55: Chapter 55 The Ultimate Showdown

On the day V World's "Xinfeng Town" project was taken down, Lin Feng received a call from William.

The voice on the other end was no longer as polite as it had been last time.

"Mr. Lin, congratulations. Your people won the first round."

Lin Feng squatted at the town entrance, a straw in his mouth, watching the sunset.

"I didn't win. You lost on your own."

William was silent for three seconds.

Then he said, "In three days, V World will hold a global live stream. Twelve hours, non-stop. Users from all over the world can participate."

Lin Feng didn't say anything.

William continued, "We will showcase true virtual happiness. Immersive, interactive, and accessible to everyone. We will show everyone what the future looks like."

He paused.

"Mr. Lin, do you dare to come?"

Lin Feng asked, "Come for what?"

William said, "To be a guest. To sit on-site and watch us win."

Lin Feng smiled.

"You guys win your own way, why should I go?"

William also smiled, but there was no warmth in his laughter.

"Because if you don't come, people will say you're afraid."

Lin Feng was silent for three seconds.

Then he said:

"Fine. Send me the address."

---

After hanging up, Margaret asked, "Are you really going?"

Lin Feng nodded.

Margaret frowned. "They definitely have bad intentions."

Lin Feng said, "I know."

Margaret asked, "Then why go?"

Lin Feng stood up and brushed off his pants.

"If I don't go, how will I know just how fake they are?"

—

Three days later, Lin Feng appeared alone at the entrance of V Company's headquarters.

That glass skyscraper was even taller and brighter than before.

The entrance was filled with broadcasting vans, with media logos plastered everywhere—FOXX, CNCN, ABCB, and several others Lin Feng couldn't name.

Lin Feng squatted by the entrance and waited for a while.

Someone recognized him and held up a phone to take a photo.

He didn't move, continuing to squat there, chewing on a straw that had already been bitten flat.

After waiting for five minutes, a young man in a suit ran out.

"Mr. Lin, please follow me."

---

Inside the live stream hall, the lights were blinding.

A massive circular stage was surrounded by screens on all sides. The screens were larger and denser than last time, scrolling through scenes from V World—virtual cities, virtual beaches, virtual forests, virtual crowds, and virtual carnivals.

A single chair was placed in the center of the stage.

One lonely chair.

William stood at the edge of the stage, talking to several people in suits. They were clearly V Company executives, each with a serious expression and shrewd eyes.

Seeing Lin Feng enter, William walked over and extended his hand.

"Mr. Lin, welcome."

Lin Feng gave it a quick shake and then squatted directly on the chair.

William's lip twitched at the sight of his posture, but he said nothing.

He pointed to the surrounding screens.

"In two hours, the global live stream begins. We expect 120 million people to be online."

Lin Feng nodded.

William stared at him.

"Mr. Lin, are you really not nervous?"

Lin Feng thought for a moment and said:

"What is there to be nervous about?"

William said, "120 million people will be watching you."

Lin Feng smiled.

"When I squat at my door, people watch me every day too. There just aren't as many of them."

---

The live stream began.

The host was the same blonde woman from last time, with a sweet voice and a fast pace, but today she was dressed more formally and wore heavier makeup.

She introduced V World's history, technology, user data, and future vision.

On the big screen, scenes shifted constantly—people shopping in virtual cities, sunbathing on virtual beaches, camping in virtual forests, and dancing at virtual parties.

Bullet comments flew rapidly across the bottom of the screen:

"This is too real."

"I want to go in too."

"This is much more convenient than Xinfeng Town."

"What is Xinfeng Town? Is it edible?"

When the host reached a certain point, she suddenly changed her tone.

"Recently, a place has become very popular. It's called Xinfeng Town. A real-life small town that has attracted much attention with its concept of 'real happiness.'"

The camera cut to Lin Feng.

He was squatted on the chair, chewing on a straw, his expression as calm as if he were sunbathing in front of his own house.

The host walked up to him and handed him the microphone.

"Mr. Lin, welcome to V World. May I ask, what do you think of 'virtual happiness'?"

