Genius Club

Yellow Finch.

Lin Xian eyed the woman who had approached him so quietly. She always had a way of appearing mysteriously at the most unexpected times. Was she walking silently like a ghost? Or perhaps, she had calculated his movements and decided to wait for him? The idea sent a shiver down his spine.

Lin Xian quickly realized there was a pattern to Yellow Finch’s unexpected appearances—they all somehow involved Zhao Ying Jun. Their first encounter was during the New Year’s Eve banquet hosted by the Donghai Chamber of Commerce, on the same night Zhao Ying Jun had shared the office password with him. The second encounter was less direct; it happened while he was on a blind date with Su Su at a restaurant, where Zhao Ying Jun had briefly appeared before leaving abruptly. And now, their paths crossed again, right after his discussions about collaborating with Donghai University—a project Zhao Ying Jun was deeply involved in and fully aware of.

The connections were puzzling. What exactly was the link between Yellow Finch and Zhao Ying Jun? If Yellow Finch was a time traveler, as he suspected, and a future version of Zhao Ying Jun, why did they look so different? Yet, if they weren’t connected, why did they share such similar vibes?

With these thoughts swirling in his head, Lin Xian confronted her directly. “Are you Zhao Ying Jun?” he asked.

Yellow Finch paused, her eyes lowering slightly as she offered a small, mysterious smile. “Sorry, Lin Xian. I’m not here to answer your questions today. It’s not that I don’t want to, but I can’t. So, don’t ask me anything. If I could tell you, I would have already.”

She continued, “To this day, you still don’t understand the concept of time elasticity. This progress is slower than I expected. But fortunately, it doesn’t seem too far off.”

As she spoke, Liu Feng, Lin Xian’s colleague, squeezed in front of him, eyeing Yellow Finch intently. “What do you mean by what you just said? Can we really find a reference point outside of our time?”

Yellow Finch replied, “That’s impossible. From the perspective of the reference frame, anything that appears in our time has entered our observable reference system. No matter where it comes from, once it arrives here, it must follow the rules of this universe, based on the current Planck Constant.”

Yet, she smiled, leaving her statement hanging in the air without a clear answer. “Liu Feng, you need to think about this yourself. You’re very smart. Even if I didn’t tell you today, you’d figure it out soon. You are the scientist closest to the truth of the Universal Constant in the world. In this regard, you are even closer to the truth than Einstein.”

“Today, you have faced much denial but also received much affirmation from Lin Xian. Right and wrong are always contentious. Who can determine the real right or wrong before everything is settled?”

“So, I think you don’t need to worry too much about right and wrong. Just continue your research based on your own ideas and thoughts. One day, you will find the answer you seek.”

Liu Feng furrowed his brow, slightly confused. Yellow Finch’s words flowed smoothly and sounded reasonable at first, but upon closer analysis, it seemed like she hadn’t really answered his question at all.

“Look, Lin Xian,” Liu Feng said, turning to his friend. “This means my time clock theory is correct. At least from a theoretical and design perspective, it’s not wrong. I just didn’t calibrate my level curvature coordinates correctly.”

Lin Xian could only offer a wry smile. Yellow Finch was always like this, never providing clear answers. Trying to decipher her words could lead to a dead end, as Zheng Cheng He had found out the hard way. His interpretations of Yellow Finch’s cryptic hints had led to outcomes vastly different from what he had expected.

So now, Lin Xian decided not to overanalyze her words. Right or wrong, he had his own judgment to rely on. Even without Yellow Finch, he could have uncovered the cat-and-mouse game; even without her, he could have noticed Zheng Cheng He’s peculiarities; even without her, he would have learned about the Genius Club from Ji Lin’s conversations.

Suddenly, a realization struck Lin Xian, and his eyes widened. Wait a minute. He had overlooked a crucial detail!

“Not affecting the original trajectory of history and the future.”

This was a significant clue. Reflecting on Yellow Finch’s repeated emphasis on “I can’t say,” along with discussions of time laws and elasticity… could it be? Was she indeed a time traveler bound by certain laws of time, preventing her from revealing information that would alter the predetermined course of history and the future to avoid a time paradox?

In the world of theoretical time travel, the famous “grandfather paradox” loomed large—it posited that if you traveled back in time and killed your grandfather, you would cease to exist, creating an unsolvable loop. This paradox led many physicists to dismiss the possibility of time travel as logically impossible and unrealistic.

If time travel were real, and someone did go back and alter their grandfather’s fate, theoretically, their own existence should be simultaneously erased. They wouldn’t exist in the future to travel back in time and initiate the change—an endless loop indeed.

