Uneasy daily life

As the man spoke, he handed over a small crystal ball, which seemed to be filled with some kind of liquid, with many origami stars floating and settling inside: "Touch it, it might bring you a little bit of luck and fulfill some of your wishes."

Mai Sakurajima touched it out of curiosity.

Looking up, they were all gone; the conversation just now felt like a dream.

People with superpowers are probably all this strange.

Before heading to my new home, let's visit a poor, homeless hater first.

Mai Sakurajima arrived at the park with her luggage. She had only been wandering around for a short while when she heard a deep voice coming from one direction.

"I alone slayed traitors, aligned with the will of Heaven, slaughtered demons, and was invincible, finally proving myself to be the supreme emperor, unrivaled in the world."

Inside the sleeping bag, a white head popped out, while the sleeping bag was wrapped around two ropes, with the four ends stretched taut and plunging into the ground, covered with a yellow sticker with red patterns.

They were bound hand and foot and suppressed from all sides.

The white figure glanced sideways at the child beside him and said unhurriedly, "In order to advance further, I reincarnated and started cultivating again, but my cultivation level was greatly reduced. Unfortunately, I encountered an extraterrestrial demon. I used all my strength to barely drive him back to the heavens. I only regret that I fell into that fellow's trick and was suppressed here by the Investiture of the Gods. Fortunately, my magic power is boundless. I only need to lift a corner of the Investiture of the Gods to break free and regain my freedom."

"I have always been fair in my punishments and never mistreat those who have made meritorious contributions. Dragon liver and phoenix marrow lollipops, and unparalleled magic techniques that have shaken the ages, are all within my grasp."

The white figure asked, "Did you understand?"

The child, chewing on a lollipop, shook his head and asked, "What is that uncle saying?"

"See those yellow stickers stuck on the ground around the sleeping bag? Pull them off and I'll be free from the sleeping bag's seal. If you help me get out of this predicament, I'll buy you lots of lollipops and teach you how to become the most popular person at school."

Bai Ying said regretfully, "It's a pity you're still so young, otherwise I would have taught you how to find a girlfriend."

The child asked curiously, "I have a girlfriend."

Bai Ying: "?"

"Uncle, you're so old, don't you have a girlfriend?" the child asked, somewhat shocked.

"You're at your age and you're talking about girlfriends?" Bai Ying frowned. "Are young people these days so weak-minded? They've completely lost their samurai spirit! How can a true Yamato man, born between heaven and earth, be content to remain subservient to a woman? Can't you hear it? Your Yamato spirit is crying out!"

The child tilted his head, looking confused: "Uncle, what are you talking about?"

"Ah……"

The white figure smiled mysteriously and said reservedly, "When I was your age, I was the boss of all the other students. I distributed all the snacks and toys. Even if the girls had cat claws and the boys had drooling dragons, they were all defeated by me. Even if I became the light of Tiga, I would still be in the center position. Back then, I also had four Heavenly Kings and eight executives under my command. The teachers would have to smile when they saw me."

The child was deeply shocked, then became alert: "I...I don't believe it..."

Bai Ying scoffed, "How could a kid like you, who plays house with girls and pretends to be a girlfriend, understand the heroic spirit of a man who can control the wind and rain and conquer the world? If I am the ultimate form, then you are just a mere child."

"Gurgle..." The child's expression wavered, and he said dejectedly, "The other classmates also said it's embarrassing for me to play with girls, and they don't want to play with me..."

"A bunch of rabble!" the white-clad figure shouted passionately. "A true man is one who can play with whomever he wants! He must have the courage and awareness to question any doubts he faces. The spirit of a warrior is about having a fair and square dialogue and contest!"

"Um..." The child was a little excited, but even more confused, "Aren't you some kind of emperor? You're not a warrior."

"How could a man of substance have only one identity?" Bai Ying described in a condescending tone, "The self who commands respect at school; the self who transforms into a magical girl every night; walking in darkness, cultivating light, no one knows who I am, only the name of a hero remains..."

The child scratched his head: "Magical Girl? Shouldn't it be Ultraman?"

Bai Ying shook her head and said, "Mom has a magical girl transformation wand in her closet, and Dad has an Ultraman transformation device in his drawer. Only a real man can wield the power of both, and a real man will not be afraid of doubt!"

"Huh?! Then, then I want to go back and become a man!"

The child ran off excitedly, waving back and saying, "Thank you, Uncle! I know how to be a man now!"

"Hey—come back here! Break the seal! You bald monk from the Great Tang Dynasty of the East!"

The white figure shouted a few times, clearly the kid above couldn't wait to go home and get a slap on the bottom, and headed west without looking back.

"puff……"

Unable to hold back her laughter, she let out a sound.

"Hero Plus?"

The white figure's head swayed back and forth outside the sleeping bag, but unfortunately, it was still many evolutionary steps away from being an invertebrate.

