64: Chapter 64 On the Eve of the Final Battle

Three more days passed after that "Keep watching" message was sent.

During those three days, everything in Xinfeng Town continued as usual.

Every day, George went down to the farm, squatting among the mushroom racks to inspect those pale white mushrooms one by one. His movements were slow but steady, as if he had been doing this for decades.

Edna went to the church every day, sitting beside that "Ear" sculpture. Sometimes she spoke, sometimes she didn't. Sunlight streamed through the stained glass windows, falling upon her graying hair.

Every day, Mike wiped the bar counter, stroke after stroke, very slowly. The wood grain on the bar had already been polished to a shine by him, yet he still wiped it every day. When someone asked him why, he said, "If my hands are idle, I don't know where to put them."

Sam played his guitar every day, sitting on the stone at the church entrance. He played that "Song of the Dandelion" over and over again. Sometimes people would sit down to listen, and he would keep playing; if no one listened, he still kept playing.

Jenny organized those letters every day, one by one, arranged by date. There were more and more letters, already filling three wooden crates. She kept the crates in a corner of the church and opened them every day to take a look.

Every day, Chris watered the mushrooms and talked to them. He would say to the mushrooms, "The sun is good today, get plenty of light." He would say, "It's going to rain tomorrow, drink up." The mushrooms wouldn't answer, but he felt they understood.

Alex and Rachel stared at the screen every day, watching the ever-increasing comments on the happiness map. The comments came from a hundred towns, from thousands of people. Someone wrote about how many mushrooms they planted today, someone wrote about what song they sang, someone wrote about who they missed. Alex and Rachel read them one by one, sometimes laughing, sometimes crying.

Tony read his book every day—the same one. He hadn't finished it after three months. When someone asked what book he was actually reading, he flipped the cover to show them—"Being and Time." The person didn't understand it, and he didn't explain.

Yuki typed on her keyboard every day, replying to those comments. Her reply was always just one sentence: "I see it." Someone replied to her, "You see it, then what?" She replied, "Then it's fine." Someone replied, "How do you know?" She replied, "Because I am here too."

Every day, Lin Feng squatted under the old locust tree, watching these people.

He watched from morning until night.

Margaret asked him, "You watch every day, don't you get tired of it?"

Lin Feng said, "I don't."

Margaret asked, "Why?"

Lin Feng said, "Because every day is different."

---

But everyone knew that something was approaching.

It was like the stifling heat before a storm, making it hard to breathe. Like the low-hanging clouds of a summer evening, pressing lower and lower until they almost touched the rooftops.

George's watering movements slowed by half a beat.

Edna would occasionally drift off while speaking.

Mike would stop and daze off while wiping the bar.

Sam would hit the wrong notes while playing his guitar.

Jenny would stare at a particular letter for a long time while organizing them.

Chris would stand there in a daze after finishing the watering.

Alex and Rachel spent longer and longer staring at the screen.

Tony's book stayed on a certain page, unturned for several days.

Yuki's fingers on the keyboard were a little slower than usual.

Lin Feng was still squatting, watching.

But Margaret noticed that the frequency with which he changed his straw had increased.

— —

On the morning of the fourth day, the sun rose from behind the eastern mountains, stretching the shadow of the old locust tree very long.

A new message popped up on Yuki's computer.

It wasn't from that mysterious administrator account.

It was from an unfamiliar email address, sending a document. The attachment was large and took five seconds to load.

Yuki clicked it and looked for three seconds.

Her fingers stopped on the keyboard, motionless.

She looked for another three seconds.

Then she stood up, walked to the old locust tree, and handed the printed document to Lin Feng.

Lin Feng took the document and looked down.

The first page of the document was a court summons. Gilded borders, official seals, and dense legal terminology.

Plaintiffs: Backstone Fund, Risersize Capital, Cestwood Partner, and seven other companies he hadn't heard of—each name longer and more imposing than the last.

Defendants: Lin Feng, the Xinfeng Town Residents' Committee, and the operators of the "happiness map" website.

Charges: Commercial fraud, illegal fundraising, intellectual property infringement, unfair competition, and—"using emotional manipulation to damage public mental health."

Claim amount: Two billion US dollars.

Court date: Two weeks later.

After Lin Feng finished reading, he folded the summons and tucked it into his pocket. His movements were light, as if he were pocketing an ordinary piece of paper.

Margaret asked from the side, "What is it?"

Lin Feng said, "They're getting desperate."

Margaret was stunned: "Just that?"

Lin Feng nodded: "Just that."

Margaret stared at him for three seconds. There was no expression on his face, same as always.

But she knew things were different now.

---

That afternoon, the church was once again filled with people.

