Genius Club

Chapter 130: Chapter 123 Time Rewind

“No matter what, tonight, we both have the same goal.”

Midnight.

Outside Waste Treatment Plant No. 221.

Lin Xian stood next to CC, watching the patrol drones whizzing over the high wall.

Following the previous plot, Lin Xian had successfully made contact with CC.

And this time, he did not ask CC any questions about her privacy… because he had already learned what he wanted to know last time, so there was definitely no need to ask again.

But he did answer many of CC’s questions.

The current good feeling was pretty high.

He turned to look at CC:

“You said you have ‘a very important matter’ to confirm, which is why you want to come here and open Lin Xian’s safe, claiming that it might contain the meaning of your life…”

“Can you tell me what this important matter is? I have a lot of information in my head that you don’t know, and perhaps if we combine it, we could guess the code.”

“Sorry, I don’t want to say.”

CC gave the same answer as before, shaking her head:

“This is my privacy, my secret. I don’t want to tell others. Moreover… since your goal is also to open the safe, once we see clearly what’s hidden inside… the answer will naturally become clear.”

Lin Xian sighed inwardly.

She still doesn’t want to say.

It seems that discovering this answer isn’t something that can be resolved simply by improving rapport.

Since CC said that the safe contains not just the truth and the past, but also the meaning of her life…

That means the contents of the safe are even more important than life itself to her.

It appears.

He must find a way to open that safe.

But the problem is…

“According to the current plot direction, there’s no way to access the safe.”

It’s not even about trying the code, he can’t even get a glimpse of the safe.

“At this point, I won’t keep you in the dark any longer.”

Lin Xian folded his arms and whispered while looking at Big Face Cat who was warming up his wrists in a horse stance some seven or eight meters away:

“The safe will only arrive at the Garbage Factory at 00:57.”

“I’m well aware of that.”

CC’s tone was flat:

“Today, there are two batches of garbage trucks going to Tem Bank to transport safes to the Garbage Factory. It’s not surprising that Lin Xian’s safety deposit box is on any one of those trucks; it’s not a big deal. Just wait inside a little longer.”

Lin Xian smiled slightly:

“You won’t be able to wait.”

“Why not?”

“Because the world will end at 00:42.”

“Haha.”

CC couldn’t help but laugh out loud, and turned away:

“You really have a sense of humor.”

“Didn’t you also think those memory fragments of yours were a joke?” Lin Xian retorted:

“You have so many memory fragments in your head that don’t belong to this world, and you can accept such strange things, so why can’t you accept that the world will end at 00:42?”

“Since I’ve already told you so much, and even appeared in your memory fragments, you should understand that I wouldn’t joke about this matter.”

After Lin Xian finished speaking.

CC still did not take it seriously:

“Even if what you’re saying is true… what would it matter? Can you stop the world from being destroyed at 00:42?”

“I can’t.”

“Then why should we worry about it?”

CC blinked, turning her head to look at Lin Xian:

“Or are you suggesting… that you have another way to open that safe?”

“I indeed do.” Lin Xian smiled:

“‘All you have to do is infiltrate New Donghai City this afternoon, find Tem Bank, and look for the safety deposit box with Lin Xian’s name on it, and try to open it.’

“This afternoon?”

CC frowned:

“Are you out of your mind?”

“There are many things I can’t explain to you, but I indeed have such a capability. So… do you have any clues about infiltrating New Donghai City that you can share with me?”

“No.”

CC shook her head:

“Nobody would be foolish enough to break into New Donghai City; that place is not for us. Even if you get in, what can you do?”

“You won’t become a resident of New Donghai City just because you broke in. It’s more likely that you won’t even count as a person in the eyes of the residents there; they would kill you like an animal.”

“How would you know if you don’t try?”

Lin Xian spread his hands, nonchalant:

“What if you all think New Donghai City is very strong, with strict security, but in reality, it’s just a paper tiger?”

“You really aren’t afraid to die.” CC commented.

“Same goes for you.”

After a moment of silence, CC let out a sigh, turning her head to look at Lin Xian:

“If you really want to enter New Donghai City… I do have a piece of intelligence to share with you.”

“Hey—”!

Just as Lin Xian was about to ask something, Big Face Cat turned around again, shocked, staring wide-eyed at Lin Xian and CC:

“How did you two start chatting?! And—”

“Keep your eyes on your drone, Brother Lian! I’m standing far enough away today!”

With that.

Lin Xian turned back to CC:

“What intelligence? Is it related to infiltrating New Donghai City?”

CC nodded:

“But… I need to confirm that the first batch of garbage trucks don’t contain that safe before I’ll tell you. Otherwise, I can’t trust you.”

“Not a problem.”

Lin Xian was also easygoing.

At least there was some gain in this dream.

Even if he died in vain with CC, as long as he could tease out some intelligence on infiltrating New Donghai City, it would still be worth it.

So far.

