Genius Club

Chapter 80: Chapter 80 Concealment

When he saw the Genius Club’s emblem covering the entire moon…that dark hand seemed not to point upwards, but appeared to mockingly point at himself.

Just moments ago, Lin Xian believed that in this future world, the Genius Club no longer existed and might have even been extirpated by the rapidly advancing technology.

But look at the outcome…

Not only had they not vanished or disbanded, but they had also become even more brazen, plastering their logo across the moon.

“What is that thing?” Lin Xian asked, pointing at the moon.

“The moon, of course!”

“I mean, that black shadow on the moon, is that a projection? Or is there really such a huge building on the moon, spanning from the North to the South Pole?”

“I’m not sure about that.”@@novelbin@@

Big Face Cat shook his head:

“The moon has looked like this for centuries, it has been like this since I was small, and I’ve never found it strange.”

“Actually, you’re lucky today. The moon is clearest on the fifteenth and sixteenth, when you can see the pattern crystal clear. When the moon is not full on other days… it’s not so clear. And sometimes, the angle makes it look just like a middle finger.”

“That’s not the issue, Brother Lian.”

Lin Xian looked up again at the eerie and terrifying moon:

“The problem is, even if the moon has been like this since your birth, since centuries ago, it’s clearly man-made; go back thousands or tens of thousands of years, and the moon definitely did not look like this.”

“Isn’t that stating the obvious! How could I not know that!”

Big Face Cat rubbed his arms and took the cigarette trapped behind his ear, placing it in his mouth to light it with a match:

“Obviously, the black pattern on the moon is man-made, but exactly who did it and which country did it, nobody can say for sure.”

“There are many rumors. Some say a certain country built such a huge black structure on the moon as a show of power, so it looks like an outstretched right forefinger.”

“But there are also rumors that it was the work of some wealthy artist using some material that absorbs light or some other reflective material to lay out the pattern on the lunar surface… with the purpose of showing it to the people on Earth.”

“Some people claim aliens did it… but hahaha, only kids would believe that! Do aliens also have a right hand like this? Do aliens also have five fingers? I don’t buy it.”

…

Lin Xian let Big Face Cat’s rhetoric go in one ear and out the other.

Because he knew very well.

The truth was also quite apparent.

The sinister black shadow on the moon was most likely the doing of the Genius Club.

Mysterious and arrogant.

It matched Lin Xian’s impression of this enigmatic organization.

But such a massive moon-landing and construction project couldn’t have happened without a record in history:

“Brother Lian, isn’t there a record about it in the history books?”

“History books?”

Big Face Cat sneered disdainfully:

“We people don’t even have the right to know about history…”

He pointed towards New Donghai City, glittering with lights, miles away—

“History and knowledge, they are all in their hands. If you want to see a real history book, you would have to enter New Donghai City. There they have bookstores and all kinds of high-tech gadgets.”

“So, little brother…”

Big Face Cat exhaled a cloud of smoke, his eyes complex as he looked at Lin Xian:

“It’s not that I don’t support my daughter continuing her education. If she could study in New Donghai City, I’d sell everything I own, even myself, to make it happen!”

“But what’s the point of studying in our village… We don’t have real knowledge, no real history here… even if you go to school, what you learn is meaningless.”

Well then.

It seems it’s hard for an honest official to settle domestic disputes, not knowing the troubles of others, and one shouldn’t persuade others to be kind.

Lin Xian patted Big Face Cat’s shoulder:

“Got it, Brother Lian, my mistake.”

He smiled:

“If one day I make it to New Donghai City, I’ll make sure to blow a huge hole in those steel walls. By then… you lead the villagers in the charge and grab all the good stuff inside!”

“Hahahaha, cut it out!”

Big Face Cat slapped Lin Xian on the back:

“All you do is talk big! Come on, let’s go back and have a drink!”

…

The two went downstairs, and Lin Xian took one last glance at the cyberpunk-like New Donghai City and looked up at the moon marked with the Genius Club’s emblem… before lowering his head and going inside.

In the living room, Sister-in-law Lian and her young son and daughter had finished eating and left the table.

