Genius Club

“Come on, hurry up!” Lin Xian called out.

“She tricked me!” Big Cat Face exclaimed from inside the van, turning to Lin Xian, who was adjusting an Ultraman mask. “Brother, you know about my family and my three underlings. I can tell you’re no ordinary person. I trust you! But you mentioned leading me to a massive stash of gold bars. Is that really true? I’m not doubting you, but where in this city could we possibly find so much gold?”

Earlier, Lin Xian had intercepted Big Cat Face in the square, inviting him into the van for a detailed conversation. Armed with superior knowledge, Lin Xian quickly earned Big Cat Face’s trust. The next step was to persuade him to set aside past grievances and collaborate on his plan.

Facing Big Cat Face, Lin Xian nodded, “Why would I lie after sharing so many secrets with you? I know this city inside out. I know exactly where the hidden money is. There are people here whose wealth isn’t stored in banks, and they wouldn’t dare report a theft to the police. Stealing from them is our safest bet.”

“But…” Lin Xian glanced at his watch and shook his head, “At this hour, it’s too late. We’ll have to make our move tomorrow.”

“What’s one more day?” Big Cat Face laughed heartily, clapping Lin Xian on the back. “Tomorrow it is! So, what’s the plan for today?”

Lin Xian opened the van door and stepped out. “Stay here. I’ll fetch our password expert. Remember our agreement: I’ll lead you to the money tomorrow, and you can settle your score with her, but today, you follow my orders.”

After leaving Big Cat Face’s van, Lin Xian closed the door behind him and adjusted his mask. He crossed the square and soon spotted CC. She looked the same as always, dressed in a long black trench coat, her hair pulled back tightly, slender as a model, with the Ultraman mask as their secret signal.

“CC,” Lin Xian approached her directly, “let’s keep this brief. Our goal is to crack open the safe in the bank vault labeled ‘Lin Xian.’ This won’t be easy. Your portable computer can bypass the vault’s electronic lock, but the safe has an old-fashioned mechanical lock, which makes your hacking skills irrelevant. We won’t manage to open it before the main power is restored.”

“Trust me, I know that warehouse and that safe better than you. I know how to get it open, and I’ve already handled Big Cat Face. If you want into that safe… join my team. Let’s work together.”

CC eyed Lin Xian warily but listened intently. Then, stepping back, she assessed him once more.

“Do you know the safe’s combination?”

“I don’t,” Lin Xian admitted candidly, “But we don’t need the combination to open it. I plan to steal a set of oxyacetylene cutting torches from the building materials market. With the torch’s high-temperature flame, we can cut the safe open—much faster and more reliable than cracking the code. So… are you in or out?”

Lin Xian glanced at his watch, showing CC the time. “If you don’t join us, we might get delayed at the warehouse’s electronic door, but we could still blast it open with C4 explosives. Our time is limited. You have 30 seconds to decide.”

CC paused, reflecting for a moment. “I have one question.”

“Go ahead.”

CC faced Lin Xian. “You seem to know a lot. Since you’re also after the safe labeled ‘Lin Xian’… how much do you actually know about Lin Xian?”

Lin Xian shook his head. “There are many people named Lin Xian. I can’t confirm if the one on the safe is the one I know.”

“And the Lin Xian you know, what kind of person is he?” CC pressed, gazing intently at Lin Xian. “I’m curious why you’re so eager to open this safe. What’s your real goal?”

Lin Xian smirked. “I don’t have a specific goal—I’m just curious. Aren’t you hiding something as well? How about we exchange information? I’ll tell you about the Lin Xian I know, and you tell me why you want to open the safe. Deal?”

As expected, CC remained silent again. Lin Xian wasn’t surprised. Her reticence about her motives and the safe had always been a guarded secret.

Lin Xian checked his watch again. “Five seconds left.”

“I’m in,” CC finally responded, crossing her arms. “But only if you’ve really dealt with Big Cat Face. He’s not someone to take lightly.”

Lin Xian lowered his arm, gesturing towards the van parked nearby. “Welcome aboard. Let’s go; I’ll introduce you to our third teammate.”

With his advantage in intelligence, everything proceeded smoothly. Lin Xian slid open the van’s rear door, gestured for CC to enter first, then climbed in after her, pulling the door shut from the inside.

Bang! The rickety door closed, causing the whole van to shake. For a moment, no one spoke. Three unlikely characters sat silently together in a van. Big Cat Face peered into the rearview mirror, observing the backseat. He saw two stern Ultraman masks facing forward, and in the corner of the mirror, a distorted Rhine Cat mascot squeezed into a smile amid layers of fat.

This trio was absurdly mismatched!

“Ahem!” Big Cat Face cleared his throat and turned around, peering through the small holes in his mask at the twin Ultramans. “So… can someone explain what’s happening? Female Ultraman, you don’t need to be so guarded. Our issue is resolved, and as for the money, the male Ultraman said he’d handle it.”

“Male Ultraman, aren’t you leading us tonight? Why don’t you lay out the plan?”

Lin Xian collected his thoughts and spoke. “Let’s skip the small talk and get to work. Big Cat Face, you head to the east side’s building materials market first. We need to find that oxyacetylene cutting torch. If it’s not there, circle back to the south’s advertising market. We need the equipment to cut open the safe.”

Vroom—the van started up, heading towards the building materials market. Throughout the journey, no one uttered a word. Lin Xian sat calmly. He clasped his hands over his stomach, watching the streetlights recede steadily, like the passing of time, like a recurring dream.