Genius Club

“Hurry up!”

Inside the van, Big Cat Face pounded on the steering wheel in frustration. “I can’t believe she tricked me!”

He turned to Lin Xian. “You’ve known about my three underlings since we met. That’s when I realized you’re no ordinary guy. I trust you!”

“But you said we’re heading to a stash of gold bars. Is that for real? I’m not doubting you, just wondering where we could find so much gold in the city.”

Lin Xian nodded and pointed ahead, signaling Big Cat Face to keep driving. “It’s real. I wouldn’t lie to you. We’re both after the same thing, really.”

Money, right?”

“No,” Lin Xian corrected with a shake of his head. “Money is just a means to an end. My ultimate aim aligns with yours. We both seek—”

Big Cat Face’s face lit up with realization. “Wait, you mean you’re also after an—”

“Exactly,” Lin Xian confirmed. “I too need an invitation to the ‘Genius Club’!”

“Pfft!” Big Cat Face choked on his drink, the van swerving to a stop at the roadside. “What the heck is that?” he scoffed. “I’m chasing an invite to the Genius Club?! Genius! What’s this Genius Club you’re talking about?”

Lin Xian laughed softly. “Calm down, why so tense? I know even the grim details of your father’s death, right? Obviously, I’m aware of the club’s real name.”

“You know about my dad?”

Lin Xian studied Big Cat Face’s reactions carefully. “Yes, your father was a physicist, murdered by someone driving a car from the Genius Club.”

“Nonsense!” Big Cat Face snapped. “He was a mathematician! A Fields Medal laureate! And it was a truck, not a car! Man, can I trust you at all? Your facts are all messed up!”

Lin Xian shrugged. “Your daughter is dead too.”

Mention of his daughter made Big Cat Face’s expression freeze. He eyed Lin Xian warily. “You know about my daughter as well?”

“Yes,” Lin Xian affirmed. “Your father was taking her to school one morning when they were both struck by a truck.”

“At school? No way!” Big Cat Face exploded. “It happened at night!”

“Now I see. You’re a fraud! I actually fell for this!”

“You lured me here under false pretenses! What’s your real game? I’ll shoot you—”

Enraged, Big Cat Face reached for his gun, only to find it missing.

“Looking for this?”

Lin Xian twirled the gun in his hand. “Sorry, Big Cat Face, I misunderstood you. You’re more honest than I thought. My bad for doubting you.”

“I didn’t even know you before! I never lie!” Big Cat Face seethed. “I’m always the one deceived, never the deceiver!”

Lin Xian was content; he’d gotten his proof.

He had intentionally given false information to provoke Big Cat Face, testing him. The goal was to confirm the truth of Big Cat Face’s earlier statements about the Genius Club and his family’s murder.

His logic was simple:

If Big Cat Face had fabricated the story about the Genius Club, he wouldn’t recall the details from their previous encounter accurately. Any deviation would expose his lies.

But if Big Cat Face, despite the misleading setup, repeated the exact same details, it would validate his honesty. Everything he had said about the Genius Club and his father’s murder was true.

“Answer me!” Big Cat Face demanded, slamming the steering wheel, ready to turn the van around.

Lin Xian snapped back to the present.

Click!

He cocked the gun and aimed at a grand estate ahead. “Park here. We’re going on foot now.”

“Why?” Big Cat Face slammed on the brakes.

“To make some cash.” Lin Xian stepped out of the van, eyeing a lakeside villa. “Cat Face, think about it. How much can a bank vault hold? Forget that. Truly rich people don’t stash their wealth in banks.”

He grinned at Big Cat Face, who looked bewildered. “Today, you’ll learn what real wealth looks like!”

“Wait, wait!” Big Cat Face hurried after him, grabbing Lin Xian’s arm. “Slow down, my head’s spinning!”

“Stay here, and I’ll explain everything.” Lin Xian pulled him behind a wall, pointing at the villa. “See that place?”

“I see it.”

“Who’s the wealthiest guy around here?”

“Li Cheng,” Big Cat Face answered promptly. “He’s the richest in the city and one of the richest in the country!”

“Wrong,” Lin Xian corrected. “Officially, yes. But include his secret assets, and he’s among the world’s wealthiest.”

“Li Cheng isn’t as clean as he seems. He’s involved in human trafficking, drug dealing, among other crimes. He deserves the death penalty.”

Big Cat Face was stunned. “No way! That scumbag is into all that?! No surprise he’s loaded. He’s making a killing!”

Lin Xian nodded. “Such dirty money wouldn’t be safe in a bank. The gold bars in that villa are just a fraction of his wealth, but enough to fill your van.”

“And with money like that, you grab it and don’t look back. He wouldn’t dare complain or even peep about it.”

Lin Xian pointed at a black car by the villa. “Li Cheng always has bodyguards, but when he visits his mistress, it’s just him and his trusted driver.”

“The mistress is in on it too, involved in his crimes for years.”

“We just handle the driver, control Li Cheng and his mistress, and take what we want.”

Big Cat Face snapped his fingers. “Got it. Solid plan! You sure know your stuff, bro!”

“I’ve hit this place before, it’s like an ATM to me.”

“So are we playing Robin Hood tonight? Taking down villains?”

Big Cat Face chuckled. “Feels great! Sometimes I dream of being a hero, fighting for justice. It’s a rush!”

Lin Xian waved him on. “Tonight, you won’t need to dream. We’re making it happen.”

“Let’s go!”