The Cost of Yogurt
Wang Meilin's fingers trembled slightly as she typed the express delivery tracking number into her phone. Two boxes of yogurt, or rather, "special supply" yogurt worth 125,000 yuan, were about to fly thousands of miles to her "boyfriend," a man she had never met.
She and "Lin Shen" had met on Soul, a platform that claims to connect souls. At first, they talked about music, movies, and their views on life. Lin Shen said he worked at a biotech company and was currently researching a new type of probiotic, which required a large amount of specific yogurt for experiments. His tone was sincere, with a hint of fatigue, and he said he would be eternally grateful if she could help him. Wang Meilin was touched by this idealistic request.
There happened to be a high-end supermarket near her home where this special yogurt was sold exclusively. She made several trips, spending almost half a month's salary, bought two large boxes, carefully packaged them, and sent them off. The delivery guy even joked before leaving, "This yogurt is more valuable than the Maotai I deliver."
The delivery information showed that the yogurt had arrived at its destination and had been signed for. Wang Meilin eagerly called Lin Shen, but after a few rings, he hung up. She sent another message: "Did you receive the yogurt?" The message showed as read, but there was no reply.
In the following days, Wang Meilin made multiple calls and sent messages, but Lin Shen remained unresponsive. Her heart began to sink, and she had a vague feeling that something was wrong. She tried to contact Lin Shen through the platform but found his account had been deactivated.
A week later, Wang Meilin completely broke down, and she reported it to the police. After investigating, the police told her that Lin Shen's delivery address was a waste recycling station. The love she had hoped for had turned into a complete scam. But strangely, instead of feeling the expected anger or remorse, she felt a kind of inexplicable absurdity.
She began to recall the interactions with Lin Shen, and those seemingly heartfelt conversations now seemed full of loopholes. She realized that she didn't actually know Lin Shen; she had simply been deceived by the fantasy she had constructed. She wasn't even sure if Lin Shen really existed or was just a fake persona generated by AI, exploiting her kindness.
Afterward, she went back to the high-end supermarket and bought a small box of the same yogurt. She opened the lid, took a sip, and realized it tasted no different than ordinary yogurt. She suddenly felt a wave of nausea, not because of the taste, but because of her own stupidity and blindness.
Wang Meilin decided to leave the city. She found a new job as a substitute teacher at a remote rural primary school. She tried to forget this absurd experience and start her life anew.
A year later, one morning, Wang Meilin received a package at the school gate. The delivery man said, "This is your package. It's quite heavy. Please sign for it."
She opened the package with some confusion, and inside were two large boxes of the same "special supply" yogurt. The sender's information on the delivery slip read, "Lin Shen." Wang Meilin's heart raced. A strange mixture of fear and anticipation filled her. Trembling, she turned over one of the boxes and saw a small note taped to the bottom. It read:
"Dear Ms. Wang, hello. I am a partner at Lin Shen's company. What happened before was a misunderstanding. Mr. Lin Shen is unable to contact you due to special reasons. We are very grateful for your support of our company's research project. These two boxes of yogurt are our company's latest experimental product. It not only contains probiotics but also special nutrients. If you can include it in your daily diet, it might have unexpected effects. As a return, we will grant you priority trial access to all our company’s future products.”
Wang Meilin stood there, stunned, holding the note in her hand. The sunlight filtered through the leaves, dappling her face. She suddenly remembered what the delivery guy had said before leaving: "This yogurt is more valuable than the Maotai I deliver." She tasted the yogurt again, and this time, she felt the taste was indeed a little different, as if there was a hint of... hope?