Bekeland's Streets
"Finished strolling, finished strolling, finished strolling..."
Hearing the ambulance siren, Feng Xue stuffed the change into her wallet and disappeared into the crowd.
Feeling the unchanging, steady [Devil] Tag, Feng Xue muttered in dissatisfaction. In Saint Lotan City, as long as the ATM was towed away, a large sum of [Knowledge] would quickly be deposited into his account. But in Bekeland, he had already sent more than twenty ATMs to ambulances, yet he still hadn't gained a single penny.
"Is it really because ambulances in Bekeland aren't expensive enough? Or is it because of the national circumstances that my actions won't be seen as 'evil,' so they won't provide [knowledge] until a new Tag is formed?"
With this in mind, Feng Xue felt that he should perhaps change his approach. Although the "devil" Tag should not be broken, he should also try to create some new Urban Legend.
However, while Urban Legend can be simple in some ways, creating one that becomes truly popular is not so easy.
Just as the nobodies themselves categorized the levels of Weird Tale, [rumors] must undergo sufficient trials before they can gradually grow into [strange tales], and finally become [Weird Tale] passed down by word of mouth.
Ultimately, however, most rumors remain just rumors. In the information age, countless new memes are born every day, while countless old ones fade away. Creating a story that can cause a sensation and circulate for a certain period of time is obviously not an easy task.
Countless people on the internet aspire to become internet celebrities, and almost every imaginable gimmick has been tried. However, only a very small percentage actually become famous, and even among those who do, most fade away in a very short time.
To put it extremely, even something as disgusting as swimming in a cesspool has been done by someone, whose fame far surpasses that of Lao Ba, and who did it much earlier. But when it comes to shit, many people still think of Lao Ba. That's the strange thing about memes. Whether a meme spreads or not doesn't entirely depend on your status, fame, or how outrageous your joke is. Sometimes, a simple boast can inexplicably become a nationwide sensation, while some people rack their brains just to get on the front page, but in the end, they may not even succeed.
This was true even in the familiar domestic environment of Feng Xue, let alone in Victoria, where Feng Xue was now a stranger to everyone and everything.
To put it bluntly, Feng Xue's understanding of this country was limited to Fried Fish and chips, stargazing, the possibly non-existent and popular gender-bent King Arthur, Sir Isaac Newton whose Coffin board was often lifted but who actually lived in an urn, a certain queen with an extremely long lifespan but who passed away before her own, MI6 who was always inhuman, the Hogwarts school bus at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, and 007, whose flamboyance was so outrageous that it was absurd for him to even be alive.
As for local customs and traditions, they knew almost nothing about them. To think they could create a popular Weird Tale in such an unfamiliar place was simply wishful thinking.
After nearly attracting the police's attention by staking out a child on the street to deliver a secret manual, Feng Xue sheepishly ran two blocks before finding a corner coffee shop. She ordered a cappuccino and sat down at an open-air stall, quietly listening to the conversations of passersby, trying to find inspiration from them.
Unfortunately, even though the Translation Konjac made it easy for him to understand what the other person was saying, as someone who doesn't even watch British dramas, most of the conversations were limited to him understanding each word individually, but not knowing what they were saying when put together.
"In the end, it's just bad luck. If this door could lead to the Eastern Kingdom, then none of these problems would be problems!" Feng Xue took a sip of bitter coffee and sighed deeply. If it were the Eastern Kingdom, a country with a strong culture of Weird Tale, not to mention Role-playing Supernatural Tale, he could easily blend into the 2D community, then use his foresight to Create Memes, and if all else fails, he could roam around various anime conventions, leaving behind an Urban Legend like a "super realistic cosplayer".
However, upon closer reflection, he realized he might be overthinking things, considering that there was an organization in the East that monopolized the entire Residential Area.
Putting everything else aside, the name "Hundred Tales" alone is enough to demonstrate the deep connection between the other party and the Eastern Kingdom's Weird Tale. After years of cultivation, I'm afraid they would notice me as soon as I started to take action. And it wouldn't be surprising if these guys, who even monopolize Residential Area, did something to the core of the Real World.
As for the idea of taking a plane to Yan Country, he only considered it once before giving up.
Ultimately, he didn't know the true intentions of the Yan Kingdom's officials, nor had he ever had any direct communication with them. He couldn't possibly gamble his fate on such a matter. Before that, how he would board a plane without ID Card was also a problem he had to consider.
"Boom!" A sudden explosion accompanied by thick smoke rose from the distance. Feng Xue sighed. Although he wasn't entirely sure, he was about 80% certain that this was probably the work of one of his colleagues who had come with him.
"Sigh, I wish I could do that too." Feng Xue shook her head, glanced at the owl toys in the shop window across the street, and suddenly had an idea.
"Arrest arrest arrest arrest~~~~~"
The urgent sirens of police cars echoed through the streets. Feng Xue stood in a side alley, her face blackened, her lips twitching uncontrollably.
"This is not what we agreed on!"
To be honest, Feng Xue hadn't done much else these past two days. He simply used the sponsorship of his ATM friend to get a batch of parchment, then wrote over a dozen letters in beautiful cursive script, packed them in pretty envelopes, and delivered them to residents he'd scouted out. The contents of the letters were quite simple—
Dear Mr./Ms. xx:
"We are pleased to inform you that you have been admitted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Enclosed is a list of required books and equipment."
"The semester is scheduled to begin on September 1st. We will await your reply by your owl before July 31st."
"Vice Principal (female)"
"Respectfully submitted by Minerva McGonagall"
And this did have some effect; after Feng Xue had only sent a few letters, police cars arrived.
The family that received the letter actually called the police!
"Even if you don't believe it, shouldn't it at least be something to talk about among the neighbors? Or at worst, it's just a common prank! Why would you call the police?"
Seeing the noticeably larger number of police officers on the street, Feng Xue found it hard to understand why her actions warranted a police report. In the end, she could only attribute it to the residents' overreaction caused by "too many crimes committed by her colleagues recently."
The next day, he saw a notice on the community bulletin board...
PS1: This isn't exactly obscure fact. Although the old exchange rate for British pounds was quite inhumane, the pound sterling has since been reformed. 100 new pence equals 1 pound, similar to how 100 cents equals 1 dollar.
PS2: The protagonist has no Household Registration, no ID Card, and no passport, so he can't go to the embassy. Even if he has official registration, it won't work because overseas embassies wouldn't know about the Weird Tale Stories Response Department. Besides, the protagonist has never actually contacted the Weird Tale Department. He just submitted his "resume" through Chen Xiyao, which was just a casual move. It would be good if he gained something, but he wouldn't risk his life. After all, official prisons are not as easy to escape from as Jeston's private prison.
PS3: Regarding taking a plane abroad, that's a point to note, but the problem remains the same. Without identity, household Household Registration, and a passport, it's difficult for him to board a plane through legitimate channels. As for relying on the Phantom of the Phantom of the Opera Set's abilities... that only makes his existence seem reasonable, not completely distorts the perceptions of those around him. The flight attendants may think it's reasonable for you to be on the plane, but that doesn't mean you don't need a ticket to board.