Shibin Wastes.
他们看向村落中几名正在玩耍的孩童。
They gazes at the few children playing in the village.
「他们以后不会知道地球是什么地方。」
“In the future, they’ll never know what Earth was like.”
中年人目光中满是慈祥的看着小孩子，口吻中带着些遗憾。
The middle-aged man’s eyes were full of affection as he watched the children, a note of regret creeping into his tone.
「关于高楼大厦，电视电话，飞机轮船，以后都会只是个传说。」
“Skyscrapers, televisions, phones, airplanes, ships—all those things will just be legends from now on.”
妇人眉目中闪过丝憾然，也开口道：「再过两代人，没人会再对回到我们曾经的世界抱有思念了。不过他们却会一直记得你。」
A trace of regret flashed in the woman’s eyes as she spoke, “In two generations, no one will yearn for the world we once left behind. But they will always remember you.”
她看向身旁带着露眼面罩的男人。
She turned to look at the man beside her, wearing a road-worn visor mask.
「谢谢你为我们送来种子和配方，还有那枚水井引擎，那是我们急需的。」
“Thank you for bringing us the seeds, the formulas, and that well engine—it’s what we urgently needed.”
一口水井会被人使用很多代，某个时候他们的孩子会在夜里望着昏暗的苍穹给孩子的孩子讲述曾经的故事：村中那口老井是我爷爷那辈，一天一位远方的旅行者所带来….
A well would be used by many generations; someday, their children would gaze at the dim sky at night and tell their own children stories of the past: that old village well was brought by a traveler from afar in their grandparents’ time…
佐罗咬了口小西红柿，嚼着道：
Zorro bit into a small tomato and chewed as he said:
「作为育种专家农亚米老师和筑荒人杨子藏先生的外派助手。」
“As the dispatch assistant to agricultural breeding expert Nvaya and the wasteland-builder Yang ZiCang…
「我在失频之地上将他们的研究成果传递到需要的人手中，只是旅途中顺手完成些他们的理想事业罢了。」
“Delivering their research results to those in need across the Shibin Wastes is just my way of fulfilling a part of their idealistic endeavors during my travels.”
「农亚米…杨子藏…」
“Nvaya… Yang ZiCang…”
周围靠近的几人都喃喃念叨着这个素未相识的名字，一些年轻人都暗暗记住这两个人名，打算将它们雕刻在井口。
The few people nearby murmured these unfamiliar names over and over, and some young ones quietly memorized them, intending to carve them on the wellhead.
佐罗笑了笑，他骑上恶魇摩托：「再见，我还要去往更偏僻之地。」
Zorro smiled, mounted his nightmare steed, and said, “Goodbye—I’ve yet to journey to more remote places.”
村中人的注视目光中，摩托消失在原野上，在暗暮中划出微弱的红光。
As the villagers watched under the gaze of twilight, the motorcycle vanished across the wilderness, painting a faint trail of crimson light through the dusky horizon.
……
熬夜的波波利睡下后，莫里带上黑色圆顶礼帽出门。
After Bopoli, who had stayed up all night, went to sleep, Morris put on his black bowler hat and stepped out.
虽然是六月末，但这里的清晨还是有点凉意。
Though it was late June, the morning breeze here still carried a hint of chill.
「早上好啊莫里，吃了吗。」
“Morning, Morris. Eaten yet?”
「早上好，李太太。」
“Good morning, Mrs. Li.”
女士笑着拎着食物从身前走过。
The lady smiled, carrying food as she walked past him.
石板街道上路灯还没有熄灭，莫里看了眼手上的名片地址，转身往那条街道而去。
Streetlights along the cobblestone path were still on. Morris glanced at the address on the business card in his hand, then turned down the street.
「翡翠B路15号。」
“Number 15, Emerald B Road.”
街上的青年与靓女很多，莫里拐过弯后，他身后街对面两人停下脚步转头看去。
The streets were filled with youths and pretty girls. After Morris rounded the corner, two people across the street behind him halted and turned their heads to look.
「咦，信哥，刚才那个外国人是不是就是我们队伍里那个。」
“Hey, Brother Xin, wasn’t that foreigner just now the one from our team?”
「你说亚历山大？他竟然还没被扣完时序吗。」
“You mean Alexander? He still hasn’t had all his Chronos seized yet?”
