Genius Club

“Lin Xian?”

The old woman, her hair completely white, stared at him with shock and confusion. She squinted, examining his face closely, and suddenly, recognition lit up her eyes.

Both of her pistols slipped from her hands and clattered to the floor. She took a slow step forward, her wrinkled hands reaching out to hold Lin Xian’s face gently. Tears filled her eyes.

“You… you’re Lin Xian. But… how are you still alive? I even went to your funeral!”

Her voice trembled with emotion. “And… why do you look so young? When you died, you looked just like this. Why haven’t you aged? Am I dreaming?”

As she stepped into the moonlight, Lin Xian finally got a good look at her face. Though unfamiliar, something in her eyes seemed familiar—sharp and unique, like those of Middle Eastern descent.

“Angelica?” Lin Xian guessed cautiously. He didn’t have many foreign friends, and Angelica was the only one who came to mind. She was known as Lust, the last of the Seven Deadly Sins, a chameleon actress from Hollywood.

Once he thought of her, he couldn’t help but notice how much she resembled the Angelica he remembered. Despite her raspy, aged voice, her tone was still the same as in 2024. She was the only one who had ever called him “boy.”

“It’s me!” Angelica’s emotions were overwhelming. “You still remember me, Lin Xian! You remember me! If this isn’t a dream… then what’s going on?”

Lin Xian turned to CC and signaled her to lower her guard and put down her dagger. He hadn’t expected the Queen to be someone he knew—someone who hadn’t forgotten him!

Seeing Angelica break down in tears, Lin Xian didn’t know how to react. He hadn’t died, and he hadn’t been frozen in time. Clearly, there was a huge gap in their understanding of what had happened. They needed to talk more.

Using his sleeve, he gently wiped away Angelica’s tears. Smiling softly, he asked, “Did you disguise yourself to avoid being recognized?”

Was this another one of the chameleon actress’s performances? But as he touched the warm wrinkles on her face, he noticed there were no black roots in her hair. Her tears weren’t smudging any makeup.

Lin Xian paused for a moment. Angelica had once told him that disguises shouldn’t be exposed to water; otherwise, they’d come apart. Yet, even with tears streaming down her face, nothing was coming off. Suddenly, Lin Xian understood.

This wasn’t one of the chameleon’s tricks. The aging was real. The actress who had dazzled the Oscars and the world had finally succumbed to time.

Her beauty, youth, and the passage of time had caught up with her. Years had taken everything away, leaving only an elderly body and a wrinkled face.

Lin Xian accepted this reality.

Even the ageless witch would age one day.

Thinking back to his visit to Rhine Village, he remembered that the village head, Zheng Xiang Yue, looked even older than Angelica now. If Angelica hadn’t identified herself, Lin Xian wouldn’t have recognized her at all.

Aging, it seemed, was a harsh reality.

Though Lin Xian had seen many elderly people and witnessed the cycle of life and death many times before, this was different.

Just days ago, he had seen them full of youthful energy, and now, in this dream, he saw two elderly women, stumbling in their twilight years.

The stark contrast was a shock to Lin Xian’s senses.

“Angelica,” Lin Xian continued to wipe her tears. When she had calmed down, he asked softly, “What happened over these past few centuries? Can you tell me? My situation is a bit complicated to explain, but I assure you—I am indeed Lin Xian, the real Lin Xian. Perhaps, in your memory, I am already dead… but don’t get too worked up. Just tell me the history as you know it.”

Angelica’s appearance here, and everything she had said, had left Lin Xian stunned. He decided it was best to hear her story first. In the Fifth Dream, after searching for so long, he had finally found someone who knew the truth. And it was an old friend from centuries ago.

Maybe what Angelica had to say would reveal the most accurate version of history.

Angelica nodded. She walked back to a wooden wardrobe and pulled out a notebook sealed in plastic, handing it to Lin Xian.

