Genius Club

Chapter 129: Chapter 122: Quantity

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“Secretary?”

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Lin Xian was somewhat surprised and turned to look at Brother Wang:

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“Did President Zhao finally come around to hiring a secretary after being so resistant before?”

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“I guess she’s wanted to find a secretary all along; she just hasn’t been able to find someone she trusts and is willing to hire,” Brother Wang said with a meaningful smile:

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“You’ve probably heard about what happened with President Zhao’s former secretary. Although we’re not clear on the details between them, I think it’s highly likely that it involved the leak of company secrets and important documents.”

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“That’s why, since then, President Zhao has installed a keypad lock on her office door and has forbidden anyone from entering—not even the cleaning staff! The code for that door is known only to her… you can imagine how distrustful she must be of others!”

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“But maybe it’s because you’ve been performing well and helped her solve many difficulties recently… she seems to have a good impression of you. You might not notice, but we who have worked with President Zhao for a long time can easily see how much she trusts you.”

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“So, that means…”

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Brother Wang wrapped his arm around Lin Xian’s neck and chuckled:

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“Seize the opportunity, Lin Xian! Even though you have a lot of money now, it’s easy to make money but hard to keep it… Without a sound plan and business acumen, no amount of money is enough to squander on whims.”

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“Many rich second-generation folks can spend their whole lives indulging in food, drink, and vices without ever running out of inheritance. Yet, some of them get hot-headed, wanting to prove themselves by investing and starting businesses… and the wealth of generations is destroyed overnight. There are many such examples.”

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“President Zhao is very capable in business, and being her secretary, you could learn some business thinking and experience from her, which, for you now, is the most valuable thing.”

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“The decision isn’t final yet, and President Zhao is still considering it, but you’re in the know, so just don’t talk about it, alright?”

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…

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After saying this, Brother Wang left.

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Lin Xian went straight to the elevator and arrived at his office on the 20th floor, and sat down at his desk.

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“Planting willows without intention, yet willows provide shade.”

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Lin Xian mused.

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According to Brother Wang, Zhao Yingjun had considered letting him be her secretary. For his current situation, this was indeed good news.

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He had been racking his brains lately, worrying about how to gain Zhao Yingjun’s trust.

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But unexpectedly, without making any deliberate effort, the car encounter from yesterday significantly increased Zhao Yingjun’s trust in him.

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And with the launch of Rhein’s new brand, the business volume of the company had surged, and her energy was truly at its limit—she was overwhelmed.

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So…

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That’s why she had the idea of letting him be her secretary.

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Lin Xian wasn’t sure about the specifics of the conversation between Zhao Yingjun and Brother Wang, but since they had discussed it, he guessed that Zhao Yingjun would likely speak to him about it soon.

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All he needed to do was wait for that day.

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“At last, I’ll have the opportunity to see the invitation to the Genius Club!”

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Lin Xian lay back in his chair and took a deep breath.

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All along.

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For so long.

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There had been no progress in exploring the Genius Club or investigating the murder of Xu Yun; it had been stuck there, unable to advance.

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The reason being that many things had remained uncertain, with no conclusive judgment possible.

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But if he could just see the content on that invitation… perhaps the majority of the mysteries could suddenly become clear.

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Lin Xian closed his eyes and began to imagine what content could possibly be on that invitation.

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First of all, since it’s an invitation, there must be some basic introduction, right?

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These introductions, no matter how brief, would be very important pieces of information.

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At the very least, they could reveal the nature, purpose, and composition of the Genius Club.

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Then…

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Could he also learn about their methods of gathering, timing, and locations?

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“Anyway, the more information, the better.”

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Lin Xian opened his eyes.

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Now, the puzzles concerning the Genius Club weren’t just simple matters of real life.

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The Black Hand moon hovering in the air 600 years later was also an enigmatic existence.

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Is the Genius Club of 2023 the same group as the one from 2624?

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Do they still hold true to their original purpose?

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What kind of grand, long-term plans… would require executing over 600 years to achieve?

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Or perhaps…

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Where is the starting point of the Genius Club?

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How many years have they been in existence in this world?

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“I hope Zhao Yingjun tells me the code for the office keypad lock soon.”

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Thinking of the code.

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Lin Xian then thought about that Hafnium Alloy Safe in the dream.

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He thought of the persistent CC.

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As it stands, the only way to open the safe with his name on it would be to infiltrate Tem Bank in New Donghai City and, before the garbage truck removes the Hafnium Alloy Safe at night, crack the code and open it.

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Lin Xian was still very confident about the code 29990203.

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He had almost daily fortified this “Thought Stamp” during this time, forcing himself, warning himself, brainwashing himself, ensuring that his future self would certainly set the safe’s code to this number.

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He even wished that he could set the safe’s code in his office to 29990203.

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Unfortunately…

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The safe’s password was oddly designed, consisting of six two-digit groups in a rotary lock, not eight.

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“Tonight, I’ll continue to look for CC.”

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Lin Xian quickly dealt with some work and assigned tasks to his team members, then prepared to leave for the day.

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He was still a bit hopeful.

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Since Zhao Yingjun’s fate had been changed, with the original historical course rewritten…

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Was the MX Company still around 600 years in the future? Was New Donghai City still there?

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“`@@novelbin@@

After eating something simple at home.

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Lin Xian checked his watch.

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This time, he was right on schedule to catch up with the storyline of the Three-Blade Thief and connect with Big Face Cat and his crew.

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He lay down on the bed and closed his eyes.

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“Let’s go!”

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…

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…

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…

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“Brother Lian.”

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Lin Xian stood on the rooftop of Lee Cheng’s house, pointing at the distant, pitch-black New Donghai City, still void of lights.