Lin Feng thought for a bit and said:

"I haven't seen it."

The host was stunned for a moment. "You haven't experienced V World?"

Lin Feng shook his head. "No. I've never had the time."

The host was a bit embarrassed and turned to William.

"Mr. William, what do you think of this 'haven't seen it' attitude?"

William smiled and walked to the center of the stage.

The big screen switched to a close-up of him.

"Everyone, virtual happiness was never meant to replace real happiness. It is a supplement, a choice. When you want to go out, socialize, and face real people, you can go to Xinfeng Town. When you are tired, don't want to move, and just want to relax, you can come to V World."

He paused, his voice steady and powerful.

"This is not competition; it is coexistence. The future should be diverse, inclusive, and give people choices."

The bullet comments began to flood the screen:

"Well said!"

"I want both."

"Coexistence is the future."

"William is much more reliable than that squatting guy."

The host looked back at Lin Feng.

"Mr. Lin, do you agree with Mr. William's view?"

Lin Feng remained squatted, unmoving.

He was silent for three seconds.

Then he said:

"I agree."

The entire hall went quiet for a second.

William's expression stiffened for a moment.

Lin Feng continued:

"Virtual happiness can indeed be a supplement. When you're tired, don't want to move, and just want to relax, it's quite nice to stay in there for a while."

He stood up, walked to the edge of the stage, and looked at the big screens.

"But I want to ask one thing—"

He turned back and looked into the camera.

"After you go in, do you still want to come out?"

The bullet comments stopped.

Lin Feng pointed to the virtual people on the screen.

"They shop in a virtual city for a whole day. After they come out, will they still want to stroll through a real street?"

"They sunbathe on a virtual beach for a week. After they come out, will they still want to soak in the real sun?"

"They camp in a virtual forest for a month. After they come out, will they still want to feel the real wind?"

He walked up to William and stood still.

"Mr. William, your product is good. Really good. So good that people don't want to leave."

He paused.

"But people can't just never come out."

---

William's smile vanished.

He looked at Lin Feng with a complex gaze.

"Mr. Lin, we have anti-addiction systems, time reminders, we have—"

Lin Feng interrupted him.

"You make money based on user online time. The longer they stay, the more you earn. What can an anti-addiction system prevent? Prevent them from spending a little less money?"

The whole place fell silent.

William's face changed color.

Lin Feng continued:

"I'm not here to scold you. I know it's a business. If I were you, I might do the same."

He walked back to the center of the stage and looked at the camera.

"But don't tell me this is called 'coexistence.' This is called 'addiction.'"

The bullet comments exploded:

"He's right!"

"I've played V World for three months, and my trips outside have decreased by 80%."

"I've never paid attention to the anti-addiction system."

"Suddenly I want to go see Xinfeng Town."

"Is that town real or fake?"

William took a deep breath, trying to salvage the situation.

"Mr. Lin, you have a point. But V World is also constantly improving. We recently launched the 'Real World Linkage Program' to encourage users—"

Lin Feng interrupted him again.

"I saw that plan."

William was stunned.

Lin Feng said, "If a user stays online for a hundred hours, they get a ticket to Xinfeng Town. Right?"

William nodded.

Lin Feng laughed.

"One hundred hours. Over four days. By the time they come out, they'll have almost forgotten what the sun looks like."

He squatted down—right there in the center of the stage, facing the camera.

"Everyone, I'm not here to crash the party. I just want to tell you one thing."

He paused.

"Real things don't require you to accumulate a hundred hours to be worthy of them. Real things are right outside your door."

---

The live stream continued for ten hours.

Lin Feng squatted on that chair for ten hours.

He only got up four times—to use the bathroom, drink water, change his posture, and once when he was invited backstage by William for a "five-minute chat."

No one knew what was discussed in those five minutes.

But when William returned, his face looked even worse than before.

The bullet comments kept scrolling.

Someone asked how to get to Xinfeng Town.

Someone asked if those mushrooms could really be bought.

