ecstasy

"What the doctor just said about those special abilities and the like actually exists."

"My colleague has a real [special ability]; and I think you have it too."

"If you're interested, I can tell you in detail now—Asia-Europe Post has done relevant research, and I have some knowledge of it."

"Eh--"

Doudou opened his eyes wide, put his hands on the table, and leaned forward:

"That's fine, that's fun! I'm interested in that; tell me."

The mathematician suddenly hesitated and shied away from the topic of their conversation:

"Why are you talking about this suddenly?"

"Can I listen too? Is this confidential? Will there be any trouble after listening to it?"

"Hahahahaha, Doctor! Are you still afraid of getting into trouble now?"

Doudou burst into laughter, and the meaning was clear: no matter how much debt you have, mathematicians have enough trouble.

Regardless of disguise or self-restraint, Richard remained gentle and patient with the mathematician:

"It's not a big secret: in fact, no one would believe you if you told it to others. There are many stories in the market and media that are more convincing than the truth. You will be regarded as a lousy writer who contributes to third-rate magazines."

"Civil organizations, businesses, and governments have all been conducting research and experimenting with this technology. While this research has been ongoing for quite some time, it's still largely a trial-and-error phase. The resulting useful information is minimal. The returns are low, and the applicable scenarios are limited. Aside from isolated cases, there isn't much potential for significant profit."

"There's no unified term for this. Doctor, you mentioned supernormal abilities before, right? Some people call it that, but it's different from the popular terms like supernormal abilities, superpowers, qigong, or human evolution or new human superhumanity."

"The internal name of Asia-Europe Post has been iterated many times, and the concept packaging has also been constantly changed: the current marketing plan name is [Fanatical]."

"In our department, we generally call this kind of thing [representation]."

The mathematician pricked up his ears quietly, observing whether anyone around was paying attention to them:

The furtive exchange of information among the three was the most boring topic in the food stall at that moment - the big brothers at the next table were gesturing with their hands, describing the difference in price-performance ratio between several newly opened nightclubs in Mong Cai; on the other side, the old man with his mouth crooked from drinking was vividly describing the story of the Ten Sages of the Martial Temple who came down to earth in his dream and insisted on playing poker cards with him to play Golden Flower and bet on the dragon vein energy of the Central Plains.

The mathematician's previous panic faded when he realized that his table hadn't attracted anyone else's attention. As he began to think, fear naturally sank back into the depths of his brain:

"[Representation]? Then what is its [internal cause]? Without an internal cause, it wouldn't be called a representation."

"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu"

Doudou put his palm over his mouth and slapped it repeatedly, making a strange noise:

"What nonsense are you mumbling about? Can you speak in a more accessible way?"

Richard crossed his fingers and placed them in front of him—as if this wasn't a shabby table at a food stall, but a classroom podium.

"First, let me answer the doctor: What exactly is the internal cause? Some people know, but I don't. Then, let me first tell you what I do know: Doudou, have you ever seen the shows on TV? Those about special abilities?"

Doudou picked up an iron chopstick, placed it before his eyes, and frowned, as if trying to bend it with his telekinesis.

"Ah? Of course I know about special abilities. But I don't watch many variety shows. I just watch Zhengda Variety Show at noon. I prefer watching TV series and movies. I have a lot of video library memberships at home."

"Wow, I can't bend it; no reaction at all: It seems I don't have any special abilities like telekinesis. Hey, sometimes I'm so strong I can't control it, and sometimes it's just fine. Is that considered a special ability? I guess it all depends on my mood."

Richard suddenly brought the mathematician back into the conversation:

"Doctor, then you can tell me about it. You should have some knowledge of this area. Nanyang Technological University has always been at the forefront of many research fields. Just think of it as a brief introduction for Doudou."

belch--

The mathematician looked thin, but he had a voracious appetite. Although he appeared apprehensive, he didn't skip a single late-night snack. After finishing a whole plate of raw pickles and the fried rice noodles he had ordered, his belly was bulging. He also became more talkative:

"Popular science? Only science counts as popular science—I'll just say a few words, and consider it entertainment. We used to have to discuss this in secret during lunch in our department, and it felt a bit embarrassing; we'd be embarrassed if the younger students heard it."

"Special abilities: remote sensing, telekinesis, clairvoyance, mind-reading, healing. Anyway, the shows are basically all about this. That whole human development thing the Soviet Union and the US did in the 1960s and 1970s, I don't know why it's still so fashionable."

"Bending spoons with telekinesis, guessing the suit of playing cards, what's written on the bottom of a towel; there aren't that many variations—in short, it doesn't go beyond the realm of magic tricks. It's just providing some curious entertainment for the public."