George stood before the altar and recounted the matter of the summons. His voice was calm, as if talking about today's weather. But his hand, clutching the copy of the summons, was gripped very tight.

"Two billion," he said. "If we added up everything we own, it wouldn't even be worth that much."

The room went silent for a second.

Then someone laughed.

It was Mike. He leaned against the bar, covering his mouth as he let out a laugh.

Then came Sam. He held his guitar, his shoulders shaking with laughter.

Then Jenny. She hugged those letters tighter, laughing until tears came to her eyes.

Then Chris. He squatted on the floor, his whole body trembling with laughter.

And Alex and Rachel hugged each other, laughing and stomping their feet.

Tony, meanwhile, had the corners of his mouth turned up, laughing softly.

Yuki kept her head down, her shoulders heaving.

Finally, the people who had come from other towns joined in. One by one, they broke into laughter.

The laughter echoed in the church, drifting out through the stained glass windows, over to the old locust tree, and across the farm.

Edna leaned on her cane and said slowly:

"Two billion? How much is this old life of mine worth?"

Mike, leaning on the bar, added:

"I don't know how much your life is worth, but my liquor certainly isn't."

The laughter grew louder.

Sam held his guitar and plucked a chord:

"What are they suing us for? Is making people laugh a crime now?"

Jenny hugged those letters and said softly:

"They are suing happiness."

Everyone went quiet.

Jenny continued, "Look at that charge—'using emotional manipulation to damage public mental health.' The emotional manipulation they're talking about is making these people laugh."

She held up the letters, stack after stack, so thick that three wooden crates couldn't hold them all.

"The people who wrote these letters are all laughing. They think this is damage."

The church remained silent for a long time.

Some lowered their heads. Some looked out the window. Some clenched their fists. Some grasped the hand of the person next to them.

Then Tony spoke.

He actually put down that book, stood up, and looked at everyone.

The book was placed on the chair, cover facing up. The words "Being and Time" were hard to see in the dim light.

"There's a sentence I've been thinking about for a long time."

Everyone looked at him.

Tony's voice was soft, but every word was clear:

"Why do people live? I didn't know before. But being here, I've slowly come to understand."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the faces of George, Edna, Mike, Sam, Jenny, Chris, Alex, Rachel, Yuki, and those who had come from other towns.

"People don't live to avoid being sued. They live so they can be sued with a smile."

The church was silent for a second.

Then someone started clapping.

It was George. Standing before the altar, he was the first to start clapping.

Next was Edna. Leaning on her cane, she clapped her hands one stroke at a time.

Then Mike. He threw his rag onto the bar and clapped the loudest.

Then Sam. He set his guitar aside and stood up to clap.

Jenny hugged those letters to her chest, clapping while tears flowed.

And Chris, he stood up from the floor, not even bothering to pick up the toolbox beside him.

Alex and Rachel let go of each other and clapped forcefully.

Yuki looked up. There were still tear stains on her face, but the corners of her mouth were turned up as she clapped softly.

Finally, the people from the other towns stood up one by one and clapped.

The applause echoed in the church, louder and longer than the laughter from before.

George walked over to Tony and patted his shoulder:

"You kid, you finally figured it out."

Tony smiled and didn't say anything.

But his eyes were bright.

--

Lin Feng squatted in the corner, watching these people.

From the moment George started clapping until the applause died down, he watched continuously.

Margaret walked over and squatted beside him.

"Lin Feng, don't you have anything you want to say?"

Lin Feng thought for a moment and said:

"Just one thing."

Margaret waited.

Lin Feng stood up, walked through the crowd, and went to the altar.

Everyone looked at him and quieted down.

He said, "In two weeks, we go to New York."

George was stunned: "What are we going to New York for?"

Lin Feng said, "To fight the lawsuit."

Edna asked, "Can we win?"

Lin Feng thought for a moment and said:

"I don't know."

Mike asked, "Then why go?"

Lin Feng pointed to the letters in Jenny's hands:

"Because they wrote."

He pointed to the guitar in Sam's arms:

"Because he sang."

He pointed to the calluses on George's hands:

"Because he planted."

He pointed to the cane Edna leaned on:

"Because she waited."

He pointed to the bar Mike had polished:

"Because he wiped."

He pointed to the mushrooms Chris had watered:

"Because those mushrooms are real."

He pointed to the screen Alex and Rachel were staring at:

"Because that data is real."

He pointed to the book in Tony's hand:

"Because he thought."

He pointed to the computer in front of Yuki:

"Because she replied."

He turned around and looked at everyone:

"You've done so much. It would be a shame not to go and have your say."

—

That night, the news spread through a hundred towns.

It wasn't by phone. Yuki posted an announcement on the happiness map:

[Two weeks from now. New York. Courthouse. Those willing to come, find your own way.]

