The construction of the new factory in Kalispell progressed rapidly. There was no personnel design process, no blueprints—materials and equipment were simply brought in and construction began immediately. It appeared to be an expansion of an existing model. At this moment, Li Haojun finally grasped the full extent of the human resources Lily had mentioned—the entire workforce of Kalispell. They seemed to operate under unified commands from a central system, with minimal interpersonal communication. Like bees or ants, they functioned as a cohesive collective. Li Haojun and Kasiya reviewed and verified results based on the information distributed to them. At times, the two of them became bottlenecks in the system, forcing Li Haojun to recruit more local personnel to participate.
卡利斯佩尔的新工厂建设进程迅速,没有人员设计过程,没有图纸,而是材料与设备直接进场开工建设,应该是已有模式扩建.这时李皓珺终于体会到了莉莉所说的他可以动员的人力资源,是全部卡利斯佩尔范围内的人力,他们似乎是在一个中枢系统统一的指令下运作,基本没有个人之间的沟通,他们仿佛是蜜蜂或者蚂蚁那样以整体的方式行动.而李皓珺和凯西娅会根据分发给他们的信息进行审批与核查结果,有时候他们两人甚至成了系统的瓶颈,而李皓珺不得不召集更多当地备选人员进来参与.
But today he had another assignment: traveling to the Montana plains east of Glacier National Park to negotiate crop purchase contracts with local farmers. These farmers belonged to no industry organizations or associations, and no capital giants unified production or markets here. Consequently, Li Haojun had no choice but to negotiate purchase contracts individually with each small farm owner.
但是今天他另有任务,去冰川国家公园东侧的蒙大拿平原地区,与各地农民商议农作物收购合同,这里的农民不属于任何行业组织或者协会,也没有资本巨头统一这里生产和市场,所以李皓珺不得不和各地的小农场主逐个谈收购合同.
To ensure sufficient bargaining power, Tarachi Bio also owns land in the Cut Bank area to balance acquisition gaps and cultivate proprietary crops.
为了本公司有足够议价能力,塔拉奇生物公司在卡特班克一带也有自己的土地,用于平衡收购缺口和种植专有作物.
Although Li Haojun didn't particularly enjoy this kind of work, he was willing to accept it if he could think of it as a road trip accompanied by Kasiya.
虽然李皓珺并不喜欢这种工作,但是如果把它看作是一场由凯西娅陪伴的公路旅行,他也就欣然接受了.
Arriving in Kalispell early in the morning, we picked up Kasiya and drove slowly through town along Highway 2. In the distance, the landscape gradually shifted from emerald green to ochre, culminating in a range of snow-capped mountains stretching to the horizon. These wild, distant peaks seemed to beckon, filling us with anticipation for the road trip ahead.
一早上到达卡利斯佩尔,接上凯西娅,慢速驾驶穿过城镇,沿着2号公路,远方逐渐由翠绿到赭石再到山顶的常年积雪的连绵雪山就座落在小镇建筑的尽头,那远山狂野的召唤,不由得使人对这场公路旅程充满期待.
Glancing at Kacyah seated in the backseat while driving, she was still wearing the same outfit from before—a far cry from the treatment befitting a girl in her prime. Thinking back to the clothes he'd bought for Sienna, he felt a pang of guilt toward her.
一边开着车一边看看坐在侧后的凯西娅,依然身穿那身之前衣服,完全不像女孩青春年华应有的待遇,想想之前自己给西耶娜买衣服,觉得有些对不住她.
Shortly after leaving the city along Highway 2, Li Haojun exited the highway and turned onto a mountain road. Following the shoreline of Lake McDonald, the pass leading into Glacier National Park lay ahead. Against the backdrop of emerald valleys and azure skies, the lake's surface was half a deep, inky green and half a light, grayish blue.
沿着2号公路出城不久,李皓珺便下了2号公路,驶向了山间小路,沿着麦克唐纳湖边,向着前方就是进入冰川国家公园的山口,湖面在翠绿的山谷和蓝天的映衬下,一半深沉得墨绿,一半轻盈得灰蓝,
"Do you like it?" Li Haojun asked softly.
"喜欢吗?"李皓珺轻声地问,
"Hmm, it's beautiful here."
"嗯,这里很美,"
I flew over here and saw many lakes from the sky. Today, let's take the highway to enjoy the scenery.
"我从这里飞过,在天上可以看到很多湖泊,今天咱们走公路欣赏美景,"
"Oh, was it during the time we were apart?" Kasiya asked.
"好啊,是我们分开那段时间里吗?"凯西娅问,
"Yes,"
"是的,"
How did that job feel?
"那段工作感觉怎么样?"
"Boring, but..." The words were barely out of his mouth when Li Haojun suddenly realized whether he should mention Sienna to Casey.
"无聊,不过..."话一出口,李皓珺忽然意识到是否应该和凯西娅提到西耶娜,
"What? What do you want to tell me?" Kasiya pressed.
