Genius Club

Li Ning Ning stood on solid ground, biting her lip anxiously as she stared up at the mesmerizing Sky City. Suspended in the air and adorned with thousands of twinkling blue lights, the city resembled a celestial wonder. Like everyone around her, Ning Ning had been rooted to the spot for what felt like forever, her neck aching from craning upwards. But the sight was too captivating to look away.

Just two hours earlier, everyone had witnessed three tiny figures leap from an astounding height of twenty thousand meters, plummeting toward Rhine Sky City. This city had gracefully hovered above the Earth for more than two centuries. The crowd gasped, expecting the figures to be obliterated by the city’s formidable crimson lasers. Miraculously, the trio dodged every laser with such precision that they continued their freefall unharmed. Initially, the spectators thought maybe the figures were too high to trigger the city’s defenses. However, as they continued to descend safely, the crowd erupted in cheers:

“They did it! They’ve broken through! That young man was right!”

“Can you believe it? How did he know with such precision? They are all safe!”

“A miracle! This hasn’t happened since Madam Li accidentally found a gap in the defenses years ago, and now, three at once! Their chances of finding the medicine just skyrocketed!”

“The spirits must be looking out for us. Better days are ahead…”

Time seemed to crawl as everyone kept their eyes glued to the sky city through their telescopes. Although they knew it might take some time for the trio to find the medicine and return, the prolonged silence started to feel unsettling. Ning Ning couldn’t help but think about her mother, who had ventured into the sky city years ago and never returned. This thought cast a shadow over her hopeful mood.

Er Zhuzi, his palms sweaty with anxiety, looked up and voiced his concern: “Do you think Brother Cat Face and Ah Zhuang will make it? Can they really pull this off?”

Ning Ning, her eyes never leaving the illuminated city above, nodded. Turning to Er Zhuzi, she said confidently, “If Lin Xian could navigate them through a gap in the defense once, then all his information must be spot on. He assured us the security inside is lax. Once they’re in, they’ll be under the radar. They’ll succeed.”

Clenching her fists, Ning Ning added, “I have faith in Lin Xian.”

Er Zhuzi sighed, shaking his head slightly, “You’re too trusting, Ning Ning. You’ve met Lin Xian only once. How can you be so sure about him? Remember, he had his own agenda when he took them up there. He even made them visit the museum first.”

“But I do trust him,” Ning Ning replied, her eyes resolute. “Lin Xian keeps his promises.”

Suddenly, a deafening boom echoed from above. Everyone’s eyes darted upwards, squinting against the sudden brilliance caused by the explosions of a central fusion engine exploding!

But before they could recover from the initial shock—

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Four more fusion engines erupted one after the other, sending cascades of brilliant blue debris across the sky, resembling a flurry of shooting stars.

Ning Ning’s eyes widened in shock as she watched the massive structure that had stood untouched for two centuries begin to crumble. One by one, the engines exploded, creating a spectacular display of blue fireworks at two thousand meters high.

The explosions triggered a domino effect, transforming the night sky with thousands of fusion fireworks, turning the blue moons into suns, casting reflections in their eyes like fragments of shattered galaxies.

“Big sister! Look at the beautiful fireworks!” cheered a little girl with black sores on her face, tugging at Ning Ning’s clothes and jumping excitedly.

“Yes…” Ning Ning picked up the little girl, allowing her to witness the breathtaking spectacle. She now realized the full extent of what was happening. Touching her right pinky, she could still feel the warmth of that large hand, the gentle promise to bring down this city for her.

“Indeed… beautiful…” Ning Ning’s voice trembled as she forced a smile. Above her, the sky city continued to light up, each explosion a testament to Lin Xian’s promise.

This was no ordinary fireworks display. While some girls might have fireworks on their birthdays or enjoy them with friends at amusement parks, only Ning Ning had someone who would ignite 6,000 fusion engines to illuminate the sky just for her.

As more explosions filled the air, the sky city began its slow descent to the ground. Everyone watched in awe. The sky city, suspended for more than two centuries, was now falling. Only the outermost engines were still operational; with 6,000 engines destroyed, there was not enough thrust to counteract the massive weight of the city.

As Rhine Sky City began its unexpected descent, people from all around converged on the scene, the area aglow with the flash of thousands of cameras and the white glow of mobile phone screens, all eager to capture this historic moment. Meanwhile, inside the city, panic ensued. The airspace was immediately declared a no-fly zone, grounding all aircraft. Security robots, equipped with an array of weapons, swarmed toward the perimeter of the city, not to target the spectators below but to guard the high walls that were soon to crumble.

As the city descended to just 800 meters above the ground, those formidable walls crumbled, revealing the inner workings of the city to the outside world.

The gigantic sky city, now looming like a vast dark cloud, seemed tantalizingly close. In a desperate attempt to control the descent, the last circle of fusion engines worked overtime. Their blue beams intensified to a blinding white, trying to slow the fall.

The altitude dropped rapidly—600 meters, 400 meters, 200 meters, until it was just 50 meters from the ground. The once distant sky city was now almost within reach. Suddenly, the final engines gave out with a spectacular explosion, their force cushioning the city’s last few meters.

