Genius Club

Lin Xian quietly observed Zheng Cheng He from a corner of the room.

To be honest, Lin Xian had always felt uncertain about Zheng Cheng He, who seemed strong yet kind. He couldn’t understand why Yellow Finch had deliberately led him to the hospital that one time. Initially, Lin Xian thought it was a hint that Zheng Cheng He was responsible for the deaths of Xu Yun and Tang Xin. But later, Zheng Xiang Yue told him her brother had been with her the entire evening of New Year’s Eve, even giving her a gift at midnight.

It was impossible for one person to be in two places at the same time without the power to teleport. This meant Zheng Cheng He couldn’t have been at the hospital and also involved in the accident that killed Xu Yun. So, Lin Xian no longer considered him a suspect. Yet, now, Zheng Cheng He’s sudden shift to a night job driving made Lin Xian question his true motives.

Was it a deliberate move or just a coincidence? Lin Xian wasn’t sure. But one thing was clear: whether Zheng Cheng He was guilty or not, this wasn’t the moment to confront him. Lin Xian was using this opportunity to draw out Ji Xin Shui, Ji Lin, and Zhou Duan Yun. Arresting Zheng Cheng He prematurely would be pointless. Ji Lin was clever enough to have cleared any traceable evidence. Even if they found something incriminating on Zheng Cheng He, the others would likely escape, leaving him to take the fall, and the trail would go cold.

Furthermore, Zheng Cheng He’s sister was currently hospitalized. Whether he was the culprit or not, he wasn’t going anywhere. That confrontation could wait. Lin Xian couldn’t let anything disrupt his plan tonight.

“Take care,” Lin Xian finally said in a low voice. He grabbed his coat, gave Zheng Cheng He a reassuring pat on the shoulder, and left the hospital room.

He hoped he wouldn’t run into Zheng Cheng He at tonight’s crime scene. Despite everything, he didn’t hold any bad feelings toward him or his sister; in fact, he felt a degree of sympathy. Zheng Xiang Yue idolized her brother, seeing him as her hero. Discovering he was a murderer would devastate her more than her own health issues.

“Please don’t let it be you, Zheng Cheng He,” Lin Xian whispered to himself as he exited the hospital, climbed into his Ferrari, and drove away from Donghai University’s affiliated hospital.

Tonight was crucial. It was a direct confrontation between him and Ji Lin. The task force had suggested bringing in extra officers from other departments to monitor the scientists, but Lin Xian had declined, fearing it would expose their plan.

If Ji Lin sensed the trap because too many of his associates were under watch, he might not proceed with his next move. And without that, how would they catch him?

Lin Xian was confident in his safety; he had a good grasp of his adversary’s habits and tactics and had identified key players. He believed their current approach was bold but necessary. “We can’t hide anymore,” he thought as he flicked on his Ferrari’s headlights and sped onto the highway. “Let’s face this head-on.”

Midnight came, and the Donghai Public Security Bureau was a ghost town; all its members were deployed in the field.

“Group A is in position. The barrier is up.”

“Group B has eyes on the target in the banquet hall.”

Alone, Lin Xian listened to the updates crackling over the walkie-talkie. He had no official duties tonight, just to remain on standby—a role that suited him just fine as the clock approached the hour.

As the clock struck twelve, Lin Xian decided it was time to move. He left the office, jumped into the Ferrari parked outside, and drove off into the night, gripping the steering wheel tightly as he headed to where Academician Leon was expected to be. He had memorized every detail of the venue’s layout. All he needed to do was wait at a strategic spot and catch the culprits in action.

Lin Xian wasn’t concerned about Leon’s safety; the man was no innocent bystander and was deeply entangled with Ji Lin. Whether Leon survived the night or not, Lin Xian was more interested in the driver, the one assigned to execute the hit. In previous cases, the drivers had vanished without a trace after completing their tasks. This time, he was determined to follow the car himself, confident in his unmatched driving skills.

“I’ve never lost a chase,” he thought, feeling the car’s engine hum under his touch. Tonight, he would ensure the driver didn’t get away.

At 00:40, Lin Xian checked his watch. At the venue’s side door, a group of men laughed and chatted before dispersing. Three returned inside, two split off at the entrance. One headed toward the parking lot while the other checked his watch, lit a cigarette, and strolled towards the crosswalk.

Lin Xian squinted at his rearview mirror, trying to make out the figure. It was hard to see clearly, but the silhouette—chubby and bald—looked a lot like Leon.

Checking his watch again, it was 00:41.

Leon moved across the crosswalk slowly, his head bowed, taking deliberate steps while puffing on his cigarette. Then, unexpectedly, he stretched upwards, the cigarette held aloft as if marking the completion of a task.

