Genius Club

Watching the woman who claimed to be Lin Xian’s boss walk away with a smirk, Su Su felt both frustrated and humiliated. It was clear that the two had teamed up to mess with her, especially that arrogant woman. Since she was Lin Xian’s boss, he obviously wouldn’t dare ask her to play along in a charade. That whole act was her own improvisation, meant to embarrass Su Su!

It made her look ridiculous… like she was jealous over a man! What a joke! Su Su felt as if ants were crawling all over her skin. She had never been so embarrassed.

“She only came up because the first floor of the restaurant was full, and she saw me eating here on the second floor,” Lin Xian explained without prompting. He was introduced to her by Chu Shan He for a blind date. Out of respect for Chu Shan He, Lin Xian felt compelled to clarify. “You had just left, so she didn’t see you and thought I was eating alone. It’s just a coincidence and a misunderstanding, don’t take it to heart.”

“Is she really your boss?” Su Su asked, looking intently at Lin Xian.

“Yeah,” Lin Xian confirmed. “She’s the CEO of MX Company.”

“She’s so young!” Su Su exclaimed. She knew of MX Company—she used their moisturizing cream, which was far superior to the expensive luxury brands she had before. It was a breakthrough in skincare technology. But she never paid attention to business news, and her friends, all spoiled rich girls, didn’t discuss such things. Learning that the CEO of MX Company was about her age was a shock.

“And so pretty.”

“Yes,” Lin Xian agreed. Zhao Ying Jun had stood up for him today, so he felt it was right to praise her a bit. “And she has a great personality. Everyone at our company admires her.”

“Hmph.” Su Su glared at Lin Xian. “Are you trying to say I have a bad personality? You two don’t need to pretend to be nice! Just by looking at you, I can tell there’s something shady going on! Be honest, do you want to mooch off a rich woman?”

Lin Xian chuckled but didn’t respond. People are hard to compare without contrasts, he thought. Before, he thought Chu An Qing had a great personality compared to CC. But now, compared to Su Su, Chu An Qing seemed like an angel with her high emotional intelligence and charm.

Talking to Chu An Qing was always pleasant; she never made anyone uncomfortable. Even when he lied about that sketch, she had covered for him seamlessly. Su Su, on the other hand, was like a firecracker… very hard to get along with. Anyone who married her would have their hands full.

“What’s that look for!” Su Su straightened up, sensing Lin Xian’s disdain. “Are you going to deny it?”

“Hey…” Lin Xian sighed, looking at her helplessly. “Since your father is friends with Chu Shan He, you should know Chu An Qing, right?”

“Of course!” Su Su responded without hesitation. “How could I not know An Qing? I am her—” She stopped abruptly, remembering her sister’s warning not to reveal her true identity to Lin Xian. It was crucial for unfreezing her bank account; she couldn’t mess it up.

“Hm?” Lin Xian looked at Su Su. “Go on, what are you to An Qing?”

“I-I was introduced by her father for this blind date,” Su Su stammered, trying to cover up.

Lin Xian was speechless. “You really are a repeater, repeating exactly what I said.”

“Why did you bring up An Qing?” Su Su quickly changed the subject.

“I just meant that An Qing has a great personality, very likable. You could be friends and chat more.”

Bang!

Su Su slammed her hand on the table. “I’m not short on people who like me! And I warn you, don’t even think about hitting on An Qing, or Chu Shan He will throw you into the river to feed the fish!”

Lin Xian decided there was nothing more to say. He asked, “Are you full?”

“I’m full of anger because of you!”

“Then shall we go home?”

“You!” Su Su was fuming. This blind date had made her feel like a clown from start to finish. She had planned to leave gracefully, but this jerk had dismissed her first.

“If you don’t want to go home yet… we could catch a movie,” Lin Xian suggested.

“Watch a movie? No way! Goodbye!” Su Su grabbed her handbag and stormed out.

Lin Xian sighed inwardly. Blind dates are like opening mystery boxes; no wonder so many people dread them. He followed Su Su downstairs. Outside the restaurant, they walked in opposite directions. Su Su headed to the parking lot, while Lin Xian continued to the street to hail a cab.

“Hmm?” Su Su retraced her steps and looked at Lin Xian. “You’re not driving?”

“I don’t have a car.”

“You don’t have a car!?” Su Su stared at Lin Xian as if he were a caveman discovering fire. “I thought you were the vice president of MX Company! What kind of stingy boss doesn’t even give you a car?”

Seizing the opportunity to turn the tables, Su Su’s confidence soared. “What’s the point of working for such a cheap boss? No fun at all!”

“It’s not so bad…” Lin Xian admitted. “I’m pretty happy.”

“Men without cars are hopeless,” Su Su declared, feeling triumphant. “A car is a man’s face!”

“Whatever you say…” Lin Xian was puzzled by her sudden enthusiasm for cars and started to walk away.

“Hey, don’t go!” Su Su grabbed Lin Xian, pulling him toward the parking lot. “Come on, let me show you my car!”

“No need, really…” Ignoring him, Su Su dragged Lin Xian to a red McLaren. Bang, bang, bang! Su Su proudly patted the McLaren’s carbon fiber body. “How about it? Isn’t my car cool?”

