Genius Club

A minute later, Gao Wen opened the door of the time travel pod, watching as Lin Xian crawled out. “How does it feel?” he asked.

Lin Xian took a deep breath, a slight shiver in his voice. “It’s like the world is fading away,” he said. “It’s strange. Nothing feels real in there.”

Gao Wen nodded knowingly, a smile tugging at his lips. “To be honest, since we built this time machine, I’ve climbed in there myself a fair number of times. Just to see what it’s like before you jump through time. Sometimes, I even thought it might be a good spot for an afternoon nap.”

“But it’s funny,” he went on, shaking his head. “Once you’re inside, it’s anything but relaxing. It’s suffocating, unbearable… like everything around you is pulling away. I can never fall asleep. Even when I try to force myself, I can barely last ten minutes before I have to get out.” He paused, his eyes narrowing slightly as if searching for the right words. “I guess I still hold a lot of awe… maybe even fear… for this machine and the idea of traveling through time. It’s not quite fear exactly… but when I’m in there, the feeling that hits me most is…”

Gao Wen pressed his lips together before finally speaking again, his voice low. “Loneliness.”

…

Lin Xian looked at Gao Wen, his eyes softening. “Yeah,” he whispered.

Loneliness.

Time travel, especially using ordinary time particles, really was a suffocating kind of loneliness. A one-way ticket to somewhere unfamiliar, a farewell without a promise to return, and an acceptance that you’d die far away from home.

“But I respect every time traveler,” Gao Wen said, his gaze steady on Lin Xian. Admiration glimmered in his eyes. “I believe every one of them takes on their mission with responsibility and purpose. They all have a belief in something greater, and the courage to face the unknown.”

“Just like you, Lin Xian. I may not know why you’re here, why you chose to travel through time, but I’m sure it isn’t for personal gain. It has to be for something bigger, something meaningful.”

Lin Xian waved his hand dismissively, though a faint smile crossed his lips. “You don’t have to praise me like that. Compared to the real time travelers, I’ve still got a long way to go.” He glanced towards the time machine, determination building in his expression. “But I’m ready. If there’s a chance to fix things… to make this world better… I wouldn’t hesitate.”

Suddenly, something came to his mind. He turned back to Gao Wen. “So, who are you sending back this time? Who’s going to be the time traveler?” He looked around. “Big Cat? Or Xu Yi Yi?”

Gao Wen shook his head. “No. It’s neither of them.”

He paused, as if weighing his next words carefully. “I’ve had a candidate in mind for some time now. And no one in Sin City has opposed it.” He met Lin Xian’s gaze directly. “It’s Li Cheng’s daughter… his only child.”

“Li Ning Ning.”

…

Lin Xian recognized the name. He wasn’t surprised. “The Li family is still as loyal as ever,” he sighed. “Li Cheng only has one daughter. I can’t imagine he’s willing to let her go.”

Gao Wen gave a soft chuckle. “Of course, he’s not willing. No father would be. Especially since Li Cheng’s wife passed away a few years ago—Li Ning Ning is all he has left in the world.”

He paused, admiration in his eyes again. “Honestly, I really admire both of them. Just like we discussed earlier, so many questions in this world are without answers. There’s no real right or wrong here. Asking a father to let his only daughter sacrifice herself for humanity’s future—is that truly the right thing to do? Is it noble? It’s hard to say. But that’s what makes the Li family stand out—it’s that spirit that doesn’t bend, that echoes their belief: ‘When the country rises or falls, every person has a duty.’”

Lin Xian nodded, his respect clear.

Every era had its heroes. And as history moved forward, someone always had to take on the responsibility and burden.

He thought of his seventh dream.

Li Ning Ning, wearing an elegant princess dress, is holding her baby sister, Li Feng Yu. Her smile is sweet and full of hope.

“I hope she grows up strong and brave,” Li Ning Ning had said. “No matter what life throws at her, no matter what kind of world she’s in, she can always face it with optimism.”

That wish had clearly been just as much about herself as it was about her sister.

Lin Xian felt a pang of longing for that stubborn, determined girl. Maybe he should pay a visit to the Li family gang soon instead of teaming up with Xu Yi Yi to join Face’s gang.

After all, they had those metal nameplates—any gang would take them in.

“Hmph,” Xu Yi Yi, standing nearby, huffed. “I’d be willing to go too, you know.”