After the announcement was posted, Yuki's computer didn't stop for a moment.

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

In Millfield, Ohio, Dave was the first to reply. He was working overtime on the farm, reading his phone by the dim light. After reading, he was silent for three seconds, then began to type: "I'll buy my ticket tomorrow."

In Carbon, West Virginia, Tom was the second to reply. He was editing a video, and the old man on the screen was laughing. He looked at that face for a long time, then typed: "I'll bring my camera."

In Coal Creek, Kentucky, the eighty-seven-year-old man couldn't type. He asked his grandson to help him reply: "Grandpa says he wants to go. He asked me if New York is far. I said it's pretty far. He said, then we need to leave early."

In Mill Town, Pennsylvania, Edna's daughter-in-law helped her reply: "Mom says she wants to go. When I asked her why, she said, 'To see the places my old man never got to see.'"

In that new town in Tennessee, the young mother holding her baby typed with one hand while holding the child with the other: "Baby, we're going to New York."

In Starry Sky Town, the old lady named Jack didn't know how to use a computer. She asked the only young person in town with a smartphone to help her reply. The young man asked her, "What should I say?" She thought for a moment and said, "Just say I'm going to New York. I'll talk to him when I get back."

There were more.

From Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Virginia, North Carolina...

The red dots on the happiness map lit up one by one.

Not as data.

But as people.

-

On the seventh day, the first group of people arrived in Xinfeng Town.

Dave from Ohio had driven for ten hours. The back of his pickup truck was filled with mushrooms, which he said were for everyone to eat on the road.

Tom from West Virginia had taken a bus, transferred to a train, and then to another bus. He carried his camera bag on his back, never putting it down for a moment.

The group of old miners from Kentucky had rented a beat-up van, squeezing nine people inside. The door wouldn't close, so they tied it shut with a rope.

Edna from Pennsylvania was driven there by her son. Her son hadn't wanted to come, but Edna said, "If you don't take me, I'll walk there." Her son had no choice but to take her.

The young mother from Tennessee, holding her baby, had taken a six-hour Greyhound bus ride. The baby had cried the whole way, and she had spent the whole time comforting it. By the time she got off the bus, her voice was hoarse.

The old lady Jack from Starry Sky Town was the last to arrive—she had been riding an electric scooter she'd found somewhere for three days. When the battery died, she pushed it. As she was pushing it, someone saw her, stopped, and asked where she was going. She said, "Xinfeng Town." The person said, "I'll give you a ride."

By the time she arrived, it was already dark.

George stood at the entrance of the town, watching the people getting off their vehicles.

Dave from Ohio was still holding mushrooms in his arms.

Tom from West Virginia still had his camera bag on.

The group of old miners from Kentucky climbed out of the van one by one, their legs numb, but smiles on their faces.

Edna from Pennsylvania stood straight, leaning on her cane.

The young mother from Tennessee had her baby sleeping, resting on her shoulder.

The old lady Jack from Starry Sky Town was slowly walking over, pushing her dead electric scooter.

George looked at these people, his eyes a little red.

He turned his head to look at Lin Feng:

"Are all these people here for the lawsuit?"

Lin Feng nodded.

George said, "They aren't even the defendants."

Lin Feng said, "I know."

George asked, "Then why are they here?"

Lin Feng thought for a moment and said,

"To be seen."

---

That night, the population of Xinfeng Town rose from over eight hundred to thirteen hundred.

Tents were set up on the main street. The church was full of people sleeping. The bar floor was covered in people. There were people in the farm too, saying they wanted to sleep with the mushrooms.

Mike ran out of alcohol, but he wasn't worried. Dave from Ohio had brought mushrooms, the old miners from Kentucky had brought homemade corn whiskey, and the old lady Jack from Starry Sky Town had brought a bag of dry rations—she had made them herself, saying that if you ate them, you wouldn't be hungry.

Sam played guitar in front of the church all night. The crowd gathered around him; some sang along, some hummed along, and some just listened.

Jenny hung those letters on a string, one by one, stretching from one end of the church to the other. People would stand in front of the letters, staring at them for half an hour at a time.

Chris picked a cartload of mushrooms from the farm and roasted them for everyone. The aroma of roasted mushrooms drifted in the night breeze, carrying far away.

Alex and Rachel set up a projector and projected the happiness map onto the church wall. The messages flashed by one by one, and when people saw their own names, they smiled.

Tony sat in a corner, surrounded by a circle of people. They were asking him questions, and he answered them one by one. Someone asked, "Why did you come?" He said, "Because I am here." Someone asked, "You are here in what?" He said, "Here."

Yuki sat in front of the computer, still replying to messages. Someone asked her, "Are you tired?" She replied, "No." The person asked again, "Really?" She thought for a moment and replied, "Really."

