Firecracker Concerto

After retiring, Old Wang became obsessed with "cloud travel." His greatest joy each day was sitting in his flight simulator, wearing VR glasses, and pretending to travel around the world. One day, as he was "flying" over the Pacific Ocean and comfortably adjusting his virtual seat angle, the system suddenly popped up a red warning – "Hazardous item detected: suspected firecracker, please report immediately!"

Old Wang was stunned. He took off his glasses, looked around his empty room, and then looked at the pixelated firecracker with sparks on the screen. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He wondered, in this day and age, is even the virtual world so serious?

He chose to report.

A few minutes later, Xiao Li, a community grid worker, knocked on his door, out of breath. Xiao Li was wearing a uniform with the words "AI Supervision" printed on it and was holding a small scanner in his hand. He said to Old Wang with a serious face: "According to the 'Virtual Item Safety Law,' you must cooperate with the investigation."

"I'm just playing a flight simulator. Where would a firecracker come from?" Old Wang argued.

Xiao Li ignored him and proceeded to scan every corner of Old Wang's house with the scanner. Finally, the scanner beeped, indicating that the power outlet next to Old Wang's computer was "suspected to contain firecracker residue."

Xiao Li's face changed, and he immediately notified his superiors.

Soon, Old Wang was "invited" to the "Virtual Item Management Center" of the sub-district office. There, a group of young people in uniform were busy in front of computer screens. Their screens were full of data and curves, just like monitoring the stock market.

A "virtual item appraiser" wearing glasses walked over and said in a cold, AI-like voice: "After preliminary assessment, the virtual flight simulator you are using has potential safety hazards and must be confiscated for further investigation."

Old Wang was completely dumbfounded.

In the days that followed, his life was like a roller coaster. First, he was locked in the "Virtual Item Isolation Area," where he received re-education on "virtual item safety knowledge" every day. Then, his account was frozen, and he could not participate in any "cloud travel" activities.

What was even more ridiculous was that the community sent someone to his home to install a "virtual item detector" to prevent him from "illegally carrying firecrackers again." The detector looked like a giant mousetrap, emitting a piercing alarm sound at his door every day.

Old Wang's life was completely messed up. His retirement life, which was originally leisurely and comfortable, was now like being in a cage.

Until one day, Old Wang received an email from the "Virtual Item Safety Bureau." The email read:

"Dear user, after a thorough investigation, the 'suspected firecracker' that appeared in the flight simulator you were using was caused by a system error. Due to your active cooperation, we will provide you with certain compensation and restore your account privileges. At the same time, to thank you for your contribution to maintaining the safety of the virtual world, we have decided to award you the honorary title of 'Virtual Safety Guardian' and an 'Electronic Medal of Honor.'"

On the day Old Wang received the "Electronic Medal of Honor," the community even held a small award ceremony for him. Community leaders praised Old Wang in front of the camera, saying he was a "good citizen of the virtual era."

Old Wang was forced to smile awkwardly at the camera, tightly clutching the cold electronic medal in his hand.

That evening, Old Wang restarted the flight simulator. When he "flew" over the Pacific Ocean again, the system popped up a warning again – "Hazardous item detected: suspected fireworks, please report immediately!"

Old Wang took a deep breath. This time, he did not report it. Instead, he controlled the virtual aircraft and plunged into the blue "sea."

On the screen, fireworks silently bloomed in the deep sea, soundless yet dazzling. And Old Wang, in the virtual abyss, had completely disappeared.