Gao Wen laughed, shaking his head. “Yi Yi, you’ve still got a ways to go. Whether it’s strength, brains, or skill, Li Ning Ning is by far the best in Sin City.” He smiled encouragingly. “We only have one time particle, and we need to make it count. We need the best, most skilled assassin for this mission. But I do respect your spirit—there are many ways to make a difference for humanity. Tonight, your mission is just as important.”

Lin Xian turned to look at the cold, massive time machine again, his mind already spinning with plans to bring it back to 2024 for Liu Feng.

“Gao Wen, do you have the updated notes on the time travel theory and the machine’s blueprints?” he asked.

“Of course,” Gao Wen replied, leading him over to a metal cabinet filled with blueprints and notebooks. “These are my corrected notes. There really weren’t many mistakes, just a few key pages that were wrong—but they happened to be pretty important.” He pointed to some rolled-up papers. “These are the blueprints. Honestly, it’s not as complicated as it looks. As long as you understand the core concepts and have the right time particles, the machine can take any shape.” He gave a half-smile. “I built mine this big because of the energy supply. Starting the time machine takes more than just time particles—you also need a massive power source. Sin City doesn’t have that kind of power—I had to stack nuclear batteries. But in Donghai City, you could hook it up to the power grid.”

Lin Xian nodded.

Perfect. With this, Liu Feng could get started.

At that moment, a young gang member burst in, bowing deeply to Gao Wen. “Godfather, everyone’s gathered and waiting for you to give the orders for tonight’s mission.”

Gao Wen nodded. “Tell them I’ll be there shortly.”

The young man straightened up and left.

Gao Wen turned back to Lin Xian. “Lin Xian, there’s a lot I’m curious about—your time travel, how you did it, what it means—but tonight’s mission is just as crucial. If everything goes well and we manage to get that time particle, let’s sit down and have a proper talk.”

Lin Xian smiled. “No problem.”

It was only the first day of the dream. There was no rush—plenty of time to gather information bit by bit. He couldn’t afford to hurry things.

More than anything, he genuinely wanted to help Gao Wen steal the time particle from Donghai City to see it for himself. Maybe it would help reveal the truth behind the catastrophe of 2400.

Gao Wen wanted to bring down whoever was responsible for the world’s collapse. Lin Xian felt the same. If it weren’t for that person messing with the future, making everything a mess, he would have already found Time Bank and cracked open that aluminum alloy safe.

“Alright, let’s go, everyone,” Gao Wen said, his back straightening as he took on the serious expression of the Godfather once again, ready to lead his people into the mission.

…

The meeting hall was already filled with gang leaders. When Gao Wen walked in, everyone stood up respectfully, bowed, and greeted him quietly as “Godfather.”

Gao Wen waved them down, indicating that everyone should sit. Lin Xian watched the scene unfold.

Knowledge really does change fate, he thought. This was the ultimate dream for someone like Gao Wen—an intellectual’s dream realized.

Who would’ve thought that Gao Wen, using his research and knowledge, would secure his place as Godfather of Sin City—a scenario that’d be unimaginable anywhere else.

Then there was Big Cat Face…

Lin Xian glanced at the burly man with a squint.

The guy was hopeless.

All because he was uneducated, every future version of him seemed stable, almost predictable—like he was locked into some role.

In the sixth dream, Big Cat Face had been a senior worker at a mining camp, still yelling at Gao Wen, ordering him around.

In the seventh dream, he had become a humble parent pleading for his child’s education, shamelessly flattering Principal Gao Wen.

And now, in the eighth dream, the power gap between them was even greater. Gao Wen was Godfather of Sin City, and Big Cat Face was the lowliest member of the weakest gang—the same guy Gao Wen had just kicked in the backside, calling him an idiot.

Honestly, Lin Xian pitied him. Ignorance truly was costly.

At this rate, by the ninth dream, Big Cat Face probably wouldn’t even be worthy of shining Gao Wen’s shoes.

“What are you staring at?!” Big Cat Face snapped, his eyes narrowing as he noticed Lin Xian’s gaze. His chubby face scrunched up in annoyance.

“What’s with that look?! And can’t you change your mask, bro? It’s embarrassing that we’re wearing the same one. No minion should wear the same mask as their boss, you know?”

“Besides, if we both look the same, how will anyone tell who’s who? It’d be chaos!”

Lin Xian stayed silent, observing Big Cat Face’s odd confidence. He glanced at the man’s pudgy cheeks squeezed against the mask and his round, stocky frame.