George and Edna sat together, two old people, neither speaking, just watching the crowd.

Edna suddenly spoke: "George."

George turned to look at her.

Edna said, "My old man has been gone for twenty years."

George nodded.

Edna said, "Today, I feel like he's here."

George was silent for three seconds.

Then he said, "My old friend is here too."

Edna asked, "Where?"

George pointed to the crowd: "In there."

---

On the eleventh day, the night before departure.

A bonfire was lit in the open space in front of the church.

It wasn't planned. Someone picked up firewood, someone brought a lighter, and someone lit it. After it was lit, everyone sat around it.

Thirteen hundred people sat around the bonfire.

The firelight shone on everyone's faces, flickering bright and dark.

Sam played his guitar, singing "The Dandelion Song." He played slowly and sang softly, as if he were afraid of waking someone up.

Mike poured drinks for everyone. Starting from Dave from Ohio, he poured for everyone one by one. By the end, his own glass was empty. No one had saved any for him.

Jenny passed those letters to the people next to her one by one. As they were passed around, the letters got crumpled, but no one minded. Someone said, "I've read this letter three times." The person next to them said, "Then read it again."

Chris brought a basket of mushrooms from the farm and roasted them for everyone. The aroma of roasted mushrooms drifted in the night breeze, smelling delicious. Someone said, "These mushrooms taste better than meat." Chris said, "That's because I watered them myself."

Alex and Rachel sat in front of the computer, checking the happiness map server one last time. Yuki stood behind them, watching the screen. The data on the screen was all normal, and those red dots were still glowing.

Tony sat in the corner, surrounded by a circle of people. Some asked him questions, some just listened. He didn't speak again, just sat there. But the people didn't leave.

George and Edna sat by the bonfire, the firelight reflecting on their faces, making their wrinkles deeper but their eyes brighter.

The young mother holding her baby had lulled the child to sleep and placed it in a cradle nearby. The cradle was made on the spot, pieced together from wooden boards and cloth, but the child was sleeping soundly. Someone asked, "What's the baby's name?" She said, "Haven't named it yet." The person said, "You need to give it one." She thought for a moment and said, "Let's call it 'Come'."

The old lady Jack from Starry Sky Town sat on the very edge, looking at the starry sky in the distance. Someone walked over and sat beside her. She didn't turn her head, saying, "Look, that star." The person looked in the direction she pointed. She said, "My old man lives there."

The person didn't speak.

She smiled.

Lin Feng squatted under the old locust tree, watching these people.

Starting from George and ending with the old lady Jack.

His gaze swept over every single person.

Margaret walked over and squatted beside him.

"Lin Feng."

Lin Feng turned to look at her.

Margaret said, "We're leaving tomorrow."

Lin Feng nodded.

Margaret asked, "Are you nervous?"

Lin Feng thought for a moment and said,

"No."

Margaret asked, "Why?"

Lin Feng pointed to those people:

"As long as they go, I'm not nervous."

---

Late that night, the crowd slowly dispersed.

Some went back to their tents, some to the church, and some slept right by the bonfire.

The fire was still burning, crackling.

Sam's guitar music had stopped. Mike's alcohol was all poured out. Jenny's letters were packed away. Chris's mushrooms were all roasted. Alex and Rachel's computers were closed. Tony's book was closed.

Yuki's computer was still on.

She sat at the entrance of the church with the computer on her knees, the faint light of the screen shining on her face.

Suddenly, a message popped up on the screen.

It was that mysterious admin account again.

This time, it left a line of text. The words were typed very slowly, each letter popping up one by one, as if someone were hesitating:

"I've been watching for a long time. I still don't understand. But I've decided to come."

Yuki stared at that line of text for a long, long time.

The words on the screen glowed in the night, like a star.

She thought about many things. She wondered who this person was, why he had been watching for so long, why he didn't understand, and why he had decided to come.

But she didn't ask anything.

She just typed one line:

"Okay."

The other party didn't reply again.

Yuki stood up, closed the computer, and walked to the old locust tree.

Lin Feng was still squatting there. The moonlight shone on him, illuminating the straw he was biting on. The straw had been chewed into a mess, but he was still biting it.

Yuki squatted down beside him and handed him a note.

Lin Feng looked down. There was only one line on the note, written by Yuki slower than usual, each character written very carefully:

"He is coming."

Lin Feng stared at the line of text for three seconds.

Then he smiled.

It was a different kind of smile than usual. It wasn't just the corners of his mouth curling up; it rippled out from his eyes.

He folded the note and tucked it into his pocket. There were already several notes in there, folded neatly, like a tiny book.

"Then let him come."

[Chapter 64 End]