I was just fishing, how did I become a Great Old One?

On the edge of Line Walled City, in a dark alley filled with discarded draft paper, a "cosmetic surgery" that concerns the fate of everyone is underway.

It was less of a surgery and more of a fraudulent street graffiti performance.

Jiang Li held the Genesis Fountain Pen in his hand, its nib filled with freshly mixed, high-grade ink with a metallic sheen. His expression was as serious as a master sketching a model, but his subjects were a group of oddly shaped, even somewhat grotesque, "paper dolls."

"Don't move! Old Odin, how many times have I told you, don't move!" Jiang Li slapped Odin's matchstick-like forehead, the pen tip hovering in mid-air. "I'm drawing you a crown. If you shake again, I'll draw it in the shape of a green hat, you believe me?"

Odin shrank his neck, which was only one pixel wide, with a wronged expression. The toothpick spear in his hand had been thickened by Jiang Li with a pen, making it look slightly like a divine weapon.

"Boss, this is so itchy... and this skin feels like I'm wearing a tight-fitting bodysuit, I can't breathe!" Odin complained.

"Endure it. In this world that judges by appearance... no, by appearance, if you don't want to be arrested as a vagrant, you have to wear this skin." Jiang Li said as he wrote with lightning speed.

He meticulously outlined eight straight, rigid, and metallic lines around Odin's simple stick figure body. The angle between each pair of lines was precise to 135 degrees, forming a perfect regular octagon.

To increase its deterrent effect, Jiang Li also drew a crown inlaid with gemstones (actually colored ink dots) at the top of the octagon, and a glittering medal on its chest.

"Alright, let's see how it goes." Jiang Li put down his pen.

Odin looked down at himself. The once shabby stick figure was now encased in this majestic octagonal shell, making him look like an old general piloting a heavy mech.

"Wow! This look!" Odin spun around in satisfaction. "Impressive! It suits my status as a god-king! Only the waist is a bit thick; could you draw a slimmer waist for me?"

"Why would a regular polygon need a waist? That's something only sissies have, like an ellipse." Jiang Li ignored him and turned to look at Abel.

Abel's current form is a black and white silhouette, which is cool, but in the eyes of the nobles, it is a "half-finished product without color".

"Just draw it as a regular hexagon," Jiang Li suggested after a moment's thought. "A regular hexagon is the most stable structure, representing coldness, hardness, and order, which suits your assassin persona perfectly."

With a few swift strokes, Jiang Li encased Abel in a jet-black, sharp-edged hexagon. He even added some red flowing patterns to the outer shell, making it look both mysterious and dangerous.

"Not bad." Abel tried waving his arm (the lines) and found that the outer shell didn't hinder his movement; instead, it added a layer of defense. "It makes me feel very safe."

Next up are glutinous rice balls.

This little guy is the easiest to deal with. It's round by itself. In this world, a circle represents holiness, perfection, and supreme power. Only the highest-ranking royalty and priests can possess a perfectly round body.

"You don't need to draw the outer shell anymore." Jiang Li took out a bottle of gold powder ink and drew a gold border around the edge of Tangyuan's originally white body, and then drew a small halo on its head. "From now on, you are the [Sacred Yuan Little Princess] from another land."

"Wow! I'm a princess!" Tangyuan jumped up and down happily, gold dust falling everywhere. "Daddy, can princesses eat lots of delicious food?"

"That's a must."

Finally, it was Jiang Li's turn.

As the backbone of the team and the core of this infiltration plan, his identity must be distinguished enough, but not too high-profile to arouse suspicion.

He took a deep breath and began to draw on his own body.

One, two, three... a total of twelve sides.

[Regular dodecagon].

In the flat-shaped country's peerage system, this is roughly equivalent to the level of "Grand Duke" or "Prince". It offers sufficient privileges, but unlike the round-shaped peerage, it is not so rare that one would be surrounded by onlookers when going out.

