Genius Club

Chapter 54: Chapter 54 A Different CC

CC successfully cracked the password door and led the way in.

Big Face Cat, dragging a can of acetylene, followed her inside.

Lin Xian was the last to enter the bank vault.

“Eh?”

Upon seeing the gleaming, brand-new, and mirror-smooth bank vaults that lined the walls—

he was instantly dumbfounded on the spot.

What happened?

Why has it changed!

The vaults he had seen before were old and peeling, covered in rust.

But now, they looked as if they were newly made!

He quickly approached the vault with his name on it, touching its material…

Smooth and bright, cold and hard.

Using the spray gun, he scratched at it forcefully a few times, and not a single mark was left!

Thud!

Lin Xian punched the vault.

In his mind, he abruptly recalled the words spoken by Professor Xu Yun:

“You see, during my research, I inadvertently came up with a byproduct, which I’ve already sent to friends at the Aerospace Research Institute, and they’ve confirmed the same results.”

“It’s a hafnium compound, a completely new substance. This compound can be used to create a hafnium alloy, with high hardness and resistance to corrosion and high temperatures. It might have some applications in the field of aerospace.”

“Lin Xian, if you don’t mind… I’d like to publish the experimental data on this hafnium alloy, although I’m not sure of its use, it could certainly promote the development of certain technologies.”

Clang.

Lin Xian bowed his head and threw his face shield and spray gun on the ground:

“We’ve been played.”

CC and Big Face Cat heard this and turned their puzzled faces toward him:

“What do you mean we’ve been played?” “Who has played us?”

Lin Xian raised his hand and pointed at the nameplate on the vault with a name on it:

“Lin Xian.”

He shook his head and laughed helplessly:

“We’ve been played by Lin Xian.”

…

Big Face Cat and CC looked at each other, completely unable to understand what Lin Xian was talking about.

But at this moment, Lin Xian had already figured out the cause of this “Temporal Flux” and the “Space-Time Butterfly Effect”.

“Temporal Flux is uncontrollable.”

Lin Xian suddenly realized this.

His actions could indeed rewrite the future, but such changes would not always yield the desired positive feedback!

Sometimes, as now, it was like lifting a rock only to drop it on one’s own foot, turning a future that would have been advantageous into one that was detrimental!

The brand-new vault in front of him.

There was no doubt it was the result of his own actions 600 years in the past that had caused the temporal flux.

Lin Xian was certain…

On previous visits to this bank vault, the vaults embedded in the walls were definitely made of steel, and they were very old. The paint was nearly all peeled off, and the interior was speckled with rust, clearly of at least a century old.

If not for regular storage and maintenance, protected from the elements… they could well be classed as unearthed relics.

But because of Lin Xian’s intervention in history,

it led to Professor Xu Yun discovering an entirely new compound while researching hibernation pod filling liquid—

a novel type of hafnium alloy.

Lin Xian didn’t know the specific properties of this alloy.

But Professor Xu Yun said it was resistant to high temperatures and corrosion, had high hardness and could be used in aerospace… it must be an extremely advanced material indeed.

Furthermore, a few days ago in the news reports, the Aerospace Research Institute of China confirmed they had received samples from Xu Yun. The fact that the institute would issue a statement about it was enough to indicate that the performance of the new type of hafnium alloy was truly outstanding.

Therefore, it goes without saying…

If the patent for this material were truly to be made freely available, then in addition to aerospace, there would likely be some specific industries that could use this material.

So,

when seeing the gleaming, brand-new vaults in the bank vault…

Lin Xian immediately realized this deeply unsettling logic.

The stone he had inadvertently thrown into the sky 600 years ago had landed 600 years later, hitting his foot with precision.

Although Lin Xian had never actually seen the hafnium alloy that Professor Xu Yun spoke about,

the current situation was likely as he had imagined.

But…

“Why did only the new hafnium alloy cause temporal flux, while the simultaneously successful hibernation pod filling liquid did not cause a corresponding temporal flux?”

What was wrong?

“Hey, hey, hey! Stop spacing out! Hand me the cutting torch!”

Big Face Cat had already brought in the oxygen cylinder as well, picking up the spray gun and hose that Lin Xian had thrown on the ground and starting to connect them.

CC was also puzzled and approached Lin Xian:

“What did you mean by that?”

“Weren’t you just confidently saying… this high-temperature cutting torch can generate a temperature of 3000 degrees, enough to melt any metal?”

Lin Xian didn’t know how to explain it:

“If it’s about melting steel, that’s definitely possible, as the melting point of steel is only 1500 degrees. But I’m not certain what the melting point of this material is; if it’s greater than 3000 degrees…”

Lin Xian scratched his head, feeling very annoyed at being played, especially by himself.

Truly frustrating.

Sigh———

Over there, Big Face Cat had already connected the cutting torch, ignited the flame, and the torch began to spray out a yellow fire.

Big Face Cat kept twisting the pressure knob, gradually turning the flame into a sharp blue:

“I’ve seen this before. You have to adjust the flame to blue, and have a white center appear in the flame. Only the temperature at the center can reach 3000 degrees, and is hot enough to cut through steel.”