“This is the source of my memory…”

“To keep my memories intact, I wrote down many notebooks and recorded lots of videos. When I woke up from hibernation on Mars, all these materials were still there, and I got back a lot of my memory.”

“Although they are all fragmented and lack emotion, like scenes from a movie, I still remember things from centuries ago. Anything noted in the journals or videos, I remember.”

“But now, after all these years, I only have this one left. This is… my most cherished and precious one.”

Lin Xian took the notebook and opened it.

Inside, it was filled with handwritten letters from Angelica to her future self. The earlier pages mostly talked about her relationship with Ji Lin, starting from when he was a baby brought in suddenly, growing up, achieving things, and finally meeting his end in Donghai.

After that, there were notes on daily life, then some records involving Lin Xian—like their meetings in the U.S., the kidnapping by Elon Musk, and other events.

She left nothing out.

It was clear that Angelica’s hibernation was carefully planned.

The notebook even detailed many conversations between Lin Xian and herself, including his promise.

The notebook read:

“Lin Xian promised me that he would one day pass the Genius Club’s test, attend their gatherings, and interact with the genius members. He would gather clues, find out who was really behind Ji Lin’s parents’ murder, and then share that information with me, helping me get my revenge. I believe in Lin Xian. He is the only friend Ji Lin ever acknowledged in this world. Since Ji Lin trusted him, I trust him too. No matter how long it takes, I will wait for Lin Xian to give me the answer. But… we agreed on this, and then suddenly, Lin Xian died. What should I do? Can I still wait for the answer?”

Further in, the notes became more about other things unrelated to Lin Xian. At the very end of the notebook, a simple line noted that Angelica planned to enter the hibernation pod in December 2024. She hoped that when she woke up, she would see a beautiful world.

And, she still wished… To have a chance to avenge Ji Lin and Lin Xian.

Reading this, Lin Xian couldn’t help but feel moved. Even though he had no real sense of his death, from Angelica’s perspective, she had attended his funeral. Despite him not being able to keep his promise, she had no resentment. Even after his death, she considered him on the same level as Ji Lin.

Not only did she want revenge for Ji Lin, but she also wanted revenge for him.

Lin Xian sighed.

He didn’t know what to say.

Putting aside all his previous doubts about Angelica, he had to admit she was a brave, loyal, and determined woman. Especially loyal. Just because he was Ji Lin’s friend, she trusted him completely. Because he was Ji Lin’s friend, she thought about avenging him, even as a mere normal woman.

The facts of his supposed death seemed to line up with what Zheng Xiang Yue had mentioned.

Back then, Elon Musk and Zheng Xiang Yue were on the moon, looking at Earth. Zheng Xiang Yue asked Elon Musk if he knew Brother Lin Xian.

Elon Musk clearly did but stayed silent, not answering.

Then Zheng Xiang Yue asked if they could see Brother Lin Xian again in the future.

At that moment, Elon Musk said something interesting, “If the person you want to see is in your heart, then it’s as if you’ve already seen them.”

From that statement, it was easy to guess…

Lin Xian had probably died a long time ago.

Turning to the final page, it was blank.

When Lin Xian looked up, Angelica continued her story:

“It was Elon Musk who convinced me to go into hibernation. He said that after your death, I might also be in danger. For safety’s sake, he suggested I sleep for a while and wake up in a more stable future.”

“Elon Musk promised to wake me at the right time and safe moment. He also assured me that he wouldn’t stop me from getting my revenge. If he ever found out who killed Ji Lin’s parents or who killed you, he would definitely tell me.”

“I thought I’d wake up no later than thirty years or so. To avoid losing my memory, I prepared many notebooks and videos.”

“But to my shock, when I finally woke up, it was hundreds of years later, and not on Earth, but far away on Mars.”

“Of course, it was Elon Musk who woke me up from hibernation. He gave me all the notebooks and videos I had prepared to help me get back my memory.”

