C8 There Were Words

"Nothing out of the ordinary happened yesterday. I simply went shopping at Jiang Prefecture University—that shouldn't have triggered any changes in me," Huang Feng pondered. "Maybe something occurred while I was asleep, and I'm unaware of it?"

Despite racking his brain, Huang Feng couldn't pinpoint the reason for the change. Ultimately, he let it go, reasoning that the change was positive, not negative.

Throughout the afternoon, Huang Feng continued to acclimate to his new surroundings. Under Brother Wang's guidance, he patrolled and familiarized himself with various areas, though they typically avoided the other employees' offices unless an issue arose.

Time flew, and soon it was the end of the workday. Huang Feng and his colleagues clocked out half an hour after everyone else, meaning they had to wait for the building to clear out. Not everyone left, as some stayed for the night shift. Luckily, it wasn't Huang Feng's turn, so after the extra half-hour wait, he wrapped up his first day at the company with Brother Wang's farewell and headed home.

On his way back, Huang Feng stopped by the market to pick up some vegetables. In his rental, he whipped up a celebratory meal of stir-fried asparagus and scrambled eggs with tomatoes, a step up from his usual single dish, in honor of his new job.

Once home, Huang Feng swapped his leather shoes for slippers. Comfortable as they were, they didn't compare to the ease of slippers indoors.

After dinner, Huang Feng set out for a walk to aid digestion. This time, he opted for sneakers over leather shoes, prioritizing comfort for his leisurely stroll.

His sneakers were knock-offs and had seen better days, but Huang Feng wasn't ready to part with them just yet—he hadn't earned that privilege.

After a satisfying walk, he felt ready to jog home as a bit of extra exercise. But as he picked up the pace, he noticed the lightness he'd felt that morning was gone. He was back to feeling just as he had the day before.

"What exactly is happening here? Or was my performance this morning just a fluke?" Huang Feng found himself confused once again. He had resolved not to dwell on the issue, realizing that the only difference was his increased speed when running, which seemed to have no other significance. Whether he ran fast or not didn't really impact him.

Yet, the extraordinary state he experienced that morning had vanished, drawing his curiosity once more.

"No! The shoes, my shoes are different!" Huang Feng exclaimed, relieved that there were no bystanders to witness his outburst—they would've surely thought him mad.

Disregarding any odd looks, Huang Feng felt he was onto something. The day before, he had worn his old shoes, but that morning, he had donned a new pair of leather shoes. Now, back in his old shoes, the remarkable speed was gone. He had only run fast while wearing the new leather shoes.

Huang Feng speculated that the transformation might be linked to those new shoes. Then again, it could've been a random occurrence, unrelated to anything in particular.

Regardless, with a theory in mind, Huang Feng couldn't sit still. He needed to test his hypothesis and resolve the mystery that had plagued him all day.

So, he dashed back home, despite the sweltering June heat. The evening air offered no respite, and soon he was drenched in sweat. But Huang Feng was driven, feeling an instinctual sense that his life was on the cusp of change.

Arriving home breathless, with legs like jelly, he didn't pause to rest. Instead, he immediately retrieved the shoes for a closer inspection.

"Hmm, they feel nice, look sleek, and the craftsmanship is surprisingly good for a non-brand. Getting these for a little over a hundred yuan was a steal. But is there something truly special about them?" Huang Feng pondered, sitting on the floor with the shoes in hand.

"Huh, is there something here?" Huang Feng suddenly noticed what appeared to be some writing on the surface of his shoes.

He brought the shoes closer to his face for a better look and confirmed that he wasn't mistaken. Indeed, there was a line of text hovering above the shoes. "Unnamed leather shoes: An accidental invention by Professor Nors, these shoes boast features such as increased running speed, enhanced jumping ability, breathability, durability, resistance to damage, and the ability to repel dust."

The words were somewhat transparent, yet Huang Feng could make them out clearly if he got close enough. He discovered that the text only became visible when he concentrated; otherwise, it was invisible.

"What's going on here? Why is there writing? And it mentions Professor Nors—since when does someone who makes knockoff leather shoes get called a professor? Plus, these shoes have so many features," Huang Feng mused with a hint of sarcasm.

He then took a small knife and lightly scratched the surface of the shoes, only to find that it left no mark. Even with more force, the result was the same. Finally, after exerting all his strength, Huang Feng managed only to leave a faint white line, which quickly vanished.

"It looks like the text is accurate. So the odd experience I had this morning must have been due to these shoes. But, could these really be the knockoffs I bought yesterday? When did fakes start outperforming the real deal, even coming with extra features?" Huang Feng pondered to himself, feeling more certain about his theory.

Yet, he couldn't shake his doubts. Were these truly the counterfeit shoes he had purchased? Their impressive features didn't add up. And this morning, the shoes felt distinctly different from when he had tried them on in the store the day before. He hadn't thought much of it at the time, but now, it seemed there was more to the story.

With these thoughts in mind, Huang Feng slipped on the leather shoes once more and headed out. It was still early, and the shoe store hadn't closed yet. He needed to have another look.