CC stopped talking to Lin Xian, removed his Ultraman mask, picked up a welding mask, and placed it over his face.

Big Face Cat continuously adjusted the ratios of acetylene and oxygen being expelled.

The flame became sharper as it rapidly jetted out…

Finally!

Within the inner flame, a pencil-sized core of flame emerged!

“We did it!”

Big Face Cat chuckled, taking the welding mask that CC handed over, and putting it over his eyes to directly gaze at the incandescent flame core:

“Where should we start cutting?”

CC pointed at the safe beside them:

“Let’s start from here. I’m not sure what’s inside the safe; we better start cutting from the side, bit by bit, in case we accidentally burn something important inside.”

“OK, stand back a bit.”

Big Face Cat held the welding mask in one hand and the torch steadily in the other, moving closer to the adjacent safe—

Whoom whoom whoom whoom whoom whoom!

The acetylene torch, at a staggering 3000 degrees Celsius, asserted its dominance. The white-hot core pressed against the external shell of the safe.

Whoom whoom whoom whoom whoom whoom!

The fierce flames continued to scorch.

The temperature of the entire room seemed to have gone up several degrees.

However…

The kind of intense scene with sparks flying everywhere that Lin Xian had seen in the video did not occur.

All was calm.

Only the whooshing of the torch flame as it continued scorching the safe.

As time ticked away second by second, Big Face Cat’s hand began to waver.

Curious, he moved the torch away, lifted the mask, and looked at the unscathed safe, which hadn’t reacted in the slightest:

“Did… something go wrong here?”

“Ptooey!”

He spat directly onto the safe.

Sizzle!!

The spit instantly turned into steam under the high temperature, dispersing into the air.

This indicated that the safe’s temperature had indeed reached 3000 degrees, but it was still nowhere near its melting point, not even hinting at melting!@@novelbin@@

“What kind of material is this!”

Big Face Cat exclaimed:

“Is this the outer shell of a spaceship!?”

Lin Xian silently nodded:

“This might be one of the few things you’ve guessed correctly… By the way, I want to ask, are the safes you usually encounter on the outside this heat-resistant?”

“Definitely not!” Big Face Cat looked shocked:

“I’ve seen plenty of safes, but never one that can withstand heat like this!”

Lin Xian pondered with his chin in his hand…

It seemed that the previous speculation was somewhat off. Even after a temporal flux, the majority of safes wouldn’t use this kind of “spacecraft outer shell grade” material because it’s entirely unnecessary.

[So, what’s so special about the safes in this bank vault? Why use such an impressive material to forge them?]

Lin Xian wasn’t clear on the cost issues of this new titanium alloy, but it seemed very expensive! Ordinary safes couldn’t possibly afford such material, which is why Big Face Cat and CC also found it surprising.

…

CC, paying no attention to the other two, snatched the torch:

“Let me try.”

Then.

Again, the sound of the roaring, heating flames.

But no matter how much they scorched, no matter what angle or position they tried… the silvery bright safe stood immovable like an ancient artifact, without even the slightest hint of color change.

“This is freakin’ spooky!”

Annoyed, Big Face Cat loaded his handgun and, finding an angle that wouldn’t cause a ricochet, fired two shots at the other safes.

Upon closer inspection…

Similarly, not a single scratch had appeared, smooth as ever!

“This thing is too damn hard!”

Clang.

CC threw down the torch and mask in her hand and wiped the beads of sweat from her forehead with a sigh.

All three of them realized it.

There was no hope.

…

“I’m sorry, I owe both of you an apology.”

Lin Xian took the initiative to admit his mistake:

“It’s my fault.”

However…

CC shook her head, her gaze through the Ultraman mask held no blame as she looked at Lin Xian:

“This isn’t your fault.”

“I can tell, you also really wanted to open this safe; we just didn’t succeed, that’s all.”

Hearing CC say this, Lin Xian was quite surprised.

He thought CC would be as before, glaring at him, calling him a liar… This was the first time she had spoken to him so politely.

It seemed that her “approval rating” of him was relatively high this time.

Lin Xian took off the mask from his face and looked at CC:

“As it stands, there’s no chance of violent destruction to open the safe; the only way is to guess the right password.”

“There are many things I can’t explain to you clearly, but I do know more than you, have more opportunities, and am closer to the correct answer.”

“[So, CC, can we share some information?”]

Lin Xian stepped forward, looking at CC:

“Our goal is the same, to open this safe.”

“I can answer your previous questions, telling you about the Lin Xian I know. But in return, afterward…”

“[Can you tell me why you want to open this safe? Or any clues, information, or hints about it would be useful.]”

“Just give me some key hints and clues… perhaps, I can really figure out the password!”

Under Lin Xian’s gaze, CC slowly turned her head, watching Lin Xian through the Ultraman mask.

After a pause of about fifteen seconds…

Finally.

She nodded:

“Alright.”