“I remember your face from those videos. There were many news reports, articles, photos, and footage of you. That’s how I knew our relationship must have been good.”

So that’s how it was…

Lin Xian understood.

He first thought something magical had happened to Angelica, letting her remember him across centuries. But it turned out to be the hard way—through notebooks and videos.

But that was the only way.

From what happened to Elder Wei Sheng Jin and Zheng Xiang Yue, it seemed even with human advancements on Mars, the side effect of memory loss from hibernation had no solution.

Lin Xian could tell that Angelica had lost most of her memories. Only the things about Ji Lin and his promise to her were important enough for her to document in detail.

As for other past events and memories, she had likely forgotten them long ago.

“And after that?” Lin Xian continued, “What happened when you woke up on Mars? And why are you on Earth now?”

Angelica took a deep breath and continued:

“After I got back my memories, of course, I went to find Elon Musk. I asked him why he woke me so late. It had been hundreds of years… When I learned and accepted everything, I was devastated.”

“You know, my reason for living was to get revenge for you and my brother, Ji Lin… Though, because of memory loss, it doesn’t feel real to me. But I believe in what I wrote, and I’m willing to follow through with it.”

“But after just one sleep, hundreds of years had passed. Who am I supposed to get revenge on now? My enemies are probably all dead by now. I thought maybe Elon Musk had already avenged me, which would make it easier for me to accept.”

“After all, he was the undisputed leader on Mars at that time. And human civilization had long left Earth and moved to Mars. So, it’s no exaggeration to say Elon Musk was the ruler of all humanity then… What couldn’t he do?”

Lin Xian nodded in agreement.

“Then what happened…?”

Angelica sighed and smiled sadly, “I was expecting to hear news of victory, but instead, Elon Musk told me something much worse.”

“He said he had failed.”

“That’s why he woke me up, to protect me, and sent me to the empty Earth.”

Angelica looked out at the bright moonlight and continued:

“Elon Musk didn’t explain much. But I could tell he knew for sure that a huge disaster would hit Earth in 2400… Yes, he knew exactly! He knew in advance! That’s why he moved so many hibernation pods to Mars for safekeeping, including mine.”

“I thought he woke me up to fight alongside him, or as comrades for revenge. But unexpectedly, after hundreds of years, he just told me he had failed and wanted to send me to Earth on a spaceship for my safety.”

“He said Earth would be completely safe. Though the living conditions were worse, it would never be found by enemies. He said he’d make a final attempt, and if he succeeded, he’d come to Earth to get me; if not… he told me to live peacefully on Earth and not think too much.”

…

“Failed? Elon Musk failed?”

Lin Xian was surprised. From what he knew, Elon Musk had won big in the Fifth Dream. Despite everything, his plan to colonize Mars had worked, and Mars had replaced Earth as humanity’s new home.

Elder Wei Sheng Jin had even said that SpaceX, Musk’s company, held absolute power on Mars. Elon Musk’s status was so high that he could be considered the ruler. Even though Musk died decades ago, it was said he died of natural causes.

Could there be another side to the story?

Lin Xian rubbed his chin, deep in thought. “It seems like there are many different versions of what happened over these centuries. It’s hard to say who’s telling the truth or which parts are true or false.”

He continued, “But if Elon Musk hasn’t returned to Earth to find you all these years, maybe he did fail somehow.”

“What you’ve told me is quite surprising. I always thought this future was the one Elon Musk hoped for. Most of his goals and dreams have been realized. So, why did he say he failed in the end?”

Angelica shook her head. “I can’t figure it out either. If someone like him, seen as a savior who led human civilization on Mars, considers that a failure… then what would count as success?”

“I also can’t understand how someone so powerful on Mars could be defeated by anyone.”

“In any case, Lin Xian, that’s how it is. Elon Musk secretly sent me to Earth; no one knew about it, and my name was never made public.”

