Genius Club

“Uh…”

For a moment, Lin Xian was stumped by Xu Yi Yi’s soul-searching question. She was right.

Where did he get the confidence to assume that Zhao Ying Jun was definitely going to have a daughter?

Sure, he had preconceived notions, but… biology was random. Who could guarantee anything? What if it turned out to be a big, chubby boy? Lin Xian scratched his head.

He wouldn’t mind having a boy, but if he could choose, he’d still want his firstborn to be a girl. He wanted to bring Yu Xi home.

“Do you really like daughters that much?” Xu Yi Yi asked.

Curiosity was natural for women—and even little girls. Ning Ning, who had been practicing her kicks on a punching bag moments earlier, now perked up her ears, listening eagerly.

“By the look on your face, it’s pretty obvious you want a daughter,” she said.

“I do,” Lin Xian nodded. “I’ve been preparing to welcome a daughter for a long time—even thought of a name for her already.”

“What’s the name?” Ning Ning asked, her eyes full of curiosity.

“Lin Yu Xi,” Lin Xian replied with a smile. “Lin Xian is my last name, Yu Xi is her first name. Doesn’t it sound nice?”

“It sounds lovely!” Ning Ning and Xu Yi Yi chorused together.

The two girls were surprisingly in sync when it came to aesthetics, showering praise on the name, “It’s beautiful. You really do have a knack for naming.”

Lin Xian chuckled. These two were really good at creating a pleasant atmosphere, making him feel quite flattered. He sat on an old tire beside Ning Ning.

“Actually, you’re pretty good at naming too—”

“You idiot! Why are you sitting so close?!”

Suddenly, a harsh voice interrupted Lin Xian, dripping with hostility. He turned his head.

Standing above them were four figures, their arms crossed, framed in the sunlight like some kind of righteous jury. Squinting to take a closer look, Lin Xian couldn’t help but grin.

What a small world. Sometimes it felt vast, but then you ran into old enemies and realized just how tiny it could be. It was none other than Big Cat Face and his gang.

“What do you want?” Lin Xian asked, irritation creeping into his voice.

“Hey! Don’t act like you’re in the right here!” Big Cat Face jabbed a thick finger toward Lin Xian, glaring fiercely. “Listen up, kid! Keep your paws off Ning Ning! If you dare make a move on the daughter of our leader, you’re asking for trouble! And she’s just a child, mind your distance!”

Lin Xian rolled his eyes.

Was this some kind of callback to an old classic?

Big Cat Face was like an NPC—every time Lin Xian even got close to Ning Ning, this same dialogue would automatically trigger. The only time it hadn’t happened was in the third dream, but that was because…

Well, Big Cat Face had already been charred to a crisp by the lasers of Rhine’s Sky City.

“Isn’t this a bit much?” Lin Xian muttered. “I’m not part of your gang, and I’m certainly not your underling. Why are you bothering me? If you’ve got that much time on your hands, maybe get on with the task Godfather assigned you?”

Swish!

Big Cat Face’s expression instantly turned stormy.

“What the—how do you know about our secret task from Godfather?!”

“Big Brother!” Ah Zhuang quickly clapped his hand over Big Cat Face’s mouth. “Brother, don’t fall for his tricks! He’s trying to get information out of you! Godfather told us over and over—don’t let the secret plan slip.”

Er Zhuzi bared his teeth. “Look at his face—so pale and sly, definitely up to no good.”

San Pang, with his thick eyebrows and sharp gaze, stared at Lin Xian and said, “I think we should keep quiet.”

Big Cat Face let out a sigh of relief, glad that Ah Zhuang had stopped him just in time.

“Hmph,” he huffed, trying to save face. “Good thing I had a plan. We had a little meeting earlier and decided that from now on, whenever we discuss our mission, we’ll use the name ‘The Plan to Infiltrate the Museum Through the Northeastern Sewer After Distracting the Bio-soldiers and Stealing the Time-Space Particles.’ So, don’t think you’ll get anything out of me!”

Er Zhuzi flexed his fists toward Lin Xian, and with that, the four of them marched away triumphantly.

Lin Xian silently watched as these bottom-of-the-barrel IQ bandits left, feeling like the collective intelligence of Sin City had just dropped a notch because of them.

“Too dumb,” Xu Yi Yi commented sincerely. “Lin Xian, you were right. Not joining Big Cat’s gang was definitely a smart decision.”

