Genius Club

Chapter 94: Chapter 92: MX (Vote for Monthly Ticket)

“`

Masks?

Lin Xian blinked…

Now that everyone’s cards were on the table, and we were all in the same gang, was there any need for masks?

“Is it for safety, Brother Lian?”

“Yes and no. Actually, what safety can a mask really offer? It’s more about tradition now.”

Big Face Cat flicked his cigarette butt onto the ground and stamped it out with his shoe:

“There are many people around here who do this kind of thing. I don’t know when it became an unspoken rule, but everyone wears cartoon masks so that we can recognize each other as fellow thieves, not enemies, to avoid panic and confusion.”

“Usually, when we see someone else wearing a cartoon mask, we just nod and pass by; there’s no need for conflict. In this regard, whether we know each other or not, we actually get along quite well.”

…

Alright, when in Rome… Lin Xian followed Big Face Cat into another warehouse.

It was completely dark outside by now.

The distant lights of New Donghai City were coming on one after another.

Click.

Big Face Cat turned on the warehouse light switch, pointing to the pile of children’s toys inside:

“There are quite a few masks here… Ultraman and such. Just pick one, whatever works.”

“What mask are you wearing, Brother Lian?”

Lin Xian was quite curious.

In The First Dreamland, Big Face Cat wore a Rhine Cat Mask. But in this world… was there still Rhine Cat? Could it continue to be popular for another 600 years?

“I wear this one.”

Big Face Cat picked up a robot mask from the ground. It looked a lot like Gundam, but it clearly wasn’t:

“My son likes this cartoon, with robots fighting.”

“I see.”

Lin Xian chuckled.

Least said.

With his daughter being rebellious and not listening, Big Face Cat had now shifted his pampering to his son.

Lin Xian started rummaging through the pile of toys, looking for something that caught his eye…

Hm?

Lin Xian swiftly picked up a cat mask!

“Rhine Cat.”

Seeing his own design of Rhine Cat in this strange new dream world felt surprisingly comforting.

He wiped the dust off the mask and cleaned it with a cloth from next to him, and a cute and mischievous Rhine Cat Mask appeared in his hands.

Lin Xian loved this cat too much, especially seeing his own design in a different world, he couldn’t help but laugh:

“Are Rhine Cat toys… still really popular now?”

“Of course they’re popular!”

Big Face Cat scratched his armpit and laughed:

“This Rhine Cat… it’s one of the few toys that’s popular in both New Donghai and the old city.”

“It’s not just in New Donghai or the old city, actually. This cat is so popular worldwide. My daughter loved it when she was little and had many of these toys.”

“Sometimes when I go to the Waste Treatment Plant to steal things, if I see any trash related to Rhine Cat, I take it home for her, clean it up, and she loves it.”

…

Lin Xian couldn’t let go of the Rhine Cat Mask in his hand.

Every line on it came from his own hand… there was no reason not to choose this mask:

“Then I’ll wear this mask for my actions tonight.”

“Eh… little brother, I didn’t expect you to be so young at heart. Isn’t it kind of ridiculous for a grown man to wear a Rhine Cat Mask?” Big Face Cat looked at him with some disdain:

“If someone saw this, they’d think Big Face Cat took in a little brother with a screw loose! What real man would wear a Rhine Cat Mask? It’s both effeminate and childish!”

“Not at all, it’s quite nice.”

Lin Xian was not convinced:

“If this cat can be popular for 600 years and never go out of style, and like you said, it’s also popular in New Donghai City, that means this cat is amazing. You shouldn’t underestimate such a world-class IP.”

“It is cute, I’ll give you that, the designer had some skills,” admitted Big Face Cat honestly.

Lin Xian put on the mask and followed Big Face Cat out of the warehouse, smiling at the sight of his hefty silhouette:

“Brother Lian, you’d never guess who designed this cat.”

“How could I not know?”

Big Face Cat turned around with an expression that suggested it was obvious:

“Everyone on Earth knows that this cat is MX Company’s mascot.”

?

Lin Xian was taken aback.

He took off the mask, staring at Big Face Cat…

In ‘The First Dreamland’, whether it was technological or living standards, everything was much more advanced than in ‘The Second Dreamland’s’ old Donghai City.

And yet, in that advanced society, the true origins of Rhine Cat, its creator, and the history of MX Company were not passed down.

Lin Xian had searched through various setting collections and the internet, but he could find no information about the founder of Rhine Cat, himself, or MX Company – nothing.

As for the origin of the Rhine Cat, there were many claims, but none of them were correct.

Lin Xian was quite annoyed at the time.

But later, he came to understand… the span of 600 years was so long that it was normal for himself and MX Company to be forgotten in the annals of history, buried under the dust of time.

So, he accepted that reality as well.

But now.

He was surprised to hear the name MX Company from Big Face Cat, who so confidently claimed that Rhine Cat was the company’s mascot!