"Doudou, I can say... Um, muscle density, bone density, skin strength and other things are far higher than those of ordinary people? Something like that--"

"You're not going to tell me that all that shit is real? I'd be shocked."

After getting to know Doudou, the mathematician was certainly not shocked by the so-called special abilities: but he was not good at sarcasm either.

Chapter 48 Pillar

Richard's lips curled up into a smile - this was the first time since the three of them sat down to eat supper together:

"What you said—of course it's all false. That's the biggest difference between [representation] and public perception."

"Representation. While it depends on the specific situation, representation is generally uncontrollable and not very useful. Utilization is very low, and the proportion of truly practical applications is also very low; and most of it is very [personalized]."

"And it can be said that representation is very [harmful] - but this harm depends on your perspective. It is definitely harmful to oneself, but it may be valuable to others besides oneself or herself; or it may be like a walking torch, carrying oneself and others with it."

Doudou raised his hands and grabbed his head, shaking it vigorously:

"I'm so confused. How come it's almost like a lecture at school?"

Fear and worry had left the mathematician. He was entering into his most familiar way of communication, not even taking the energy to cater to Doudou:

"Then could you give me a case study? What you're saying now is too abstract—at least give me a more concrete example: a specific superpower, or what [representation] can do?"

Richard raised his index finger and moved it under his eyes:

"For example, my late partner could—he could make people cry: himself, of course."

The mathematician raised his brows when he heard the answer, obviously not satisfied with what he heard.

But Doudou, who had finally grasped an intuitive point, didn't give him a chance to question it and quickly jumped into the topic before him:

"Cry? What? Like in a really touching drama or something? My class went to see a movie, and the students kept crying, with snot tissues everywhere."

"Hey—wait a minute: your partner isn't that the smoking colleague I mentioned earlier? He can make people cry. Seriously! I can attest to that!"

Doudou raised his hands and gestured randomly on his cheeks, rubbing his eyes from time to time:

"Agent Li's colleague was dancing around with a gun, and I suddenly burst into tears!"

"Oh! So I didn't have a tear duct infection last time. I was so scared! You should have told me earlier! I almost went to the hospital."

The mathematician scoffed, his words filled with disdain. As he relaxed, his aggression naturally overflowed from his body:

"Crying? That's too unmysterious."

"I know a lot of people who can make someone cry: with their fists, their mouths, a word, whatever; they don't have any special powers."

Richard, who was rubbing his eyes, shook his head - this seemed to have brought back some unpleasant memories:

"His is different. In fact, the Asia-Europe Post's analysis department hasn't figured out whether he simply stimulates the tear glands through pheromones or if he enhances the empathy of everyone within a certain range, thereby transmitting his own sorrow."

"Maybe it's both? I can't figure it out. He's dead, anyway; I guess we'll never find out."

"Friend Doudou should know. That's the case I've been closest to, the one I've been involved with the longest, and the one I understand best—but there are other ways to help you understand this kind of thing, they're just more academic."

Doudou scratched his face, his eyes darting around in all directions—the speed of his spinning top looked a bit scary:

"Ah, I don't quite understand. Do you have anything more detailed and specific?"

"But - that was the first time I cried. It really felt like I peed in my eyes, hahaha. I didn't feel anything else."

"Old Li! Give me another example—this time. Do you have any more interesting cases?"

Richard put his palms in front of his face and rubbed them vigorously. As if he had finally waited for Doudou's words, his eyes lit up:

"Yes, I do. I know a very representative and interesting case, and it's well-known in the Asian and European postal system."

"There's a rough evaluation system within Asia-Europe Post: The Analysis Department will assess some [Fanatical] holders as [Pillar Level]. Do you know what that means?"

"This means that [pillar-level] fanatic holders can become the business pillars of certain commercial markets. For example..."

"In the list of the Southeast Asian branch of Asia-Europe Post, there is a pillar-level warrior with the highest strength: his code name is Neck Rider."

"Wherever he was, the entire city and surrounding areas, regardless of age or gender, were very, very susceptible to feeling heavy necks and cervical spine pain. They also had a higher incidence of frozen shoulder and cervical spondylosis, including him—I remember [the rider] was almost paralyzed for a while."

The mathematician subconsciously raised his hand and rubbed the back of his neck:

"Ahh? Then it's better not to have this kind of superpower!"

Richard waved his hands impatiently. His entire attention was focused on the case and Doudou.

"Doctor, please don't interrupt."

"[The neck rider] himself had no idea he was possessed by ecstasy or had any supernatural powers. He thought he was perfectly normal except for his incurable cervical spondylosis, and that he also had some mental issues. I'll discuss this later."

"Eurasia Post has never had direct contact with him: everyone is afraid that interaction might lead to a strengthening or weakening of representations—"

"The Southeast Asia branch has simply created a special protected area around the [Neck Rider]. Personal safety and other things go without saying. Three security teams are on duty around the clock; twenty-four plus seven."

