The System is Abstract, Luckily, So Am I

Chapter 211 : Oi Brat, Feeling a Bit Hot, Aren't We?

"That's a real 'holy fuck'."

Lin Li gave a thumbs up, then pointed to the most magnificent-looking toy: "This one wouldn't happen to be worth two 'holy fucks', would it?"

"No need, 2.5 'fucks' will do, or just 1.25 'holy fucks'." The salesperson waved his hand, calculated for a moment, and said.

"What a pity. Our budget for this trip is less than one 'fuck'. It seems we're not destined to have it."

Lin Li and Bai Bufan had no choice but to give up.

After buying souvenirs, the group continued along the route to see the remaining animals.

"It's the peacock area," Chen Yuying pointed ahead and said.

Several peacocks were walking leisurely in a specially designed enclosure, occasionally pecking at the ground like chickens.

The males and females were evenly split and easy to distinguish, because the ones with magnificent covert feathers were males, while the females were a duller gray.

The most handsome moment for the 'handsome guys' (ji shuai).

(Translator's Note: "Ji shuai" is internet slang for men, derived from "sisters" / ji mei).

Damn it, why are males in nature so colorful, while humans are so backward?

"Can we see them spread their tails?" Lin Li asked casually.

"I want to see that too!" As if suddenly discovering a friend shared her interest and finding resonance, Chen Yuying turned her head, raised her voice, and smiled at Lin Li.

Then, even more excited, she quickened her pace slightly.

Walking to the outside of the fence, the group looked around. None of the male peacocks showed any intention of spreading their tails.

So Chen Yuying found the nearest staff member: "Hello, will the peacocks spread their tails now?"

"It's hard to see right now. Peacocks spread their tails mainly for courtship or when they are frightened and intend to intimidate enemies. But peacocks go into heat in the spring, specifically around March to June. If you come back then and wait a while, you'll definitely see them spread their tails.

"Actually, loud human noises or wearing brightly colored clothes can also stimulate peacocks to spread their tails. But these guys are old-timers. They've been in the zoo for a long time, and their threshold for being frightened is quite high, so they won't be easily stimulated.

"Moreover, intentionally frightening them to make them spread their tails is strictly prohibited. If caught, you will not only be immediately expelled from the zoo, but in serious cases, you will also have to pay for damages. So please don't do that. I'm keeping an eye on this area."

The staff member explained first, then gave a final warning.

"Oh, oh, we won't do that," Chen Yuying nodded.

"Bufan, show your red underwear to stimulate it." After the staff member went to deal with other tourists' questions, Lin Li immediately had a wicked idea.

"You're slandering me again. It's not my zodiac year this year." Bai Bufan raised his middle finger.

(Translator's Note: In Chinese tradition, people wear red underwear during their zodiac year for good luck).

"Who made the rule that you can only wear red underwear during your zodiac year? That's too much, only being able to wear it once every thirteen and a half years," Lin Li immediately pointed his index finger in denial.

"Why thirteen and a half years?"

"The Year of the Rooster takes two and a half years. You're really not sensitive to numbers, not even noticing this." Lin Li was very disappointed. After all, whenever he saw the word "half" (ban), he would associate it with "Gege" (brother).

(Translator's Note: A reference to the meme "two and a half years of practice" related to idol Cai Xukun).

Bai Bufan: "..."

Well-reasoned and convincing.

"Bring your red underwear to court, Lin Li."

"It's yours."

"If it's mine, why haven't you returned it to me?" Bai Bufan rushed up and tried to pull Lin Li's pants down.

Lin Li: "?"

Chatting and playing around like this, the five of them leaned against the fence and waited for a while.

But the peacocks just strolled leisurely. Perhaps because of Lin Li's affinity, they even proactively walked towards him, but that was it. There was absolutely no sign of them spreading their tails.

They didn't have that luck.

"It seems we came at the wrong time. We won't be able to see it." After squatting for a while, Chen Yuying turned to Lin Li and said with some regret.

"It seems so for now. What a pity," Ding Sihan also nodded. "But let's go, let's go see the next animal."

"Okay."

Chen Yuying nodded, but as she left, she still couldn't help but look back one last time.

Just then, she made eye contact with Lin Li, who was walking behind her. The regret in her eyes dissipated, and she smiled and said: "We'll find another chance to see them spread their tails next spring. We'll definitely see it then."

"Okay," Lin Li smiled and nodded.

He had actually just mentioned it casually, because seeing a peacock naturally makes one think of it spreading its tail, but Chen Yuying really wanted to see it.

Since that was the case, after taking two steps, Lin Li stopped.

"What's wrong?" Bai Bufan noticed this and turned his head to ask.

"I'm going to show off." Lin Li snapped his fingers, then turned and walked away: "I'm going to the bathroom. You guys keep looking around."

"I'm going too! I will absolutely not leave you alone." The bone-clinging maggot Bai Bufan was very loyal.

"You'd better not leave me alone."

But Bai Bufan forgot that Lin Li had no loyalty.

...

"Class Rep, when taking pictures of the foxes, be careful it doesn't turn into a selfie. After all, it's a reflective fox (fan she hu)."

(Translator's Note: A pun on "fan she hu" / reflective arc).

"What a cold joke." Hearing the voice, Chen Yuying didn't turn her head, but continued taking pictures.

"Class Rep, do you know what sound a fox makes?"

"Da Chu Xing, Chen Sheng Wang?" Chen Yuying finally turned her head, smiled, and tilted her head to confirm.

(Translator's Note: A historical reference to the Daze Village Uprising, where rebels hid a message in a fish's belly and imitated a fox's cry saying "Great Chu will rise, Chen Sheng will be king").

"...It's over. I'm even going to be surpassed by you in this kind of knowledge." Lin Li sighed.