In that moment, a taxi, its lights ominously off, bolted out of the darkness and struck Leon. The impact sent him flying through the air before he landed with a heavy thud. Blood pooled around him as the taxi, moving at breakneck speed, didn’t slow down at the intersection.

As the taxi and Lin Xian’s Ferrari narrowly missed each other, his training in the dream world paid off. His sharp eyes caught a clear glimpse of the taxi driver’s face through the open window. The driver wore a mask, sunglasses, and a hat—the same disguise used by the person who had killed Xu Yun.

The taxi sped away, and Lin Xian’s Ferrari roared to life, headlights blazing as he chased after the speeding vehicle. Lin Xian pressed the accelerator to the floor, the Ferrari’s engine growling as it weaved through the streets, rapidly gaining on the taxi. It was a high-speed chase through the outskirts of Donghai City, with both vehicles flouting traffic rules and zooming through the empty roads.

Lin Xian kept his Ferrari right on the taxi’s tail, waiting for the perfect moment to make a move. The performance gap between the two vehicles was evident, making Zhou Duan Yun’s previous claim of losing the vehicle seem implausible. Lin Xian was determined not to let the taxi disappear; he was convinced that Ji Lin’s team had a method for making their getaway cars vanish without a trace.

Meanwhile, in a Japanese-style house in Kagawa Prefecture, Japan, Ji Lin ended a phone call and sat silently. Zhou Duan Yun watched him, curious about his next move.

Finally, Ji Lin took a deep breath and stood, glancing at an ukiyo-e painting on the wall. “A red Ferrari is chasing Gluttony,” he remarked.

Zhou Duan Yun chuckled. “LaFerrari, right? That’s Lin Xian’s boss’s car. Can we conclude now? If Lin Xian hadn’t anticipated this incident, why would he be there alone in advance?”

“That’s exactly the issue,” Ji Lin responded softly. “Why would he come alone? It’s not logical.”

“Why does it matter?” Zhou Duan Yun paced the room, the tatami mats creaking under his steps. “If it’s clear he can predict the future and alter events, we should just kill him! Set off the bomb in the taxi and take out both Gluttony and Lin Xian!”

“No,” Ji Lin said, shaking his head. “Lin Xian has to die at 00:42 in a car crash. Pride stressed this repeatedly.”

“Are you fools? Or do you think Lin Xian is a fool?” Zhou Duan Yun scowled. “He knows our patterns so well he’s setting traps for us! Do you really think he’ll let you kill him at exactly 00:42?”

Ji Lin gave a small smile, looking at Zhou Duan Yun. “Would you dare to defy Pride?”

“Why not?”

“Then do it,” Ji Lin offered his phone to Zhou Duan Yun. “Call this number, and the bomb under Gluttony’s car will go off. Given their proximity, both Lin Xian and Gluttony will be killed. Go ahead.”

He held out the phone again.

Zhou Duan Yun hesitated, his expression tense, but he didn’t take the phone. “Ji Lin…” he said through clenched teeth, “You really are just Ji Xin Shui’s loyal puppet!”

“And what about you?” Ji Lin countered, staring at Zhou Duan Yun. “What are you, Zhou Duan Yun? In my eyes, you’re just a deceitful coward.”

Bang!

Zhou Duan Yun kicked over the tea table. “I’m not the person I used to be!”

“The current you?” Ji Lin scoffed. “You’re only alive because of Pride’s mercy. Without Pride, you’re nothing.”

“You spit back your bitterness from childhood here, repaying kindness with betrayal, all because Pride felt pity for you.”

The room fell silent except for the sound of tea soaking into the tatami and Zhou Duan Yun’s heavy breathing, which echoed like a malfunctioning bellows.

“Don’t underestimate me, Ji Lin,” Zhou Duan Yun said sharply, pointing at Ji Lin. “I’m not inferior to any of you! Never have been! You all just got lucky, born into decent families with money! Your easy lives are just due to good fortune, not your efforts!”

“You grew up without worries, supported by your parents. You could write because you had books! Lin Xian had friends because his confidence came from his family’s status. He could afford to treat friends and buy gifts!”

“Do you think all these are your accomplishments? Nonsense! You were just luckier, born into better circumstances!”

Ji Lin smirked, unfazed. “At least you still have a mother. I lost both my parents.”

“Who took you in, Ji Lin?” Zhou Duan Yun laughed bitterly. “It was Pride! Ji Xin Shui, wealthy as he is, adopted you! If my mother had adopted you, with her feeding you peanuts every day, wearing worn-out clothes and shoes, too embarrassed to join gym class because everyone laughed at you… what would you have written then?”

“So, you have no right to look down on me,” Zhou Duan Yun said fiercely, sliding the door open and turning back to glare at Ji Lin. “If you had lived my life, you might not have done as well as I did.”