Genius Club

Chapter 51: Chapter 51 Unity is Strength

Previously, by inquiring with the staff of the safe company, Lin Xian learned that safes could be forcefully opened using an “oxygen-acetylene cutting torch.”

Naturally, the same applied to the safe in the dream.

He opened his computer and started searching for relevant information.

The online encyclopedia stated—

An “oxygen-acetylene cutting torch” is a high-temperature gas cutting method extensively used in various industrial fields. It’s primarily used for the rapid cutting of irregular steel products, such as steel coils, steel ingots, and steel frames, among other steel items that are not easy to secure.

Its principle is very simple.

First, two cylinders of high-pressure liquefied gas are required—one is liquified acetylene, the other is liquid oxygen—both of which are the main combustion materials for the cutting torch.@@novelbin@@

The two liquefied gases are connected to a high-pressure spray gun via hoses, and after adjusting to the proper pressure and gas output ratio, they are ignited to produce a roaring, intensely spouting “flame long knife.”

The shape is similar to the flame of a windproof lighter that is commonly seen, only the length is dozens of times longer.

At the “heart” of the high-speed jetting flame, the temperature reaches 3000 degrees Celsius. This temperature far exceeds the melting point of steel (1500 degrees Celsius) and can easily melt steel into molten steel, effectively completing the cutting task.

Lin Xian searched for videos of safe cutting on video websites and, without exception, they all used the oxygen-acetylene cutting torch to do it.

Upon contact with the safe, the high-speed, incandescent flame seems to enter tofu effortlessly! It blew out countless tiny, burning sparks of iron! It took only a matter of ten seconds to cut through the entire safe!

The molten steel at the cut edge flickered with a red glow, as if lamenting its impotence under the absolute high temperature.

Lin Xian had seen that safe in the dream many times before.

Eighty percent of the paint had already flaked off.

There were layers of rust inside.

It was clearly quite old.

If it could rust, then it was definitely made of steel, which meant its melting point wouldn’t exceed 1500 degrees Celsius, so using an oxygen-acetylene cutting torch to cut it would pose no problem at all.

Lin Xian then looked up more information…

The technology for this oxygen-acetylene cutting torch was very mature and widely distributed. It could be freely purchased on any construction site, steel market, and even on online shopping platforms.

In those small shops that made steel frame billboards by the roadside, it was almost a tool in every worker’s hand.

“Since this item is so common, it should be easy to find in the dream as well,” Lin Xian thought.

Only then did Lin Xian remember that in his real life, he had seen this device countless times before.

During primary school, as he and Gao Yang went to and from school, they would pass by a street full of advertising signs, where workers frequently used electric welding and oxygen-acetylene cutting torches to weld the steel frames.

Both devices were extremely bright when in use and would throw off scorching iron sparks, so the workers covered their entire faces with heavy-duty goggles.

And Lin Xian and Gao Yang, who passed by, would often inadvertently glance at them, leading to dark spots in their vision for a long time afterward, similar to looking directly at the sun.

…

Lin Xian turned off the computer.

He began to consider the plan for entering the dream that night:

“Finding the equipment for the oxygen-acetylene cutting torch in the dream shouldn’t be a big issue, but the key is… how to transport such heavy and complex stuff to the bank’s vault?”

The two cylinders of liquefied gas were very heavy; it would take two people to carry just one cylinder, meaning at least four people were needed to carry out the operation.

And it was not just about the two gas cylinders.

There were also the gas hoses, spray gun, goggles…

All in all, at least five or six people were needed to complete this complex task.

“Five or six people… where do I find so many accomplices in the dream?”

Even if he counted Big Face Cat and CC, and they set aside past grievances to collaborate unprecedentedly, along with himself, that still made only three people.

“Should I count Big Face Cat’s three lackeys as well?”

Lin Xian thought of those three underlings who died as soon as they appeared…

The dishonest Old One, Old Two who seduced the boss’s wife, and Old Three who wanted to betray the organization by double-crossing…

“Are these Crouching Tigers and Hidden Dragons reliable?”

Just thinking about Big Face Cat’s motley crew of underlings made Lin Xian involuntarily frown.

But there was no other choice right now.

He had to take a gamble.

“To complete the plan, I must unite this group of scheming, ill-intentioned fellows and have them collaborate wholeheartedly… Truly a major project.”

Lin Xian closed his eyes.

He began to contemplate the “Violent Safe Cracking Plan” that he would attempt in his dream tonight:

1. Find a way to persuade Big Face Cat and CC to put aside their past grievances, let go of their hostility, shake hands, and reach a consensus on cooperation.

2. Lead Big Face Cat and CC to acquire the equipment for an oxy-acetylene torch, then load it onto a van and transport it to the target bank.

3. Stop Big Face Cat’s plan to cleanse his family name, and use his three henchmen as manual labor to move two canisters of liquefied high-pressure gas to the bank’s warehouse.

4. Assemble the parts of the cutting torch together and perform the high-temperature cutting to successfully open the safe.

“Hmm, this should be fairly solid logically.”

What the code is doesn’t matter now, a 3,000 degrees Celsius oxy-acetylene torch is the absolute correct password!

…

The long-lost routine of finishing work on time and going home.

After a simple dinner and some time spent watching TV, Lin Xian prepared to enter his dream.

Having navigated this dreamscape for over twenty years, he naturally knew where to find a construction material market and where the advertising outlets were. Locating an oxy-acetylene torch would be a breeze.

The only potential mistake lay in whether Big Face Cat and CC would cooperate honestly.

Luckily, he had a god’s eye view and plenty of bargaining chips for negotiating with the two of them.

No big deal.

After he finished washing up, he turned off the lights and lay down in bed.

“Let’s go.”

…

…

Whew!

Familiar summer winds brushed his face; it had been a long time since Lin Xian had entered a dream and felt this heat.

His body instantly warmed up.

He glanced at the electronic billboard next to him:

[August 28, 2624]

[21:42]

The surrounding environment, the crowd, the scenery – everything was no different than usual.

Lin Xian estimated that once Professor Xu Yun’s paper was published, human technology would inevitably advance by leaps and bounds.

By then, the plaza in the dreamscape would surely undergo earth-shattering changes as well.

Whether it was the level of technology, the surrounding architecture, people’s lifestyles, or even the toys the kids on the plaza played with, it would all transform into a completely different scene.

“This unchanging dreamscape of 23 years is finally about to embrace a complete and drastic change.”

“Will this plaza still exist then? What will the surrounding scenery turn into?”

The thought of soon saying goodbye to all this familiarity made Lin Xian feel somewhat reluctant to let go.

“Then, with this limited time left… Let’s crack open that safe. I’m quite curious about what’s really hidden inside.”

Looking eastward, he saw two brothers who had thrown aside their masks and run off, shouting about Ultraman flying kicks and slides.

Lin Xian walked up and picked up the Ultraman mask from the ground, putting it on his face.

Then he approached the portly figure stepping out of the van:

“Big Face Cat!”

“Huh?” A face covered with Rhine Cat Mask and filled with horizontal flesh turned around.

Smack.

Lin Xian’s right hand rested on his shoulder.

As the masks drew close, he whispered:

“Listen patiently, I have something very important to tell you…”