Rebirth in a Shura Field, but in an Abstract Version

"Oh right, we haven't exchanged contact information yet, have we? There were too many people last time, and we were so busy chatting that we forgot."

Hearing the girl say that, Wang Zhe naturally took out his phone: "Okay."

The two exchanged phone numbers, saved each other's contacts, and then added each other on QQ.

These days, QQ remains the primary social tool for college students. Class groups, club groups, and file transfers all rely on it.

After adding each other on QQ, Wang Zhe casually asked, "What about WeChat?"

Upon hearing the word "WeChat," Su Xiaocheng's smiling face suddenly fell.

She shook her head, a clear look of disdain on her face: "I don't use WeChat."

"Not playing?" Wang Zhe was somewhat surprised. Although WeChat hadn't yet become as ubiquitous as it would become in later years, its penetration rate among smartphone users was already quite high in 2012.

"Hmm, I don't like it." Su Xiaocheng pouted. "That 'Shake' and 'People Nearby' features are just... tsk tsk tsk. I downloaded them once before, and several random people added me and sent me disgusting messages."

Wang Zhe: "That's true."

"I don't plan to use WeChat anymore. QQ and SMS are enough." She said this with absolute certainty, as if she had sentenced WeChat to death.

Hearing this bold statement, Wang Zhe couldn't help but laugh.

He thought of the future, WeChat Pay, mini-programs, work groups... it would be impossible to do anything without WeChat.

But he didn't try to correct her thinking, nor did he act as a prophet to tell her, "From now on, you'll have to use WeChat to scan the QR code when you buy roasted sweet potatoes."

Everyone has their own cognitive limitations, and overcoming them takes time, not arguments.

Wang Zhe put away his phone, smiled slightly, and said, "Alright, let's contact each other via QQ then."

Su Xiaocheng: "Yeah, QQ is so great, you can even level up your account."

Wang Zhe: "..."

He forgot that QQ users still care about this.

Back in junior high, he even asked Song Zhiyi to let him log into his QQ account on her computer. Now, he doesn't quite understand his old obsession with the sun, stars, and moon.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

After saying goodbye to Su Xiaocheng, Wang Zhe carried the plastic bag back to dormitory 404.

As soon as I pushed the door open, I saw Fang Gang watching a game video while picking his toes, Wei Jing playing a visual novel, and Luo Yueshi reading a book.

Seeing Wang Zhe carrying a large bag of things, Fang Gang looked over curiously.

"Old Wang, what delicious food did you buy? Such a big bag!"

Wang Zhe smiled mysteriously and put the bag on the table: "There's no food, but I do have a life-saving artifact."

"What the heck?"

Fang Gang opened the bag and his eyes widened instantly. He jumped back a step as if he had seen a ghost.

"Holy crap, sanitary napkins?"

This shout startled Wei Jing and Luo Yueshi.

The three of them stood around the bag of Sofy nighttime toiletries, exchanging bewildered glances before turning to stare at Wang Zhe. Their gazes were as if they were looking at a pervert who had just robbed a girls' dormitory.

Wei Jing pushed up his glasses, his tone complex: "What kind of peculiar fetish do you have? Or are you actually a woman disguised as a man...?"

Luo Yueshi: "A woman dressed as a man is just too wonderful..."

Wang Heng was both amused and exasperated: "Does my voice sound like a woman's? Can't you see my Adam's apple?"

Wei Jing: "Maybe you can control your voice?"

Fang Gang seemed to understand: "Yes, you can stick it on your Adam's apple too, and you can wrap your chest too."

Luo Yueshi: "Then why dress as a man?"

Wei Jing: "..."

I can't make this up anymore.

Wang Heng shook his head: "Don't be silly, I bought sanitary napkins for military training. Military training involves standing at attention for hours on end, which can make your feet hurt. But if you use sanitary napkins, it'll be a different story."

The three boys in the dorm had never heard of such a line of thinking.

Fang Gang expressed doubt: "Really?"

Wang Heng: "If you don't believe me, you can try it now. The spirit of science is to prioritize practice. Anyway, I bought ten packs at once, which should be enough for you."

After saying this, seeing that his three roommates didn't move, Wang Heng took out the package he had just opened when he gave it to Su Xiaocheng to try out, pulled out two pieces, stuck them under the insoles, and stuffed them into his own military training shoes.

Fang Gang watched his actions and couldn't help but ask again, "Does it really work?"

Wang Heng put on the shoes, took a couple of steps, then stood up and smiled, "They're quite effective. They feel very comfortable to step on, like stepping in poop."

"Pfft..." Fang Gang couldn't help but laugh. "What does 'stepping on poop' mean?"

Wang Heng: "Literally, it's like stepping in dog poop, it's soft and squishy."

Fang Gang: "This is getting more and more disgusting."

Wang Heng noticed the curiosity in his roommate's eyes and said, "Whether it's disgusting or comfortable, you'll know once you try it yourself."

Fang Gang hesitated for a few seconds, then decisively took two sanitary napkins, imitated Wang Heng's technique, and then...

"Holy crap, this feels so good!"

Seeing that Fang Gang said the same thing, Luo Yueshi couldn't sit still any longer. He also borrowed two pieces from Wang Heng, and then...

"Yes, it's very comfortable. Now I don't have to worry about standing at attention for a long time."

Wei Jing scoffed, "There's a limit to elasticity. If you stomp on it a little longer, won't you just flatten it?"

At this point, Fang Gang defended him, saying, "That's okay, it's better than not preparing anything at all! Being able to be soft for a while is good, and you can relax a little longer."

Luo Yueshi also asked, "Are you really not going to give it a try?"

Wei Jing hesitated.

Fang Gang said, "I'm not going to bother with this idiot anymore. He's just too proud to admit his mistake and he'll suffer for it."

Finally, Wei Jing climbed down the ladder, grabbed two sanitary napkins to use as insoles, stood up and tried them on, and immediately gave a thumbs up.

"Wow, Brother Wang, you're awesome! You even have these kinds of secrets!"

Just then, there was a knock on the dormitory door, and Fang Gang, who was closest to it, opened it without hesitation.

Standing at the door was Yang Fan, the temporary squad leader.

Yang Fan asked in surprise, "Why are all four of you standing? Military training hasn't even started yet, and you're already practicing?"

The four roommates exchanged confident glances.

Wei Jing grinned: "That's right, I can't wait!"

Fang Gang then asked, "What brings you here, squad leader?"

Yang Fan didn't understand why the atmosphere in room 404 was so relaxed and pleasant, but he brought even better news.

"I came here to tell you something very important. Do you know what majors the students standing on either side of our class are when military training starts tomorrow?"

Fang Gang shook his head.

Wei Jing already had a premonition and quickly asked, "Is it a class with a lot of girls?"

Yang Fan clapped his hands: "That's right! The left side is for oil painting majors, and the right side is for traditional Chinese painting majors. Both of these majors are for art students, and over 70% of them are girls. And the girls from the last social event were right on our left! By the way, did you guys manage to get anything last time?"

All three roommates turned to look at Wang Zhe.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.