37: Chapter 37 Anti-Involution Laboratory

After the NBA sign-holding incident, Lin Feng's phone hadn't stopped ringing.

Interview requests, collaboration invitations, requests for influencer crossovers, and some people even asked if they could pay him to hold up signs.

Lin Feng ignored them all.

He squatted at the shop entrance, put his phone on silent, chewed on a straw, and looked across the street.

The old man next to him asked, "Why don't you answer?"

Lin Feng said, "I don't want to."

The old man asked again, "Then what do you want to do?"

Lin Feng thought for a moment and said seriously, "I want to do something big."

The system seemed to have heard him. His phone vibrated.

[Ding — Volume 2 Main Quest Unlocked —]

[Quest Name: Establish the "Anti-Involution Laboratory"]

[Quest Description: Recruit a group of "loser" geniuses who want to change the world, and let them change the world in a happy way.]

[Quest Reward: $1,000,000 + Special Building "Happiness Laboratory"]

[Hint: A "loser" isn't truly useless, they just haven't found the right place to shine.]

Lin Feng stared at the phrase "loser geniuses" for a long time. Then he smiled. "I'm familiar with this."

Lin Feng spent a week "scouring" for talent across the United States. The method was simple: post online.

He posted a job advertisement on the official Joe's Fried Chicken account: [Hiring.]

Position: Researcher at the Anti-Involution Laboratory. Requirements: You feel like a loser, but you have a fire in your belly and want to do something. Benefits: Food provided, housing provided, laughter provided, no salary (but there is money). Location: Backyard of a run-down fried chicken shop in Los Angeles. How to apply: Tell us your most outrageous "loser" story.

An hour after the post went out, the comment section exploded.

"What kind of divine job posting is this???"

"What does 'laughter provided, no salary' mean?"

"I've worked at Google for five years and I want to die every day, does that count as being a loser?"

"I invented an automatic potato peeler that nobody wants, does that count?"

"Nobody reads the novels I write, but I think they're pretty good, can I come?"

Lin Feng read them one by one, grinning from ear to ear.

The old man leaned over and asked, "How many did you get?"

Lin Feng said, "Over three hundred."

The old man was stunned: "You plan to take them all?"

Lin Feng shook his head: "No. I want to pick the most useless ones."

A week later, Lin Feng had selected seven people. Seven people from all over the United States, with a wide variety of professions.

The first to arrive was Alex, thirty years old, white, an MIT Ph.D. graduate specializing in artificial intelligence. He stood at the shop entrance, carrying a worn-out backpack, his eyes darting around. Lin Feng squatted and looked at him: "Where are you a loser?"

Alex was silent for three seconds, then said, "I invented an AI specifically to help people write love letters. But nobody used it. They said love letters need to be written by yourself to be sincere."

Lin Feng nodded: "And then?"

Alex lowered his head: "Then I became unemployed. Haven't had a job for three years."

Lin Feng stood up and patted his shoulder: "Come in. From now on, you'll help the people in the shop write love letters. Using AI."

Alex was stunned: "... Are you serious?"

Lin Feng nodded: "Serious. If you write them well, I'll treat you to fried chicken." (Plot requirement, but really, not recommended, not recommended.)

The second to arrive was Rachel, twenty-eight, a Black woman who studied architectural design. She stood at the entrance, holding a stack of blueprints. Lin Feng asked, "Where are you a loser?"

Rachel handed him the blueprints. Lin Feng flipped through them—they were all bizarre-looking houses, some shaped like mushrooms, some like clouds, some like fried chicken. He looked up at her: "What is this?"

Rachel said, "The houses I designed. Nobody wants to build them. They say they're too weird."

Lin Feng stared at the blueprints for three seconds. Then he asked, "Can you design a fried chicken shop?"

Rachel was stunned for a moment: "... I guess so?"

Lin Feng pointed to the old shop behind him: "There's an empty lot in the backyard, help us design a laboratory. Make it weird, the weirder the better."

Rachel's eyes turned red.

The third to arrive was Tony, thirty-five, Chinese, who studied philosophy. He stood at the entrance, holding a book. Lin Feng asked, "Where are you a loser?"

Tony said, "I've been a Ph.D. student for eight years and haven't graduated."

Lin Feng raised an eyebrow: "Why?"

Tony thought for a moment and said seriously, "Because I can't figure out why people need to live."

Lin Feng was silent for three seconds. Then he asked, "And have you figured it out?"

Tony shook his head: "No. But I think, here with you, I might be able to figure it out."

Lin Feng smiled. "Come in. From now on, you're responsible for thinking about problems. Tell me when you figure them out."

