Card
by Jing Ge


A case appeared in my backyard. It was not there a minute before, but now it was there as truly as anything. It was a silver metal one, and felt cold. I opened it, and found it full of "plastic" cards, which were of the same size, about 9*4.5*0.4 cm3. These cards had wonderful colors, and they were very light. I didn't know who was the owner of this coming-from-the-air case, but I was sure that the twin daughters of my sister must be interested in these smooth and bright cards. So I decided to occupy the case, together with the cards in it. I draw the case in, and never expected that from then on, trouble just followed me in, too.

Several days later, an ugly dwarf with a big head rang my doorbell. He wore a set of thick silver sports suit, and a novel helmet, just like an alien. I asked at the door what he wanted to do. He said in a strange voice that he was a helicopter driver, and lost by carelessness a case of material cards for credit cards when he flied over around my house. He asked whether I saw it. I didn't tell others about the case, so since he knew it, the case must be his. I decided to return the case to him, so I let him in. But the guy messed everything as soon as he came in, as did a gangster, which took me aback.

Since he had no good manner at all, I threw him out of my door without speaking a word. I was suspecting he got psychological problems. It's nonsense for him to say that those cards were material for credit cards: credit cards are 1mm thick at most, but these cards were at least 4mm; also I found these cards even harder than steel sheet - I tried to cut them with an ax, but no sign left on them - no credit card can be so hard; the third point was: who had seen dwarf pilot? UnlessĦ­he was an alien. Huh!

What was strange was that it became quiet after I threw the dwarf out. I'd thought he must knock heavily on my door. But when I opened the door, there was nothing there. The man's so strange.

A few more day passed. On that afternoon, when I was lying in bed, reviewing the Fourteen Classic Books by Mr. Jin Yong*, the door bell rang. I looked through the door mirror. Oh my God! Outside the door stood a giant, at least 3 meters high. I knew from inside that he wasn't a good guy, and he likely came for the case, too. I dare not open the door. Honestly, I'm not a brave one. It can be counted by fingers how many times I've fought with others since I was young. I asked behind the door, "Who are you looking for?" the giant didn't answer me, but asked back slowly in a non-human harsh voice in stead, "Did you see such a case, full of many small cards?" and made gestures while he spoke. "Damn", I cursed inside, he really came for that. I answered, "What case? Never seen. You'd better ask others." The giant pulled his emotionless huge face close to the door mirror, "Open the door. I know it's here." His voice was very loud, which came through the door, and shook my ears to a little numb. If I were a weak girl, I must have said thrilling inside, "How horrible!" but I 'm a man. How can I give in once in front of danger? He wanted the case, but I just didn't want to give him. I stood up straightly, and shouted at my door, "Go out!" answered me the heavy knocking. I rushed to the desk in a step, then picked up the phone, fingers touching the dial. I was standing in a very steady posture, my tongue sticking to the palate, eyes staring at the door. Of course, I should call police when someone breaks into my house. But, only after he broke in.

One minute passed. Two minutes passed. Then passed five minutes. "Something wrong!" as a light flashed in my brain, I said bitterly to myself. He didn't break in, then did he cut the phone wire first? I changed my strategy at once. Using the powerful method of fast moving established by Mr. Jin Yong and practiced by myself, with a whoosh, I slipped into the kitchen. Then I came out with a big knife in left hand, a smaller one in right hand, and potatoes and green radishes filled my pockets. The ammunition was ready! I walked to the door in big steps, and opened it suddenly. "yeah?" I felt happy, "the giant reduced into a small one."

A stranger of ordinary size stood at the door. Seeing me open the door, he came on with smiles, "Hello! Would you do me a favor?" Suddenly, he saw the knives in my hands, and the swelled pockets full of something he didn't know. The smiles faded into surprise at once. I hurried to hide the knives behind my back.

"I lost something. It'sĦ­" said the stranger in the same strange voice.

"A case", I interrupted him.

"Yes. you must get it." The stranger became excited.

"Yes, I got it." I answered coldly.

"There are two thousand circuit boards in it, right? Could you return them to me?" He offered his right hand friendly.

"Circuit boards? Hahahaa!" I laughed, and lifted my hand from my back. Of course, the knife was still in my hand. "It's really funny! How can circuit boards be like that? You think I've never seen those things?" I just stared at him.

"Keep calm, please. The case was thrown into your backyard meanly," That guy tried to comfort me. "I made a mistake just now. those cards aren't circuit boards. To be exact, they are substitute of compact discs. They are my new invention. On that day, some foreigners attended to rob me of them, and I had no way to run, so I threw them into your backyard over the wall from the street behind your house." "Compact discs? Foreigners? This story is funny." I showed an irony face. The stranger then took out of his pocket a small, flat, red, cubic case. "You can make an experience. It's absolutely true." While he attended to pass it to me.

"Don't move," I warned. "Put it on the ground, then move ten steps back." I was very careful. "No, you don't know how to use it. Could you please give me just one piece? Just one, then I can show you." "OK. just give you a chance." I stuck the knife to my waistband. Then took out of my pocket three potatoes and one green radish, threw them on the ground. At last, I took out a golden "CD", and threw it to him.

