World Occult Usage Guide

Chapter 40 The New Tower of Babylon

"Crackling... crackling..."

Sasaki peeked out and looked at Lin An, who seemed to have eight arms, and couldn't help but remind him.

"Take it easy, Lin-san, don't break my keyboard."

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." Lin An used the mouse with his left hand and the keyboard with his right, adding one World Tree Forum user after another to the permanent ban list, and continued without being affected, "I haven't been a dog administrator for a week, it's time to clean up a bunch of people."

"You've really given me a big surprise." Sasaki tapped the battle button, and the 2D anime girl, waving her staff, charged towards the monster. "So, when are you going to reactivate your 'Two Ravens' account?"

"Are the media still spreading rumors about me and Doris?"

"The secret to data traffic".

“I even have to dress up as a hooded man when I enter and leave the university to prevent the young lady’s fanatical fans from swarming me.” Lin An clicked the left mouse button. “If they find out about dark web sites like World Tree Forum, at best I’ll have to repeat a year, at worst I’ll have to drop out of school. Sasaki, you don’t want to be friendless in university, do you?”

“Actually, I don’t care.” Sasaki blinked innocently. “Lin-san, my ultimate goal in life is to be an oyster. I’ll slack off when my peers are competing fiercely, and I’ll sleep when the world is destroyed.”

"...Is there a second wish?"

“Become a sea cucumber.” Sasaki pulled Lin An’s phone out of the drawer. “I’ve packed it for you. Remember to pay me. I ate 15 large coins during the Winter Festival limited edition, and I’m almost broke.”

"Isn't your family quite wealthy?"

“Takamagahara Corporation can’t withstand the pressure of such high minimum payouts,” Sasaki sighed. “Every time I finish all the work, do you spend the whole afternoon chasing girls?”

"Snapped."

Lin An pressed the last key and turned around in his computer chair.

They split into two groups. In the morning, Lin An handed his phone to Fatty, claiming he was going to Chinatown to buy some Winter Festival gifts. After leaving the dojo, he grabbed a few bags of tonkotsu ramen and demae nichi (cooked pork belly) and returned to the University of Ann Arbor.

"Thank you, the reward has been deposited into your bank account."

"It'll take another two hours for the money to arrive." Sasaki said sullenly, "Knowing you'd be expelled, you still relentlessly targeted my alternate account. It's true that those who stand at the top of the world can't have any fear."

Sasaki added a "remote cloud login" function to Lin Anxin to prevent the Foundation from tracking his World Tree Forum posts. The risk of logging into the administrator account was still too great, so Lin Anxin could only use this method to cultivate his alternate accounts.

At the same time, Lin Anxin added a new line of code.

"An account will be automatically and permanently banned when it is reported by more than 50 users for 'these three' reasons."

With his hands off the keyboard, Lin An unlocked the screen and browsed various social media platforms. When he opened Green Bubble, he found several new messages in his private chat.

A cloud made of rain: Senior, how have you been lately? You should have finished your exams by now.

A cloud made of rain: I've finished my exams too, hehe. Senior, want to go out for dinner together? It's on me as promised. Senior, are you free today?

A cloud made of rain: [Send to address]
A Cloud Made of Rain: This is the restaurant. I heard it's incredibly delicious, and they're having a huge winter promotion—buy one dessert set and get the second one half price! We can order four!

A cloud made of rain: Senior~ Please reply if you see this.

Ruan Ruyun?
The message was sent not long ago. Clicking on the nickname in the profile picture, Lin An suddenly realized that his research on the shadow of "Comos" was so fascinating that he had almost forgotten about this junior who owed him a piece of chestnut cake.

After a moment's thought, he wrote a reply.

Cabin in the Woods: Is it too late to keep our appointment?

A cloud made of rain: !!! Senior, you're alive!
A Cloud Made of Rain: Of course, of course! Let's set a time to meet at the restaurant in an hour and a half. How about 6:30?
Cabin in the Woods: [OK][Thumbs up]
As soon as he moved the phone away from its screen, Sasaki's resentful face appeared, striking the same angle as Sadako.

"As expected, you went to pick up girls."

"You can eat your instant noodles first, I'm outta here." Lin An brushed aside the annoying face, logged out of his administrator account, slung his bag over his shoulder, and said, "Happy Winter Solstice, Fatty Wang."

"Who is that?!"

"I just casually placed a 648 RMB order for you."

"Wang Pangzi is me, and I am Wang Pangzi."

…………

The streets of Dietrich were bustling and deafeningly noisy.

The main road was congested with vehicles, from gleaming luxury cars to dusty diesel trucks, and a constant stream of pedestrians of all kinds. In the crowded narrow alleys, Lin An's senses were bombarded by various styles and smells until he was almost numb.

The tranquil forests of the neighboring country became an unreachable backdrop.

Under the bright neon lights, countless brands vie for space on Dietrich’s frenzied billboards, and all kinds of shops are putting on glamorous sales pitches. People can buy anything from state-of-the-art computer technology to handmade soaps.

Perhaps the most peculiar thing about the United States is that all its contrasting features coexist so harmoniously.