The fourth to arrive was Sam, twenty-five, of Mexican descent, who studied music. He carried a guitar, stood at the entrance, and was a bit nervous. Lin Feng asked, "Where are you a loser?"

Sam said, "I've written a hundred songs, but nobody listens to them."

Lin Feng nodded: "Can you sing?"

Sam nodded. Lin Feng pointed inside the shop: "Go in and sing one for the people inside."

Sam was stunned: "Now?"

Lin Feng said, "Now."

Sam walked in, stood in the middle of the shop, picked up his guitar, and sang a song he wrote. The song was titled "Happiness Is Expensive, But It's Free Here." As he sang, Maria started humming along. Frank put down his fried chicken ladle. Tommy, sitting in his wheelchair, swayed gently. The old man's mouth curled up slightly. Sofia's eyes turned red. Mike, holding a tray, froze in place.

After he finished singing, the shop was quiet for a second. Then everyone started applauding. Sam froze in place, his eyes turning red.

The fifth to arrive was Jenny, thirty-two, white, who studied psychology. She stood at the entrance, looking at the group of people in the shop with a complicated expression. Lin Feng asked, "Where are you a loser?"

Jenny said, "I opened a psychological counseling office, but it went bankrupt."

Lin Feng raised an eyebrow: "Why?"

Jenny thought for a moment and said seriously, "Because the people who came to see me didn't have any money. The people with money don't think they need psychological counseling."

Lin Feng nodded: "Then what do you want to do now?"

Jenny pointed at the group in the shop: "I want to study them."

Lin Feng was stunned for a moment: "Study what?"

Jenny said, "Study why they are so miserable yet can still be so happy."

Lin Feng smiled. "Come in. From now on, you are the shop's psychological counselor. No fees."

The sixth to arrive was Chris, forty, Black, who studied mechanical engineering. He stood at the entrance, carrying a toolbox. Lin Feng asked, "Where are you a loser?"

Chris opened the toolbox, which contained a bunch of bizarre little inventions. An alarm clock that walks on its own. A trash can that talks. A robot that makes fried chicken—though it only made it once, and it set the kitchen on fire.

Lin Feng stared at the fried chicken robot for a long time. Then he asked, "Can this still be fixed?"

Chris nodded: "Yes. But someone needs to teach me how to fry chicken."

Lin Feng pointed at Mike in the kitchen: "He'll teach you. You fix it. From now on, our shop will use robots to fry chicken."

Chris was stunned.

The seventh to arrive was Yuki, twenty-seven, of Japanese descent, who studied programming. She stood at the entrance, not saying a word. Lin Feng asked, "Where are you a loser?"

Yuki was silent for a long time. Then she handed over a note. It read: [I have social anxiety and am afraid to speak. But I can write code. The really good kind.]

Lin Feng stared at the note for three seconds. Then he took out his business card from his pocket and handed it to her. On the back of the card, he wrote a line: [No need to speak. Just smile.]

Yuki looked at the line, stunned for three seconds. Then she smiled. The kind of smile she hadn't smiled in a long time.

The seven people were gathered. Lin Feng took them to the backyard and pointed to an empty lot: "Here, this is your laboratory."

Alex was stunned: "Just... an empty lot?"

Lin Feng nodded: "Yes. An empty lot. You build it yourselves."

Rachel raised her hand: "Can we build it however we want?"

Lin Feng said, "Whatever you want. The weirder, the better."

Tony raised his hand: "What about money?"

Lin Feng pointed to the shop in front: "The money the fried chicken shop earns is enough for you to spend."

Sam raised his hand: "What exactly are we going to study?"

Lin Feng thought for a moment and said seriously, "Study how to make people happy."

He paused and pointed to the group in the shop: "They are the samples. You study them. Once you figure it out, tell the whole world."

The seven people were silent. Then Jenny spoke up: "Boss Lin, you really are a..."

Lin Feng interrupted her: "I know. A lunatic."

Everyone laughed.

Three months later, a bizarre building stood in the backyard. Mushroom-like roof, cloud-like windows, walls covered in graffiti. (Actually, it could be even weirder and more bizarre.)

A sign hung at the entrance: [Anti-Involution Laboratory]. Research Content: Happiness. Researchers: Seven former losers. Opening Hours: Anytime. Fee: One smile.

Lin Feng squatted at the entrance, looking at the sign, smiling like a fool.

Rachel walked over and asked, "Boss, are you satisfied?"

Lin Feng nodded: "Satisfied."

Rachel asked again, "What's next?"

Lin Feng stood up, patted his butt: "Next, let the whole United States know that losers can also change the world."

[Chapter 37 End]