To emphasize the protagonist's high-class status, Jiang Li used the most expensive rainbow ink on his "skin" and painted intricate patterns on every edge. From a distance, he looked like a walking prism, dazzling and exuding an air of nobility.

"Perfect."

Jiang Li looked at the transformed group and nodded in satisfaction.

"Now, we are no longer migrant workers from elsewhere."

"We are—the Geometry Elite Inspection Team, returning to Beijing from the distant border to report on our duties."

"Everyone, straighten your backs! Walk with a confident stride! Speak with style and cadence!"

"Let's go! To the inner circle!"

The group walked out of the alley in a grand procession. The poor and thugs who had been loitering on the street, eyeing them with predatory intent, were so frightened by the sight of these regular polygons exuding an aura of "money and power" that they all stood close to the wall, not daring to breathe loudly.

In this world, shape suppression is more effective than any weapon.

Soon, they arrived at the checkpoint connecting the slums and the inner noble district—the [Geometry Gate].

Here stands a massive archway made of pure white marble. Two rows of fully armed soldiers stand before it. These soldiers are all shaped like isosceles triangles, with their apex pointing outwards, and each holds a sharp spear.

In the very center of the arch, there is a checkpoint.

The person in charge of the inspection was not an ordinary soldier, but a square-shaped official with a rigid expression.

It wasn't holding a weapon, but rather a huge, gleaming, precision protractor.

"stop!"

The square-shaped official's mechanically cold voice bubbled out, blocking everyone's path.

"This is the noble district; unauthorized personnel are not permitted to enter."

"Please show your identification and allow us to measure your angle."

"Angle measurement?" A sweating emoji appeared in Odin's chat window.

"Of course." The square official pushed up his non-existent glasses. "Here, only regular polygons with precise angles and equal side lengths are legitimate nobles. Any shape with a deviation of more than 0.1 degrees is an inferior product trying to infiltrate high society and must be executed on the spot (cut into pieces)."

As it spoke, it raised the protractor and walked toward Odin, who was at the front of the line.

"Mr. Regular Octagon, please stand up straight and don't sway."

Odin got nervous.

Although he has the shape of a regular octagon on the outside, he's still a stick figure inside. And his old bones are used to shaking, plus he just had a little to drink (although he's sober now, his hands are still a bit unsteady), so when he gets nervous, the ink lines on the outside also tremble slightly.

The square-faced official placed the protractor on one of Odin's corners and squinted as he read the value.

"Hmm... 135 degrees..."

The official's brow furrowed (top line).

"No! The reading is fluctuating!"

"134.8 degrees... 135.2 degrees..."

"Your lines are shaky! Your angles aren't straight!"

The official's face instantly darkened, and the triangular guards behind him immediately raised their spears.

"How dare you! You've dared to forge a title! This is a cheap, flawed imposter!"

"Arrest him! Cut his hair!"

"Wait!"

Just at this critical moment, a bubble with an elegant cursive script floated over from the side.

Jiang Li (a regular dodecagon) walked up with elegant steps, gently deflecting the guard's spear with the folding fan in her hand (drawn).

"Sir, you've misunderstood."

Jiang Li's voice was full of arrogance and languor, a standard aristocratic tone.

"My uncle (referring to Odin) is not crooked."

"That's...fashionable."

"Fashionable?" The square-shaped official was stunned.

"That's right." Jiang Li pointed to Odin's slightly trembling lines with an air of seriousness. "Don't you know? In the remote border provinces, a retro art form called 'Baroque Dynamic Shaking Style' is currently all the rage."

"True aristocrats no longer pursue rigid straight lines, but rather dynamic lines that ripple like water and are full of vitality."

"This minute angular deviation is precisely the soul of art! It's a tribute to the great theory of chaos!"

Jiang Li spoke eloquently, using a plethora of (made-up) technical terms, leaving the country bumpkin official, who had only ever known how to measure angles, completely bewildered.

"Baroque...?" the official hesitated. "But...the law stipulates..."

"Law is dead, art is alive."