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After entering the dream this time.

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He had followed his usual speedrun procedure as always, taking the most optimal route with an SSS rating, joining the Lian Gang at the fastest speed, earning Lee Cheng’s approval, and becoming a member of the team.

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Right now, he had just finished choosing masks with Big Face Cat in the warehouse.

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He chose the same Rhine Cat Mask again.

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Lin Xian wasn’t surprised by this fact, as this mask truly had merit—that no matter how the world changes, it would always be popular, even 600 years later.

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In a sense, this cat’s legacy through the annals of history was even more formidable than some cultural relics.

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After getting the mask,

Lin Xian immediately climbed to the rooftop of Lee Cheng’s house, and gazed far toward the steel sci-fi city, New Donghai City, several kilometers away.

But because it was still early and the sky hadn’t darkened yet, the city’s neon lights were not on.

This prevented Lin Xian from clearly making out the letters on the Twin Towers Building in the center of New Donghai City.

“Brother Lian!”

Lin Xian raised his voice, calling out to Big Face Cat, who was smoking in the yard.

“Huh?”

Big Face Cat looked up, his eyes squinting as he bit down on his cigarette, looking up at Lin Xian on the rooftop:

“What’s up, bro?”

“That tallest building in New Donghai City, the Twin Towers, the one in the very center of the city.”

Lin Xian pointed toward New Donghai City:

“What letters are written on that building? Why can’t I make them out?”

“You’ll see clearly once it gets dark and the lights are on.”

“Tell me now, aren’t you in a hurry to go back and buy roast chicken for your son later? By the time we get to your house, we won’t be able to see from that angle anymore.”

“Limit.”

Big Face Cat spelled out the word letter by letter for Lin Xian.

Although he didn’t know how to pronounce the word, after seeing it for so many years, he clearly knew what was written on that Twin Towers Building.

“Is that a company, like one of those super-giant corporations?” Lin Xian asked.

“Yes.”

Big Face Cat nodded, then took a final, deep drag of his cigarette and stamped it out on the ground:

“New Donghai City was built by them… Not to mention, bro, where did you crawl out from? My son knows more than you!”

Lin Xian smiled without a word.

Good.

As long as the letters on that Twin Towers Building aren’t MX, Lin Xian really isn’t too concerned about what they actually are.

Looking at it now…

Temporal flux had indeed occurred.

History had been altered to a certain degree, in a “subtle” way.

Subtle…

Lin Xian couldn’t grasp the concept of subtlety precisely.

To the vast river of history, to the future world 600 years later, Zhao Yingjun’s life or death could indeed only be considered a “subtle change.”

So subtle that…

It seemed like something had changed, yet it felt like nothing had at all.

New Donghai City still stood.

The world was still growing in this distorted fashion.

Within and beyond the steel walls, two completely different worlds persisted.

Big Face Cat was still collecting property fees.

Lee Cheng was still fighting for the history and knowledge of humanity.

Indeed, nothing had changed.

However…

For individuals, for the lives of people within those relationships,

Many futures had been altered because of it.

MX Company most likely hadn’t survived until 600 years later.

From this perspective, perhaps Zhao Yingjun’s parents hadn’t misjudged her. Her business talent wasn’t much after all, far from the sharp, strategic vision of Zhao Corporation.

Unfortunately, Zhao Yingjun didn’t die young; she survived.

So, no matter how capable her parents were, it was Zhao Yingjun who would have to bury their ashes in the ground and see the once-invincible Zhao Corporation get swallowed up by MX Company… causing this giant to fall.

“Interesting.”

This father and daughter were truly enemies.

“But…”

“It’s not bad either.”

Thump!

Lin Xian jumped down from the rooftop directly, slowing his descent by grabbing onto a windowsill, and landed safely.

He stood up and looked at Big Face Cat:

“Brother Lian, is there an MX Company in this world?”

“MX Company?”

Big Face Cat shook the flesh on his face:

“What’s that? Never heard of it.”

“Isn’t this Rhine Cat the mascot of MX Company?”

Lin Xian waved the Rhine Cat Mask in his hand:

“Then what’s the origin of this Rhine Cat?”

“Seems like it’s just a simple toy…” Big Face Cat’s eyes were clear:

“I’ve never really looked into its origins, bro, but this thing is also quite popular in New Donghai City. When I used to steal things, I often filched several dolls and cleaned them up for my daughter.”

“As for it being some company’s mascot… I’ve really never heard of that.”

Alright.

It’s an expected answer.

The Rhine Cat’s status in the future world had returned to that of The First Dreamland.

Its history, originator, MX Company, had all vanished into the dust of history.

“Let’s go, bro! Time to head home for dinner! There’s work to do later tonight!”

Big Face Cat pulled Lin Xian onto the motorcycle and buckled the helmet on his head:

“Make sure your helmet is secured!”

“Got it, law-abiding citizen.”

“Let’s roll!”

Roarrrrrrrr!

Big Face Cat’s nearly falling-apart motorcycle belched black smoke as they left Lee Cheng’s courtyard…

The courtyard quieted down.

Young bamboo and green leaves swayed in the summer breeze, several sparrows hopped and pecked at the cracks between bricks, and the two cats raised by Lee Ningning leaped down from the second-floor balcony, chasing the sparrows as they fluttered away.

Thump.

A soft noise, the green tiles shook slightly.

A girl in a black bodysuit with deep brown hair coiled at the back of her head, slender as a cat, crouched at the corner of the eaves.

Her gaze, following the dissipating motorcycle exhaust, focused on the man on the rear seat…

The one holding the Rhine Cat Mask.