Genius Club

“Because…” The old man gritted his teeth and declared, “Because Xu Yun also… disrupted history.”

“No, no, I’m not asking you that. Don’t you think I already know?” Ji Lin twirled the pencil in his fingers, his gaze fixed on the old man. “I’m asking why you feel the need to eliminate these people who disrupt history.”

The old man was silent for a long stretch before he finally spoke. “Ji Lin, you’re unusually chatty today. You’ve never probed this deeply before.”

“That’s because it wasn’t Xu Yun who died before.”

Ji Lin glanced at the rolled-up list on the floor. “You gave me this list to identify the history disruptors, right? It seems excessive.”

“There are only two or three hundred names here. Why not just eliminate them all? Why bother identifying the specific culprit? This meticulous approach doesn’t suit your usual style.”

“No!” The old man’s voice was stern. “We cannot harm the innocent!”

Ji Lin chuckled.

He opened the September issue of Mathematics Monthly, flipped to the Sudoku page, and resumed his puzzle. “See… there’s still something you’re not telling me.”

He paused his pencil, staring up at the old man. “You killed my parents, didn’t you?”

“Ji Lin!” The old man’s voice escalated. “I’ve told you countless times! I didn’t kill your parents! It wasn’t me, even if it wasn’t an accident!”

“Stop lying.” Ji Lin smiled, his head bowed as he continued with the Sudoku. “I’ve uncovered the truth.”

“Then you need to dig deeper!” The old man was livid, his veins prominent. “If this is the quality of your investigations, I suggest you give up your career as a detective novelist! What a joke!”

The room fell silent.

Only the sound of the old man’s labored breathing and Ji Lin’s pencil moving across the paper filled the air.

“Enough.”

The old man waved dismissively. “Stop playing games, Ji Lin. I won’t divulge more.”

“But I can assert one thing—this is the only way it must be done! We have to adhere strictly to achieve our ultimate objective—”

“To secure an invitation to the Genius Club!”

Swish.

Ji Lin completed another Sudoku puzzle, tossed the magazine to the floor, and grabbed the October issue of Mathematics Monthly.

“I don’t get it.”

“Then don’t try to!” The old man cut him off sharply. “Understanding isn’t necessary! Ji Lin! Just follow my orders!”

“If you really seek an invitation to the Genius Club, then heed my advice—”

“Identify the person who has altered history!”

His frail frame trembled as he sat down, coughing dryly.

“We must confirm someone is actually tampering with history before we can proceed.”

“Don’t question… don’t overthink… just obey.”

Swish.

Ji Lin discarded the October issue of Mathematics Monthly.

This Sudoku was too simple; he solved it in a few strokes.

The stack of magazines to his right had dwindled to just two.

He picked up the November issue, turned to the Sudoku page, and pondered the puzzle.

“I’m not saying I’ll defy you because I feel cornered.”

He stared at it momentarily before flipping his pencil and starting to fill in the numbers.

“I tried probing into the Genius Club but turned up nothing… It’s bizarre. I always thought nothing in this world could completely evade detection.”

“It surely exists, yet it leaves no trace. Despite years of searching, I found no clues. The internet mentions it, but only in contexts like games or films… certainly not the enigmatic club you speak of.”

“In fact… the term ‘Genius Club’ was one I extracted from you as a child. Decades later, that’s all I have. You’ve kept your lips sealed, which I respect.”

The old man massaged his temples, sighed, and scowled. “It’s not that you couldn’t trick the information out of me, Ji Lin. Apart from the name, I too know nothing about the club.”

“Where they are, their activities, their purpose, their members… I’m clueless about all of it. So cease your attempts to extract more. If I knew more, you would have gotten it from me long ago.”

“But one thing I am sure of—”

The old man looked at Ji Lin, absorbed in his Sudoku.

“This club is mysterious and influential enough… They can do anything; they control everything…”

“I possess slightly more knowledge than you, so trust our path. Follow my instructions…”

“Pinpoint the history disruptor… Once verified, I’ll arrange for their removal!”

“Every death paves our way into the Genius Club. Our goals align in this.”

“You are the brightest mind I’ve ever encountered, the ultimate genius. I’ve always believed you’re closest to reaching the Genius Club. So… aid me, Ji Lin, and in doing so, you aid yourself.”

Swish.

Ji Lin dropped the November issue of Mathematics Monthly and rose slowly…

“I’ll locate that individual.”

He raked his tousled hair and walked toward the bedroom.

The old man exhaled slowly.

He glanced at the November issue on the floor…

To his astonishment, the Sudoku puzzle was incomplete.

Only about half the numbers were filled in, with several errors, yet the puzzle remained unsolved.

“How strange…” The old man sighed. “A Sudoku you couldn’t finish?”

“It’s not that I couldn’t solve it. The puzzle was flawed.” Ji Lin yawned, rubbing his eyes. “If the puzzle is incorrect, it’s unsolvable.”

The old man was intrigued.

He picked up the December issue of Mathematics Monthly, turned to the Sudoku page.

Prominently displayed was an “Apology Statement” from the magazine, apologizing for the previous issue’s printing error and correcting the numbers.

The old man smiled triumphantly, setting aside the magazine.

“As expected… You’ve never let me down! If only you weren’t so slothful, you’d be quite the favorite.”

“Sloth.” Ji Lin opened the bedroom door and entered. “I despise that codename. I wasn’t the last to join the organization. Why didn’t you assign me something nicer? I dislike ‘Sloth.'”

“Then strive harder!” The old man’s patience had waned tonight.

“Understood…” Ji Lin yawned once more, closing the bedroom door. “Goodnight, Pride.”

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