"Everyone who could socialize with him went through background checks and screening to prevent him from experiencing any emotional distress, especially from improving his mood. The marketing department was directly responsible for the work environment, and several companies were established specifically to provide jobs for neck riders."

"The Southeast Asia branch even set up a department specifically for him, which is used to regularly guide [neck riders] to travel, relocate, or even immigrate to neighboring countries. Of course, before guiding them, they will first enter the local market:"

"Beibeijia, latex pillows, plasters, cervical vertebrae therapeutic devices, cervical vertebrae physiotherapy services, etc. - it doesn't sound like the products they sell are very good, right?"

"But you probably wouldn't imagine how much profit [Neckrider] brings to the Southeast Asia branch, and what a significant portion of our business it represents. In the past, when we gave out salary increases or bonuses, colleagues would joke about building a shrine for [Neckrider]—a living ancestral hall."

"We in the department still have a lot of speculation about what his obsession is. Based on the codenames given by the marketing department, I've always suspected that he might be passively creating some spirits, some demons or monsters? What's that word? Little ghosts? They're definitely invisible to the naked eye."

"And then these spirits or whatever they are will ride on the necks of everyone around them—within a certain range, of course—so they all get shoulder and neck problems. Otherwise why are they called 'Neckriders'? It's pretty scary when you think about it, isn't it?"

Chapter 49 Questionnaire

The mathematician listened for a long time, his face wrinkled; he seemed to feel a phantom pain in his neck and shoulders:

"Um, latex pillows are really popular in Southeast Asia. Every student in my department used to have cervical spondylosis. I thought it was just because everyone studied too hard."

"Thinking about it now, it feels like a ghost story. Could this person you're talking about have ever been to Singapore?"

Richard's smile became more mischievous, and his eyes were cunning:

"How could I not have been? Of course I wouldn't miss any of the major cities in Southeast Asia, not to mention a large city like Singapore. This is all about business, and it all costs money. The regular funding required for the Southeast Asia branch alone is an astronomical figure."

Bang bang bang--

Doudou placed his hands on his chest and clapped cautiously. He still had a smile on his face that made it hard to tell whether it was real or fake:

"Oh my! This is much better than the tearful guy above. This is more fun! Great job, Lao Li!"

"But—I'm more curious about one thing: this guy riding on my neck doesn't even know he has superpowers or this obsession, right?"

"Then how did your company determine that it was him who had this superpower? This must be very troublesome!"

Richard gave an exaggerated thumbs-up sign; it seemed that the storytelling aroused his desire to perform:

"Doudou, you're more perceptive. Much more perceptive than the Doctor—you immediately spotted the key here."

"I don't know the exact steps involved, but it likely involves elimination and screening. It takes a lot of time to identify specific targets from a long list of suspects. Asia-Europe Post has ample human and material resources, so it's not surprising they were able to accomplish this."

"But I know how to discover whether I, or a person, has [symptoms]—whether I have [ecstasy]."

"Our company has a self-diagnosis method that uses a few questions to determine if we're experiencing symptoms. As far as I know, there's currently no equipment or instrument that can effectively identify these symptoms. So everyone's still using home remedies."

His transition was natural; it was as if he had wanted to lead the topic here from the beginning. Although Richard said that the mathematician was not sharp enough, the mathematician had discovered this; he just chose to remain silent.

Richard didn't take the initiative to explain these questions. But Doudou, who was very interested, was intrigued:

"Oh! Now that you say that, I definitely have to give it a try. Come on, tell me about it!"

It seems that so far, Doudou is quite satisfied with the "fun" provided by Richard - at least, that vague sense of horror has disappeared at some point.

Richard pushed the dishes in front of him slightly aside, clearing a space on the table. His hands gestured as if he were giving a speech in a meeting:

"Normally, this process would require filling out a questionnaire consisting of three-digit questions to identify patterns and commonalities. Audio and video recordings would also be required for later analysis. But given the current situation, we probably don't have time to prepare these, right?"

The mathematician snorted. His thin face revealed even more harshness:

"For a field agent like you, you know a lot. I thought field agents literally meant running errands? Working outside?"

Richard shrugged—it seemed he had learned to accept the mathematician's hostility:

"It's just basic skills. Our training period is two and a half years."

Here he goes again, acting all authoritative and sacrificial. He shouldn't have been given this opportunity.

No one in the room could hear the mathematician's voice; only Richard kept talking:

"Would you like to give it a try? Going through them all would take too long, but I can give you a few simplified versions to give you a feel for them. There are only three, so it's quick."

Richard pointed his finger and started asking questions without waiting for Doudou's answer:

"