Genius Club

Angelica was startled when an unfamiliar old man’s voice came through the phone. How did he know her codename within the Seven Deadly Sins?

The Seven Deadly Sins was a secretive organization started by Ji Xin Shui. Although Angelica had been a member, she was never privy to its core secrets. She had no clue about Ji Xin Shui’s ultimate purpose in creating the group. When Ji Xin Shui needed information, he would reach out, and Angelica would use her connections, disguise techniques, and other skills to get it.

Angelica knew that Ji Xin Shui and Ji Lin were involved in dangerous and illegal activities, but they were too smart to reveal their real intentions. She couldn’t get any answers, so she never asked.

It wasn’t until she connected with Lin Xian that she learned about the Genius Club, Copernicus, and the mysterious dream that Ji Xin Shui and Ji Lin were chasing. Now, with the Seven Deadly Sins nearly wiped out, she was the last one left. The organization was little more than a name now.

But she hadn’t expected this.

The man on the phone was suggesting that he was the real leader of the Seven Deadly Sins, the mastermind who had tricked Ji Xin Shui and Ji Lin, leading them on a wild goose chase for something that didn’t even exist, only to discard them when they were no longer useful.

“Copernicus,” Angelica whispered, gripping the phone so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Her voice trembled. This was the closest she had ever been to her enemy, the first time she had spoken to him directly.

Memories flooded her mind—Ji Xin Shui pulling her out of a pile of charred bodies, a crying Ji Lin, whom she had comforted as he wailed for milk, the boy she had raised. When she returned to Brooklyn, all that greeted her were two cold tombstones.

She wanted to tear apart the man responsible for her losing her family and becoming an orphan once again.

“Copernicus,” she hissed through clenched teeth. “You killed my family. I will never do anything for you! Even if I am part of the Seven Deadly Sins, I belong to Ji Xin Shui, not you!”

A weak chuckle came from the other end of the line, followed by a few coughs. The old man sounded frail, his voice small and unsteady. After clearing his throat, he continued, undeterred.

“Well then… Would you like to know the truth behind Ji Lin’s parents’ deaths? Would you like to know who really killed them?”

“Your phone has been under my surveillance from the start. Not just yours—most of the Seven Deadly Sins members’ phones were monitored by me. This was something even Ji Xin Shui didn’t know. It was thanks to the information he sent you that I was able to gain control over your phones.”

“I know exactly what you want to know, what you want to do. You’ve always been making deals with others, haven’t you? Whether it’s Elon Musk or Lin Xian… So why not make a deal with me?”

“All I want is the small refrigerator Elon Musk brought with him to X Country. Bring it to me, and I’ll tell you who really killed Ji Lin’s parents. Isn’t that enough of an offer?”

After speaking so much, the old man coughed again before regaining his composure.

“These are things Lin Xian will never be able to tell you. He will never find the answers to these secrets. So, you only have this one chance, Angelica. I’ll wait until 11 a.m. If you don’t bring me that refrigerator by then, you’ll never know the truth.”

With that, the call ended.

The burly man standing before her reloaded two taser guns and pointed one at Angelica. “Either cooperate, disguise yourself as one of the female bodyguards, and come with me holding the refrigerator, or end up like the others on the ground. I’ll take the refrigerator and go alone.”

Angelica lowered the phone. She glanced at the taser gun in the man’s hand and understood everything. She had been puzzled about why Copernicus had saved her from Elon Musk’s gun. Now she knew—his plan was for her to act as his inside agent and help him steal Elon Musk’s refrigerator.

Angelica didn’t know what was inside the small fridge, but if Elon Musk carried it everywhere, it had to be important to him.

She bent down and picked up the white refrigerator from the corner of the living room. It was lighter than she expected, easy to carry. It was either hollow inside, with very light contents, or it wasn’t a refrigerator at all—there were no signs of electrical components like a compressor, which explained why it was so light.

She examined it closely. Indeed, it had no electrical markings, no power cords or switches. This wasn’t a refrigerator; it was more like a safe.

It had an electronic lock, with a keypad resembling a phone dial. To open it, one needed to enter the correct password or force it open.

She was torn but realized she had no real choice. The burly man, undoubtedly one of Copernicus’ agents, would take the fridge no matter what. If she cooperated, she might see Copernicus. If not, she’d be tased, knocked out, and he’d leave with the fridge.

She couldn’t protect the fridge, and it wasn’t her responsibility to protect Elon Musk’s belongings. But she remembered what Elon Musk had said yesterday—that the missing piece of his puzzle would arrive today, and that he planned to meet with Lin Xian.

If this fridge was stolen now, would it ruin Elon Musk’s plans? Would it affect his meeting with Lin Xian?

Angelica was almost certain it would.

“I’ll go with you,” she decided, choosing the option that offered the most hope in her impossible situation. She sat at the table, pulling out makeup and disguise tools, and said, “Turn over the taller female bodyguard on the floor and lay her next to the table. I need to see her face to copy it.”

The burly man nodded, pocketed the two taser guns, and followed her instructions. He placed the female bodyguard on the floor, giving Angelica a reference.