Suddenly, everything went dark. The white figure raised its eyebrows towards the ground, meeting Sakurajima Mai's gaze as she looked down at it.

Black socks climbed up her calves from her white sneakers, her thighs were held together by light gray shorts, leaving a glimpse of her fair skin in the sunlight. A light white T-shirt was adorned with red, green, and blue star patterns, giving her a youthful and vibrant look.

Mai Sakurajima stood with her hands behind her back, her eyes crinkling as she peered down at the scene.

"So confident just because you're not wearing a skirt?"

"You can be this confident even when wearing a dress."

Mai Sakurajima chuckled, squatted down in front of the white figure, and asked with ill intent, "You can't move?"

“he——”

The white figure puffed out its cheeks with an imposing air.

Sakurajima Mai, who was squatting, moved her feet back: "From this position, unless the hater can tilt his head back at a 60-degree angle, he won't be able to vomit—don't you think it's childish to use such a primary school trick?"

"Hehehehe...hahahaha...glug glug..."

The white-clad figure twitched his cheeks from side to side and sneered, "Have you ever heard of a shotgun?"

Mai Sakurajima was a little confused: "Shotgun...shotgun shells?"

"Not just shotguns, I can switch between weapon types depending on the situation—shotguns for close-range annihilation of large groups of enemies, machine guns for continuous attacks at medium range, and sniper rifles for long-range pinpoint demolitions..." Bai Ying said sternly, "I am the uncrowned king standing at the pinnacle of Class Three!"

"I'm really curious about what peculiar habits elementary school boys have. It's a pity I became a child star when I was in elementary school."

Sakurajima Mai revealed her hand from behind her back; it was a sticker: "This thing can immobilize you?"

Bai Ying's eyes widened: "You've already torn off the sticker, so why can't you pull out the wooden chisel that's stuck in the ground underneath?"

"Don't you have that kind of stand-in?"

"Out of range."

Bai Ying said, "Although I could try to blow up the sleeping bag to escape, then I would have no bed—that wretched prop master, how vicious! Anyway, if you try a little harder and let me out, I will definitely repay you handsomely."

"Oh, there must be a generous reward? I'll have to see what you're going to reward me with."

“You’re taking advantage of my kindness, you’re not a good person. Since you’re not a good person, helping bad people is no different from doing evil, so I won’t repay you,” Bai Ying added. “Well, if you ask for a reward after I get out, I’ll say the same thing.”

Mai Sakurajima rolled her eyes and helped the white shadow break the seal.

May good people have a safe journey!

The white figure broke free and bowed in thanks.

There's something odd about that thank you...

Mai Sakurajima pondered for a moment and realized there was no need to ponder—it would be strange if the words spoken by the hater weren't bizarre.

Ha~

"You're homeless again? I just found a place to rent around here. Want to come along? The room next door is also being rented out, or maybe we could be neighbors?"

"What a coincidence! Let's go take a look."

Chapter 155 Going in Circles

I'm going to see Godot; Godot is waiting for me at the agreed-upon place.

"Go, child! You will surely see Godot!"

My father encouraged me enthusiastically and took out a worn-out bicycle: "I used to ride this to see Godot. It's the best! You'll definitely see Godot if you ride it!"

"Father, where is Godot?"

"Godot is where Godot is, let's go!"

I hopped on my bicycle and started circling around the house, glancing up every now and then, but unfortunately I didn't see Godot anywhere around the house.

I rode my bike around the house fifty times before my angry father kicked me out.

"Godot isn't near home. If he were, I would have found him long ago! Godot must be far away. Go outside, ride fast, that's the only way you can find Godot!"

My father spoke loudly, then pushed me out and confiscated my plan to establish a mysterious savior organization.

I set off on my journey to find Godot.

Godot is a fascinating man; everyone would like him. When people talk about Godot, they will shower him with all the praise they have accumulated in their lives. Just as people go to great lengths to criticize something, they are also used to going to great lengths to like something.

What kind of person was Godot?

I pedaled my brand-new bicycle, my legs already used to the daily ups and downs. Even when I stopped occasionally, I would still unconsciously sway up and down and push and pedal back and forth.

"Godot?" his wife exclaimed from the back seat. "Godot is certainly a handsome, wealthy, considerate, and very gentlemanly man! You'd better hurry! You won't find Godot if you keep dragging your feet like this!"

"But I don't know what Godot looks like."

"Handsome, rich, considerate, and very gentlemanly—far superior to you!"

I felt a little uncomfortable, but I was also used to it, thinking, "Why do I have to find him?"

"If you don't look for him, what else can you do?"

My wife always answered in this way, seemingly asking a question in return, but in reality, she wasn't asking for an answer. Instead, she was expressing sarcasm and denial. Continuing the discussion would only lead to her complaining more about whose fault it was that she was having such a hard time.

