Chapter 2626: Falling Gently (75)

The next morning, Shiller didn't drive his own car; instead, he called Killer Croc who came over, and they drove a truck to the second-hand market.

They had to buy a lot of stuff, like tents and marquees, which a small car couldn't possibly hold, so a small truck was needed for transportation. Shiller didn't plan to make multiple trips and intended to buy everything in one go.

As soon as Killer Croc got out of the truck, he gave Shiller a hug and said, "I thought you wouldn't call me. I've been saddened for quite a while, Professor."

Shiller looked at him with a probing gaze, and Killer Croc said, "You have no idea how popular the logo you designed is. They're still talking about Crocodile Moving Company. They don't know my name, but they know I'm a croc that moves."

After saying that, Killer Croc performed a standard crocodile head shaking and tail swaying motion, then burst into laughter and said, "When I heard you were throwing a camping party, I knew you'd need me. If you'd decided to find another mover and spend money without calling me, I would have been so upset that I'd cry."

Shiller wasn't too comfortable with his enthusiasm and simply smiled without saying a word. They both got into the truck, and soon arrived at the second-hand market.

Once out of the truck, Killer Croc hugged Martin as well, who patted his broad back and said, "You're early, buddy. Someone was asking me the other day where that moving croc had gone."

"The last decoration deal didn't work out, and I was too ashamed to come here for days..."

"What's that to worry about?" Martin responded with a Spanish phrase that seemed to be a proverb from his hometown before saying, "We all know it was the old man pricing too high. Such a pile of junk selling for so much, fortunately, it all got resolved smoothly in the end. Come on, I'll take you to the camping gear section."

They made their way to the camping gear section. In America, camping is a very common social activity, so there's a dazzling array of products here, much more than Shiller had imagined.

Upon hearing about the camping party, Martin began to count on his fingers, "If you're inviting hundreds of people, then you'll need two extra-large marquees, like these ones here."

Martin pointed them out to Shiller. These so-called marquees are actually tents without fabric touching the ground, supported by a few poles to shield from the wind and sunlight overhead.

"And then there's this." Martin patted a long table next to him and said, "One table can seat thirty people, so about three tables should suffice."

"There won't be that many people. I think no more than sixty will show up in the end."

"Then two tables will do, plus some matching chairs, as well as these pegs, tie-down ropes, and shovels..."

Martin glanced at Shiller's expression and said, "You're not quite adept at outdoor activities, are you? Although the weather isn't too cold right now and the sunlight is fine, the wind is strong. Without pegs to secure the tables and chairs, they will definitely be blown away."

Martin then introduced many more miscellaneous items, such as thermos flasks, heated seat cushions, ashtrays, and so forth—all things that Shiller had a vague idea about but hadn't really remembered to buy.

Martin was well-acquainted with the owner here, and after selecting the goods, he went on to haggle. Finally, they acquired everything for an amazingly low price.

Then they headed over to check out fishing gear. Shiller said, "I don't know what specific activities are done during camping, but I think fishing would be nice. There's a great stream right next to the camping site, and there should be plenty of people who can fish with lures, right?"

"Yes, but you can't just prepare that, Professor." Killer Croc said, "Not everyone likes quiet like you do. Many of us prefer to get moving. How about playing frisbee?"

"And there has to be poker." Martin snapped his fingers and said, "No one can refuse a couple of rounds of Texas Hold'em before a barbecue. Oh, and we haven't bought the blankets for the ladies yet. No worries, the fishing gear area will have those too."

"Don't we need to prepare some newspapers and magazines or something?"

"Of course not, Professor, you can't sit and read newspapers by yourself on such an occasion. Promise me you won't do that, okay?" Killer Croc said sincerely, "You would come across as a weirdo."

"It's not as if it's only been a day or two."

Killer Croc wore a puzzled expression and asked, "Do you think you're an outlier, Professor?"

"Maybe I'm quite the opposite of you," Shiller confessed his feelings, "I may look more like a normal human being, but in reality, I'm not, like I couldn't ask this question so directly."

"But that's not really abnormal," Killer Croc shook his head and said, "If someone hesitates to speak, showing that they have a question but don't know how to ask, I'd just think they're introverted or slow to warm up, rather than weird."

"So what's different about reading a newspaper at a party?"

"Aren't you attracted to those fun things?" Killer Croc asked, "Can you really settle down and read the newspaper when everyone is either focused on fishing or eagerly playing poker and chatting?"

Shiller wanted to reply, "Of course I can, because I'm annoyed, I find all of this noisy and it completely disrupts my routine," but after thinking about it, he didn't say it aloud.

"Does playing with others make you unhappy?" Killer Croc asked again, "Do you like being alone?"

Shiller nodded.

"Then why throw a party?"

Shiller opened his mouth but didn't speak.

