Genius Club

“Is there really worse news than the hundreds of billions of Starlink satellites crashing?” Elon Musk asked, barely able to believe what he was hearing.

In his mind, the Starlink incident was already the worst catastrophe imaginable. Over twenty thousand satellites, a project worth billions, his dream and hard work, all gone. If it weren’t for the plan to lure Kevin Walker and disrupt his historical loop, Elon Musk wouldn’t have destroyed his beloved Starlink satellites.

What a pity.

The historic Starlink meteor shower was unmatched in human history. He hadn’t even seen it! It was daytime in the United States, with the sun blazing overhead. The meteor shower occurred on the other side of the Atlantic, at dawn or night. He had effectively spent billions to put on a show for the people on the night side of the world, and he didn’t even get to see it himself!

He had to remain anonymous and was blamed for technical failures, earning a bad reputation: “Elon Musk’s tech is unreliable; Starlink gets hacked all the time.”

However, as long as Kevin Walker’s historical loop was disrupted and history veered in the direction Elon Musk wanted, it was all worth it. The cost was high, but so were the gains.

But now… The secretary had said there was even worse news. This made him take things more seriously.

“Speak,” Elon Musk said, closing his eyes. “I’m ready for it. Is it my illegitimate child showing up?”

She sighed, shook her head, and flipped to the last page of her file. “This bad news is probably worse than you can imagine. I planned to tell you this last, as the heaviest blow.”

Elon Musk laughed heartily. “If you can joke about it, it can’t be that bad.”

The secretary smirked and raised an eyebrow. “Try me.” She held up the folder and read, “Because you destroyed the US Air Force’s X-37B space shuttle with a rocket, the US government has charged you with threatening national security, destroying government property, and possessing private weapons…”

“Wait a minute,” Elon Musk interrupted, holding up a large hand. “Kevin Walker hijacked the X-37B space shuttle. Don’t tell me NASA couldn’t figure that out!”

“Of course they could. They know very well,” the secretary replied, looking up. “As I said, Kevin Walker has always been bold and blatant. It’s obvious he launched the attack. So NASA and the US government know the space shuttle was hijacked by him.”

“They also know that the Starlink satellites’ hijacking and crash were his doing. Plus, Kevin Walker humiliated the US government during the World Hacker Contest, making it clear he never intended to actually hack the X Country Skynet system… The US government is furious, feeling played.”

“Thus, they’ve added up all his crimes and issued a global wanted notice for Kevin Walker, with many countries responding. The total bounty is over two billion dollars. Now, Kevin Walker is truly a global enemy, against the whole world.”

“So what?” Elon Musk spread his hands and paced on the tower’s observation deck. “Kevin Walker did all this. What does it have to do with me? The hijacked X-37B was going to crash, and I intercepted it out of goodwill. I should be a hero; the US government should give me a medal, not betray me!”

The secretary chuckled and adjusted her red-framed glasses. “Obviously, Mr. Elon Musk, your actions were too extreme. Whether the hijacked space shuttle would crash or if NASA could regain control is one thing… but directly blowing it up is another.”

“Even if interception was necessary, it shouldn’t have been you. You don’t have the authority. In Hollywood movies, anyone can be a hero. But this is real life, and heroes need qualifications.”

“More worryingly, your rocket had a targeting system that rockets don’t usually need. This raises many questions. You’re now facing not just US charges but also international scrutiny, even from the UN about your ‘intercontinental missile’.”

“Yes, you read that right. They’re calling your rocket an intercontinental missile. Soon, you’ll receive formal summons to explain and resolve this issue.”

“What if I can’t resolve it?” Elon Musk asked.

“Then they’ll resolve you,” the secretary replied.

Elon Musk laughed. “My all-powerful secretary, what should I do? You don’t want to lose your job, do you?”

“I have high qualifications. I can find work anywhere. Besides, other places won’t make me run up and down a tower without an elevator to find a boss who never carries his phone.”

“I’ll carry my phone next time,” Elon Musk said, looking tense. “So, what should I do now?”

“No way out.” The secretary shook her head. “Only the President of the United States can save you now.”

The President…

Elon Musk looked up at the sun, thinking of his blond friend with the red hat. “I’ll ask about it at the next meeting, see who wins the next election.”

“And if it’s not him…” He turned, facing the sun, raising his right hand, finger pointing skyward, striking a pose. “Let’s rewrite history!”

“Can you stop acting?!” the secretary exclaimed, stomping her foot in frustration.

She finally understood what was going on!

Elon Musk’s serious, tense expression from earlier was just a ploy to tease her!

While she had been sincerely explaining the gravity of the situation to him, he had been using her as part of an impromptu performance!

Her boss was always so nonchalant, as if nothing truly mattered to him. Yet, there was always a sense that he was pursuing something beyond her comprehension, something mysterious and inscrutable.

