Genius Club

Boom! Boom! Boom!

A brilliant white light burst forth at 00:42, obliterating everything in its path, accompanied by a sly smile.

…

…

…

Lin Xian’s eyes fluttered open in the stillness of his bedroom. He lay there, staring at the dark ceiling, the memory of those amused crescent-shaped eyes lingering in his mind.

“CC,” he whispered softly, his voice a mix of emotions—nostalgia, perhaps, or the comfort of reconnecting with an old friend in a strange place. Regardless, he had encountered CC once more.

The world of his second dream had shifted dramatically. Many things were different, yet some familiarities remained. He struggled to understand these changes through the lens of space-time; maybe the “patterns” and “rules” were woven into the fabric of space-time, still beyond his grasp?

Lin Xian pondered why CC had appeared at the garbage disposal plant. Her goal was clear: to unlock the safe bearing his name.

“Unyieldingly persistent, in every dream,” Lin Xian mused. This consistency suggested more than mere curiosity from CC; there was a deeper, personal story driving her determination to open that safe, even risking her life for it.

CC’s mysterious presence was as impenetrable as ever. How did she know the safe would be at the garbage plant tonight? Lin Xian wondered, scratching his head. Whether she was impersonating Li Ning Ning or manipulating Big Cat Face and Er Zhuzi as unwitting accomplices, her actions were clearly calculated and deliberate.

Unlike the impulsive Big Cat Face and his crew, CC likely had specific knowledge about New Donghai City that led her to the safe’s location tonight.

“And there’s something else…” Lin Xian recalled how CC had removed her mask just before the white light struck at 00:42, her smile warm as she exclaimed, “I knew it was you!” Her voice carried the familiarity of a long-lost friend. This revelation suggested that for CC in this second dream, Lin Xian’s face was not unknown—it was as if she had recognized him from before.

This was both fascinating and unnerving. Lin Xian tossed off his covers and sat up. Where could CC have seen him before? Logically, this should have been their first encounter in this second dream, so why her confident recognition?

If CC indeed recognized him, it suggested she had encountered his likeness somewhere else. A chill ran down his spine at the thought. Could there be another individual in the second dream who resembled him?

Despite the seeming improbability, given the mysterious backgrounds of CC and Chu An Qing, nothing could be definitively ruled out.

“Forget guessing, I’ll ask her directly in the next dream.” Lin Xian resolved to find CC in the next dream, reveal his identity, and seek direct answers from her. His questions were many, including whether she was the same as Chu An Qing, where she had previously seen him, and her insights on New Donghai City.

“The enigmas surrounding CC are numerous, but unraveling them is essential,” Lin Xian thought, standing up and stretching. This dream had been lengthy, spanning from around 5 or 6 in the afternoon until 00:42, yet he felt surprisingly refreshed and not at all tired.

This dream had been incredibly enlightening, offering a wealth of information and clarifying numerous mysteries. His most significant revelation was the Universal Constant 42. Though Lin Xian was unclear about its significance or implications, he recognized it as a vital clue. Everything—from the arrival of the white light at 00:42, to the secretive Genius Club, his recurring dreams, and the hidden laws of space-time—seemed interconnected with this enigmatic number.

“Big Cat Face’s father had explored the ‘Introduction to Universal Constants’ extensively without issue, but after discovering 42, he was seized by operatives from New Donghai City,” Lin Xian recalled. This number evidently held great importance.

The Genius Club had eliminated Xu Yun but had disregarded his research. In contrast, they had not only executed Big Cat Face’s father but also took meticulous steps to ensure no evidence remained. Lin Xian reasoned that if not for the potential of raising suspicion, the Genius Club might have even razed Big Cat Face’s father’s home.

Yet, they refrained. It was well-known in the village that Big Cat Face’s father often mentioned, “42 is everywhere.” Torching his home would have been too conspicuous. The Genius Club preferred the shadows, opting for concealment over overt actions.

Now, with no leads on the mystery of 42, Lin Xian’s quest for answers continued. Fortunately, he had not only connected with Big Cat Face but also allied with Li Cheng. In this second dream, Big Cat Face and Li Cheng had united, collaborating to pilfer historical knowledge from New Donghai City—a comforting alliance, despite their earlier antagonism in the first dream.

Big Cat Face’s father had liberated the “Introduction to Universal Constants” from the garbage plant, thus accessing profound knowledge. Lin Xian admired the old man’s intellect; however, the book was likely just the beginning of his exploration into these themes.

Mathematics, driven purely by intellect and analytical thought, forms the bedrock of all sciences, accessible only to the truest of geniuses. Unfortunately, Lin Xian had observed at the garbage plant that the residents of New Donghai City seldom engaged with books; they likely possessed more advanced means of gathering information.

Lin Xian had failed to find the “Introduction to Universal Constants” or any materials from “MX Company” at the garbage plant. “It’s like searching for a needle in a haystack,” he concluded. In his next dream, he planned to collaborate with CC to uncover ways to infiltrate New Donghai City and locate those elusive texts.

Reflecting on New Donghai City, Lin Xian envisioned the formidable X Twin Towers, the most striking feature of the second dream, even surpassing the mystique of the Universal Constant 42. Unlike the abstract concept of the Universal Constant, MX Company was concrete; Lin Xian had worked there for over six months and had risen to the position of vice president.

The fact that MX Company not only survived but thrived over 600 years, evolving into a behemoth capable of constructing a sci-fi metropolis, was astounding. “It’s almost unbelievable,” Lin Xian mused. Another troubling thought lingered: Could Zhao Ying Jun still preside over MX Company 600 years in the future?

Considering her receipt of the Genius Club invitation and the advancements in cryogenic technology, it wasn’t beyond possibility that Zhao Ying Jun could be alive in the future. “Moreover, the founding of the sci-fi New Donghai City by MX Company remains an enigma,” Lin Xian pondered. Why establish a walled city? Why focus on MX Company? What was the fate of New Imperial City and New Hangzhou City?

The second dream world held much for Lin Xian to explore. CC’s unexpected reappearance had marked a breakthrough. He hadn’t anticipated encountering her in this second dream; though he had hoped for it, the coincidence seemed almost too perfect.

It appeared as if time and history had certain inevitabilities that wove the future into a new narrative. Lin Xian suspected that the safe with his name had been in existence for centuries, surviving 600 years of history intact. “Or perhaps it was placed not long before 2023,” he considered. “Maybe my future self put it there, years or even decades from now.”

Lin Xian entertained the notion that if the safe was indeed set by his future self, deciphering the password might not be as challenging as it seemed. “We’re the same person; why complicate things?” he chuckled. Even if it wasn’t his usual password of 19990320, it should relate to him in some manner.

“If the safe was indeed placed by my future self, there’s another way to discover the password,” Lin Xian resolved, glancing at the white paper that summarized his discoveries. He set it aside and picked up a fresh sheet, ready to pen a letter to his future self.