Mystery: When the Fool Meets the Masked Fool

Chapter 20 A Mission on Trash Cans

Maybe it was just along the way, or maybe Xing didn't have a clear destination in mind, so Xing and Old Neil decided to go together.

This trip was truly an eye-opener for Old Neil. It was the first time he had ever seen such a lively girl. In front of her, Luo Shan was simply a good girl.

Along the way, Xing would occasionally rummage through the trash cans, and would suddenly talk to the street lights while walking.

After a period of adaptation, Old Neil gradually understood Xing's thought process.

As long as there is light hitting something and it reflects light, then in the eyes of Star, it is an "interactive option." Even sometimes, when there is no light, Star will still consider something to be "interactive."

Old Neil doesn’t know what “interactive options” are, but he roughly understands it. It probably means being able to “communicate” and “interact”, right?

Although Old Neil didn't quite understand why Xing would spend half a day interacting with the stones on the roadside, it didn't stop him from feeling comfortable being with Xing.

As expected, when people get older, they like to stay with energetic young people. This makes them feel younger and feel that blood is still flowing in their veins instead of the mud of old age.

Old Neil suddenly became very curious about what the world looked like in the eyes of this child.

Mystery peepers are always interested in new and novel things.

He called Xing and asked her why she liked the trash can.

Xing seemed very excited, like a child who was about to introduce his friend to his elders.

She pulled Old Neil to the roadside, picked through the trash cans, and chose the one that Xing thought was most suitable for Old Neil to observe in person.

"Newbies can start with this relatively clean trash can." Xing taught seriously.

It was obvious that she really wanted to teach Old Neil how to appreciate the trash can.

This is a very ordinary trash can, so ordinary that you can see it everywhere on the roadside. It is ordinary and has no characteristics. There is not even any trash in it, because it is so common, so common that it is everywhere on the street, and even the trash cannot be separated from it.

"What did you see?" Xing asked.

Old Neil thought seriously for a while and said, "I see there's a lot of rust on this trash can. It must have been used for a long time."

"It's an old man." Xing confirmed Old Neil's words, her eyes full of encouragement, encouraging him to continue.

"And it's clean? I mean, compared to other trash cans, there's no trash in it." Old Neil tried to understand with Xing's mindset, "That should be its advantage, right?"

"No!" Xing retorted immediately, "A trash can without trash is like a person without money."

"Well...so it's an old, poor garbage can..." said Old Neil.

It was completely unremarkable, just like himself, a mere Sequence Nine at his advanced age. Suddenly, he felt that this trash can suited him perfectly.

He stretched out his hand tentatively, and it was cold.

He found that it was not only clean inside, but also clean outside, just like a well-dressed gentleman.

This is a worthless thing, but its worthlessness is so beautiful. It is like a gentleman wearing patched but well-dressed clothes telling him: There is no such thing as garbage in this world, and he should always believe in himself.

Perhaps it has a dream, which is to make the city free of garbage. This is a difficult and almost impossible dream.

"I see. He has his own value in existence... Does he also have something he wants to accomplish?"

He felt the dignity of the trash can, and it was hard to imagine why a trash can had dignity. But its dignity was indeed quite heavy.

His life was filled with both troubles and happiness, and his fate was never fair.

But hope is priceless.

He began to understand a little bit: the trash can, the stars. He touched the trash can, feeling its surface. He found that the trash can seemed to have changed, no longer rusty, but smoother.

The touch is no longer cold and rough, but warm, smooth and delicate.

"You've become younger, too. Is it because of your inner perseverance?" Old Neil whispered to the trash can. "Even if your dream is impossible to achieve, you won't give up, right?
The trash can didn't answer Old Neil. There was no need to answer such an unquestionable question.

Reflecting the sunlight, the sun is about to set, but it still stands firm. It will not give up until it has achieved its ideal.

Old Neil stood up, took off his hat and saluted slightly, showing his respect.

"Once you embark on this path, there's no turning back." Xing sighed behind Old Neil.

Old Neil took two steps back and looked around again. He realized the world seemed different. He had never thought it was so interesting. Lights flashed on various objects along the road, communicating with each other in a language incomprehensible to humans. He might need more time to participate.

"Thank you." Old Neil felt happy from the bottom of his heart. He strengthened his belief and gained a like-minded friend.

He turned to look at Xing again: "Thank you too."

Xing looked at Old Neil with a smile: "Would you like to hear me tell a story?"

"of course."

Xing took out a harp from nowhere and, like a bard, played it while narrating: "The story I want to tell begins in ancient times, when the gods still walked the earth. The King of Garbage fell from the sky, full of curiosity about everything in the world..."

…………

The next morning, after Melissa boarded the public carriage, Klein and Benson parted ways at the street corner and each arrived at their respective companies.

He had to see with his own eyes that Melissa paid enough money, otherwise he felt that Melissa would pay less and get off halfway.

But if enough money was paid, even Melissa would be too embarrassed to ask the ticket seller for it back.

As soon as Klein stepped through the door, he saw Old Neil and Roxanne chatting at the reception desk. The former was still dressed in a classic black robe, not caring at all about other people's gazes, while the latter had changed into a light yellow long dress.

For some reason, he felt like Old Neil was different today. He seemed more confident and younger.

He heard Old Neil telling a story to Roxanne: "The trash can seeks its own answers, but cannot understand the complexity of the world. The bucket singer plays the strings, and the trash harp answers it one by one..."

"Good morning, Mr. Neil, Miss Roxanne." Klein took off his hat and saluted.

Old Neil glanced at Klein and said, "Good morning. Did you hear anything you shouldn't have heard last night?"

"No, I slept well." Klein was also quite surprised by this. He remembered Old Neil saying that he should hear it often.

He could only attribute it to the fact that his inspiration was not high enough.
"Haha, don't worry about it. It's not that easy to listen to." Old Neil pointed at the partition and said, "Let's go to the armory and continue our occult course this morning.

Old Neil almost forgot that he often heard things he shouldn't have heard, just because he prayed to the Hidden Sage. Klein didn't.

Klein nodded and followed Old Neil down the stairs, into the underground, and arrived at the armory, replacing Brett, who had been on duty last night.

"What do we need to learn today?" Klein asked curiously.

Old Neil hummed a long sigh and said, "Some complicated, basic knowledge, but before that, let me teach you an interesting trick."

He pointed to the silver chain wrapped around his wrist, from the top of which dangled a small silver trash can ornament.

　No more drafts, I will update from time to time

　　
　
(End of this chapter)