This meant that… in ‘The Second Dreamland’, the history and fate related to MX Company had also undergone a “Temporal Flux.”

“`

Lin Xian speculated that perhaps because the Rhein Brand had obtained authorization from Professor Xu Yun and was very successful, MX Company leaped to become a world-leading cosmetics giant.

Therefore, one can imagine that Rhein Brand’s cosmetics might have been popular worldwide for several hundred years, and naturally, the Rhein Cat would have been famous for hundreds of years as well.

It’s even very possible that girls around the world are still using Rhein Brand’s cosmetics, and MX Company hasn’t gone bankrupt even now!

“Brother Lian, is MX Company still around? It hasn’t gone bankrupt, has it?” Lin Xian asked curiously.

“What kind of silly talk is that, little bro?”

Big Face Cat looked at him as if looking at an idiot:

“How could MX Company possibly go bankrupt… it might not even go bankrupt if the Earth was destroyed.”

“So this company must have a history of over 600 years, right?”

“Should be, I’m not too clear on that.” Big Face Cat picked his nose:

“Anyway, it’s certainly one of the most badass companies in the world.”

“Is MX Company still dealing with cosmetics?” Lin Xian continued to ask.

“Are you kidding me?”

Big Face Cat laughed at the question:

“They are a global giant, [New Donghai City was built by MX Company], so what’s with the cosmetics!”

Thud—

Lin Xian stopped in his tracks.

He felt an unusual chill…

“What did you say?”

He stared intently at Big Face Cat:

“You’re saying this steel sci-fi city… New Donghai City, was built by MX Company?”

“Yeah, isn’t that common knowledge?”

Big Face Cat extended his right hand, pointing towards the distant, neon-lit, colorful New Donghai City:

“You see that tallest building in the middle, the one that is the Twin Towers Building, can you see the words written on it?”

Lin Xian followed his gesture.

In the very center of New Donghai City… there stood a Twin Towers Building that was clearly much thicker and larger than all the other tall buildings.

It was so tall that it disappeared into the clouds, its height unfathomable.

But on the waist of the Twin Towers Building…

There shone two enormous, black-and-white, luminous giant LOGOs—two English letters—

[MX]

Lin Xian squinted his eyes.

He was too familiar with the design of these two letters.

He would see them countless times every day at various locations: on the top of the company building, on the backdrop behind the reception desk, on the stickers inside the elevator, on the draft papers in the office… even Lin Xian’s work badge bore these uniquely shaped two letters…

Last time he looked over New Donghai City, it was from the rooftop of Big Face Cat’s home. Because of the angle, the sight of these two letters was completely blocked by the buildings in front, and he hadn’t seen them.

But now, looking over from Lee Cheng’s home, he could clearly see the two giant letters MX emitting a white cold light.

MX

It goes without saying.

The most central, magnificent, and spectacular building in New Donghai City, the Twin Towers Building, must undoubtedly be the headquarters of MX Company.

To be precise, the headquarters of MX Company 600 years in the future.

It was so tall.

So grand.

So imposing.

The Twin Towers seemed to be the Sea-Calming Divine Needle of New Donghai City, firmly anchoring down this colossal behemoth.

Throughout these 600 years…

What kind of change had occurred that allowed a cosmetics company, which was just modestly well-known domestically, to successfully transform into a super giant capable of independently constructing a futuristic sci-fi city and dominating the world?

What is the [history] behind it?

How did it develop to this stage?

This company, which Zhao Yingjun started from scratch and established single-handedly… who controls it now?

Suddenly.

Lin Xian’s eyes widened.

He thought of a catastrophically frightening possibility…

The world of today, the world of 2023, is incomparable to the past.

With the spark of cryonics technology ignited in 2023, humanity officially entered an era of rapidly evolving technology, and no one could predict how the future of technology would develop or how the world would change.

Professor Xu Yun had once optimistically estimated that within two or three years, a hibernation pod capable of reducing life activity efficiency by 90% could be developed…

But human potential is limitless.

Who could be sure?

If one were to go by the most optimistic estimate and the hibernation pod were to be developed successfully soon…

The more Lin Xian thought about it, the more terrified he became, and the colder his back felt.

He looked up…

At the moon in the sky, split in two by a giant black handprint,

At the black right hand that stretched out its index finger, pointing straight up,

Thinking of the First Dreamland where Big Face Cat’s father died tragically beneath a truck, thinking of Xu Yun’s body, torn open in the snow at 00:42 on New Year’s Day,

Thinking of the invitation to the Genius Club that Zhao Yingjun received,

Thinking of the laboratory of Xu Yun, where the white mouse had successfully hibernated for 40 hours and then woke up…

“Brother Lian.”

Lin Xian’s voice was deep as he stared at Big Face Cat:

“[What’s the name of the current president of MX Company?]”