Angelica was a master of disguise. She quickly transformed herself, using gel, nose bridges, shading, and hair dye. The bodyguard’s uniform was ready-made, and the sunglasses made the disguise easier. With the security captain’s betrayal, it wouldn’t be easy to expose her.

It wouldn’t even cross Elon Musk’s mind that a traitor was already inside.

In less than half an hour, Angelica was ready. Wearing the unconscious bodyguard’s sunglasses and uniform, her hair and face perfectly matched, she was unrecognizable.

“Carry the fridge,” the man ordered. “Walk in front of me. Don’t try anything funny, for both our sakes.”

Angelica knew she had no other option. She picked up the fridge and led the way out the door.

The burly man followed her, closing the door behind them and keeping his hands in his pockets. He trailed her to the elevator, down to the ground floor, and out the building. They got into a black Tesla, and he started the car, driving away from the factory without any issues.

Angelica kept looking around, searching for an escape or a chance to fight back, but there was none. The security captain had a high status here; people kept nodding and waving as they passed. Even after leaving the factory, she was trapped, holding the fridge, the car doors locked from the driver’s side. There was no way out.

The man was cautious. He steered with one hand while keeping the other on a taser gun aimed at her, repeatedly warning, “Don’t try anything. If you make any sudden moves, I’ll tase you and toss you out of the car.”

“My employer doesn’t care if you come along. It doesn’t change my pay as long as I deliver the fridge. But there’s a small bonus if you do, though it’s insignificant compared to the total.”

After a while, they arrived at an old Christian chapel in the countryside. The white building had a cross on top, but the walls were faded, revealing red bricks underneath. The colorful stained glass windows were cracked.

This place, even if it wasn’t abandoned, hadn’t been used for worship in a long time.

Angelica frowned. “Is Copernicus here?”

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The burly man shrugged. “Copernicus? In a chapel, there’s only Jesus and Mary. Now, leave the fridge in the car and go inside. My job’s done.”

“What?” Angelica realized something was wrong. “You’re taking the fridge? That means Copernicus isn’t in there! Why did you bring me here? What’s the point?”

The man pulled out the taser gun and aimed it at her. “Don’t argue with me. I won’t repeat myself. I know who you are, Hollywood’s master of disguise, but this isn’t your stage. You have no choice.”

Reluctantly, Angelica set the fridge on the passenger seat and walked toward the rundown chapel. She placed her hand on the old wooden doors, rough and damp, and looked back. The black Tesla, carrying the fridge, was already speeding away, leaving a trail of dust.

Was Copernicus really inside?

Angelica shook her head. No, he wouldn’t be foolish enough to meet her here. They only wanted the fridge.

But why?

Why would Copernicus go through the trouble of saving her from Elon Musk if she was just disposable?

She couldn’t understand their motives, just as she could never fully understand her late brother Ji Lin, the boy she had loved so much.

When dealing with these clever people, nothing seemed strange at first. But once they became enemies, their cunning was impossible to fathom. She felt like a lost ant, unable to grasp their thoughts or intentions, just a tool to be used by others.

Was this what it meant to be part of the Genius Club, where these so-called geniuses toyed with the world, with people, with the situation?

Creak—

Angelica pushed open the old wooden doors. The chapel inside was in ruins, sunlight streaming through the broken ceiling onto faded murals of the Virgin Mary cradling a child. The right-side mural depicted Jesus crucified, his head bowed in darkness, while the left side, bathed in sunlight, showed the Holy Mother and Child.

Angelica walked down the aisle, the worn wooden floorboards creaking under her feet. The chapel had once been grand, once filled with people worshipping, but now it was just dust and decay.

The silence was ancient and profound. Angelica felt like she was walking through history, treading on the passage of time itself.

Ring, ring, ring—

The phone in her pocket rang. It wasn’t her phone; Elon Musk had thrown hers from the observation tower. This one was the burly man’s, a new phone with no signs of use. He hadn’t asked for it back, leaving it with her after hanging up on Copernicus.

Angelica answered, pressing the phone to her ear.

“Well done, Angelica,” the old man’s voice said.

“It seems you didn’t need me for this plan,” Angelica replied. “The man could have easily taken Elon Musk’s fridge without me. So why did you bring me here? Why did you save me from Elon Musk?”

The old man chuckled, his tone calm and emotionless. “Silly child… I’ve always seen you, Ji Xin Shui, and Ji Lin as children. You’ve done so much for me; how could I let you die?”

“Then why didn’t you save them?” Angelica countered. “Why didn’t you save Ji Lin or the old man you deceived?”

The old man sighed. “Because they made mistakes. This was their fate. They gained far more than they lost—fame, wealth, power, even… life.”

“You think I didn’t save them? If it weren’t for me, Ji Xin Shui would have jumped off a building decades ago. Ji Lin would have died of cold or hunger as an unknown infant. And you, Angelica, without me saving Ji Xin Shui, who would have taken you from the ruins of a bomb to Hollywood?”

“You’re an ungrateful bunch… I’ve never owed any of you anything, not a single person… including you, Angelica. I saved you from Elon Musk out of kindness, out of old sentiments.”

