Résurrection de cadavres

Chapitre 13

Xu Haibing left the internet cafe and rushed to the school at night, secretly determined to find an opportunity to confront Guo Qinqin.

He unlocked the door to room 407 and instinctively reached for the light switch, only to have another hand turn on the light before he could.

Guo Qinqin was standing right in front of him!

Xu Haibing was momentarily stunned, staring blankly at this uninvited imaginary enemy.

Guo Qinqin casually brushed aside her bangs that were falling to her left forehead, her expression calm and composed, and smiled warmly: "What a coincidence, I just arrived a little while ago. I wanted to ask you about the situation in Daxing again, and when I saw the door was open, I came in."

Xu Haibing frowned slightly, as if recalling when he had forgotten to lock the door.

Guo Qinqin asked, "May I sit down?"

Xu Haibing composed himself and said, "Sit, sit."

As soon as Guo Qinqin sat down, she preemptively said, "I think I saw you at the mall this afternoon."

Xu Haibing feigned ignorance: "Oh, really?"

"Can you see me?"

"No... I didn't dare to admit it..."

"Sigh, it's all my aunt's fault for insisting on buying me jewelry after coming back from Singapore. Look at my status at school, is it even appropriate for me to wear it?... I wanted to say hello to you, but I was afraid of my aunt's endless questioning. You know, she's always urging me to find a boyfriend, saying she wants to take us both abroad to university..."

"Isn't this a good thing?"

"How could my parents bear to let me go? They wouldn't allow me to apply to universities in other provinces. When I was in high school, I went on a ten-day ocean summer camp, but after only three days, my dad came looking for me and brought me back, saying that my mom missed me so much she couldn't sleep. Actually, he missed me even more than my mom, otherwise why would he have driven his BMW to pick me up himself..."

"Oh, it's a private car?"

"No, it was provided to him by the government; after all, he's a public servant."

"Really? A BMW needs at least a six-cylinder engine. Even the provincial governor might not be able to afford one, given the standards for official vehicles for government officials."

"My dad is a professor-level leader; the provincial governor gave him special permission."

"I know who your father is now," Xu Haibing blurted out in surprise.

"Who is it?" Guo Qinqin remained calm and composed.

"First of all, your dad isn't the provincial governor; he's a department head, which is one level below the governor. Among department heads, only the education and health departments have professor-level positions. The health department head lives in the same compound as my family; he has two sons and no daughters..."

Just then, the school lights-out bell rang.

Guo Qinqin stood up: "Don't say any more, I should go."

Xu Haibing watched her leave, and just as he turned to shrug in a gesture of relaxation, Guo Qinqin poked her head in again and added, "Oh, please don't forget to let me know when Shen Daxing comes back."

Xu Haibing stiffly agreed, only relaxing his shoulders after hearing Guo Qinqin's footsteps fade into the distance.

Suddenly startled, he strangely carried a basin of water from the bathroom, then found a bottle of ink and poured it into it...

The pitch-black night sky enveloped the pitch-black campus.

On the fourth-floor corridor of Building D, soft footsteps, the sound of bells, and heavy breathing gradually approached Room 407...

The door to room 407 was touched lightly as usual, but this time it opened immediately.

Inside, Xu Haibing, who was already on guard, picked up a basin of black water, about to pour it out, when a nimble black figure pounced from outside the door and overturned the basin first.

The black water splashed all over Xu Haibing's head and face!

Xu Haibing struggled to open his eyes, and was shocked to see a huge black dog lunging at him!

"Big Black! Don't be rude!" The dog, about to attack again, was stopped by its owner, a fat security guard.

The chubby security guard smiled and reassured Xu Haibing, "Hehe, don't be afraid. Like dog, like owner. Our Dahei is just as honest and simple as me; he rarely bites people."

Enraged by the blackening of his face and clothes, Xu Haibing kicked the big black dog. The dog's owner quickly intervened, saying, "Hey, hey, how can a high-ranking official like you stoop to the level of a dog? Besides, it did a great job today. See? It brought this from the earthen slope not far behind our building!" As he spoke, he proudly waved a blue shoe in his hand.

Xu Haibing reached out to take it, but the fat security guard wouldn't let him: "Tell me how you're going to reward Dahei first."