The only places that contained the answers Lin Xian was interested in were two—

1. The invitation to the Genius Club inside the drawer of Zhao Yingjun’s office.

2. The bookstores, Tem Bank, and the location where Big Face Cat’s father was imprisoned in New Donghai City.

Both of these leads were being pursued simultaneously but slowly.

If tackled from both ends,

perhaps the various mysteries plaguing his mind could be unravelled soon.

“Now is the time!”

Big Face Cat roared like an angry pier as he charged across.

“Ah Zhuang!”

“Er Zhuzi!”

“San Pang!”

The art of the human ladder was promptly constructed, Lin Xian and CC took advantage of the situation to flip inside, and waited ahead of time at the garbage truck’s designated unloading spot.

…

“Nothing.”

CC searched around, scouring all the hafnium alloy safes, then skulked back to Lin Xian’s side with a significant increase in the trust shown in her eyes:

“Just like you said, there really is no safe belonging to Lin Xian… and you also got all the other safe owners’ names right; I’ve verified each one.”

“Now you believe what I said, don’t you?” Lin Xian smiled.

The moment they had climbed over the wall,

Lin Xian had accurately predicted the garbage truck’s arrival time, unloading time, and unloading location.

He also gave CC a list of safe owners’ names, telling her to check them during her search to confirm his words.

Even more outrageous was…

He had clearly detailed which safes were piled on top of the others after being dumped, which safes were stacked together, and which two safes faced downwards.

This left CC in a state of astonishment.

She found it hard to believe that such completely random events could be predicted with such precision as Lin Xian described.

But…

Facts spoke louder than words.

When CC saw the safes unloaded in an orderly fashion just like soldiers, falling into the spots exactly as described by Lin Xian earlier…

she seemed to start believing in Lin Xian’s “supernatural ability”:

“Alright, I’ll admit, you seem to indeed have some ability that I can’t comprehend or understand.”

She bowed her head, propped up her chin, and started to think seriously about what Lin Xian had said earlier:

“According to what you said, the world will end at 00:42, so we definitely can’t wait here for the batch of garbage trucks arriving at 00:57.”

“It’s not just about not being able to wait for that batch of garbage trucks. It’s already this late, only ten minutes until 00:42. No matter what we do, it’s too late.”

“That’s correct.”

Lin Xian nodded affirmatively, looking at CC:

“That’s what I’ve been discussing with you outside—”

“[To open that safe, one would have to start infiltrating New Donghai City no later than noon, ideally in the afternoon. Only then could one reach Tem Bank in time to open the safe.]”

CC took off her mask.

She shook her sweat-drenched bangs and used the mask as a fan, generating a cool breeze.

This was the first time CC had removed her mask within the second dream sequence.

Indeed.

She looked the same as always.

Just like Chu Anqing.

“But it’s already evening now,” CC couldn’t figure it out:

“How are you going to turn back time to noon? No matter how I think about it, that seems impossible… Besides, if you really could turn back time, why not just reverse it even further, back several hundred years, to the date when the safe was stored?”

“I won’t explain that now, we’re short on time.”

Lin Xian lifted his wrist to check his watch.

00:30

There were 12 minutes left before the dream ended.

He had to hurry and get CC to reveal the clue for infiltrating New Donghai City:

“Now, since you’ve already confirmed it, can you share your information? Is there a way to infiltrate New Donghai City?”

CC nodded her head.

She had promised Lin Xian, and naturally, she wouldn’t go back on her word.

She pulled out the “Bluetooth headset” from her pocket.

It was identical to the one worn by the supervisor in the monitoring room of the Garbage Factory.

Every employee at the Garbage Factory had such a device; it was used for communication, coordination, task issuance, and work updates.

Lin Xian guessed that the device operated somewhat like a cell phone, but with a vastly altered mode of operation.

“This device, I stole it from a Waste Treatment Plant before.”

“Skip that part, get to the main point.”

“Each time the garbage trucks return to New Donghai City, they pass through a checkpoint.”

CC turned her head, pointing at the steel wall where a massive steel gate was thunderously ascending.

The Waste Treatment Plant was fully automated, with robots, unmanned vehicles, drones… working non-stop 24 hours a day, in an orderly fashion.

After unloading, those garbage trucks would return to New Donghai City to collect more waste.

CC turned back and continued:

“Beyond this steel gate, inside the corridor, there’s another security door. All garbage trucks undergo a [biometric screening] procedure when passing through there, to prevent anyone from sneaking into New Donghai City.”

“Is the intelligence accurate?” Lin Xian inquired.

“Of course, it’s accurate!”

CC gave Lin Xian an exasperated glance, pinching the Bluetooth headset in her hand:

“I was about to tell you earlier, but you weren’t listening… These garbage processing procedures are detailed in the work manual. Although I haven’t been inside, this device has records of daily security checks.”

Lin Xian nodded and glanced at his watch again.

00:32.

The dream would end in 10 more minutes; he had to press CC to speak faster:

“Since you say so, that means you have a way to avoid or go through the [biometric screening] unnoticed.”

“That’s right.”

CC lifted her head, looking at Lin Xian:

“But this method only works for me, not for you.”