Genius Club

Lin Xian blinked in confusion.

“What?”

Just a moment ago, he was an innocent bystander, watching and criticizing the world from a safe distance. And now, all of a sudden, he was part of the scene, right in the thick of it.

What was the girl’s name again?

Xu Yi Yi?

Wait, wasn’t she…?

Wasn’t she Professor Xu Yun’s daughter, the one who had been in a vegetative state?

Lin Xian could still picture it vividly. Back when he went to the hospital to deliver an invitation to Professor Xu Yun, the professor had smiled as he spoke about his daughter, Xu Yi Yi. He said that once the hibernation pod was perfected, in a few years, there might be hope of saving her.

“Lin Xian, if Yi Yi wakes up one day, and you’re still around… could you please look after her for me?”

Lin Xian hadn’t thought much about it then.

He never imagined using the hibernation pod himself. By the time Yi Yi woke up, he figured he’d be long gone. It seemed more likely she’d be visiting his grave, placing incense, rather than him taking care of her.

After Professor Xu Yun passed away, Lin Xian and Zhao Ying Jun took on the responsibility for Yi Yi’s medical care. They kept up her treatment and paid for her growing medical bills.

When her condition worsened, and her life was hanging by a thread, Lin Xian, along with her doctors, decided to put her in the second-generation hibernation pod at the Science Institute as one of the new batch of volunteers.

When Yi Yi entered the pod, she was a frail, skeletal girl—all skin and bones. But now, the girl being pinned down by the Bionic Police… she looked so different. She was slim, yes, but healthy, agile, and very much alive.

Was this really…?

Could this be the same Yi Yi that Professor Xu entrusted to him? The same Yi Yi he had once visited in the hospital?

Lin Xian moved closer, glancing at her face.

To be honest, she looked nothing like the unconscious, fragile girl he remembered from that hospital bed.

But that didn’t mean anything.

Back then, she had been little more than skin and bones, her features lost in the sickness. And now, with the Bionic Police holding her down and her struggling beneath them, Lin Xian couldn’t get a proper look.

But still… he couldn’t just do nothing.

Professor Xu had been so good to him—giving Lin Xian exclusive authorization for chemical research, and even destroying all his own manuscripts to protect him from the Seven Deadly Sins, leaving them with no evidence against him. Lin Xian always felt guilty about Professor Xu’s death.

With all those emotions stirring inside him…

How could he just stand by now and pretend not to see?

“No way,” Lin Xian thought to himself. “Whether she’s really Professor Xu’s daughter or not, I have to help her first. I’d never forgive myself if I let Professor Xu down.”

He quickly made a plan.

Two bionic police officers were restraining Yi Yi. One was a male officer in plain clothes, tasked with verifying identities and taking down scores—he had no extra equipment. The other was a female officer in full uniform, decked out with police gear. Most importantly, she had a gun at her hip. Her eyes glowed red, and she was already in combat mode, the holster open, ready to draw her weapon.

Opportunity.

With the holster already open, it was the perfect chance for Lin Xian to grab the gun.

In the real world, he’d never dare. But in this dream world?

Who’s afraid of who?

Lin Xian kept walking, acting like an innocent bystander, strolling casually past the female officer. Then—in a heartbeat!

Quick as lightning, Lin Xian grabbed the gun from her hip, unlocked it, loaded it, and aimed—all in one fluid second.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

He fired four shots, each bullet aimed at the glowing red circles of the bionic officers’ eyes.

Lin Xian’s shooting skills had never let him down. Every shot was precise, fast, on target. The two bionic officers didn’t even have time to react before sparks flew, and their heads jerked back.

Lin Xian aimed for their eyes instead of their foreheads for a reason.

With bionic models, it’s impossible to tell where their control chips are hidden. They aren’t human, so there’s no reason to place the most fragile part of them in their heads. A safer spot would be somewhere in the chest.

If that were the case, even a shot to the forehead wouldn’t do much damage—it wouldn’t affect their combat ability. But shooting their eyes—their cameras—that was a different story.

Sure enough, the two officers’ heads jerked backward, and they began swiveling around like headless flies.

“Run!” Lin Xian grabbed Yi Yi by the arm and bolted.

But then he saw it—more bionic officers were coming, their eyes glowing blue. They were approaching from every direction.

“This way! Follow me!” Yi Yi yanked herself free from Lin Xian’s grip, ran back to the fallen officer, and snatched the metal name tag from her chest, shoving it into her pocket. She picked up a smiley face mask from the ground, quickly putting it on, and then grabbed Lin Xian’s hand, pulling him away from the road.

As they ran, she shouted over her shoulder:

“Thanks! Thanks for saving me!”

“No problem,” Lin Xian replied, vaulting over obstacles effortlessly to keep up.

“Where are we going? Do you know a place we can hide?” he asked.

“Yeah!” Yi Yi called back, her smiley mask turned toward him.