“Relax, Big Brother Face,” Lin Xian said calmly. “No one’s ever going to mistake the two of us. Other people wear masks to hide their faces, but you—you use your face to cover the mask. No matter what mask you put on, people will always call you Big Cat Face.”

“Big Cat Face!”

Right then, a gang leader nudged him from the doorway. “Hurry up and sit down! The Godfather’s about to speak!”

…

Soon, the meeting began.

With everyone wearing masks, Lin Xian couldn’t tell which one was Li Cheng. It seemed that in this world, where facial recognition could mean losing points, wearing a mask had become the default way to avoid it. It also helped tell friend from foe during nighttime operations. Either way, the scene in the meeting room looked ridiculous. Like a kindergarten class.

Gao Wen was the teacher, lecturing a group of children in cartoon masks.

Gao Wen explained the plan for tonight in detail.

It was simple: all the gangs would join forces to lure the mechanical androids away from the central museum, and use that chance to steal the time-space particles stored inside.

“After 10 p.m., there’s a curfew in Donghai City,” Gao Wen explained. “After ten, all residents have to stay indoors—that’s our chance.”

“The mechanical androids in the city are limited in number, and they’re also the only enforcers. There’s no way for external reinforcements to arrive quickly. With the current state of technology, they can’t even make new androids—as they wear out, there’s one less each time. At this point, Donghai City doesn’t have enough androids to keep a perfect watch over everything.”

The plan had clearly been in the works for a while, as it was detailed to the last point—which gang would enter through which sewer, where they’d lure the androids, where they’d escape. Everything was laid out.

However, Gao Wen never mentioned which gang would be responsible for stealing the time-space particles from the museum.

It seemed…

He was worried about complications. So, he had given the most vital mission to the one gang he could trust completely: Big Cat’s gang.

“Listen up,” Big Cat Face addressed his six-member group once they were back at their hideout for a private meeting. His tone was unusually serious as he looked around the room.

“Our mission is directly assigned by the Godfather himself. It’s highly confidential, extremely critical—the most important part of this entire heist!”

“No one outside our gang knows about it, and the Godfather told me explicitly—not a word to anyone else. For the sake of secrecy.”

“So, during our discussions, don’t mention any details. Don’t reveal any plans. You never know who might be listening. If we must talk, don’t say specifics—just refer to the plan by its code name.”

“Right,” their strategist, Ah Zhuang, nodded. Then he asked, “So, boss, what’s the plan’s name?”

Big Cat Face paused, realizing he hadn’t thought of one yet. He furrowed his brow, then whispered: “I’ve got it—the name is… ‘The Plan to Enter from the Northeast Sewer, Lure the Androids Away, Break Open the Museum Door, and Steal the Time-Space Particles!’”

“What?!” Lin Xian couldn’t hold back his laughter. Sometimes, he really admired Big Cat Face’s imagination.

“Are you writing a light novel here? Putting the entire plot into the title?” he snapped. “The Godfather told you—over and over—not to expose any details, and here you are, spilling everything right in the name. It’d be better if you didn’t name it at all!”

Lin Xian didn’t even know where to start roasting him—there were so many issues.

No wonder Gao Wen had no one else to rely on… He had no choice but to make do with Big Cat’s unreliable gang.

“A plan name doesn’t need to be so detailed. It could just be ‘Plan A,’ ‘Alpha Plan,’ or even ‘Big Cat Plan.’ That’d be enough.”

“Alright then, let’s call it the Big Cat Plan,” Big Cat Face agreed, waving his hand dismissively. “It’s almost time. Let’s go—get into position!”

…

Sin City sprang into action.

Every gang member followed Gao Wen’s orders, moving into the maze-like sewers under Donghai City and waiting beneath different manholes.

They watched their watches.

At 10:30 p.m., once they were sure the curfew was fully in effect—

“Move out!”

At the sound of Gao Wen’s command over the radio—

Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!

The manhole covers across Donghai City flew open like popping lids, one after another.

Soon, waves of masked gang members emerged, yelling as they ran through the city.

Mechanical androids patrolling the streets flashed from blue to yellow, then red, and started rushing towards those breaking curfew.

Meanwhile, the six members of Big Cat’s gang stayed beneath the museum’s entrance, listening as reports came in over the radio:

“The androids in the eastern area have been lured away!”

“The museum entrance is clear!”

“Escape routes are open; most androids are moving towards the outskirts!”

“Rear paths cleared, androids being led towards the old town!”

“No reinforcements in sight, all androids have left the museum area!”

Big Cat Face put away the radio.

