Genius Club

“What the heck?” Lin Xian was stunned, staring incredulously at Liu Feng. “Since when did you become so articulate?”

The last time Lin Xian was in this lab, he discovered that Liu Feng was much more outgoing and talkative than he had initially thought. Lin Xian’s first impression of Liu Feng had been quite rigid, possibly due to Liu Feng’s circumstances at the time. Back then, no one recognized his talent; he had abandoned his beloved mathematics and watched helplessly as his loved one, Li Qi Qi, grew closer to death each day. Anyone in that situation would be gloomy, unadaptable, and cold.

This was Lin Xian’s impression of Liu Feng then. However, as the saying goes, “Three days apart and you’ll see someone in a new light.”

Since they reunited in Donghai City, Liu Feng seemed like a different person—much more cheerful and in a better mental state. Perhaps this change was due to several factors. Although Li Qi Qi eventually passed away, at least her final moments were happy and without regrets. She closed her eyes under her favorite meteor shower, perhaps making a long-cherished wish. For a terminal pancreatic cancer patient, this kind of departure might not have been painful but rather a peaceful release.

Liu Feng surely understood this. He was so smart that even if he didn’t grasp it at the time, he would have figured it out over the past six months. Instead of wallowing in grief, he transformed his longing into motivation, focusing on his research on Universal Constants to fulfill Li Qi Qi’s wish: “One day, the whole world will recognize how incredible and great the ‘Introduction to Universal Constants’ is; every major bookstore will prominently display this book, and everyone will know Liu Feng’s name!”

Thus, his current work made Liu Feng happy and gave him hope and motivation for life. Perhaps Chu An Qing’s words earlier had triggered memories, reminding him of the past, of Li Qi Qi, and of his former self. This led him to speak those heartfelt words that didn’t quite fit his usual character.

Chu An Qing’s lips parted slightly, her eyes wide in astonishment as she looked at Liu Feng. “Th-thank you.”

Though she didn’t fully understand, she felt its significance.

If what Liu Feng said was true, that there really is something in this world meant for her, a highlight of her life, a purpose only she can fulfill…

She stole a glance at Lin Xian, only to unexpectedly meet his gaze! Blushing furiously, she quickly looked away and nodded to Liu Feng.

“I-I-I’ll remember that! Thank you, Teacher Feng!”

“Teacher Feng?” Liu Feng was stunned, confused by this sudden title.

The girl had been somewhat flustered and tongue-tied just moments ago.

“Well, I’d better get to class now, Senior Lin Xian!”

Chu An Qing waved at Lin Xian with a smile before turning and quickly disappearing down the corridor.

The lab fell silent again.

“You sure know how to woo people.” Lin Xian turned to Liu Feng. “Do you even know who that girl is?”

“No idea.” Liu Feng shook his head. “But does it matter who she is? I just saw she looked a bit down and wanted to cheer her up. You might think what I said was a bit abstract, but I’ve become pretty good at comforting people. Ever since Li Qi Qi got sick, I comforted and encouraged her every day. But what I said was also the truth. If someone as lost as I was could find direction and meaning in life, surely a young girl like her can too. She looked about eighteen or nineteen, a freshman in college?”

“She’ll be a sophomore soon,” Lin Xian replied. “She turned nineteen just two months ago.”

“Oh, I see.” Liu Feng nodded. “At that age, it’s normal to feel lost. But honestly, those words of encouragement should have come from you. I only stepped in because you were struggling to say anything.”

“Why?”

“Because she suddenly felt inadequate, realizing how outstanding you are. She felt the gap between you growing and got discouraged, fearing she’d never catch up.”

“Hold on, hold on!” Lin Xian made a time-out gesture, laughing helplessly. “Liu Feng, are you studying math or women? Your analyses are always so spot-on and mysterious.”

Liu Feng raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you believe me?”

“I just think you’re a bit overconfident. You can’t possibly know what’s going on in her mind.”

Liu Feng chuckled softly, shaking his head as he looked at Lin Xian. “Have you ever been in love?”

“Is that your only line?” Lin Xian felt incredulous. “You’ve only been in love once, right? Your experience isn’t enough to support your theories.”

“From zero to one is a qualitative change.”

“See, now you’re being slippery.” Lin Xian spread his hands. “When we discuss math, you switch to emotions. When we talk about emotions, you bring up math. By your logic, women of all ages are attracted to me. Does that mean I appeal to everyone? Do I really have that much charm in your eyes?”

“Why not?” Liu Feng shrugged, turning to hang his small blackboard back on its stand.

“I don’t find it surprising that women like you. Maybe you haven’t realized it yet, but you do have a lot of personal charm. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have come all the way to work with you on this research. I admire your charm, too. That girl was right; you’re a pretty great person.”

“I’m just curious. You’ve only been to this lab twice, and both times women of different ages came looking for you. Their gazes were so deep and intense. I’m now curious to see which woman will come next when you visit a third time. Will it be someone our age?”

“You should curb your gossiping tendencies.” Lin Xian pulled up a chair, sat down again, and looked at the complex parameters on Liu Feng’s blackboard. “If you focused all your energy on math instead of gossiping about romantic entanglements, we might have solved the Universal Constant problem by now.”

“That’s why I said I need the Guizhou Radio Telescope,” Liu Feng insisted.

“Believe me, I feel I’m getting closer to the truth. My theory is perfect. If I can use the telescope for just two or three months, I’ll be able to scan the area around Earth and likely find space-time particles.”

“And once we find space-time particles, it will confirm the world line theory and the existence of space-time curvature. If we can capture those particles, we’ll be able to reset the space-time clock, bringing us one step closer to understanding the Universal Constant!”