“You didn’t come in through the sewers?”

Lin Xian shook his head.

“I was just wandering. I got lost.”

“No wonder,” Yi Yi muttered, hopping over a low wall and waiting for him.

For a parkour master like Lin Xian, the height was nothing. He swung himself over with ease, landing lightly beside her.

“Nice moves,” Yi Yi said, her voice sincere.

“Thanks,” Lin Xian replied calmly.

“But…” Yi Yi tilted her head at him. “Why aren’t you wearing a mask? Running around without one—committing crimes in the city without a mask—that’s just plain unprofessional.”

“…” Lin Xian had no answer.

He hadn’t intended to commit any crimes. He simply couldn’t ignore Professor Xu’s dying request.

Though his rescue might not be heroic, it was, at the very least, an act of kindness.

“Forget it. You’re hopeless,” Yi Yi said dismissively.

“From now on, you’ll be under my wing.”

“Huh?” Lin Xian chuckled.

“Are you serious? I’m the one who saved you, remember?”

“Here, just being good at fighting isn’t enough,” Yi Yi said, her eyes—visible through her mask—filled with determination. “No matter how strong you are, you can’t take on all the bionic officers. No matter how fast you are, if you don’t know the escape routes, you’ll get caught sooner or later.”

Lin Xian had to admit she had a point. As someone new to the Eighth Dream, he definitely needed someone who knew the ropes.

“Don’t worry,” Yi Yi said confidently, patting his shoulder. “You’re my first underling. I’ll look after you.”

“Oh, really?” Lin Xian laughed.

“It’s true! But first, I need to get you a mask. You’re way too vulnerable like this,” Yi Yi insisted. “Even if the bionic officers can’t scan identities in real time, street cameras are sharp. If they spot a fugitive with negative points, they’ll sound the alarm right away.”

Yi Yi looked around and spotted a group of kids playing in a sandbox, each with a plastic cartoon mask on the back of their head. Without hesitation, she dashed over, grabbed a mask off a little boy, and tossed it to Lin Xian.

“Run!” she shouted.

Lin Xian was stunned by her audacity. Really? Were all the gangs here this tough?

He didn’t have time to think as the boy started wailing, attracting the attention of nearby bionic officers, whose eyes flashed yellow as they moved toward them. Lin Xian followed Yi Yi, leaping over another low wall.

“How many points do you lose for making a kid cry?” he asked, amused.

“No points for kids under six,” Yi Yi replied, not even looking back.

“Nice,” Lin Xian said, nodding. “Cool.”

“Put on the mask already!” Yi Yi urged.

Lin Xian glanced at the mask. Wow… what a coincidence. It was a Rhine Cat mask! Though not one of his designs, it was unmistakably Rhine Cat. It seemed his creation had left a mark on this world.

Lin Xian obediently put on the mask, adjusted it, and continued following Yi Yi.

Yi Yi knew the city like the back of her hand. She moved effortlessly, climbing and leaping as if she were at home. Soon, Lin Xian was utterly lost. He had tried to memorize the route at first, but eventually gave up.

Finally, Yi Yi reached a manhole cover. She hooked her fingers into the holes and lifted it.

“Jump down!” she called. “There’s no ladder, but the water’s shallow—it won’t go past your waist. Just jump!”

Big Sister had spoken, and Lin Xian jumped without hesitation.

Splash. He landed in a stinky sewer.

It reeked, but at least it was a rainwater drain rather than a septic system. The sewer was spacious, with three or four meters of headroom. The planners had thought ahead. Above the rushing water, there was a walkway about half a meter higher.

Lin Xian waded through the water, climbing onto the narrow walkway. Yi Yi swung down after him, letting the manhole cover close with a heavy thud.

“Alright,” Yi Yi said, wringing out her pants. “We’re safe now. Those bionic officers are too dumb to follow us down here.”

“They’re mainly for patrols, catching minor offenders, and deducting points… In actual combat, they’re pretty useless,” she added.

Lin Xian paused, wondering aloud, “If they’re that weak, why were you…?”

“Today was different!” Yi Yi huffed. “Usually, we get into the city through manholes with ladders and leave through ones without them. That’s just how it works. Remember that.”

Lin Xian nodded. It seemed like Big Sister was teaching him the ways of the world.

“What should I call you?” he asked.

“Yi Yi’s fine,” she said, extending her hand for a high-five. “And you?”

“Lin Xian,” he replied, slapping her hand.

“Alright, let’s go,” Yi Yi said, turning and leading him down a passage. “We need to get out of the city first.”

Lin Xian followed, curiosity growing.

“Yi Yi, I have a lot of questions for you,” he said.

“Ask away,” Yi Yi replied cheerfully. “You’re my little brother now. I’ll tell you everything I know.”

Lin Xian studied her silhouette in the dark—familiar, yet strange.

“Did you…” He hesitated. “Did you come from the past? Before hibernation?”