“But I’ve heard that Big Cat Face’s father, Chen Heping, was a certified genius,” Ning Ning said. “Even Godfather held him in the highest respect. If it weren’t for health reasons leading to his early death, Chen Heping might have been the Godfather today.

“How could such an exceptional man end up with someone like Big Cat Face as a son?” she wondered aloud.

Lin Xian thought for a moment. “Regression to the mean,” he explained. “In genetics, it means that children of parents with exceptional genes tend to move closer to an average level in various aspects.”

“This fascinating mechanism ensures that human civilization keeps moving forward, without gaps or segregation. If regression to the mean didn’t exist, exceptionally talented parents would have even more extraordinary children, who would then have even more remarkable children, and so on.

“After a few generations, the best people and the worst people on Earth would practically be different species—worlds apart.

“But in reality, most Olympic champions’ children rarely win gold medals, artists’ children seldom have their parents’ talent, Einstein’s children weren’t scientists, and Michael Jordan’s sons couldn’t even make it to the NBA.”

“Regression to the mean helps maintain overall balance and harmony within the human race. In a way, it’s a kind of fairness.”

Speaking of fairness, Lin Xian suddenly thought of Turing and Gauss.

Turing’s version of fairness was twisted and nonsensical, a mask for his warped ideals.

Gauss, on the other hand…

Most of Gauss’s questions for Einstein had been about gene enhancement, human health, immunity, and brain power.

Could it be that the equality Gauss sought was the ultimate form of “regression to the mean,” where every human achieved peak health, physique, intelligence, and immunity through technological means?

Maybe he believed that if it wasn’t possible to bring everyone up to an average level, then why not push everyone to the level of a superhuman?

If everyone had a superhuman body, a brain as brilliant as Einstein’s, and immunity to all diseases, would that be true equality?

Lin Xian had no answer.

Out of all the members of the Genius Club, Newton and Gauss were the two whose future plans Lin Xian couldn’t grasp—he had absolutely no clue. They were polar opposites.

Newton didn’t ask questions, while Gauss asked them without rhyme or reason. Indeed, there was a fine line between madness and genius.

Xu Yi Yi listened to Lin Xian’s explanation, her eyes widening with understanding.

“That makes sense. So, it’s actually reasonable that Chen Heping ended up with a son like Big Cat Face. Maybe Big Cat Face’s kids could be geniuses again!”

Uh…

Lin Xian found himself at a loss for words.

He couldn’t help but think of the other dreamscapes—of Big Cat Face’s daughter, who acted like a little thug, and a mini Big Cat with the same “wisdom.” It seemed Chen Heping’s superior genes really had disappeared for good.

“Maybe,” Lin Xian said, trying to be diplomatic. “But everyone has their own value, and it’s not always fair to judge by worldly standards.”

“What about you?” Ning Ning blinked her bright eyes at Lin Xian. “What kind of person do you want your daughter to become?”

When he heard the question, the first image that popped into Lin Xian’s mind was Lin Yu Xi.

His thoughts had already been shackled, unable to drift off or imagine anything else.

Whenever he thought about his daughter, it was always Yu Xi.

“I just want her to be healthy and happy,” he said.

“Hmph.” Xu Yi Yi scoffed. “Every parent says that at first, but they always change their minds. Such hypocrites.”

“But that’s genuinely how I feel,” Lin Xian protested. “No one can predict the future, but every parent’s first wish is for their child’s happiness.”

“Then just spend time with her. Don’t wander off,” Xu Yi Yi muttered, pulling her legs up onto the old tire and hugging her knees. Her voice was soft, almost wistful.

“The best love a parent can give is just being there… If you can be with her as she grows up, that means more than anything.”

Lin Xian looked at Xu Yi Yi, seeing a hint of sadness in her expression. He wished he could pat her on the head, like Professor Xu Yun would, to comfort her.

But…

Xu Yi Yi was strong-willed, perhaps building a wall of stubbornness to guard her fragile heart. She seemed like a hedgehog, pushing away all tenderness. “I will,” Lin Xian said softly.

Yellow Finch had regrets, especially in her version of the timeline. It was because she left Yu Xi that Copernicus had managed to exploit the situation, training her as an agent. This time, she wouldn’t make the same mistake, not again, not leaving Yu Xi behind.

Nearby, Li Ning Ning, who had been listening quietly, leaned over.

