Genius Club

CC’s sudden shift in attitude took Lin Xian by surprise. For the first time, she appeared genuinely patient and open.

This change was likely due to the recent developments between them. Their previous interactions had been marked by tension, suspicion, and conflict, making any peaceful exchange seem improbable. However, now united by a shared objective, they experienced an unexpected camaraderie.

Despite their failure to unlock the vault, they had acquired something much more significant: CC’s trust. She was now prepared to divulge information, something she had previously withheld.

“Alright, I’ll start,” Lin Xian began, leaning against the cool metal of the vault. He embarked on a narrative of his life, starting from his college graduation to his everyday work routine. However, he was only halfway through when CC stopped him.

“That’s enough. You don’t need to continue,” she interrupted, shaking her head. “The Lin Xian you know isn’t the same person who owns this vault.”

“Why not?” Lin Xian asked, puzzled. He harbored doubts about whether the vault was truly his. Yet, a part of him hoped it belonged to him, possibly from the years 2032 or even 2042. This seemed plausible, considering the current year was 2022, and he had never used the vault. Therefore, he wouldn’t know the password.

But CC was resolute. “Because… it’s too mundane,” she sighed. “I don’t know the real Lin Xian. I don’t know any Lin Xian at all. But I can tell that the one you describe isn’t the owner of this vault.”

“Alright then,” Lin Xian shrugged. “Since you’re not interested, it’s your turn to answer my question.”

CC nodded and leaned back against the vault. “I don’t know where to start. My memories have been a jumble since childhood. It feels like my mind contains memories that aren’t mine, yet they are part of my life. It’s as if… there’s another version of me from a different world.”

CC shook her head. “No, it’s definitely not a dream. These memories are fragmented and unclear, but they are certainly not dreams.”

“Could it be parallel worlds?” Lin Xian pressed on.

CC paused for a moment before nodding slightly. “I’m not sure. It’s hard to explain. I’ve consulted doctors, and they suggested it might be delusions or dissociative identity disorder. But these fragmented memories feel too real to be mere fantasies. That’s why I wanted to prove their validity.”

She turned and pointed at the vault bearing Lin Xian’s name. “In those memories, a middle-aged man with long, messy hair and a bushy beard told me he left something for me in this vault. He said—”

Click! The circuit reconnected with a sharp sound.

Whoop! Whoop! Whoop! Whoop!

A piercing alarm suddenly blared.

“Damn it, the main circuit’s back on, and it triggered the alarm!” exclaimed Big Cat Face, who had been engrossed in the conversation. “We need to run!”

CC quickly stood up, grabbed her mask, and turned to leave.

“Wait!” Lin Xian grabbed CC’s arm. “Finish what you were saying! Just one more sentence won’t hurt!”

CC turned back to him. “The man said, ‘If you want to know the whole truth, open the vault.’ He was about to tell me the password but didn’t. Maybe it’s because the memory is incomplete.”

Whoop! Whoop! Whoop! Whoop!

As the alarm continued, CC pulled away from Lin Xian. “One more thing,” she said, turning back with a rare smile. Her eyes twinkled like crescents, and dimples appeared on her cheeks. “The man’s voice sounded a lot like yours. That’s why I agreed to work with you today. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have come.”

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Blinding white light engulfed the room, obscuring everything.

…

…

Thud, thud, thud…

The harsh wind rattled the windows. Lin Xian awoke in his bedroom, the cold wind whipping against the glass. He sat up, threw off the covers, and reflected on CC’s words from what seemed like a dream. Although they hadn’t opened the vault, he had gleaned significant insights.

Stepping into his slippers, Lin Xian walked to his desk, turned on the lamp, and picked up a pen. “This dream provided valuable information. I need to organize my thoughts,” he mused.

He began to jot down his revelations on a blank sheet of paper:

Time-Space Shifts Are Uncontrollable

This realization had caused Lin Xian considerable trouble. He had believed that leveraging future resources could benefit him and improve the future. However, reality proved otherwise. “Changing the future is unpredictable… it might backfire and harm me,” he noted, resolving to consider the consequences more carefully before attempting to alter reality again.

Time-Space Shifts Require an Irreversible Anchor Point

Lin Xian pondered why Professor Xu Yun’s new aluminum alloy had triggered a time-space butterfly effect while the hibernation chamber fluid had not. The answer was simple: “You can’t unspill water.”

The aluminum alloy had been dispatched to the aerospace research institute, destined to influence various industries over the next 600 years. Even if the institute attempted to monopolize it, it would inevitably seep into the public domain. From the moment it was shared, it became an irreversible anchor point, initiating the time-space shift.

Conversely, the hibernation fluid remained unpublished, existing in a “Schrödinger state” with only Xu Yun holding the original paper. There were multiple ways to prevent its publication. Lin Xian himself could persuade Xu Yun to alter the disclosure method. Xu Yun had previously sought his opinion, and Lin Xian believed Xu Yun would heed his advice. Therefore, the hibernation fluid had not yet been “spilled,” and no time-space shift had occurred.

“Time-space shifts need an irreversible anchor point… interesting. I thought it would be real-time changes,” Lin Xian contemplated, sensing more rules and principles governing these shifts.

CC Has Memories That Don’t Belong to Her

This was a challenging concept, but Lin Xian understood it, having experienced similar confusion in his dreams. He was uncertain if CC suffered from delusions or a dissociative disorder. Her memories were incomplete, fragmented shards. To ascertain their reality, CC risked opening the vault.

“This parallels my own quest to verify dreams, seeking truth and answers,” he reflected.

The Bearded Man in CC’s Memories Sounded Like Him

This revelation was pivotal. “No wonder CC didn’t harm me before and exhibited a strange trust… it’s because of my voice,” Lin Xian realized. This clarified her prior behavior. Although CC did not know him, his voice resembled someone from her memories, inciting her curiosity and trust.

Yet, Lin Xian was certain the bearded man wasn’t him. “Firstly, I can’t live for 600 years. Secondly, many people have similar voices. Her voice is familiar to me too. Lastly, and most importantly—”

Lin Xian touched his clean-shaven chin, frowning slightly. “I would never grow long hair and a beard… never.”