这红发青年抬头看了眼街道两旁的复古岩石原木建筑。
The red-haired young man lifted his head to take in the retro rock-and-log buildings lining both sides of the street.
「呵，有点意思，竟然住在这里，这里的房租都要每个月两百时序吧。那家伙能有什么时序来挥霍。」
“Hah, how interesting—calling this place home. Rent here must be at least two hundred Chronos a month. How could that guy have any Chronos to burn?”
「应该是几个人合租吧。」女人道，「我们走，先去买队长要的那些物资。」
“Probably splitting the rent with a few others,” the woman said. “Let’s go. First, let’s grab the supplies the captain asked for.”
红发青年羡慕的看了眼这里高大的房子。
The red-haired young man eyed these towering houses with envy.
里面的面积肯定比自己队伍租的那逼仄房间要宽敞些，虽然那房间只是偶尔来枢纽镇的歇脚之地，但谁不想住在更好点的地方。
The space inside had to be more spacious than the cramped room his team rented—though that room was just a stopover in Hubville. Still, who wouldn’t want to live someplace better?
而翡翠B路就是这样既安静又宽敞舒适的场所。就连这里经营的店铺，也显得比较高档，让人望而生畏。
And Emerald Road B was precisely such a tranquil, spacious, and comfortable place. Even the shops operating here appeared upscale, instilling a sense of awe.
莫里推开镶嵌着漏光玻璃的深色实木门。
Morris pushed open the dark solid wood door inlaid with frosted glass.
「欢迎光临，亚历山大.莫里先生。」
“Welcome, Mr. Alexander Morris.”
「我有过预约。」
“I have a reservation.”
柜台里穿着马甲的人颔首表示知晓，他走到旁边从精致水壶中倒了杯淡香奶茶。
The man in the vest behind the counter nodded in acknowledgment, then walked over to pour a cup of fragrant milk tea from an exquisite kettle.
「麦蚜女士已经在里面了。」
“Ms. Wheat Aphid is already inside.”
「谢谢。」莫里接过茶杯饮了口，瞬间感觉自己置身于微风拂过的大草原，他有点错愕的看了眼茶杯。
“Thanks.” Morris took the teacup and took a sip, instantly feeling as if he were standing on a breezy prairie. He looked at the cup with a hint of surprise.
「不同的口感会有不同的体验，祝你有个好心情。」
“Different flavors bring different experiences. I wish you a pleasant time.”
男人笑着给莫里指了指旁边的通道，「麦蚜女士是正规途径进入的城镇，不要做令她为难的事。」
The man smiled and pointed to the passage beside Morris. “Ms. Wheat Aphid entered the town through proper channels. Don’t do anything that would put her in a difficult position.”
「我清楚。」
“I understand.”
莫里进入后方，那里几个房间门紧闭，除了扇祖母绿珠帘挂着做点缀的房门还敞开着。
Morris stepped into the back, where several room doors were tightly shut, except for one adorned with an emerald bead curtain hanging as decoration, which remained open.
「我在这里。」里面传来中年妇女满含热情的招呼。
“I’m over here.” A middle-aged woman’s warm, enthusiastic greeting came from inside.
莫里抬手拨开珠帘走了进去，他看了眼周围装饰，跟想象的蜡烛、神秘魔纹和水晶球不同，屋中摆放着工艺钟表、飞机Moexl和机械结构，以及艺术雕像。
Morris reached up to part the beaded curtain and stepped inside. He glanced around at the decor—unlike the candles, mystical runes, and crystal balls he had imagined, the room was filled with intricate clocks, airplane models, mechanical structures, and artistic statues.
「你就是预约的那个外国人喔。」
“So you’re the foreigner who made the appointment.”
「王先生介绍我来的。」
“Mr. Wang referred me here.”
有点胖的女人涂着鲜艳的口红，戴着大黑框眼镜。
A somewhat chubby woman sat with bright red lipstick and large black-rimmed glasses.
她在桌后坐下，「既然如此的话，他应该有告诉过你吧，这通电话的后果是什么。」
She sat down behind the desk. “In that case, he must have told you, then—what the consequences of this phone call are.”
「我知道，但我相信我的运气应该不错，结果肯定不会太差。」
“I know. But I believe my luck should be good enough, and the outcome certainly won’t be too bad.”