“Huh?” Yi Yi stopped and turned to look at him.

“How did you know? Could you just tell by looking at me?” She nodded, her tone turning serious.

“You’re right. I woke up from hibernation. This is my sixth year since waking up. If you count my actual age, I should be nineteen.”

“Do you remember anything from before?” Lin Xian asked.

Yi Yi shook her head.

“No. I don’t remember anything. The medical records say I was in a vegetative state before hibernation, so I guess it’s impossible for me to remember anything.”

“I don’t have any memory of being in a vegetative state. When I woke up here, I was healthy. With the help of meds and nutrition, I recovered quickly.”

Lin Xian sighed quietly. It was confirmed. Yi Yi was indeed Professor Xu Yun’s daughter. During their escape, Lin Xian had studied her closely and noticed the similarities. Her eyes, her face—they resembled her father’s in so many ways, especially her nose and cheeks.

He hadn’t expected to meet someone from home in such a place, so far from everything familiar.

But above all, he was genuinely happy. Happy to see Yi Yi alive, healthy, vibrant—really, truly happy. He was glad for her, and glad for Professor Xu Yun.

He could still remember how pale and skeletal she looked in the hospital bed, and how much it had hurt to see her that way. But now, seeing her so alive brought him a sense of comfort, as if he had managed to do right by Professor Xu—as if somewhere, Professor Xu might be smiling, his spirit at peace. His hopes and efforts had finally borne fruit in his daughter.

At the same time, though, Lin Xian couldn’t shake off a certain unease.

Sure, Yi Yi was full of life—but perhaps a bit too much life? He wouldn’t call her a bad kid, but she certainly wasn’t the obedient little girl Professor Xu had imagined.

She could sneak through sewers into the city, fight bionic officers, steal, and swipe masks from kids without a second thought.

He couldn’t help feeling that maybe she’d gone a bit astray. Not that he was old-fashioned or anything, but Professor Xu had asked him to look after her, and now… well, he wasn’t sure if this was what the professor had in mind.

“Yi Yi, do you really not remember anything from before?” he asked. “Do you remember your parents at all?”

“Nope.” Yi Yi shook her head, her pace quickening. “I don’t remember anything. Maybe some people kept journals or video logs, but I was in a vegetative state. I never had that chance.”

“As for my parents, I’m sure they went through a lot to put me in the hibernation pod. I’m grateful, but I don’t remember them. There’s nothing I can do about it.”

Yi Yi’s words left Lin Xian quiet. She was right. Her mother, Professor Xu’s wife, had died in childbirth. Yi Yi had never met her mother. And even if she did have memories, they’d be fleeting—just a shadow of a name, a figure that had never really been there. Any memories of her father would be from before she turned four, and those had faded over time.

“Is there any way to restore memories here in Donghai City?” Lin Xian asked. “Maybe some sort of neural stimulation helmet or something?”

“No way!” Yi Yi laughed. “If it were that easy, you’re dreaming too much.”

Lin Xian chuckled, shaking his head. It seemed the technology hadn’t made it here—neural stimulation helmets weren’t a thing. Maybe it was Emperor Gao Wen’s fault, or perhaps Du Yao had played a role.

He thought of Du Yao—even Emperor Gao Wen acknowledged that without Du Yao, humanity wouldn’t have made major breakthroughs in neural science for hundreds of years.

“So…” Lin Xian looked around the dark, empty sewer. “Where are we going now?”

“To meet the Godfather,” Yi Yi replied, as if it were obvious.

“What?” Lin Xian nearly laughed aloud.

He felt like he had stepped into a scene from an old Hollywood movie. All that was missing was Marlon Brando muttering in his gravelly voice: “You don’t even think to call me Godfather.”

And now, Yi Yi was talking about a Godfather.

“Are you talking about, like, a mafia boss?” Lin Xian asked.

“Exactly,” Yi Yi nodded, her tone serious. “There’s only one Godfather, and he’s respected by everyone. Don’t tell me you’ve never heard of him—unless you’re from another planet.”

“Well, let’s just say I’m an alien,” Lin Xian said honestly. “So, who’s the Godfather?”

Yi Yi stopped and turned to Lin Xian, her expression solemn.

“Lin Xian, calling the Godfather by his name like that is extremely disrespectful.”

“Do I need to kiss his hand or something?” Lin Xian joked.

“No, nothing like that.” Yi Yi crossed her arms, her voice softening. “But you do need to show him respect. He’s a great person. What he’s doing is going to change everything—the world, the future. All of us dream of working for him.”

Lin Xian narrowed his eyes.

Change the world, reshape the future…

Was she serious?

“What does the Godfather want to do?” he asked, genuinely curious.

Yi Yi smiled beneath her mask, admiration shining in her eyes.

“The Godfather wants to use a time-space machine,” she said, her voice filled with conviction, “to send an assassin back in time—to stop the person who ruined everything. He wants to change the future!”