When one part of a group is always at war with another, and when the number of outsiders far exceeds that of locals, a sense of self-identity evaporates like water.

But the soul of the British harbors Calvinism: a love of change, even a thirst for it, to turn the impossible into the possible.

They may be extremely arrogant, endlessly complaining about everything about themselves, yet they are constantly being reborn, becoming different, unknown, and suspicious. They are united by the same name into a dozen nations with different faiths, sharing the same name.

This is a utopia of extravagance and debauchery.

Straightening his clothes, Lin An entered a restaurant on the main street. "Hello, sir, do you have a reservation?" the hostess asked.

"I'm dining here with a friend." Lin An happened to see Ruan Ruyun waving and gestured to the hostess, "She's over there."

The usher gave a knowing smile.

Have a wonderful evening, sir, and Happy Winter Solstice.

The indoor heating was on full blast. Ruan Ruyun took off her thick down jacket. She wore a white shirt, a leather buckle belt, and an apple-green skirt, which complemented her fair skin.

"Senior, you've arrived!"

Lin An pulled out a chair and sat down. The table was located next to the window, with pleasant music playing, the lighting was just right, and electronic candles and aromatherapy enhanced the atmosphere.

"Junior Ruan, long time no see. How's your final paper coming along?"

“I’ll have to sit at the next table if you talk about this,” Ruan Ruyun said, handing over a menu card. “I’ve never written a paper entirely based on my own research before. If it weren’t for Senior Zhou’s willingness to guide me, I would have had to stay for extra classes throughout the winter break.”

"At least you passed." Lin An gave her a thumbs up.

"Senior, did you fail any courses the first time you took the course?"

"No, but I crammed for several nights straight." Looking back on the past with bittersweet reminiscence, Lin An said, "I'll order an Eggs Benedict."

"What's your major, senior?" Ruan Ruyun asked, glancing at Lin An's face out of the corner of her eye while looking at the menu.

"archeology."

"hold head high?"

"In the first semester, I was bombarded with professional knowledge about repairing cultural relics and excavating tombs. Later, when the courses shifted to local customs and prehistoric anthropology, my grades improved."

Ruan Ruyun never expected that Lin An was actually an archaeologist. She thought he was studying languages, philosophy, or social history in the humanities department!
"Why?" she asked incredulously. "Do you like 'Ghost Blows Out the Light'?"

My family helped me choose it.

At this moment, the waiter came over to take the order. Ruan Ruyun ordered a cream soup and four desserts, claiming that she would eat three of them by herself, and later proved that she was right.

Lin An now knew how she had gained weight.

Goodness, even Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson wouldn't dare eat like that.

As night fell, the towering buildings altered the skyline, and the windows of the skyscrapers were lit up, their reflections shimmering incessantly. Lin An casually poked at the runny Egg of Benedict, admiring the iconic buildings of Dietrich.

—The New Tower of Babylon.

It was once a church bell tower, with exterior walls built of magenta brick, angular buttresses surrounding a six-panel window, and an open arch superimposed with a slightly shorter molded arch, carved with dark leaf-shaped capital letters.

Novus ordo seclorum. (Latin: New Age)

The UK transformed the clock tower into a museum and tourist center. Scaffolding covered the ancient walls, leaving behind reinforced concrete supports. The church was transformed into a skyscraper that illuminates the city and has stood for over a century.

After eating and drinking her fill, Ruan Ruyun sipped her sparkling water and chatted casually with Lin An.

"Winter break is here, senior. What are your plans?"

"I found a part-time job."

"Huh, what kind is it?"

"It's hard to categorize. It's more like a service industry job, doing accommodation and warehousing work every day," Lin An said with a forced smile.

"Senior, aren't you going back to China? I'm flying tomorrow. Although the Spring Festival and the start of the semester coincide perfectly, at least I can still see my parents. Aren't you going back to let them know you're safe?" Ruan Ruyun asked, resting her chin on her hand.

"My parents... are pretty easygoing."

"Senior, you're a junior now. Are your parents used to you being out and about? Haha, my parents message me every day to make sure I'm still alive."

Lin An paused for a moment and said, "My dad and I haven't been in contact for more than ten years. As for my mom... she usually just forwards some papers to my email and doesn't talk much about life."

The phone rang as soon as he finished speaking.

"Your special attention has sent a message."

Ruan Ruyun's eyes widened.

"Special attention? Senior, is that your girlfriend? Is it Senior Zhou—could it be Doris Wood?!"

"Don't make wild guesses, I'm a pure single dog."

Lin An stepped aside to avoid the curious Ruan Ruyun, only to see a message pop up in the pinned chat.

Adria: Happy Winter Solstice, Annie! Although I can't spend this holiday with you, the good news is that we can celebrate the Spring Festival together this year.

Adria: I have finished dealing with the inheritance left by my family and have received an invitation to give a guest lecture at the University of Ann Arbor, so I will be staying in Dietrich for a while.

Adria: Little Anne, are you looking forward to Mommy coming over?
Thank you to the little gun thief for the monthly ticket! And thank you everyone for your recommendations and continued reading!
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(End of this chapter)