“Yeah, it’s nice,” Lin Xian replied calmly. It was a McLaren Sabre, also known as the Child of the Wind or Ghost Child. Lin Xian knew a lot about cars. This one was very rare, supposedly only 15 in the world. Whether that was true, Lin Xian didn’t know, but this was his first time seeing one in real life. The design was very futuristic, with exaggerated aerodynamic features, including sharp headlights, a large front splitter, and hood grooves. Its aggressive look matched Su Su’s personality.

The McLaren’s price was over 20 million yuan, but with its rarity, the real value was hard to determine. However… Su Su frowned. Lin Xian’s calm reaction didn’t meet her expectations. Most guys would be thrilled or at least surprised by such a car! But this guy was just too calm.

“You don’t know much about cars, do you?” Su Su guessed.

“Why don’t you tell me about it?” Lin Xian smiled.

“This McLaren Sabre has the most powerful twin-turbo V8 engine, with 824 horsepower! It can go from zero to 100 in just 2 seconds!”

“Impressive,” Lin Xian clapped lightly.

“Do you know what that means?” Su Su raised her eyebrows and waved her hand. “Never mind, you wouldn’t understand. Get in!”

“Why?” Lin Xian was confused. “I thought we were just looking at the car?”

“I’ll drive you home!” Su Su volunteered. “And you can experience the car’s performance firsthand! You can’t appreciate it just by looking; you need to feel the acceleration and wind pressure!”

“I’d rather take a cab.”

“Oh, come on! You should seize this opportunity. Most people never even see a car like this!” Practically shoving him, Su Su opened the scissor door and pushed Lin Xian inside.

Resigned, Lin Xian fastened his seatbelt. He had to admit, the interior was top-notch, designed for luxury and speed. But after years of driving dream cars in his sleep, he was immune to the thrill. He just wanted to go home.

Roar!

Su Su started the McLaren Sabre and even lowered the window so Lin Xian could hear the engine’s thunderous roar. “How’s that? Awesome, right?”

“It’s a bit loud. Can you close the window?”

“That’s called engine noise! It’s supposed to be loud! You’re so ignorant.”

Su Su floored the gas pedal, launching the car with a burst of speed! She didn’t even wait for the parking gate to lift, just sped under it thanks to the car’s low profile. She glanced at Lin Xian… nothing! No reaction at all! Didn’t this maneuver deserve some surprise?

Gritting her teeth, Su Su vowed to make him gasp. She turned onto the highway.

“Wait, this isn’t the way to my place. You’re going the wrong way,” Lin Xian reminded her.

“Shut up. There’s too much traffic over there.”

“But what does that have to do with taking me home?” Lin Xian was exasperated. What was she up to?

Roar!

The McLaren’s engine roared as it sped up, heading for the less crowded outskirts. The speedometer climbed rapidly! 120, 140, 180, 200 kilometers per hour! At 200 km/h, the wind outside was like a sharp blade!

Su Su squinted her eyes and glanced at Lin Xian. Now he must be panicking, right?

“Move left,” Lin Xian said lazily, half-asleep, leaning against the window.

“Huh?” Su Su was speechless. Wasn’t he too calm? This was the city highway, and they were going 200 km/h! At 160 km/h, her previous passengers were terrified. And yet, this guy seemed ready to doze off.

However, something more surprising happened! Zoom— Even at 200 km/h, a red car overtook them like a ghost! Its speed was impressive! Both Su Su and Lin Xian were stunned. That car must be going at least 240 km/h! Who was so fearless?

The red car overtook them, then provocatively slowed down, flashing its indicators. Lin Xian recognized it. It was a Ferrari LaFerrari, just like Zhao Ying Jun’s. Seeing the license plate…

“What the heck?” Lin Xian straightened up. What was going on? That Ferrari was Zhao Ying Jun’s! He had driven it in the rain before! Was Zhao Ying Jun not home? She couldn’t have gone back to the office just to take out the Ferrari for a joyride, could she? That was impossible.

Up ahead was a left turn. At 200 km/h, any turn was sharp. Su Su braked hard. But the Ferrari didn’t slow down… it drifted around the corner, tires screeching!

“What the heck!” Both Su Su and Lin Xian exclaimed simultaneously. That driving skill was incredible! Now Lin Xian was sure the Ferrari driver wasn’t Zhao Ying Jun. She didn’t have those skills! Whoever was driving was a master. Who was it?

The Ferrari’s key should be in Zhao Ying Jun’s office drawer. Only he and Zhao Ying Jun knew the code. “Wait!” Lin Xian realized. There was one more person who knew the code! Yellow Finch! The mysterious woman from that rainy night in his office! The person in that Ferrari was likely Yellow Finch!

“Catch up with her!” Lin Xian shouted. He had many questions for Yellow Finch and couldn’t let her get away.

“Don’t tell me what to do! I was going to chase her anyway!!” Su Su, infuriated by the day’s events, floored the gas pedal, following the red Ferrari.

“You’re doing it wrong,” Lin Xian said as Su Su struggled with another turn. “You’re losing speed in the curves. You need to drift to keep up.”

“Shut up!” Su Su was sweating, gripping the wheel tightly as she overtook two cars.

“You can’t overtake like that!” Lin Xian couldn’t help but advise. “You’re slowing down too much! Look at the Ferrari; they’re cutting in smoothly. Why are you driving so cautiously?”

“What are you yelling about!” As the Ferrari pulled further away, Su Su couldn’t take it anymore and slammed her hand on the wheel. “If you think you can do better, go ahead and try!”