Someone asked if that "Ear" sculpture could really hear echoes.

Someone asked who George, Edna, and Mike were.

Lin Feng occasionally answered a few questions.

Most of the time, he just squatted there, straw in mouth, watching the screens.

Sometimes, as he watched, he would let out a small smile.

No one knew what he was smiling at.

---

When the live stream ended, the host walked over.

"Mr. Lin, please say one last word."

Lin Feng thought for a moment and said:

"Just one sentence."

He stood up and faced the camera.

"Xinfeng Town welcomes you. You don't need to wear glasses. You don't need to save up a hundred hours. You can even come tomorrow."

---

That night, Xinfeng Town's official website crashed.

Yuki worked through the night to fix it, finishing at four in the morning.

By six the next morning, the website's traffic reached twelve million.

Mushroom orders were backed up for three years.

George's son, Tom, called to say that the documentary's views had increased eighty-fold.

Margaret stood at the restaurant entrance, watching the influx of unfamiliar faces—some coming by car, some by bus, some by plane—her hands shaking violently.

Lin Feng squatted nearby, straw in mouth, watching the people.

Margaret asked, "Lin Feng, do you know what you've done?"

Lin Feng shook his head.

Margaret said, "You've made over a hundred million people start thinking about one question—"

She paused.

"What they actually want."

Lin Feng thought for a bit and said:

"That's their business. My only job was to let them know there are other choices."

—

A week later, V Company's stock price dropped by 18%.

William was interviewed and asked for his opinion on Lin Feng.

He was silent for a long time, then said:

"That man is different."

The reporter asked, "How is he different?"

William said, "He's not afraid to lose. He doesn't care if he wins or not."

The reporter asked, "Then what does he care about?"

William thought for a moment and gave a bitter smile.

"He cares about the people he watches while he's squatting."

---

A month later, the population of Xinfeng Town became 623.

It had increased by nearly two hundred people.

There were tourists who stayed, young people who returned, and those who came from other towns due to its reputation.

Lin Feng squatted at the town entrance, looking at the newly written road sign:

[Xinfeng Town, Population: 623]

Beside him, Margaret asked, "Are we still going to change it?"

Lin Feng said, "No more changes."

Margaret asked, "Why?"

Lin Feng pointed to the people.

"Let them add to it themselves."

[Chapter 55 End]

<Postscript>

Margaret walked over and squatted beside him.

"Lin Feng, someone asked a question."

Lin Feng turned to look at her. "What question?"

Margaret said, "Someone asked—what if I don't have the money to go to Xinfeng Town?"

Lin Feng was stunned for a moment.

Then he stood up, walked under the old locust tree at the town entrance, and squatted.

He thought for a long time.

---

The next day, a new sign appeared at the entrance of Xinfeng Town.

It was made of wood, with a few words written crookedly by hand:

[Can't come? It's okay.]

Below that was a line of small text:

[Happiness is free. So is Xinfeng Town.]

Margaret looked at the sign and froze.

"Lin Feng, what does this mean?"

Lin Feng chewed on his straw and said slowly:

"Yuki is working on something."

--

The thing Yuki was working on was called "Happiness Delivery."

It was very simple:

Every day, the people of Xinfeng Town would take a photo—George growing mushrooms, Edna talking to the "Ear," Mike's finished cocktails, Tom editing film, and the smiles of the tourists.

The photos were posted online.

Anyone could download them.

For free.

Someone asked in the comments section, "What's the use of this?"

Yuki replied with a single line:

[When you look at them, you've received it.]

——

A week later, someone sent a letter from thousands of miles away.

Inside the envelope was just one photo—an old lady sitting in front of her house, holding a printed "Xinfeng Town photo," smiling at the camera.

On the back of the photo was a line of text:

[I can't go. But it came to me.]

Margaret handed the letter to Lin Feng.

Lin Feng looked at it for a long time.

Then he smiled.

"Margaret."

Margaret turned to look at him.

Lin Feng said, "Money can buy a ticket. But happiness doesn't need it."

[Chapter 55 Postscript End]