Lin Xian admired Liu Feng’s logic.

No matter how you look at it, everything circled back to the Guizhou Radio Telescope, and he was asking for two to three months of continuous use.

“I understand. I’ll see what I can do.”

Lin Xian didn’t refuse, agreeing for now. Regardless of the difficulty, Liu Feng was right. Even if the path was tough, it was the only hope they had to crack the mystery of Universal Constant 42.

Moreover, the concepts of space-time particles, curvature, and clocks Liu Feng brought up might be related to space-time laws, especially those repeatedly mentioned by Yellow Finch and those Lin Xian hadn’t fully grasped yet.

Though he didn’t know the specific combat power or usage of space-time laws, Lin Xian believed they were crucial, possibly even more significant than the Universal Constant 42.

“I suspect borrowing the Guizhou Telescope, especially for two to three months, will be very challenging and not a quick process.” Lin Xian stood up, ready to leave. “But I’ve promised you, Liu Feng. I’ll try to get it sorted out as soon as possible. In the meantime, focus on your research here. Once there’s any news or progress, I’ll let you know immediately.”

Leaving Liu Feng and Donghai University, Lin Xian directed his driver to head to one of Donghai City’s landmarks—the headquarters of Shan He Group, where Chu Shan He worked.

After exiting the lab, Lin Xian contacted Chu Shan He by phone, asking if he had time to meet. Given their previous interactions and collaborations, Chu Shan He valued Lin Xian’s requests highly and cleared his schedule to meet him at the Shan He Group headquarters.

As the Alphard business car sped along the elevated highway, heading from the university town towards the city center, the buildings grew taller and the traffic more congested.

Currently, Lin Xian was indeed troubled by the Guizhou Telescope issue. It was a tough problem, but it had to be solved to prevent their research from stalling.

He had no choice but to seek Chu Shan He’s advice, given his extensive influence in Donghai City and the scientific community due to years of sponsoring scientists, conducting scientific philanthropy, building labs and research institutes, and assisting overseas scientists in returning home. Chu Shan He had significant standing in the scientific community.

Upon arriving at Shan He Group, Chu Shan He’s secretary greeted Lin Xian at the door, escorting him to a private meeting room before bowing out and closing the soundproof door.

“Lin Xian, it’s been a while.” Chu Shan He greeted Lin Xian warmly, pulling him to a seat. “I was planning to meet you at the award ceremony tomorrow. Didn’t expect you’d come today. How’s the preparation for tomorrow’s ceremony at Donghai Hall? Any issues with the speech and award presentation?”

Lin Xian smiled and nodded. “The speech is ready, and I’ve practiced it several times. Plus, I don’t need to go completely off-script; I can have the speech on the podium, so there shouldn’t be any problems.”

“That’s good.” Chu Shan He laughed.

“Tomorrow’s ceremony is highly valued by Donghai City’s officials. Many of them are very grateful to you for solving a tricky problem. It’s been a long time since such a major incident occurred here. If not for your timely intervention, things could have been much worse.”

“At your age, achieving such honor means a bright future. Both my wife and I are very happy for you. So, just perform well tomorrow! An Qing has long said you won’t have any issues, having hosted the school celebration in front of thousands. This should be a piece of cake for you.”

After some pleasantries, Lin Xian got to the point. He didn’t share all the details, just mentioned that his lab was working on a groundbreaking research project requiring the use of the Guizhou Radio Telescope for two to three months. He asked if there were any channels to facilitate this.

Of course, any agreed rental fee would be paid, regardless of the amount.

Chu Shan He listened, then frowned.

“This isn’t an easy task.” He paused, thinking. “The Guizhou Telescope is a national key project. Although it doesn’t contain state secrets, it is the world’s largest radio telescope with many scheduled projects. As far as I know, it has never been rented out; it’s primarily used for national astronomical projects or lent to friendly nations.”

“But I have a contact in the Guizhou scientific community. Let me give them a call.”

Chu Shan He made the call, but after some conversation, he shook his head at Lin Xian.

“Lin Xian, it seems unlikely. The Guizhou Telescope is currently under lockdown because the Academy of Sciences has a research project requiring long-term use. They started about a month ago and will continue for at least a year, maybe longer.”

“The Academy of Sciences, as you know, is the pinnacle of our scientific community. If they’re using the telescope, no other projects will take precedence.”

Lin Xian sighed and nodded.

“Indeed… The Academy of Sciences holds unparalleled significance. Their scientists are the true luminaries of our nation. Technological advancements bring a bright future, and the Science Academy is the key to this.”

Lin Xian spread his hands. “It seems there’s no way around this.”

Chu Shan He nodded sympathetically. “Sorry, Lin Xian. This time, I’m also powerless.”

“Although I’m on good terms with President Gao Yan of the Science Academy in private, it’s just a personal relationship. Introducing you for a meeting or a casual meal is doable, but work matters are another story. The president is a righteous and admirable man, a true national hero whose life embodies our nation’s scientific progress. I respect him deeply.”

Lin Xian recognized the name immediately due to its close similarity to Gao Yang, his buddy. This leading figure in controlled nuclear fusion was the mastermind behind the country’s “artificial sun,” the EAST (Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak) that set a world record by running for 403 seconds in high-confinement mode in April 2023, a groundbreaking achievement.

Controlled nuclear fusion, cold fusion…

Lin Xian suddenly thought of the 6000 cold fusion engines beneath Rhine Sky City in his third dream.

“Mr. Chu.” Lin Xian smiled at Chu Shan He. “Could you please arrange for me to meet President Gao Yan at his convenience?”