麦蚜点点头，「我的客人嘛十个有九个都很乐观的。可结果却是只有一半人能笑到最后。提醒哦，若强行改变未来，你很可能会莫名死去。」
May Wen nodded. “Out of my clients, nine out of ten are quite optimistic. Yet in the end, only half of them get to laugh last. A reminder, though—if you try to forcibly change the future, there’s a high chance you’ll die inexplicably.”
她指向桌对面的椅子。
She pointed to the chair across the table.
「拨通费用是5999年。如果你考虑清楚的话，就坐下来吧。再次提醒，与未来的通话仅有一分钟，且内容会极大概率锚定你的未来，所以拨出去后无论你是否满意，都不要妄想改变。」
“The fee to make the call is $5,999. If you’re sure about this, then have a seat. I’ll warn you again: the conversation with the future lasts only a minute, and the content will almost certainly lock in your fate. So once you dial, no matter whether you like what you hear or not, don’t even think about trying to change it.”
莫里郑重思考了下，一想到那道身影，他就难以心安。
Morris gave it serious thought, but the moment that figure came to mind, he couldn’t find peace.
「杨子藏一定会带我走往更远的未来。」
“Yang Zicang will surely take me onward to a more distant future.”
喃喃自语的莫里合衣坐了下来。
Muttering to himself, Morris sat down with his clothes still on.
「我只是想知道，未来的我有没有找到朱莉亚，这消息应该不会造成严重的后果。」
“I just want to know if the future me ever found Julia. That information shouldn’t cause any serious consequences.”
莫里深吸了口气，「她应该在就某个城市里吧。」
Morris took a deep breath. “She should be in some city by now.”
麦蚜笑道：「无论如何，我的建议是不要超过三年。反正，就这已经会花费掉我三千年时序了，每超过一天，都是成倍的时序消耗，没有人负担得起。」
With a smile on her lips, Mā-Yǎ chuckled. “Anyway, my advice is not to exceed three years. After all, that alone will cost me three thousand Chronos now. Beyond that, every single extra day consumes exponentially more Chronos—no one can afford that.”
想着自己过来是那瞬间的画面，自己的爱人，自己的未婚妻，似乎也进入了这个世界，莫里心中就一直有这个结。
Thinking back to the fleeting scene that brought him here—his lover, his fiancée, seemingly having entered this world too—Morris harbored a constant knot in his heart.
只是之前的自己连自保都困难，想到那道倩影就感到绝望与无力，直到现在才有寻找未婚妻的底气。
But before this moment, even self-preservation had been a struggle for him, and the mere thought of that graceful silhouette filled him with despair and powerlessness. It was only now that he finally found the resolve to seek his fiancée.
红唇含笑的麦蚜女士从手边拿起老式拨号电话的听筒，拨号键内那只充满艺术气息的红色眼睛中，宝石般的眼珠轻轻转动，看向男人。
Mā-Yǎ smiled coyly, her carmine lips pursed. Reaching for the antique rotary phone beside her, a gem-like iris within the red artistically designed dial slot rolled lazily toward the man.
「时序5999，谢谢。」
“Chronos 5999, thank you.”
莫里递给了她一张散发微光的美钞，随后接过话筒。
Morris handed her a shimmering, softly glowing banknote before taking the receiver.
[我授权可以使用另一种我的同类。]
[I authorize the use of another version of my kin.]
[我开始拨打我的未来时序编码。]
[I am initiating a call to my future Chronos code.]
「按下你的出生日期后，再按下你想要通话的未来时间年月日，以井号键结束。」
“Enter your date of birth first, then enter the future year, month, and day you wish to contact, ending with the hashtag key.”
｛我会自动计算时差，请、开、始。｝
{I will automatically calculate the time difference. Please, start.}
机身是圆形拨号盘的电话发出朦胧心念声音。
The phone, whose body was a rotary dial, emitted a hazy telepathic voice.
虽然形象是老式脉冲式拨号电话，可那圆盘内依旧有星号和井号键，而那个井号分明是个闪烁的四边形。
Though it appeared as an old-fashioned pulse-dial telephone, there were still star and pound keys within the dial, and that pound key was unmistakably a flickering Quad.
这道圆盘边缘和它都散发著朦胧红色光线。
Both the edge of this dial and the key itself radiated a faint red glow.
它是四边形恶魇。
It was the Quad’s Nightmare.