Lin Xian and Big Face Cat continued to drink for a while. He asked Big Face Cat many questions about history, but didn’t get any useful answers.

Ask as he might, Big Face Cat’s response was always the same: the world has always been this way.

He didn’t know any history, as if there was no history at all.

He still vaguely knew and heard about things from the past few decades, even a century, but anything further back was utterly unknown to him.

Even in the bookstores, there was nothing about the history of the past hundred years.

This indeed surprised Lin Xian…

Logically, any place, any world, should have historians, right? There must be relevant records.

But on closer inspection, the world of The First Dreamland also had no historical records from the past.

Is there a common reason for this?

…

Soon.

Big Face Cat looked at his watch, smiled slightly, and hugged Lin Xian:

“Let’s go to bed early today, little bro. There are plenty of rooms upstairs, and I’ve had Sister-in-law Lian clean one up for you; don’t be a stranger.”

“Who goes to bed this early?” Lin Xian shook his head:

“I’m not a child, it’s not even ten o’clock yet.”

“Brother Lian, you must are keeping something from me, right? Ah Zhuang said that you guys have activities tonight, and since I’m also your little brother now, you can’t just forget about me whether it’s a good or bad thing, right?”

Lin Xian clasped Big Face Cat’s hand:

“I’m yours now, we’ll live and die together! Tell me, Brother Lian… what big deal are you doing behind the scenes?”

Big Face Cat drained the wine glass, smacked his lips:

“Little bro, I admit, I’ve been keeping something from you.”

Big Face Cat was indeed honest and loyal, which was why Lin Xian did not dislike him.

“I’ve indeed been keeping something from you.”

Big Face Cat repeated, poured the last bit of wine from the bottle into Lin Xian’s glass, and then the remaining drops into his own:

“But I had no intention of keeping it from you forever.”

He looked up at Lin Xian:

“I could tell at a glance that you’re not a bad guy, I trust my judgment.”

“So, does that mean today—”

“But not today.” Big Face Cat’s eyes were firm as he raised his glass to clink with Lin Xian’s:

“I wanted to take you with me, but it’s not something I can decide on my own.”

“So… just listen to me and go to bed early today. Tomorrow I’ll take you to meet the boss and introduce you to him.”

“Rest assured, Brother Lian has a lot of clout. With me vouching for you, the boss will definitely let you join.”

“But before that, stop asking so many questions. Every line of work has its rules, I can see you’re talented, but even talented people can’t be exceptions.”

…

Since Big Face Cat made it so clear, Lin Xian did not press any further.

He never expected that in the last dream, he kept brushing off Big Face Cat with “tomorrow”… How the tables turn, now Big Face Cat gave “tomorrow” back to him.

But Lin Xian was not in a rush.

As long as there were no major temporal fluxes, the dream could last as long as he wanted; there was plenty of time to explore these matters. For now, all he needed to do was gather information.

Lin Xian picked up his glass:

“There’s another big brother above you?”

“Not a big brother, but a boss, we work for him.”

Click.

After their glasses clinked, they both downed their drinks.

Big Face Cat showed Lin Xian around the house, including the layout and the location of the bathroom. After watching him wash up, he pushed him into the tidy bedroom.

“Have a good sleep tonight, and don’t wander outside, ha, the neighborhood’s not safe.”

Big Face Cat cautioned.

“Got it, Brother Lian.” Lin Xian replied:

“Don’t worry.”

I’m definitely going out!

You’ve hinted as much… If I don’t go out and take a look, it would be a true disservice to my curiosity.

Besides, I’m already dreaming; there’s no reason to keep sleeping in a dream.

He had tried before and found it impossible to sleep within a dream.

“Goodnight, Brother Lian.”

“Goodnight, little bro.”

…

Lying on the stone bed, Lin Xian lay with his eyes open, listening to every move in the room.

Sister-in-law Lian seemed to be chopping radishes in the kitchen, probably to pickle for tomorrow’s breakfast.

The eldest daughter and young son also fell asleep amidst their giggles and fuss.

There was completely no sound from Big Face Cat, he must have long been gone.

Finally…

When the house was completely quiet and the sister-in-law had also fallen asleep…

Lin Xian got up.

He pushed open the door—