“I think whether we can live happily still depends on how this world turns out.” She glanced around at the surrounding City of Sin.

“Take this awful world we’re in now. How could children live healthily and happily here? Either endure the filth and chaos of this city, or move to Donghai, where we’d be suffocated. We have no other choice.”

She paused and added, “If you want your children to grow up happily, first you have to make this world a place where they can be happy. Only a good world can create a good life. Trying to make the best of a bad situation is just fooling yourself.”

Lin Xian nodded slightly and smiled. “I didn’t expect this. One day, you two would be giving me a lesson.”

He looked at them both—first at Li Ning Ning, then at Xu Yi Yi—and continued, “But you’re both right, and I’ve taken note. And it’s not just for my daughter; it’s for both of you too.”

“Trust me,” he said, determination flashing in his eyes. “I’ll reclaim the best future for all of you.”

The next day at Rhine Company, Lin Xian was greeted by an unexpected visitor. “Angelica?” He looked up from his desk, recognizing the renowned Hollywood actress, often called the “shape-shifting witch.”

His eyebrows furrowed slightly. “Is it safe?”

Angelica took off her sunglasses, walking slowly towards him in her high heels. “Relax, Lin Xian. I handled everything cleanly. It’s been days, and neither Elon Musk nor I have contacted you because there wasn’t a good opportunity… We’ve kept ourselves hidden well. Copernicus doesn’t suspect anything. He still believes Elon Musk is dead, replaced by an impersonator, while the secretary continues to serve as his puppet.”

Understanding dawned on Lin Xian. “So, your plan goes deeper than I imagined. I thought Elon Musk had you help him disguise himself to fool the agents planted near him.”

He leaned back, folding his arms. “I didn’t realize you went so far as to take out the spy as well. That means the secretary—the one Elon Musk trusted most—was the double agent?”

Lin Xian put down his pen, leaned back in his chair, and sighed. “Unbelievable. The person Elon Musk trusted the most was betraying him.”

Angelica smirked. “It makes sense. If it wasn’t someone close to him, it wouldn’t be easy to try and kill him. Elon Musk isn’t stupid.”

Lin Xian nodded. “So now Elon Musk is pretending to be himself, while you’re playing the role of the secretary?” He chuckled. “This time, don’t forget to push up your glasses.”

Angelica gave a cold snort. “You and Elon Musk… You’re both annoying in that way, always pointing out people’s embarrassing moments.”

“Actually, there’s another key reason why we’ve been able to keep this deception up. Copernicus is just too cautious. He never meets us in person and communicates solely through encrypted channels.”

“Because of this, we know little about him, and his influence on us is limited. That’s why we’ve managed to stay hidden—because he never comes to see us. His caution is a double-edged sword. It keeps him safe but also prevents him from seeing through our disguise.”

Lin Xian nodded again. “That’s typical of Copernicus. But since you’re here, does that mean you have good news for me? Did someone take the bait I set at the Genius Club meeting?”

Angelica smiled. “Yes. Actually, on August 1st, right after the meeting, Elon Musk and I wanted to get in touch with you, but we couldn’t find the chance, which is why it’s taken this long.”

“After the meeting, Copernicus contacted me and asked me to use the equipment Elon Musk left behind to verify if any time-space particles were approaching Earth from outer space.”

“When I told Elon Musk about it, he immediately knew it must be because you misled Copernicus during the meeting. From Copernicus’s request, it was clear he doesn’t understand the properties of time-space particles as well as you and Elon Musk. According to Elon Musk’s detector, there are currently only two time-space particles on Earth.”

“Both of them are in Donghai City, obviously in your possession. Other than these, there are no other time-space particles on Earth at this point in time.”

“This means that only you and Elon Musk understand the nature of these particles and possess the instruments to detect them. You two are miles ahead of the other members of the Genius Club in this field.”

“Elon Musk said that most of what the other club members know about time-space particles comes from his questions and Einstein’s answers. They barely understand the basics. This exclusive knowledge is our biggest advantage.”

Lin Xian motioned for Angelica to sit on the couch. He poured her a cup of tea and placed it on the coffee table in front of her.

“Wait a minute. Are you saying Elon Musk’s detector can pick up all the time-space particles on Earth? And there are only two?” Lin Xian asked, raising an eyebrow.

Angelica nodded. “That’s one of the messages Elon Musk wanted me to relay to you: the detectability of time-space particles. He said to remember this carefully—”

“If it has energy and activity, it can be detected by equipment.

