[Doctor]
[Internet Cafe Manager]
[Listed Company Manager]
[Trainee Superhuman]
[Top KTV Hostess]
[...]
Sitting on the balcony of the top floor, Chen Yu held a pair of binoculars, observing the bustling crowd below on the commercial street.
Above each person's head, a line of text floated.
Besides [Doctor], [Internet Cafe Manager], and [Listed Company Manager], there were titles like [Hairdresser], [Security Guard], [Office Worker], [High School Student], and many others, covering everything.
Chen Yu knew that those "title texts" represented that person's true identity.
Those labeled [Hairdresser] must be hairdressers.
Those labeled [Security Guard] must be security guards.
Those labeled [Top KTV Hostess] must be...
"I should go and ask for contact info first." Putting down the binoculars, he fell into deep thought.
But that thought lingered for only three seconds before he gave up.
Because by this time, a number of male suitors were already surrounding the beauty labeled [Top KTV Hostess], forming a group to ask for her WeChat or phone number.
Obviously,
besides Chen Yu, everyone could see the "text" above each other's heads.
"...Sigh."
Heaving a deep sigh, Chen Yu felt exhausted. He got up, left the balcony, and flopped onto the messy bed, his eyes vacant.
Having transmigrated to this "strange" world for over half a year, he still found it hard to adjust to the environment.
This place was too different from "Earth."
Besides having superhuman beings, every human had a line of text representing their identity hovering above their head.
It was also called a "label."
Colloquially known as a "title."
The vast majority of these titles were presented in textual form.
For example: Teacher, Police Officer, Nurse, Firefighter, Soccer Player, Cartoonist...
Also: Music Star, Model Citizen, Richest Person in Some County, Database Backend Specialist, etc...
It was like a "curse."
Or a "rule."
No one could escape it.
Including Chen Yu, the transmigrator.
And people in the world never felt this "bizarre" phenomenon was strange.
On the contrary, they considered it a part of human society, like the "superhuman powers," and evolved a set of societal interaction rules completely different from those of the "Earth world."
No need for small talk.
No need to dig for information.
No need to guess whether the other's identity, occupation, or ability was real or fake.
Just a quick glance at the "title" above an other's head was enough to make an accurate judgment.
It was like a world where people were completely "exposed" to each other, with not a single secret to be hidden.
Low-key?
Unless you wore a hat every day to cover the text hovering above your head.
Otherwise, no matter how much you claimed to be poor with a [World's Richest] title, no one would believe you.
The accuracy was as high as ninety-nine point nine-nine-nine percent...
"So, I am that 0.0001%?"
Raising his eyes, Chen Yu looked at the "title text" above his head, expressionless.
His "title" was actually... [Corpse].
"..."
Stretching out his hand, he rubbed his face vigorously, feeling even more exhausted.
He was very sure he was not dead.
Therefore, the "title" above his head was false from the start.
When he first transmigrated into this body, the text above his head was [Virus].
The second month was [Ant].
The third month was [Worse than Trash].
The fourth month [Dirty Trash].
The fifth month [Trash].
Then [Expired Feces].
[Feces].
[Rotten Meat].
[Stinking Corpse].
Until this month's [Corpse]...
Everything changed monthly.
Without any regard for his psychological feelings.
Not a single "title" was accurate.
This made him dare not step out of his house for fear of being attacked as a "wolf" by "transcendents" and "police."
Completely excluded from human society.
Fortunately...
There was still hope.
Through Chen Yu's observations, he found that his changing "titles" were steadily improving every month.
From the initial [Virus] to the current [Corpse].
Step by step, steadily progressing, with promising results!
Perhaps in a few more months, he could become a [Normal Person].
Maybe in a few years, his title would become something like [National Leader], looking even more impressive.
If he still had time...
"Bang bang bang!"
A sudden knocking on the door startled Chen Yu, who jolted up and turned towards the door, "Who... who's there?"
"Police station." A man's voice came from outside the door, "We called you this morning for identity verification."
"...Got it. Wait a moment, I'll change my clothes."
Taking a deep breath, Chen Yu resisted the urge to curse, walked into the bathroom, turned on the faucet, and washed his face forcefully, trying to wake himself up a bit.
Yes.
He had been reported...
For years, he stayed hidden in his room, never going out, relying on delivery guys for meals and trash disposal, and he'd taken almost a year off school.
Never showed his face.
Then he got reported by some nosy jerk.
Accusing him of livestreaming pornography in his room...
"...Shit."