She had thought that being charged by the US and various international organizations would finally teach this playboy a lesson.

But reality was different!

He still didn’t care!

He even acted dramatically, as if it were all part of a grand show!

“These things don’t matter,” Elon Musk waved his hand, ending his performance, returning to his calm and composed self. “As long as Kevin Walker becomes the world’s enemy, my goal is achieved. Kevin is strong, but with his forces depleted and AI limited by me… can he really stand against the world?”

He smiled. “One man against 200 countries and 6 billion people? I don’t think Kevin Walker has what it takes to be the world’s enemy.”

“Besides, this isn’t my main concern. Just watch, soon even X Country will issue a global wanted notice for Kevin Walker. While the world doesn’t understand Kevin’s goal… X Country won’t sit idly by. Attacking their spacecraft and astronauts is like declaring war on X Country.”

“X Country’s wanted notice will be more effective than any other because they aren’t going to be bound by international laws or borders for this. After all, Lin Xian is in X Country.”

“Of course, this is for later. Now, there’s something crucial we must do.”

He turned, pacing the observation deck, reaching the eastern railing. Strong arms resting on it, he looked up, gazing towards the distant east, across the Atlantic, high in the atmosphere. “My loop… is almost complete.”

…

Over the Atlantic Ocean and 80 kilometers up in the atmosphere…

Lin Xian took one last look at the dissipating smoke from the explosion in the atmosphere, then turned to see Chu An Qing letting out a deep breath.

“Scared?” he asked.

Chu An Qing took a few more deep breaths and looked up. “Of course, I was scared… but now it’s fine. Coach Wei said the space shuttle is normal, safe and sound.”

Lin Xian nodded, feeling a rush of relief wash over him.

Now he had time to reflect on the rapid series of events that had just unfolded. It had been so complex and thrilling…

First, there were the thousands of falling Starlink satellites. Although there was no concrete evidence, it was clear that Kevin Walker was behind it. Kevin’s target wasn’t just the space shuttle. He had considered the unmanned space shuttle’s lack of maneuverability, knowing it could be manually piloted and evaded by an experienced pilot if spotted early. Wei Cheng clearly had such skills.

So, to ensure success, Kevin first controlled 20,000 Starlink satellites to crash down, forcing the X Country space shuttle into the lower atmospheric layers. He never intended to destroy the space shuttle with the satellites. His ultimate weapon was always the X-37B US space shuttle. When the Starlink satellites fell, Kevin simultaneously hijacked the unmanned space shuttle at a 1,200-kilometer orbit, adjusting its trajectory and activating its engine to plummet like a fireball, a meteor, into Earth’s atmosphere.

Because all radar, communication, and scanning devices on Lin Xian’s space shuttle were damaged, they couldn’t detect the incoming space shuttle—until sharp-eyed Wei Cheng spotted it with the naked eye. It was another space shuttle, with wings and traveling at high speed. With both shuttles having similar features, evasion was impossible.

Then, a surprise ally intervened. From the lower left, a super-fast rocket with a Mach ring hit the incoming X-37B, successfully intercepting it. This unexpected turn foiled Kevin Walker’s meticulous plan and allowed their space shuttle to survive. Now, the sky was clear of threats.

“SpaceX’s rocket—that’s Elon Musk’s,” Lin Xian mused aloud. “Why did he help us?”

He thought back to Elon Musk’s comment at the science charity gala about “seeing you in the sky.” He had assumed Musk meant he’d come to steal the time-space particles. But he never expected Elon Musk was an ally!

Looking back, Lin Xian realized his assumption that the Genius Club was evil led him to believe Elon Musk would try to steal the time-space particles. But if he looked at it objectively, aside from Kevin Walker, who showed clear hostility, the other members, like Yellow Finch, Elon Musk, and even Copernicus mentioned by Ji Xin Shui, hadn’t caused him any harm.

Even Kevin Walker—his aim might be the time-space particles or preventing Lin Xian from getting them. Besides hijacking the space shuttle this time, Kevin hadn’t made any moves for a long time. This was intriguing. Yellow Finch wasn’t a bad person; she always opposed Copernicus. Copernicus was suspected of ordering Ji Xin Shui to kill, and if Ji Lin’s words were true. Kevin Walker wanted to prevent Lin Xian from obtaining the time-space particles. Yet, Elon Musk stood against Kevin, launching rockets to intercept the attack.

This… was the Genius Club so disorganized? Each member doing their own thing? With their own goals?

Yet, despite this internal chaos, how had they maintained their secret for 600 years without exposing any information or leaving traces? It was puzzling.