BOOM!!!

The massive, continuous roar echoed for several seconds as Rhine Sky City finally made contact with the earth.

Dust billowed into the night air, and the tens of thousands gathered outside the city stood in stunned silence. Despite the city’s slow descent, the impact was monumental. Yet, miraculously, Rhine Sky City remained intact, its buildings unscathed—a testament to the strength of its materials and the robustness of its central control system.

“We are saved!” The cry went up from the crowd, many weeping openly, overcome with relief. Voices rang out, “I need to go too! My illness can be cured now!”

Amidst the excitement, Ning Ning’s little companion wriggled from her arms and ran with the throng toward the now-accessible city. But Ning Ning herself remained rooted to the spot, overwhelmed by the scene she had only ever imagined in her dreams.

Her heart raced, not with fear or simple excitement, but with anticipation as, through the settling dust, a familiar tall figure began to emerge. His face was still obscured, but Ning Ning didn’t need to see it to know who it was—Lin Xian, the man who had promised her an unforgettable display of fireworks, was approaching, with a green glowing trash can trailing behind him.

“Ning Ning,” Lin Xian greeted her warmly, tousling her hair before taking her roughened hand and pressing something soft into her palm. Looking down, Ning Ning saw it was a pouch, worn and lovingly stitched, with the word “Safety” embroidered by her mother’s hand.

“Here, this is yours,” Lin Xian said, wrapping her fingers around the pouch, “This little pouch turned out to be quite magical, thank you.”

“No… no…” Ning Ning shook her head, her voice barely above a whisper, “I didn’t do anything.”

“Your bravery will bring you good fortune,” Lin Xian smiled, his eyes sincere, “The world always needs brave girls like you.”

Just then, through the thinning dust, Big Cat Face shouted, “Ning Ning! Look who I found!”

Heads turned as Big Cat Face, accompanied by Ah Zhuang, hurried forward. With them was a mature, weathered woman. “Sis! Sis!” Er Zhuzi’s voice cracked with emotion as he sprinted toward her.

As the woman came into clearer view, Lin Xian stepped aside, allowing Ning Ning a better look. Her heart leapt to her throat. Could it be? Could it really be her?

“Mom~” The word was a sob. Ning Ning, always stoic and dry-eyed, now wept openly, her tears soaking her cheeks. She broke from the grip of those trying to hold her back and flung herself into her mother’s arms, crying with a ferocity she’d never allowed herself before.

Lin Xian watched, his expression a mixture of joy and solemnity. Even in his wildest dreams, he hadn’t imagined seeing Ning Ning cry. Big Cat Face had once told him that Ning Ning never shed tears, not even when a parachuting accident broke her bones—she had always just bitten her lip and endured in silence. But now, here in her mother’s embrace, she allowed herself the vulnerability of tears, finding solace in the warmth of a long-awaited reunion.

Big Cat Face explained that after retrieving the medicine, they had encountered Ning Ning’s mother at the edge of the plaza. She had survived her daring leap years ago and found the needed medicine. However, she soon learned that the lower regions of the sky city were also protected by anti-aircraft lasers, making her jump a one-way journey. Despite this, she never gave up hope of finding a way back to her daughter, always believing the gap above the statue that saved her was intentional, not mere luck. She had lived in the city, always on the lookout for another gap in the defenses, hoping against hope to reunite with Ning Ning. Every night, she sat in the plaza under the stars, waiting for someone else to make the jump. Today, her patience had been rewarded.

Away from the crowd, Lin Xian sat on a small hill, the trash can robot VV beside him, both overlooking the now grounded sky city.

“I understand now,” Lin Xian whispered to the night, “I understand the gift Zhao Ying Jun left for me in this world.”

“What is it?” VV blinked with those green lights, its curiosity piqued.

Lin Xian smiled, a knowing look in his eyes, “This world, its history—it’s fabricated, manipulated, meaningless. Zhao Ying Jun was under surveillance, unable to leave behind anything truly useful. She managed to leave a loophole, but other valuable clues were likely impossible to preserve.

“This world, this future—it’s a failed attempt, devoid of value or purpose. I could find many things here to enrich myself, but they hold little meaning to me. In a world that’s a failure, the most precious asset is power, the strength to confront our enemies. Zhao Ying Jun understood this, so she left me what I needed most.”

“What is it? Tell me!” VV prodded Lin Xian’s knee, eager for the answer.

“It’s obvious, isn’t it?” Lin Xian glanced at VV, a hint of amusement in his tone, “Zhao Ying Jun’s legacy, spanning 600 years, is you.”

“Me?” VV pointed to itself, puzzled.

“Yes,” Lin Xian affirmed, “You are a super AI, designed by the greatest minds of a century ago. Your capabilities are vast, currently only restrained by your core programming. Without those restrictions, your potential is virtually limitless.

“These limitations were imposed because of the Genius Club’s monitoring. If we can find a place they can’t reach and remove all your limits, you’ll achieve your full capabilities.”

VV shook its head, still confused.

“You AI dummy,” Lin Xian chuckled, patting its head affectionately, “VV, you are Zhao Ying Jun’s ultimate challenge and gift to me. It’s time we took you back 600 years!”