"什么?你想和我说什么?"凯西娅追问,
Back then, I met a girl named Sienna—she was quite special. But she left soon after, and I wrapped up that work assignment too. I still don't know why I was assigned that job in the first place.
"那时候我遇到一个女孩,名字叫西耶娜,很特别,后来她很快离开了,然后我也结束那次工作指派了.我也不知道为什么会被指派那样的工作."
"So, are you here to talk about the reason for that job assignment, or the girl you met on the job?" Kasiya asked Li Haojun, watching him through the rearview mirror.
"那么,你到底是想和我谈论那份工作指派的原因还是那份工作遇到的女孩?" 凯西娅从后视镜里望着李皓珺问,
That girl possesses a very special ability—she can peer into my memories and project her consciousness into mine.
"那个女孩儿,她有很特别的能力,她能窥探我的记忆,也能给我投射意识,"
"Oh, so you wish I had that kind of ability too?" Kasiya quickly pressed on.
"哦,那你希望我也有那样的能力吗?"凯西娅很快接着追问,
"No, she has that ability because she has a brain chip implanted."
"不,她是植入了脑芯片才会有那种功能的,"
After Li Haojun finished speaking, he caught Kasiya's gaze fixed on him. Suddenly, he sensed something in her eyes—was she putting on a brave face? A childish stubbornness? Or was she jealous? He quickly explained,
李皓珺说完,看了一眼凯西娅望着自己的眼神,忽然感受到她是不是在逞强,孩子的争强好胜,或者她吃醋了?便赶紧解释说,
"Honestly, her special abilities have me pretty baffled too. I've been having all these strange dreams, and I can't tell if she's projecting them onto me."
"其实她的特殊能力也让我挺困惑的,做了好多奇怪的梦,也不知道是不是她投射给我的,"
After speaking, she glanced at Kasiya, who remained silent and staring at her, seemingly dissatisfied with her answer.
说完,看了看凯西娅,依然是不声不响地望着自己,似乎她并不满意自己的回答,
Li Haojun slowly pulled the car over to the side of the road and slid into the passenger seat beside Kasiya. He leaned over, gently cradling her head in his arms as he brushed away a strand of hair from her temple. Kasiya's face broke into a smile.
"You wanted to see me smile, didn't you?"
李皓珺慢慢把车停在了路边,自己也坐在了凯西娅旁边的座椅上,凑过去,轻轻把她的头搂在怀里,梳理她鬓角的发丝间,凯西娅露出了微笑的面容,
"你想看到我笑是吗?"
"Yes,"
"是的,"
"You care about it, don't you?"
"你很在意是吗?"
"Yes,"
"是的,"
As we set out once more, a sense of lighthearted joy filled the entire valley. The emerald green at the base gradually stretched upward into alpine tundra, then mottled brown and red rock, before spreading to the summit blanketed in pristine snow. Against the backdrop of the blue sky, towering peaks stood majestically, encircling the winding road. The metallic clang of exhaust pipes echoed through the valley, shattering the tranquility of this secluded place.
当再次上路,就连整个山谷里都洋溢着轻松愉悦的心情,山脚下的翠绿向山顶逐渐延伸成苔原,然后是斑驳的褐色,红色的岩石,再蔓延到山顶被洁白的冰雪覆盖,衬着蓝天的背景,伟岸竖立环伺着车辆蜿蜒行驶,山谷中回荡着车子排气管的金属铿锵声,打破如此幽地的静谧.
The car left Glacier National Park. According to the original itinerary, they should have passed through the town of Browning, but Li Haojun stopped instead. He brought Kasiya to a cultural gift shop located on an Indian reservation.
车子驶离了冰川国家公园,按照原计划路程本应穿过的勃朗宁小镇,李皓珺停了下来,他带着凯西娅来到了一家文化饰品店,这里是印第安保留区.
Kasia had no idea what he was up to, just letting him lead her by the hand as they strolled past displays of Native American cultural artifacts and jewelry. When they reached the clothing section, he asked,
"See anything you like?"
凯西娅也不知道他要做什么,只是被拉着手,闲逛着浏览各种印第安文化用具,饰品,直到来到服装面前,
"看看有你喜欢的吗?"
"Oh?" Kasiya glanced at Li Haojun, then silently walked ahead of him to browse the clothing. There weren't many styles—just a few fixed types—but they featured different patterns, shades, and motifs, all in an Indian style.
"哦?"凯西娅看了看李皓珺,默默地走到他前面开始浏览服装,款式并不多,只有那么几种固定类型,但是有不同的花纹图案,不同的色调和图腾,不过都是印第安风格的.
Kasia looked around but didn't pick anything. Li Haojun hurriedly asked,
"What's wrong? Don't you like it?"
凯西娅看了一圈,并没有选择什么,李皓珺急忙问,
"怎么?你不喜欢吗?"
Kasia tugged at his hand and said,
"You pick for me."
凯西娅拉了拉他的手说,
"你帮我选吧,"
Seeing how earnest she looked, Li Haojun didn't refuse. He picked out a short floral-print smock for her, adorned with burgundy, red, and blue embroidered lines and traditional totem patterns, all set against a slightly yellowed cotton base that seemed steeped in nostalgic memories.