He adjusted the mask of the Rhine Cat on his face.

“Alright, boys, it’s our turn,” he said.

Leading the way, he climbed up the ladder below the manhole. He poked his head up, then popped the cover off with a grunt—

“Go!”

The three underlings followed quickly, with Lin Xian and Xu Yi Yi bringing up the rear.

They reached the museum’s outer wall.

“Form the ladder!”

At Big Cat Face’s order, they quickly made a human ladder—a classic move for their gang.

The wall wasn’t too high, so they only needed three people for it.

San Pang crouched, grunting, “This works!”

Ah Zhuang jumped up, planting his feet on San Pang’s shoulders. “I’ll take the middle!”

“Really?” Lin Xian muttered. “Do we need an announcement for everything? Does everything have to sound so epic?”

“You wouldn’t understand!” Big Cat Face huffed, looking at Lin Xian through his mask. “This is gang culture.”

“No wonder no one wants to join your gang,” Lin Xian muttered to himself.

Finally, Er Zhuzi, the last “human pillar,” climbed onto Ah Zhuang’s shoulders, and the ladder was ready.

Big Cat Face, Lin Xian, and Xu Yi Yi quickly climbed over the wall.

Lin Xian gave a short whistle to signal that it was safe. The three underlings stayed outside, ready to throw a rope over when the group returned with the time-space particles.

The trio moved swiftly to the museum’s front door.

The door was tightly shut.

Lin Xian knocked on it. Solid metal, no keyhole—it seemed to be remote-controlled.

“What now?” Lin Xian asked, suddenly realizing they were missing a crucial team member. “We didn’t bring a code expert.”

“Come on, what century are you living in?” Big Cat Face rolled his eyes, pulling a gray block of C4 from his belt.

“We’ll do it the old-fashioned way. Way faster than any code expert.”

“Wait, what?!” Lin Xian was genuinely impressed. Was this Gao Wen’s influence—making Big Cat Face smarter?

Big Cat Face handled the C4 with surprising precision. Instead of placing it on the door, he stuck it to the wall next to the door, near a window—the spot most vulnerable to an explosion. Blowing through a wall was easier than blowing through a steel door.

“Take cover!”

After setting the detonator, he yelled. All three of them ducked behind the steps—

BOOM!!!

Smoke filled the air, and the scent of explosives hung heavily.

Lin Xian peeked out from behind their cover. The museum door was still intact, but the wall beside it had a large hole, big enough for them to get through.

“Nice, not bad at all,” Lin Xian said, giving Big Cat Face a thumbs-up. High praise coming from a speed-runner.

This time, Lin Xian was genuinely impressed. Big Cat Face’s gang had never been this effective—their past attempts were always a disorganized mess. But now, from popping open the manhole to blasting through the museum, it had taken them less than two minutes.

Amazing!

Lin Xian clapped Big Cat Face on the shoulder. “Sorry, Big Brother Face. I admit I underestimated you. You really do have the makings of a Godfather.”

“Of course!” Big Cat Face huffed proudly. “Do you have any idea how much we practiced for this? How much blood, sweat, and tears we shed to get it perfect?”

Lin Xian nodded. “Alright, I believe you now. You guys really do have a strong bond.”

The three of them moved quickly, making their way into the museum.

They rushed through the main exhibit halls. The time-space particles obviously wouldn’t be in the public exhibits, so they headed straight for the restricted area.

Then, they reached the entrance to the special exhibition hall…

“What?!”

In front of them stood a gleaming door made of aluminum alloy—impregnable and imposing.

Big Cat Face stared at the C4 bomb in his hand, dumbstruck.

“Are you kidding me?! Nobody said there’d be an aluminum alloy door in here!”

Lin Xian sighed. Aluminum alloy—Big Cat Face’s lifelong nemesis.

Xu Yi Yi stepped forward, examining the right side of the door. “It’s an electronic lock, but there’s no place to enter a code. Looks like it needs a card or some kind of identity verification. What do we do now?”

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed behind them, along with a woman’s soft laughter: “Heh.”

Big Cat Face spun around so fast his mask almost flew off.

In the dim moonlight filtering through the broken wall, a slim figure appeared—a woman dressed in black, her silhouette sharp and elegant.

“I knew you’d end up causing trouble here,” she said, her voice teasing as she smirked at Lin Xian. There was a hint of complaint in her eyes.

“Did it not cross your mind…”

“That the first person you should visit after entering a dream…”

“Should’ve been me?”