But what if…

As Lin Xian pondered, he thought about the possibility of a rule in the time laws that prohibited time travelers from interfering with history—similar to how Yellow Finch seemed constrained. In this era, not only was she limited in what she could reveal, but perhaps also in what she could do. This included drastic actions like altering her own history.

At first glance, this theory seemed reasonable. However, deeper contemplation revealed flaws. How could anyone, especially a time traveler, exist without influencing history? Even if Yellow Finch avoided major disruptions, her presence alone—the flutter of her high heels, perhaps accidentally stepping on countless ants—would still cause ripples, no matter how minor.

Despite Yellow Finch’s reserve, her mere mention of the Genius Club had given Lin Xian a distinct advantage. It was undeniable; she had impacted history and, for her, what was yet to come.

This realization led Lin Xian to another thought.

To some extent.

Could this “extent” be what she referred to as elasticity?

Elasticity!

Time elasticity!

“Within elasticity…” Lin Xian mused, stroking his chin thoughtfully. “Does that mean within a certain range, actions and words are permissible, but beyond that, they’re forbidden? Unless, of course, this elasticity can be stretched or altered entirely?”

So, what would happen if someone forcefully acted beyond this elasticity, changing the course of history and the future in a significant way?

Lin Xian glanced at Yellow Finch, who continued to smile silently, her demeanor cautious and deliberate. Perhaps this suggested that overstepping these boundaries would come at a great cost, too immense to bear, making it unthinkable to defy these time laws. Or maybe, at a fundamental level, such laws simply couldn’t be violated.

But then, what about himself?

This theory, when he applied it to his own experiences, didn’t quite fit. He had altered history countless times. The world 600 years in the future seemed like a set of building blocks in his hands, constantly toppling and being rebuilt. One moment it was a slum, the next a towering sky city; one moment the hibernating father’s name was Mike, the next it was Xu…

History, the future, time itself—they all seemed like toys in his hands.

Could it be…

Because he wasn’t a time traveler, he wasn’t bound by these time laws?

It was hard to say. Lin Xian wasn’t certain if his actions classified him as a time traveler. He certainly didn’t feel omnipotent, above the laws of time. In reality, he had often been caught off-guard by the butterfly effects of time, the repercussions echoing painfully, the shadow of the aluminum alloy safe a constant reminder.

Lin Xian raised his gaze to meet Yellow Finch’s bright blue eyes. “Since you’re not going to answer our questions or tell us anything useful, what are you here for today? To increase elasticity? Or to change it?”

However…

Yellow Finch continued to smile, silent yet her eyes hinted at a trace of approval, as if he was finally starting to understand.

“This is something you should consider,” she suggested cryptically.

As usual, she deflected the question and didn’t provide a clear answer. Then, she reached into the pocket of her brown coat, pulling out a folded piece of paper which she placed on the nearby lab table.

“If you figure out what to do, come to this place and find me. I will help you,” she offered, then briskly walked towards the door. “Oh, by the way.”

She paused, turning back to Lin Xian with a knowing smile. “I forgot to congratulate you on winning the game of hide and seek. You played quite beautifully.”

“That’s not something worth celebrating,” Lin Xian responded flatly. In the cat-and-mouse game they played, many lives were lost—both innocent and guilty. The true mastermind behind Ji Xin Shui still lurked in the shadows. He didn’t feel victorious, nor did he think it was a beautiful win.

If he couldn’t capture the real brains behind Ji Xin Shui; if he couldn’t uncover the true motives and nature of the Genius Club; the blood-soaked history of the past 600 years would never truly end. Whether it was the stagnation of technology, the towering walls dividing the world, or debris falling from thousands of feet, the scars of history would remain unhealed.

He still couldn’t accept that an organization, which had remained hidden for 600 years and even left its mark on the moon, was inherently benevolent. Self-proclaimed righteousness was one thing, but Lin Xian doubted their actions had truly benefited humanity or the world.

The atrocities committed under the banner of progress, the tragic consequences of radiation diseases in the future world—the Genius Club couldn’t be oblivious to these. Their inaction, their allowance of such events to unfold, didn’t strike him as righteousness, no matter their justifications.

Since his last encounter with Yellow Finch, months had passed. Lin Xian felt his perspective and thoughts had significantly evolved. That terrifying night in Zhao Ying Jun’s office, he had been confused, hesitant, lost, and fearful. Now, he was determined to grow stronger, to unearth the hidden hands of history and expose them to the light!

“It’s too early for congratulations,” Lin Xian told Yellow Finch firmly. “Wait until I take down the Genius Club, then you can congratulate me.”

“That’s exactly what I wanted to tell you,” Yellow Finch responded, her bright blue eyes shimmering with a mysterious glow. “Look in the mirror more often, Lin Xian. In the mirror… there are things you want to see.”