If it has no energy but is active, it can’t be detected.

If it has energy but no activity, it can’t be detected.

If it has neither energy nor activity, it can be detected.”

Lin Xian repeated the rhyme under his breath. “No wonder, back when I was trying to capture the time-space particles, my scientists couldn’t detect the one Elon Musk had with the Guizhou Telescope. It makes sense now—as long as either energy or activity is missing, the detector fails.”

He leaned back, marveling. “It’s strange… If the particles either have both energy and activity or neither, they can be detected by specialized equipment. But if they have only one or the other, they become undetectable.”

He thought back to Liu Feng’s attempt to locate the time-space particle with the telescope. It had taken months, yet they had failed to discover the one hidden in Elon Musk’s mini-fridge.

It was hidden right under their noses because that particle had energy but no activity. During the capture, it lost energy while remaining active, so they couldn’t detect it.

Finally, Chu An Qing had used a time-space particle catcher—which was basically a rice cooker—to trap the particle, removing its activity so they could detect it again.

“So, Elon Musk could originally detect the two inactive time-space particles in Donghai. He knew they were both in my possession,” Lin Xian said, looking at Angelica. “But later, one of them became undetectable. So, Elon Musk figured out that one of them had regained energy.”

“No,” Angelica corrected, shaking her head. “Not one. Both of them.”

She frowned, puzzled. “Didn’t you check the other time-space particle? Elon Musk thinks you must know—both particles in your possession became undetectable on July 1st, just after midnight. So, both of them must have regained energy.”

Lin Xian was momentarily taken aback. “Wait. Let me think.”

He closed his eyes, going over the situation in his mind. The time-space particle in Time Bank’s vault… He hadn’t checked it.

He had thought that when Lin Yu Xi turned into that blue snowfall over Donghai, it had just recharged the entangled particle. But to think that snowfall had charged all the particles in Donghai?

What could explain this?

The time-space particle in the Time Bank vault should have had nothing to do with Lin Yu Xi.

Could it be… the special thing was the snowfall itself? Maybe that blue snow returned everything out of place in Donghai to its original form?

Lin Xian nodded slowly, still unsure, but willing to accept the possibility for now. But now wasn’t the time to analyze the phenomenon. He needed answers from Angelica.

“I don’t know the mechanism behind it, but if what you say is true, then both particles on Earth became undetectable, and that’s actually good news. It means they’re much safer, better hidden.”

“Honestly, I was worried about how to deal with them, but if Elon Musk confirmed that they can’t be detected, then that’s a relief.”

He set aside the topic for now. “Angelica, let’s get back to what we were discussing. How did Elon Musk respond to Copernicus?”

Angelica took a sip of tea before replying. “Elon Musk knew you must have lied to Copernicus. But knowing Copernicus’ obsession with time-space particles, he’s not going to give up on this information, or this chance.”

“Elon Musk said you revealed too much to Copernicus. Right now, neither Copernicus nor the other Genius Club members can distinguish between regular time-space particles and entangled ones. That’s something only you two know, and it’s your greatest advantage. You should’ve just mentioned the particles without getting into specifics—that alone would’ve been enough to bait Copernicus.”

Lin Xian shrugged helplessly. “I was in a hurry to stop Copernicus from going into hibernation. Besides, I wasn’t sure how much he knew about the particles. If I’d been too vague, he might’ve ignored me and just gone ahead with it. That would’ve been a disaster. So, I had to give him a few more details.”

He smiled wryly. “But really, that’s good news for us, right? If Copernicus doesn’t even have a single time-space particle and is clueless about its properties, then this is the perfect opportunity. We can set a trap, deceive him, and draw him out.”

Angelica smiled back. “Exactly. That’s why I finally found a chance to come meet you in this country.”

“Elon Musk has managed to keep Copernicus at bay, claiming he isn’t yet familiar with the equipment left by Elon Musk and is still calibrating it… He’s buying us time so I could come and coordinate with you.”

“After all, Elon Musk could only guess that you misled Copernicus during the Genius Club meeting, but he didn’t know exactly how. We need those details—your exact plan—so we can work together more effectively.”

She clenched her fist, her eyes resolute. “So, Lin Xian, Elon Musk and I are ready. We’re both prepared to follow your lead.”

Her voice became colder, more determined. “We’re ready to kill Copernicus.”

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