"Come on, it's not like everyone who moves has to throw a party," Killer Croc said, "If you want to let people know you've moved, just write them a letter, telling them your new address."

"Wouldn't they think it impolite?"

"Then you could write 'I don't like parties, so I won't invite you.' Given your usual style, if I received such a letter, I wouldn't be surprised at all," Shiller said.

"They wouldn't think I'm a freak?"

"It's weirder that you, who clearly don't want to hang out with everyone, insist on gathering people together, only to sit there reading the newspaper," Killer Croc said. "It's like a malfunctioning program, running in one direction one second and abruptly changing tracks the next. Too strange."

Watching Shiller's slightly complex expression, Killer Croc said, "Do you think we would forbid you from expressing your true feelings? Would we stop considering you a friend just because you are an introvert who doesn't want to host or attend every party?"

Shiller didn't know, because he didn't know how strong his connection with others was, whether that strength would allow him to express his true feelings.

"No, Professor, of course we wouldn't, no matter whether you've established a strong connection with us or not." As if Killer Croc was now the one with the Mind Reading Technique, he said, "A wise man should allow others to dislike a group, to dislike a certain lifestyle, and even make the incredible choice of darkness and solitude."

"Because humans are unable to fully understand each other, they must have their reasons for doing so. If we cannot understand, then we should choose to respect," Killer Croc added jokingly, "of course, within the limits allowed by law and morality."

"Of course, if you hosted a big party and sat there alone reading the newspaper, we would only find you strange, and that strangeness comes from not understanding, not understanding how you can resist the allure of boisterousness. But our silence signifies our respect for such behavior."

"The thoughts of ordinary people and popular choices don't necessarily coincide. We have all learned to call it our personality when going against the mainstream, rather than trying hard to live up to society's average, which would be the true anomaly."

Shiller seemed to understand something and said, "Because ordinary people often have personalities, they can't achieve the average, nor do they wish to try; thus, the society they build has a high tolerance for this."

"It even encourages it," Killer Croc said. "Otherwise, how could 'mediocre' have become a term with a slight derogatory connotation? We all want to have outstanding personalities, to live a life different from others."

"I seek the ordinary, while you pursue the unique," Shiller summed up. "So if I want to be truly ordinary, I should preserve my uniqueness."

"Yes, Professor, in my view, there's nothing particularly special about you," Killer Croc said, scratching his head. "Although I haven't known you long, I think other than sometimes being serious, you're not that special, but considering you're a teacher, it's normal to be authoritative."

"Even if I cancel the camping party?"

"Actually, we were all surprised that you'd arrange such a party in the first place," Killer Croc said with a grin. "Canceling it now is not unexpected, but since you've already spent so much money, wouldn't it be too wasteful not to go ahead with it?"

Shiller nodded and said, "Speaking of money, would it be strange if I didn't pursue wealth like ordinary people do?"

"Who said ordinary people are all chasing money?" Killer Croc asked, raising his eyebrows curiously. "Even though I haven't read much, I know the books are full of people who cannot be corrupted by wealth."

Killer Croc looked at Shiller and said, "So, are you earning money because you want to play the role of an ordinary person? Are you sure it isn't because you don't have money?"

Shiller remained silent.

He indeed had no money, but the salary of a professor at Gotham University wasn't low, and he didn't spend much, so whom could he blame for his lack of funds?

Thinking about those flashy, tailored suits in his wardrobe, Shiller sighed deeply in his heart.

But while choosing a fishing rod, Shiller thought carefully about what Killer Croc had said, aligning it with his recent experiences, and he found Killer Croc's words made a lot of sense.

Shiller had always pursued the life of an average person, akin to making the same choice as 80 out of 100 people because that would seem the most ordinary.

But in reality, the lives of ordinary people aren't like that; they might be part of the 80 at one moment, and in the next, they could become one of the 20, being part of the majority in one decision and the minority in another.

They become the minority not because they are foolish but because that's just their personality.

They are vivid beings with souls, not flat figures produced by some algorithm, unable to be placed above or below an average for comparison, because they neither wish to nor can reach that average.

But this is precisely the charm of ordinary people; their lives have peaks and troughs, unpredictable by themselves and not completely influenced by others. In the society they have built, everyone fully understands such situations.

Just as one wouldn't blame a person for being late to work due to an unexpected accident on the road, as much as one wouldn't expect him to check the traffic bureau's road plans a year in advance to prevent lateness.

And in their view, it would indeed be madness to follow Batman's approach of checking road plans a year in advance to never be late.

This understanding and tolerance are wonderful, treasures that Shiller experienced in his youth but didn't comprehend, and which he was willing to chase for the rest of his life.

Seeing Shiller holding the fishing rod and zoning out, Killer Croc waved his hand in front of him and asked, "What's the matter, Professor?"

"Nothing."

Shiller slowly smiled, and if someone who knew him very well were there, they would realize that this smile meant someone was about to have a very bad day.