"Fine, let's call it even." Xu Haibing snatched the blue shoe, took out another shoe from the drawer, and compared them. What else was there to say?

It's a pair!

Xu Haibing impatiently demanded, "Now, let it lead the way so we can see for ourselves."

The chubby security guard shook his head repeatedly: "Oh, no, no, I'm not going no matter what."

"What are you afraid of? As the saying goes, a dog emboldens a bear, and with your honest and simple-minded dog protecting you, what is there to be afraid of?"

The chubby security guard didn't answer. He led Xu Haibing to the window, opened it, and pointed his carrot-thick hand northwest.

In a dark, mound-like forest, faint glimmers of light flickered...

Xu Haibing dismissed it: "Those are fireflies. When we lived in the naval compound as kids, we used to catch them and put them in bottles to play with."

The chubby security guard whispered mysteriously in his ear, "...That's...a...will-o'-the-wisp!"

A gust of cold wind blew by, and Xu Haibing, who was soaked, couldn't help but shiver...

QQ Lost (20(1))

A dedicated classroom for computer classes.

Zhang Wen, who was instructing MBA students on how to use the computer, saw that Xu Haibing's typing technique was not standard, so he bent down and corrected it for him hand in hand.

She suddenly frowned, sniffed, as if she smelled something strange, and looked down following the scent—

A pair of smelly blue sneakers were wrapped in a plastic food bag next to the table.

Just then, a commotion came from the next classroom, which distracted Zhang Wen. She left Xu Haibing and the stench and went out of the classroom to see what was going on.

Xu Haibing, who was already distracted, took the opportunity to pick up the plastic bag and slip out the back door.

As he left the classroom, he saw a large group of students craning their necks and standing on tiptoe to look inside, clapping and cheering. Unable to contain his curiosity, he went over to them.

The lecture hall was filled with teachers and students. The words "Debate" were written on the blackboard. There were two long tables on either side of the podium. One table was labeled "Affirmative" and was occupied by four young students. The other table was labeled "Negative" and was occupied by four wrinkled teachers. In the middle, on the host's seat, sat the beautiful Guo Qinqin.

Xu Haibing muttered to himself, puzzled, "What are they arguing about? They're all red in the face."

"It's like the pros and cons of the internet," a woman in front of him replied casually without turning around.

As they listened, the teacher and students indeed engaged in a heated debate surrounding the topic of the internet.

...

The first speaker for the affirmative side stated: "...Internet, Web, Sohu, WAP, and so on—since its inception, the internet has roamed the world with boundless charm. Like a giant magnetic field, it attracts more and more people to become captivated by it. Just as major inventions like papermaking, printing, the telephone, and the automobile profoundly changed society, the internet is also changing people's work, life, learning, and many other aspects. Businesses gain immense value with the addition of an 'e'; ordinary people broaden their horizons upon connecting online; the internet provides university students with a vast space for self-creation, expanding social circles, increasing knowledge, psychological communication, and relieving negative emotions; more importantly, the internet can facilitate borderless and raceless global communication in the blink of an eye, and the great dream of 'universal harmony' that our Chinese nation has cherished for thousands of years is about to be realized! The power of the internet is so great that, without a doubt, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks!"

The first speaker for the opposition: "I remind my fellow debaters that everything in the world is a unity of opposites. Sunlight shines on the earth, bringing life to all things, but too much sun exposure can lead to skin diseases and even skin cancer. How much more so in our country, where the internet is still largely unregulated, with a mix of good and bad, and negative influences outweighing positives? Aren't all things corrupt and backward just like clowns resurrected online, spreading rampantly? Online 'red-light districts' have no borders, and online dating is fraught with danger. Because of the virtual and anonymous nature of the internet, this method of making friends can easily lead to negative consequences. Especially at your age, with poor self-discipline and weak discernment, you are easily misled by incorrect information about relationships online. Being cheated out of money, having one-night stands, or even being solicited by prostitutes is no longer uncommon among university students."