Jiang Li approached the official and discreetly took out his paintbrush.

"Sir, I think your square-shaped suit... while standard, is a bit too monotonous."

"You've been so dedicated and responsible, you deserve some...reward."

Jiang Li gently tapped the tip of his pen.

On the chest of the square-faced official, a gleaming, exquisitely crafted Royal Cross instantly appeared.

This medal was made with the finest gold ink; in this world, the value of a single stroke is enough to buy half a street.

The official looked down and his eyes widened instantly.

It sensed the "money" aura emanating from the medal, and its originally stiff lines instantly softened.

"Cough cough..."

The official quickly covered the medal with his hand, looked around, and found that no one was paying attention.

"Hmm... the Grand Duke is right."

"Art...does indeed need to be inclusive."

"This dynamic shaking style... well, upon closer inspection, does indeed have a unique aesthetic appeal."

It put away its protractor and gave a standard salute to the crowd.

"Gentlemen, please come in."

"Welcome to the inner circle. May the god of planes bless you with ever-sharp angles."

"Thank you." Jiang Li put away his folding fan, and Odin, covered in cold sweat, swaggered into the archway.

……

Passing through the geometric gate, the scene before my eyes instantly underwent a dramatic transformation.

If the slums outside are like scribbles on a piece of paper, then this place is a beautifully crafted vector graphic, meticulously revised countless times.

The ground was no longer rough lines, but paved with some kind of smooth, high-grade material with a grid-like texture. The streets were wide and clean, and the buildings on both sides were perfect geometric shapes—cylindrical towers, pyramidal roofs, and cube-shaped palaces. All the lines were impossibly straight, without any trace of alteration.

Even the trees along the roadside grow strictly according to fractal geometry. The forking angle of each branch is exactly the same, creating an ultimate mathematical beauty.

The "residents" walking here are all colorful regular polygons. A regular pentagon is taking a stroll, a regular hexagon is drinking tea, and a regular octagon is riding in a sedan chair. When they meet, they don't shake hands, but rather approach each other and gently rub one side of each other's body against the other's side.

"Sizzle—"

"Oh, dear Earl, your edges are still so smooth."

"Not at all, your angles are still so perfect."

This is called the "tangent ceremony".

Jiang Li got goosebumps watching. This way of greeting each other by rubbing against each other was really...

"Mind your manners," Jiang Li whispered to the group. "Don't look around like country bumpkins in the city. We're celebrities; we need to be aloof."

Just then, a nobleman dressed in a purple tailcoat (painted on) with an elegant oval body glided gracefully to them.

"Oh! What a rare face!"

The speech bubble from the oval noble was written in cursive English, giving it a very sophisticated feel.

"Excuse me, are you all here for the... pre-match warm-up ball to be held at the Imperial Palace?"

"A dance?" Jiang Li's heart skipped a beat.

This is a good opportunity to gather information.

"Of course." Jiang Li bowed slightly (the dodecagon tilted 15 degrees), "I am from the Far East... [Grand Duke of Deep Blue]. This is my chief guard Odin, this is my personal physician Abel, and this..."

Jiang Li pointed to the glutinous rice balls.

"She is my precious daughter—Princess Tangyuan."

The moment the oval nobleman saw the glutinous rice ball, he froze completely.

Its two eyes, which had been squinting, suddenly widened into a stark stare.

"Oh my god!"

"A perfect... circle?!"

"And it even has... a completely natural gold rim?"

In a flat world, the circle is the most noble symbol. And the glutinous rice ball, with its not only round shape but also its halo and golden edges, is practically a goddess descended to earth.

"Disrespect! Disrespect!"

The oval nobleman was so excited he almost knelt down.

"I am Earl Oval, the Slippery One. May I invite you all to a private salon tonight at my manor? Many members of the royal family will be in attendance, and even the examiners of this year's eating contest will be there!"

"The examiner?"

A smile appeared on Jiang Li's lips.

It came without any effort.