I've learned to wisely avoid responding to that question, letting the conversation vanish in the dust kicked up by the wheels. The swirling dust outlines fleeting figures of passersby, each one indistinct in their features, but none of them are Godot. Godot exists in books, on television, and in word of mouth, perhaps somewhere I simply can't find him.

"My wife met a handsome, wealthy, considerate, and very charming man, and then disappeared."

I asked blankly, "Master, do you think she found Godot?"

“Foolish child, Godot is not there, not here, not in the middle,” the master said. “All those who think they have found Godot will be disappointed to find that it is not Godot.”

I asked blankly, "Is that Godot a fake?"

"Godot is real, of course, but he's very difficult to find." The master offered guidance, giving a direction: "If you find all seven prayer beads, you can summon the Buddha. The Buddha possesses wisdom far greater than mine, and with his eyes open, he can see through the three thousand worlds. He should be able to give you an answer."

I rallied my spirits and set off again. Compared to Godot, whose location and appearance I didn't know, things that looked familiar were easy to find. After going through eighty-one tribulations, I finally managed to find all seven prayer beads. I chanted the mantra "Pineapple Pineapple Honey," and in an instant, golden lotuses sprang from the ground, purple clouds appeared in the sky, and Buddha sat on the lotus throne, making a mudra and nodding.

"If you are destined to meet me, tell me your confusion and wishes. No matter what the problem or wish is, I can fulfill one of them—"

"I want to find Godot. Do you know where Godot is?"

"Above the East Sea, the waves are treacherous, and a strange mountain emerges from the sea, called Flower and Fruit Mountain. On the top of Flower and Fruit Mountain, there is a strange rock. You can chisel the rock open, wake up the sleeping monkey inside, and lie down inside yourself. That way you can find Godot."

After answering the questions, the Buddha scattered prayer beads in all eight directions.

I sailed out to sea and came to Flower Fruit Mountain. I chiseled open the strange rock at the top of the mountain, grabbed a sleepy-eyed monkey, and put myself in its place.

The monkey looked around blankly, chattering and patting the strange rocks. After making a fuss for a while, it got hungry and left.

I lay in the rocks and found no trace of Godot.

As the sun, moon, and stars move, time flows on.

Before I could figure out what was going on, several laser beams flashed and cut the stone in two.

I lay in the bright, spacious laboratory, listening to the enthusiastic cheers of the people in white coats around me. They were overjoyed, celebrating as if they had finally bought a new pair of underwear. Soon, one of the white coats approached with a look of reverence and said, "Ancestor, you're awake! The Trisolarans are preparing to invade Earth, and we had to wake you up to fight them. Thank goodness, the experiment was a great success, and you woke up unharmed..."

I asked, "Where is Godot? I'm looking for him."

"Aren't you Godot?"

The doctor in the white coat was initially puzzled, but then respectfully took out several sheets of paper sealed in a glass case: "You foresaw today's disaster a thousand years ago, showing remarkable foresight; the several salvation plans you listed in the Bible have already brought about technological innovation, demonstrating extraordinary wisdom; you worried deeply about the end times, exhausting your energy and even sealing yourself in stone, showing great courage and righteousness... If someone like you is not Godot, then who is?"

I still couldn't find Godot.

……

……

"..."

Sakurajima Mai slowly raised a string of ellipses above her head and retorted, "Hater, your script... expresses an exploration of the meaning of life? 'The Good Godot' comes from the values ​​and judgments of others, and is also a value orientation of the whole society, such as the standard of success, the type of person who will be recognized, etc. The protagonist spends his whole life trying to find the 'Good Godot,' only to find in the end that this value judgment is meaningless to him. The salvation plan book that was confiscated when he was a child helped him find himself again?"

"Your reading comprehension must be excellent."

Bai Ying, carrying her large backpack, gestured a new possibility: "Why not a middle-aged man whose wife ran off with someone else, who couldn't bear the blow and eventually went insane?"

"So who is this Godot that the hater wrote about?" Mai Sakurajima shook the script and casually threw out a few guesses, "An ideal self? A socially accepted image? A self shrouded in the ideals of others?"

"Your guess makes a lot of sense, but if I watched Waiting for Godot and then casually borrowed it to ride the wave of popularity, how would you interpret that?"

"This shows that even haters sometimes like to slack off."

Mai Sakurajima closed the script and hugged her little black cat tightly: "Are you planning to work your way up to becoming a professional screenwriter?"

“Creation depends on mood and fate.” Bai Ying described slowly, “There must be the sound of spring rain pattering and dew rolling on the grass, there must be a flash of thunder that breaks through the dark clouds… Of course, the most wonderful thing is how to write a tragic ending that makes people sad, moved, and with tears in their eyes!”