The second speaker for the affirmative side: "My opponent is right at the beginning. Everything that brings us benefits also has a disadvantage. The key is not to exaggerate these disadvantages. If taking medicine can kill you, does that mean we shouldn't take medicine when we're sick? If traveling by car can lead to an accident, does that mean we shouldn't travel by car? I believe that online dating is not fraught with danger, but rather full of opportunities and an effective way to accumulate life experience. Because everything online is still done by 'people,' and the internet is a reflection of real life, it's not surprising that some people deceive others and some are deceived. If there is a difference, it's only that deception in real life is far greater than online. Otherwise, how could we be deceived even with 'eyes'? Moreover, aren't there many people who are deceived into one-night stands in real life? It has nothing to do with whether it's online or not. In this respect, the internet is far more real, more sincere, and more humane than reality. Of course, the key is still oneself. It can be said that those who aren't deceived online today will eventually be deceived in real life."

Second speaker for the opposition: "I believe the opposing team's logical deduction is flawed. It's true that the internet can transcend the limitations of time and space, providing us with rich experiences, but these experiences are imperfect, and to some extent, even illusory. To understand the real world, we must engage with life. You are born in the internet age, and while navigating the online world, you must not neglect building real-world experiences; this is irreplaceable. For example, someone who enjoys playing computer games, if someone attacks them with a sword in the game, in real life, they would instinctively dodge, but because they know it's just a game..." If it doesn't cause him real harm, he'll refuse to dodge, and this kind of gaming experience will gradually weaken his instinct for self-preservation. He must rebuild his experience rooted in the real world, and the way to do that might be to actually fight a bad guy. Only when he's clutching his face after being punched will his real-world experience points increase. Here, I don't intend to argue about the merits or demerits of the internet; I just want more students who are addicted to the internet to know that the world is vast enough, and life is beautiful enough, worthy of our lifelong exploration and pursuit. Spending every day and night with the internet, "wasting away for her," means you'll never truly grow up.

The third speaker for the affirmative side: "I just can't understand it. How can anyone still openly claim that the internet is unreal? Right after I finished my college entrance exams, my cousin got married. My parents, seeing I was idle at home, made me attend their wedding. And look what? My cousin and his wife met and fell in love in an online 'romantic encounter' chat room. What does this show? It shows that although we can't find a physical space for the internet, what happens online has real consequences! If the internet is unreal, then where does my real cousin's wife come from? The internet is undoubtedly real; it's a real medium connecting individuals and society. It provides us with..." It provides a space where one can move freely without having to read between the lines or worry about propriety; everything is up to oneself, while still interacting with others. Besides, we go online not to escape the real world, but rather because reality has abandoned us. In the past month or two of university, I've clearly felt two things: first, more free time and more free time at my disposal; second, university life is monotonous and dull, with almost no meaningful social practice, cultural entertainment, club activities, etc. We feel empty, bored, and lost. If we don't go online to kill time and find a true spiritual home, what else can we do? We can't spend four years just with books!

QQ Lost (2020)

The third speaker for the opposition: "You only realize how little you know when you need it! My dear students, Li Ka-shing didn't make his fortune playing computer games. His son, Richard Li, also achieved his current success by studying diligently at prestigious foreign universities for many years and acquiring sufficient knowledge. Learning is the only way to acquire knowledge, and knowledge is the only way to transform it into wealth—this is an indisputable truth. In fact, the relatively relaxed environment that universities provide is intended not only for you to learn from teachers and textbooks in the classroom, but also to cultivate your self-learning ability and independent thinking skills. Don't think that entering university means you're away from your parents..." With mothers urging them on and teachers no longer closely monitoring them like in high school, their freedom expanded infinitely. They could do whatever they wanted, and long-suppressed desires erupted. I had an example of this in the class I taught at the old school. A bright student who had been admitted through a special program became addicted to online games and obsessed with online novelty, developing some kind of internet addiction. He spent all his time online, staying out all night, and felt completely lost if he didn't touch a keyboard for a day. As a result, he failed every subject and eventually had to drop out. By the time he reached that point, it was too late for regrets!

The fourth speaker for the affirmative side: "First, I protest the condescending attitude of the third speaker for the negative side. A debate is not a classroom; we are equal debaters, not teacher and student. The third speaker's remarks had a serious tendency to lecture, which must be corrected. Now, whenever students are mentioned as being addicted to the internet and neglecting their studies, people simply blame the students themselves, saying they have only themselves to blame. Then, as school leaders and teachers, don't you bear any responsibility? You either don't care at all, or you control them too much. Have you ever considered taking effective measures to maximize the positive benefits of the internet and minimize its harms? I ask the fourth speaker for their answer."