"Because this is knowledge from the textbook," Chen Yuying smiled.

"Why are you alone?" Lin Li looked around and didn't see Ding Sihan and Qu Wanqiu, so he asked.

"Sihan and Wanqiu also went to the bathroom. Didn't you run into them? Eh, where did Bai Bufan go?" Chen Yuying confirmed that Lin Li was also alone and was equally confused.

"Bai Bufan is probably dead, and they're probably missing. Anyway, it's not important," Lin Li waved his hand.

"...Oh," Chen Yuying nodded.

Lin Li did know how to treat people differently, at least the girls didn't die in his mouth.

"There's something more important right now. It's their loss that they're not here. Class Rep, do you believe me?" Lin Li said again.

"Hmm?" Chen Yuying was slightly confused. She made eye contact with Lin Li, whose eyes held a hint of a smile for some reason, and asked: "Believe what?"

"Do you believe I can create miracles?" Lin Li bent down slightly, bringing their eyes a few centimeters closer, and emphasized.

"What miracle?"

"A miracle is a miracle. First, tell me, do you believe me?"

"...I believe you."

Although she didn't know why Lin Li was asking this, and although she didn't know what the miracle was, Chen Yuying nodded.

Lin Li smiled happily. He pointed to the way they came, his face radiant: "Class Rep, you want to see a peacock spread its tail, right?"

"Yeah, what's wrong?" Chen Yuying nodded.

"The miracle is this."

"I already have a way. Class Rep, come with me."

After Lin Li finished speaking, he walked towards the peacock enclosure, and Chen Yuying immediately followed behind him.

The two stood outside the peacock enclosure.

Those male peacocks were still calmly walking around the enclosure, their magnificent tail covert feathers tightly bundled, showing no intention of opening.

"What are we going to do?" Chen Yuying pursed her lips and looked up at Lin Li.

"You're not going to scare them, are you, Lin Li? Then forget it." Seeming to have thought of something, Chen Yuying lowered her voice and added.

The staff member also seemed to have noticed Lin Li and Chen Yuying, so he walked nearby, eyeing them like a tiger watching its prey.

Little brat, I'm watching you!

However, a peacock had just spread its tail a moment ago. It was a pity these two kids didn't see it.

The staff member didn't plan to tell them, as it would only add to their regret.

"No need. To make a peacock spread its tail, you just need to reach out your hand, point at them, and command them to spread their tails for you. It's that simple." Hearing this, Lin Li smiled and said softly.

"Hmm?"

Chen Yuying, who had already reached out her hand upon hearing the first sentence, withdrew it after hearing the whole thing.

Looking at Lin Li again, her clear eyes were full of confusion, followed by some dissatisfaction. Her cheeks puffed up briefly as she complained:

"You're lying to me, Lin Li. You want to make me look like an idiot. I'm not a child."

The staff member nearby also smiled upon hearing this.

But Lin Li still maintained that confident and radiant smile.

He shook his head and looked at the peacocks: "I'm not lying to you, Class Rep. I will command it with you. You said it yourself, you believe I can create miracles."

"—And the miracle is, if we command it, it will spread its tail for us."

Lin Li's tone was incredibly confident, as if at this moment, the world needed to revolve according to his will.

The corners of his mouth turned up slightly, outlining an arc called arrogance. His bright eyes flashed with high spirits, flashing with "Because it's me, there's no problem."

Then I'll just believe him.

Believe first! Then believe again! Finally, believe!

If it doesn't succeed, then it fails!

So Chen Yuying blinked her eyes for a while, then the corners of her mouth curled up, and she nodded heavily: "Okay."

Lin Li smiled even more smugly. He gestured towards the peacock enclosure with his head.

Chen Yuying took a deep breath, then as if cheering herself on, her hand drew a semicircle and pointed at the male peacock walking towards them.

She reached out her left hand, so Lin Li's right hand was almost touching hers.

The peacock, pointed at by both of them, seemed a bit confused and tilted its head to look at them.

"Oi, peacock!" Lin Li's voice was a bit louder, as if calling out to a companion in the distance.

Feeling Lin Li's volume, her original embarrassment suddenly disappeared. Chen Yuying felt there was actually nothing to worry about. So what if it failed? What did it matter if it was a bit childish or chuunibyou?

I'm still a kid anyway!

So her voice also grew louder, carrying a smile, as she commanded:

"Spread your tail for us!"

Lin Li's left hand, holding the "Flask of Hidden Passions," emerged from his pants pocket.

The peacock with its head tilted paused first.

Then.

In the shocked eyes of the passersby attracted by their voices.

The peacock vigorously shook its long tail feathers, and the colorful feathers instantly unfolded. Each feather shimmered with a unique light, covered with exquisite eye-like patterns, as if countless nimble eyes were blinking.

The colors were bright and dazzling: the azure of jewels, the emerald of tender leaves, the golden brilliance of the morning sun... Various colors intertwined, as gorgeous as a painting.

It held its head high, the feathers on its neck slightly raised, noble and proud.

It spread its tail.

—After receiving the command, it spread its tail for him and her!

"Lin Li!"

Chen Yuying withdrew her outstretched left hand and half-covered her lips, her eyes looking at Lin Li full of shock and disbelief.

But then, in the next second, before Lin Li could react, a brilliant smile bloomed on the girl's face, as dazzling as the warm spring sun.

"It spread its tail!" Chen Yuying's voice was full of joy and excitement.

"After all, we both commanded it." Lin Li turned his head, made eye contact with Chen Yuying, and smiled and nodded.

"So amazing!"

[During this squad experiential learning process, obtain heartfelt recognition and praise from other squad members (4/4).]

[Task Five has been completed.]

(End of Chapter)