Then came the miracle. As soon as the stranger inserted the "CD" into the small case and pushed some buttons, there appeared between me and the stranger countless light spots. They were moving random, fast or slowly, and in every direction. "it's the universal space," explained the stranger.

A fast-moving light spot rushed to my eyes. The scene came nearer, and showed a huge flying saucer. To tell the truth, it was the best 3D video I've ever seen. "This is a latest sci-fi movie," the stranger said, "and this can prove what I said, right?" He pushed a button, and the video disappeared.

"I still don't believe you," I answered. "Your story's better than just now, and makes me believe that those cards are really CDs. But this can't prove you're the scientist in stead of the foreigner you mentioned before." "I'm a Chinese scientist with Indian citizenship, and my name is Mark." His Indian face seemed very honest. "Mr. Mark, if you want to prove, you'd better go to the police office with me." I told him righteously. "You don't need that." As the low buzz of the air, that giant appeared behind Mark. He beat down Mark at once, and the latter lay on the ground without moving, seemed to lose his consciousness. The giant told me, "Earthman, you're cheated. This man's a space theft, and I'm a space policeman. He stole valuable CDs of space information, and I'm looking for him and the CDs. You'd better give them to me, I'll go back soon." As his words, his feet lifted from the ground, and the huge body was floating in the air, which surprised me so much that I couldn't speak even a word. But what was unbelievable was following. The huge body fell down to the ground suddenly, and made the dust floating. I was taken aback.

Then came the dwarf from somewhere I didn't know, with a pipe in his hand, and said to me in a wiry voice, "Don't be afraid, Earthman. I'm the space policeman, and these two are both space thefts. They robbed the space bank together. Do you know what are those cards? They are not only valuable. In fact, they're just space money." Maybe because the dwarf had been defeated by me, I didn't fear about him at all. "They can't be. I've seen they're CDs to store video. Moreover, in the space-time society, where the living stuff must be extremely rich, money should be needed any more." The dwarf answered, "there's still money in our society. You Earthmen know that gold and silver are valuable, but for us, they're just the same as plastics for you. Only one thing is the most valuable all the time. You guess what?" I thought for seconds, "maybe it's knowledge or science?" "Yes," the dwarf nodded. "These supper alloy cards are of the same size, for easier recognizing and carrying. Stored in them is too much knowledge for you to imagine. Scientists from many planets work all the ways to store more into these small cards. More knowledge, more valuable; and more valuable, higher price. Moreover, some cards are full of energy. For example, the one you took out just now can buy a "flying saucer" with diameter of 5 km, and the energy in it is enough for a "flying saucer" of 50 tons to fly away from your galaxy. So, this card is of the same value of US$32,000,000,000, or RMB£¤260,000,000,000. Understand?"

I was shaken by what the dwarf said. He continued, "This kind of money is easy to use. The small case Mark used is the Information Reader, and there's another for energy output. This is used mainly for the trade between planets. Over 3,000 planets use it. Sooner or later, you Earthmen will make and use it, too."

I asked the dwarf, "How can the money come to my backyard?"

"These two fellows robbed the space bank, and got no way to run as I was following. So they threw the case into the space-time tunnel. To protect the possession of the planet, I had to give up chasing them, and followed the money directly. So I came before them. But you didn't give it to me, then I had to wait here for these two space thefts. You should know that a policeman's habit is just keeping his duty."

"How can a policeman mess other's possession without permission?" I interrupted him.

"The habit of space policeman is just messing private things of others, and beating suspects."

"What?" I couldn't believe my ears. Did this fellow watch too many US police movies?"

"Right. If you don't give the case, which keeps me from my duty, following the common law for space policemen of the 1st, 4th, 5th and 9th galaxies of the 31st universe, I'll beat you. Then take you to the primary inter-star court of the 31st universe for judgement." While speaking, the dwarf raised the pipe in his hand.

No way left. I got no time to think it over. The most important thing is to run for it. So I had to use the powerful moving and changing method or to say running away and changing method which was established by Mr. Jin Yong and taught by Teacher Wei Xiaobao. I run back home in an unbelievable speed, then drew out at once a worthless case which seemed to of gold and diamonds and full of "money". After that, I used the powerful moving method again back home, and shut off all the doors and windows. After a while, I saw through the window a hat-shaped UFO lifted vertically from the nearby forest, with another round one attached below. In a second, they flied out of my sight.

My story seems to be over, and the aliens never visit me again. Fortunately, there was one "money card" left in my pocket after all. But from then on, people all say I was mad for poverty, because I always showed them a "plastic" card, and told them with mystery, "It values hundreds of billion US dollars, believe?" And others replied, "Believe. Later on when you change it into RMB£¤, just don't forget me the poor fellow!"

Then promised me with proud smiles, "Sure, sure."

note: Mr. Jin Yong is a very famous writer in china. Fourteen Classic Books are his magnum opus, which are about some legendary figures who are very good at powerful methods (chinese kung fu) such as "fast moving".


Chinese verion