But Lin Xian felt the Genius Club wasn’t a lawless, leaderless organization. Behind these seemingly “self-serving” actions, there had to be a guiding hand, directing everyone’s actions toward a common goal. And the one who could orchestrate all this could only be—the leader or founder of the Genius Club!

Unimaginable.

The tech mogul, world’s richest man Elon Musk, the world’s greatest hacker Kevin Walker, the elusive, powerful Copernicus, revered by Ji Xin Shui, and the mysterious future traveler Yellow Finch…

Who could command these geniuses to follow orders and complete tasks? In Lin Xian’s knowledge, he couldn’t fathom. Does such a genius above geniuses exist?

“Lin Xian, look!” Liu Feng’s excited voice came from the cockpit. “The time-space particle!!”

…

In the passenger cabin, Lin Xian, Yellow Finch, Chu An Qing, and Gao Yang exchanged glances. Liu Feng was visibly excited, almost trembling with anticipation. In his excitement, he had forgotten to use the code name for alpha material and had directly mentioned the time-space particle in front of Wei Cheng.

“No worries,” Yellow Finch said softly, trying to calm everyone down. “At this point, it doesn’t matter. Wei Cheng is trustworthy. On the ground, it was better to have fewer people know about it. Now, with only a few of us on the space shuttle and at a critical stage, we can speak freely. This restriction is lifted.”

The space shuttle cruised steadily at Mach 1, propelled by its powerful engines in the 80-kilometer-high atmosphere. The group unbuckled their seatbelts and gathered at the cockpit door. The cockpit was small, and after Yellow Finch and Lin Xian squeezed in, there was no room left for Gao Yang and Chu An Qing.

Lin Xian pressed his helmet against Liu Feng’s, following his pointing finger to the starry universe. “Where?” Lin Xian squinted, trying to see what Liu Feng was pointing at.

“It’s still far,” Liu Feng said, his voice tinged with excitement. “I think I just saw a blue glimmer that flashed and disappeared. But it must be the time-space particle! At this height, the starry sky is clear with no visual interference. A glimmer here must be the particle!”

Lin Xian looked at Liu Feng’s time-space particle tracker. “So, we can confirm the particle is visible, detectable by the naked eye and cameras.”

“Yes, that’s good news, Lin Xian,” Liu Feng said, his excitement barely contained. “If we can see it, it emits visible light, so external cameras can capture it! This means Gao Yang can use the monitor to operate the mechanical arm and catch the particle with the rice cooker!”

Lin Xian nodded, feeling a surge of hope. This was great news. Before the launch, his biggest worry was the particle being invisible. If it were transparent or invisible, their mission’s success rate would drop by 99%. Now that concern was gone.

“Gao Yang, return to the equipment bay and start operating the mechanical arm. Deploy it and get used to the controls,” Yellow Finch commanded via radio. “Liu Feng, you’ll act as the navigator, directing Wei Cheng based on the tracker’s display, guiding the space shuttle closer to the particle, giving Gao Yang a good capture chance.”

Yellow Finch continued issuing commands. “Lin Xian and An Qing, you have no specific tasks during the capture phase. Stay in the cockpit a while longer. But once the operation starts, follow the plan: An Qing stays in the passenger cabin to communicate between the cockpit and equipment bay; Lin Xian assists Gao Yang with the mechanical controls.”

“Roger!” they replied in unison.

Yellow Finch left the cockpit, heading to the equipment bay with Gao Yang. Chu An Qing squeezed in, her eyes wide with wonder as she watched the starry universe with Lin Xian. They waited, the anticipation building with each passing second.

Possibly for the first human encounter with a time-space particle.

“Right, right, up a bit, forward, slower, left, left again… it jumped to the right, keep this direction steady…” Liu Feng’s voice came through the radio, clear and precise as he directed Wei Cheng.

“Up, increase altitude, higher! Correct position! Correct speed! It’s right above us! Continue up! Almost there! Close! The particle’s flash frequency and direction are stable! About to meet! Wei Cheng! Maintain distance!”

Suddenly, Chu An Qing’s eyes widened, and she pointed up and to the right. “Senior Lin Xian! Look there!”

Lin Xian turned to follow her finger and gasped, taking a deep breath. Against the starry, empty backdrop, above the scattered stars, hung a small blue light orb the size of an apple. With the space shuttle moving at the same speed as the particle’s flashing, it appeared stationary against the dark backdrop.

Lin Xian squinted for a closer look. The light orb wasn’t very bright, entirely blue. It seemed to have electric charges, with lightning intertwining inside, looking lively, almost like a living being. The apple-sized blue light orb was only about 30 meters away.

An extraterrestrial object. A visitor from another dimension. Beyond physical laws, not bound by the universe.

This was what they had been seeking—the time-space particle!

“Positions,” Yellow Finch’s solemn voice came through the radio. “I now announce, the time-space particle capture operation… begins now!”

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