“Since he never came to get me, I figured he must have faced difficulties or even died. But I couldn’t just sit around and give up, so I had to find a way to survive on Earth, and preferably, gain some strength to protect myself.”

“Elon Musk prepared a lot of books for me when he sent me to Earth. They were very helpful, and I quickly became a local leader, helping the natives build a new home.”

“But it wasn’t all smooth sailing; many things happened along the way. Fortunately, the results were good. See, I eventually established Queen’s Town, began industrial development, and grew stronger. These decades on Earth have just… flown by.”

The now elderly Angelica finished her story.

Meanwhile, Lin Xian managed to piece together the future timeline of the Fifth Dream in his mind:

First, he died sometime before December 2024. Then Angelica, persuaded by Elon Musk, entered a hibernation pod. One reason was to avoid danger; another reason might have been Musk’s plan to have Angelica disappear from that time and wake up in the future to “support the future.”

But something unexpected must have happened later, and plans changed. Musk never woke Angelica from hibernation as planned. Perhaps Musk faced some trouble, or maybe there was always a crisis around him, so for safety, he never woke her up.

Then, in 2400, a massive disaster hit Earth, almost destroying human civilization and making Earth uninhabitable. Decades of war and famine swept across the world. But before that time, Musk was already developing Mars and had moved many hibernation pods there, avoiding the disaster on Earth.

Zheng Xiang Yue and Angelica’s hibernation pods were all kept on Mars, arranged by Musk, no doubt. Although it was Lin Xian who bought Zheng Xiang Yue a ticket to the moon, the final promise was still made by Musk. Since he knew a massive catastrophe would strike Earth in 2400, he would naturally move her away in advance.

After that, Earth was abandoned, and Mars developed rapidly. Everything seemed to go according to Musk’s plan. Yet, for some reason, Musk still believed he had failed. So, almost like leaving a will, he woke up Angelica from the hibernation pod. For safety, he didn’t tell her much but sent the still-young Angelica to Earth to hide.

No place would be safer than the abandoned Earth. Interplanetary transport between Earth and Mars was strictly controlled to one trip every two years. If you dared to visit Earth, you’d have to wait two years to return. This effectively cut off all communication between Earth and Mars. So, if hiding was the goal, Earth would be the safest choice.

According to Angelica, Musk didn’t die of natural causes as Zheng Xiang Yue and Elder Wei Sheng Jin had claimed. Instead, he was murdered or died in some conflict. These conflicts were not out in the open but, like the things Lin Xian was dealing with now, hidden beneath the flow of history and the fog of time.

But there was still one thing Lin Xian found unbelievable. “Who on Mars, where Musk was so powerful, could have killed him so quietly?” he wondered.

On Earth, Musk was just a wealthy tycoon; but on Mars, it was different—he was the ruler of the planet. With such power and influence, could he be overthrown and assassinated, only to have it disguised as dying of old age? It just didn’t seem that simple.

So then, in the established history of the Fifth Dream, could the person who killed Lin Xian and the one who killed Musk be the same?

Lin Xian had a general understanding of this period in history. Now it was time to ask the questions that mattered to him. Looking at Angelica, he asked softly, “Your notebook doesn’t record my death date, but do you remember it? Do you still know the exact day I died?”

Angelica nodded. “It’s true; it’s not in this notebook, but it was recorded in the others. Although I lost the other notebooks while struggling on Earth over the years, I remember your death date very clearly—July 7th, 2024. That’s the day you died.”

Hmm?

Lin Xian was stunned.

2024?

And July 7th?

That soon!?

It’s already late May 2024! Doesn’t that mean, according to history, he only has less than two months left to live?

Lin Xian couldn’t help but take a sharp breath and asked, “So how did I die? A car accident? An accident?”

“No…” Angelica shook her head and closed her eyes. “You were murdered. And… it was brutal…”

“Your head was cut off in one stroke, right at the neck. You died instantly.”