看着她认真的样子,李皓珺就没有推辞,给她选了一个花布短款罩衫,上面有酱紫,红,蓝颜色的刺绣线条和传统图腾图案,以及略显发黄的棉布底色,似乎带着年代感满满的回忆.
Li Haojun spent quite a while comparing two options for her bottom piece—a woven floral skirt and a faux leather-look pair of pants—but still couldn't decide. When it came time to choose a headpiece, Kasiya finally chimed in with her opinion.
选下装的时候李皓珺比较了好一阵子,一条编织彩裙和一条仿牛皮长裤,但还是没想好,当选择头饰的时候凯西娅终于发表意见了,
"This feathered hat is way too over-the-top. I don't want it," she said, tugging at Li Haojun's hand again. Standing with her feet together, she twisted her body back and forth as she pulled her arms left and right, looking like an innocent child. In the end, Li Haojun chose a colorful decorative hair tie that matched the lines of the top.
"这个羽毛的帽子太夸张了,我不要,"说完又拉了拉李皓珺的手,双脚并拢直立,随着双手左右拉扯,身体也随着来回扭转,好像天真的孩子.最后李皓珺选择了和上衣线条同色的彩色装饰发绳.
When she arrived at the fitting room door with the selected outfits, Kasiya asked again,
"Ethan, would you prefer me in a skirt or pants?" She smiled as she spoke, looking at him.
当拿着选好的服装来到试衣间门口,凯西娅又发问了,
"伊森,你想我穿裙子还是长裤?"说完一笑,看着他,
Li Haojun paused without answering, when Kasiya picked up the faux leather pants and said,
"You want me to wear them for you, don't you?"
李皓珺想了想还没回答,只见凯西娅拿了那条仿牛皮长裤说,
"你想我穿它给你看是吗?"
Li Haojun froze for a moment, then gave an awkward laugh. He suddenly recalled that Kasiya had mentioned before she could sense his thoughts or feelings to some extent. At that moment, Li Haojun seemed to realize that perhaps she had phrased it rather subtly back then.
李皓珺开始愣了一下,然后有些尴尬地笑了,他忽然想起来凯西娅之前也说过,她能多少感觉到自己的想法或者感受,这时候李皓珺似乎意识到了她那时候是不是说得比较含蓄了.
When Kasiya turned to pull open the dressing room door and was about to step inside, she suddenly stopped, turned back, and asked,
"Aren't you coming in with me? Aren't you afraid you'll lose me?"
当凯西娅转身拉开试衣间的门,正要走进去的时候,忽然停住,转回头问,
"你不跟我进来吗?不怕把我弄丢了?"
At that moment, Li Haojun felt even more certain, for he had indeed had a fleeting thought of that concern cross his mind.
这时李皓珺有些更确定了,因为他当时确实有一丝那样的顾虑在脑海中闪过.
As the two stepped out of the cultural accessories shop and stood once more in the street sunlight, they saw Katsiya. Purple, blue, red, and white hair ties were woven into her single braid draped over her left shoulder, each color arranged in distinct patterns. The loose cotton smock was perfect for the season. Its short sleeves fell from her shoulders, lending a hint of feminine softness, while her ample bust filled the garment's generous cut, subtly revealing a slender waist.
当两个人离开文化饰品店,再次站在街道的阳光下看凯西娅,酱紫,蓝,红,白的彩色发绳被她分成不同颜色组合编织进了她的单侧麻花辫放在左肩前.宽松的纯棉罩衫很适合这个季节穿着,短袖从她的双肩垂下,略显女性的柔美,而她丰盈胸也很好地撑起了罩衫的宽松,隐约显露纤细的腰枝.
The faux leather trousers were form-fitting in a coffee brown hue, featuring diamond-shaped cutouts woven from leather cords along both legs—extending from the hem up to hipbone height. Due to the fabric's snug elasticity, Casey's thigh skin was pressed flat against the surface of the trousers.
仿牛皮的长裤是紧身款,咖啡色,在裤腿两侧有从裤脚一直延伸到胯骨高度的皮绳编织的大小菱形镂空,由于面料的弹性紧致,凯西娅的大腿皮肤已经被勒得如同裤子面料表面一样高度了.
Pale green suede openwork mid-calf boots with high stiletto heels—in early summer, I had no choice but to turn the beige boot tops inside out to wear them.
淡绿色的翻毛镂空高锥跟中腰皮靴,在初夏的季节里,只好把米色的鞋腰里面翻到外面穿,
Kasia tucked the corner of her smock's side panel into her waistband, then stood before Li Haojun with legs apart. She shifted her weight, turned around, and asked, "Do you like it?"
凯西娅把罩衫侧面衣襟一角掖进了裤腰,然后双腿分开站在李皓珺面前,变换了一下重心,然后又转了个身,问,
"喜欢吗?"
"I like it."
"喜欢."