"Since the Earl has extended such a warm invitation, then we will not stand on ceremony."

……

[Line Dance: An Absurd Social Scene]

That evening, the Earl of the Oval estate was brightly lit (actually, many glowing circles were painted on it).

Countless geometric figures of high society gathered here. To the accompaniment of some monotonous but rhythmic electronic music, they swayed their bodies on the dance floor, engaging in a social activity that was actually "friction" rather than "dancing".

The arrival of Jiang Li and his group instantly became the focus of the entire event.

Especially glutinous rice balls.

As soon as it entered the venue, it was surrounded by a group of young men who were shaped like regular heptagons and nonagons.

"Your Highness! Your curves are so perfect!"

"Could you do me the honor of cutting the line with me?"

"I'm willing to smooth out my horns to serve you!"

Tangyuan was so frightened by the group of enthusiastic geometric shapes that she shrank into a ball and could only keep hiding behind Jiang Li.

"Daddy...they're rubbing against me...it's so scary..."

While protecting Tangyuan, Jiang Li weaved through the crowd, searching for the so-called chief examiner.

He didn't come empty-handed in order to fit into this circle.

He was carrying a plate containing small pieces of layered pastry sprinkled with gold powder.

"Come, come, try some specialty snacks from the Far East."

"This is the Golden Geometric Pastry. Eating it can beautify your skin and increase the luster of its edges."

Under the onslaught of delicious food, these unsophisticated nobles quickly succumbed.

"Delicious! So delicious!"

"The texture! The layers of flavor! It's an exponential explosion of taste!"

While everyone was enjoying their meal, Jiang Li finally locked onto his target.

It was a regular pentagon sitting in the corner, looking somewhat gloomy.

It had a sign hanging on it that read: "[Chief Steward of the Imperial Kitchen and Chief Judge of the Eating Contest]".

Jiang Li carried the best piece of cake over.

"Your Excellency, you seem to have something on your mind?"

Pentagon glanced at Jiang Li, took the pancake, took a bite, his eyes lit up for a moment, but then he sighed.

"Good cakes...but unfortunately, not enough."

"Not enough what?" Jiang Li asked.

"Not enough... to solve the problem."

The chief referee drew a question mark in frustration.

"His Majesty has set a difficult challenge for this competitive eating contest."

"His Majesty said that simply being able to eat is not a skill. A true gourmet must understand mathematics and spatial reasoning."

"So, this competition won't just involve eating noodles."

"And while eating noodles, you'll also solve a... [topological puzzle]."

"Topology?" Jiang Li raised an eyebrow.

"Yes."

The chief referee drew a strange shape on the table with his finger.

It was a twisted ring with only one side and one edge.

The Möbius strip.

"His Majesty shaped the noodles this way."

"And the rules are: contestants must eat the entire noodle in one go, without breaking it, without biting it, and... without breaking the bowl containing the noodle."

"But the problem is that this noodle is sealed inside a Klein bottle (two-dimensional projection version)."

"Do you know what a Klein bottle is? It's a container that doesn't have an 'inside' or 'outside'."

"How is it possible to suck out the noodles without breaking the bottle?"

The head referee was clutching his own horn, looking very pained.

"This is simply an unsolvable problem!"

"If no one can solve this, His Majesty will eat me alive!"

Jiang Li looked at the simple diagram on the table.

Möbius strip pasta? Klein bottle bowl?

Ordinary people, or ordinary two-dimensional beings, would indeed be helpless when faced with such problems involving high-dimensional topological structures.

But Jiang Li smiled.

He smiled confidently.

Because he has two cheat codes.

First, he comes from a three-dimensional world, and he can see "height" that two-dimensional beings cannot see.

Secondly, he possesses a "Gluttony Godhood" capable of devouring space.

Is there no solution?

Jiang Li patted the head referee on the shoulder.

"Don't worry, sir."

"Remember to save me a good spot for tomorrow's game."

"I can solve this problem."

"And I'll use the most 'delicious' way to decipher it."