The fourth speaker for the opposing side was none other than the lean director, who was poised to unleash his full potential.

He stood up solemnly, cleared his throat, straightened his clothes, and answered confidently: "Of course there is. The issue you just raised has already been considered by our school's provisional Party committee. We have held several special meetings to study it in detail, and we unanimously believe that the primary strategy to prevent and correct the negative impact of the internet on college students' learning, life, and growth is to strengthen the school's ideological and political work, help students establish correct worldviews, outlooks on life, and values, guide you with correct theories, arm you with solid scientific and technological knowledge, shape you with strong ethics and morality, and enrich you with a healthy mind..."

Before he could finish speaking, a chorus of boos erupted from the audience.

The fourth speaker for the affirmative side tried to smooth things over: "Our respected Director Ji worked tirelessly all night yesterday regarding the scholarship standards, which are closely related to everyone's interests. He's not fully awake yet and might still think today is his political lesson. Please understand. I believe that if the school genuinely wants to bring students' internet use back on track, the best way is to 'fight fire with fire'—immediately set up a campus internet cafe!"

The single stone stirred up a thousand ripples! The students in the audience immediately cheered and voiced their support:

"Yes! You want to control our internet access? Then keep us under your noses!"

"If the proletariat doesn't occupy this online arena, the bourgeoisie will! We must use it for our own purposes, leveraging this platform to carry out activities and enrich our after-school life."

"Many courses and assignments can be posted online. I use the 'Air English' website to learn English and expand my knowledge outside of class."

"By building internet cafes on campus, we can keep unhealthy things out of school!"

"Besides, good water shouldn't be used to enrich outsiders. The school can also earn some extra money through internet cafes to improve our meals; the quality of the food in the cafeteria is getting worse and worse!"

"That's right, the students have given the cafeteria a nickname now—'the weight loss center'!"

...

"Quiet, quiet! How did things get so far as to talk about food?" Host Guo Qinqin quickly tapped the overturned enamel bowl on the lectern with her chopsticks to regain control. "Reason doesn't lie in the volume of your voice! Luckily, there are two floors above us, otherwise the roof would have been blown off. Okay, the free debate phase is now over. Next, representatives from both sides will give concluding remarks, each with 15 minutes."

She tapped the porcelain bowl: "Begin!"

The thin director and a student from the other side stood up simultaneously and said, "I ask you all to calm down again..." and "We ask Comrade Ji not to leave..."

Guo Qinqin banged on her porcelain bowl again: "Everyone sit down. Anyone who commits another foul will be sent off with a red card! Let's hear from the fourth speaker of the affirmative side first."

The thin director had no choice but to swallow his anger and sit down.

...

Xu Haibing found it amusing from the outside, and without thinking, he put his hand, which was carrying a plastic bag, on the shoulder of the woman in front of him and stretched his head upwards.

The woman covered her nose at the familiar stench and turned to look, startling Xu Haibing. She didn't realize that the person in front of her was Zhang Wen, and hurriedly retreated while grimacing in embarrassment.

The cheers from the students for the fourth speaker's brilliant speech for the affirmative side echoed throughout the teaching building...

QQ Lost - Part 3

QQ Lost Chapter 21

Xu Haibing ventured into a wholesale and retail market built within an underground civil defense project, carrying a plastic bag, and lingered among the winding shoe stalls.

He finally found a pair of blue sneakers on a shelf and compared them with the blue shoes in the bag.

The stall owner asked, "Want some? 30% off."

Xu Haibing handed him the blue shoes from the plastic bag: "Let me see, are these the shoes you sell here?"

The stall owner took the blue shoes, gesturing with his hand: "Hmm, these shoes, one pair could buy more than fifty pairs of shoes here. I can't afford to sell these here. Oh, in my opinion, most department stores wouldn't sell them either; maybe they're from the China World Trade Center."

In Xu Haibing's memory, the China World Trade Center was a place that sold things that ordinary people couldn't afford.

He then rushed over, carrying his shoes, and bent over to carefully examine the various exquisitely crafted and expensive leather shoes in front of the ornately decorated shoe cabinet.

A female sales clerk came over and asked, "Sir, are you... looking to buy shoes?"

Xu Haibing answered truthfully, "No, I'm looking for my shoes."