"Before reporting, at least get my gender right."
Wiping away the water on his face, Chen Yu clenched his fists, making a cracking sound.
Different cultural groups had different social rules.
In this world where everyone had "tags" above their heads, the country's way to crack down on crime, maintain safety, and keep the society stable was naturally different from the "Earth world."
Because people's identities couldn't be hidden, many criminals with "bad names" could only hide and didn't dare show themselves.
So as soon as someone was "out of sight" for a long time, they were easily considered "suspicious" and reported by neighbors, the public, or informants.
Extremely unfriendly to the homebody crowd.
"Even if you gave me one more month..."
Walking out of the bathroom, Chen Yu looked up at the ceiling at a forty-five-degree angle, "Don't let me find out who reported me."
"Bang! Bang!"
The knocking sounded again, now twenty decibels louder.
"Chen Yu, open the door!" The policeman's voice behind the door became chilly.
"I'm... coming."
Coming to his senses, Chen Yu picked up the hat hanging on the wall, put it on his head, and covered the word "corpse." Then he reached out and gripped the doorknob of the security door.
But he hesitated to turn it.
Once he opened this door, his future "life" might be uncertain...
Chen Yu, "Officer, if I don't open the door, you definitely won't agree, right?"
Police officer, "You can try."
Sighing, Chen Yu opened the door honestly, welcoming... welcoming the police officers inside.
Two officers came for the "verification," one male and one female, both very young.
One had a title over their head: "Police Officer."
The other still had a title: "Police Officer."
The leading young male officer, seeing the hat on Chen Yu's head, squinted his eyes slightly for half a second and signaled to his female colleague.
"Officers, please sit. I'll make some tea for you." Chen Yu rolled up his sleeves and walked to the kitchen, opened the fridge, "What kind of tea do you want? I have iced black tea, green tea, uh... and iced black tea."
"We don't need anything to drink." The young male officer took out his credentials, showed them to Chen Yu, then stood indifferently in the middle of the living room, opened a folder, held a pen, and asked while writing, "Let's start directly, cooperate with us."
"Of course, I'll cooperate." Closing the fridge door, Chen Yu raised his hands.
Female officer, "..."
Male officer, "...No need to surrender. What's your name?"
Chen Yu, "Chen Yu."
"Occupation."
"College student."
"Age."
"Around twenty or so."
The male officer's pen paused, and he looked up at Chen Yu.
Chen Yu awkwardly, "I can't remember very well."
"Give me your ID."
"Sure, sure, sure."
Handing over his ID, the male officer took it, examined it carefully, wrote the information in the file, and then returned the ID. He asked, "We received a report stating you've been holed up in your room for years, never showing your face. The informant believes you're doing illicit streaming."
"Bullshit!" Chen Yu flared up immediately, "I only rented this apartment this year! Where did the 'years' come from? And what about porn streaming? How's a guy like me supposed to draw viewers with my sexy ass?"
"Please calm down and cooperate with our work." The male officer remained expressionless and stared at Chen Yu without blinking, "Answer the question. Why don't you go out?"
"..." Chen Yu remained silent.
The male officer closed the folder and pointed at Chen Yu's hat, "Take it off. Let me see your title."
The corners of Chen Yu's mouth slowly curled up, "I knew this moment would come."
"Clap."
The male officer pulled out a stun baton, "Take off the hat, and cooperate with us."
Chen Yu, "...I said, I knew this moment would come."
The male officer frowned, "What?"
Chen Yu gestured, trying hard to explain, "I'm saying 'the big one' is coming. Could I please use the bathroom first?"
The female officer's temple twitched, "Do you think you're funny with that lousy joke?"
"Mr. Chen Yu, stop with the pointless delay." The male officer displayed the stun baton, "First warning. If you don't cooperate, after three warnings we'll take enforcement measures."
"I never said I wouldn't cooperate," Chen Yu said, increasingly frustrated, "it's just... I'm saying, isn't there a chance? Can't we skip the hat removal and go straight to me telling you my title, and you'll believe me? It'll save us all some trouble. Then you can get back to your business."
Male officer, "What do you think?"
Chen Yu, "I think you wouldn't agree."
"Second warning." The male officer took out the handcuffs at his waist.
Chen Yu, "..."
Male officer, "Third..."
"Swish."
Chen Yu decisively, rationally, swiftly, gave up struggling, and removed his hat.
Revealing the two words above his head—"Corpse."
Male officer, "..."
Female officer, "..."
Chen Yu, "Surprise?"
....