“But the real reason I couldn’t let you die at Elon Musk’s hands was your obsession with revenge… This will probably be our last conversation. We’ll have no more dealings after this. So now, I’ll tell you the truth…”

“Ji Lin’s parents were killed because they researched things they shouldn’t have. In the scientific community, there’s a consensus: mathematicians are the most brilliant and terrifying beings. They don’t need any instruments, any devices, any reliance on the times or the future… No matter where they are, they can use just a pencil and paper to calculate the truth of the universe from 1+1.”

“That’s terrifying, an unpredictable, unquantifiable terror. Progress in other scientific fields is gradual, but mathematical advances are leaps, often deadly.”

“Materials science can slow down engineers, subatomic particles can challenge physicists, but who can restrain mathematicians? The answer is no one, no one except… a bullet to the head.”

The old man coughed violently, more than before. After a long pause, he cleared his throat and continued.

“Angelica, I promised to tell you who killed Ji Lin’s parents… You want revenge; I won’t stop you. But I advise you, don’t reveal that you know the truth until you’re sure you can succeed. Otherwise… you’ll die with regrets, joining Ji Lin’s family in the afterlife.”

“Listen carefully…” His voice was hoarse and weak, “The one who killed Ji Lin’s parents… is… Elon Musk!”

The call ended.

Angelica stood at the boundary between light and darkness, watched by both the Virgin and Jesus.

Elon Musk…

She never expected to hear that name from Copernicus.

She knew the information might be unreliable. But was it completely false?

Lin Xian had told her, and Ji Lin had confirmed it, that the murderer was someone within the Genius Club. If Elon Musk was a member, why wasn’t he a suspect?

Angelica’s rational mind told her not to trust Copernicus. But another part of her, even more rational, told her not to trust Elon Musk’s facade.

At that moment, she was truly lost, unsure who to believe, where the truth lay.

As Copernicus had said, if not for him, Elon Musk would have killed her on the observation tower. But what if Copernicus had saved her just to make her believe Elon Musk was the killer?

She had once thought herself clever. After all, she had stood out among Hollywood actors and never failed to extract information. But now she realized her past confidence was meaningless in the face of these true geniuses.

In front of those who toyed with the world, with people’s hearts, with the tides of events, she couldn’t take a single step forward. She was sinking into despair and confusion.

Tap… tap… tap…

She lowered her head, feeling like the crucified Jesus, walking on the rotting floorboards, pushing open the old, decaying wooden doors once again.

Creak—

The bright spring sunlight poured in, blinding her.

But then!

When she saw the black cars lined up outside the chapel, her eyes widened in shock, her breath catching in her throat as she stared at the man leaning against the front car—Elon Musk!

What was going on?

At this time, shouldn’t he be at the affiliated hospital of Donghai University, visiting Zheng Xiang Yue and meeting with Lin Xian? He was also supposed to have a meeting with Donghai’s officials—did he ditch even the official agenda?

At that moment, the world’s richest man, who had just had his white fridge stolen, smiled at Angelica as she stepped out of the chapel.

He stood up from where he had been leaning against the car and slowly approached her. “Angelica, you’ve worked hard.”

“What?” Angelica frowned. She didn’t understand why Elon Musk, after having his white fridge stolen, wasn’t angry but instead smiled and thanked her.

“Do you remember what I told you last night?” Elon Musk asked as he walked toward her. “I said I was only one piece away from figuring everything out, and that piece would be delivered to me today…”

He chuckled.

“Well, I’ve got the final piece now.”

Snap.

He snapped his fingers.

A secretary with red-framed glasses and a black skirt jumped out from behind the car, carrying a small, white fridge identical to the one Angelica had taken.

The secretary’s glasses were slipping down her nose, so she hurried over, handed the fridge to Elon Musk, and quickly pushed her glasses back up, giving Angelica a playful smile.

“Miss Angelica~ long time no see… I miss that wonderful night.”

Angelica crossed her arms, glaring at Elon Musk and the secretary. She wasn’t stupid. She realized this had all been a trap.

Elon Musk had deliberately shown her the fridge, left it in her room, and made it easy for her to escape the factory—all to set a trap for Copernicus. And she had once again been their pawn.

She was furious, glaring at Elon Musk and the secretary. “When did we fall into this trap? How long have we been played?”

Elon Musk shook his head with a smile. “It wasn’t as early as you think. When I had the gun pointed at you, I genuinely wanted to kill you. I told you… your disguise was really good, it even fooled me.”

He turned to the secretary, who was adjusting her red-framed glasses. “I owe you a delayed compliment—those glasses are gorgeous.”

“Thank you.”

Angelica huffed, irritated, looking between the two of them. “If I’m no longer needed, can I leave?”

“Of course, you’re free to go,” Elon Musk said, spreading his hands. “But… don’t you want to help Lin Xian? My puzzle is complete, but Lin Xian’s is still missing the final piece.”

“Have you considered… if Lin Xian’s enemy happens to be Copernicus, then wouldn’t the three of us have the same target?”

“Right now, Copernicus is under the illusion that he’s in control, that he’s won. Until he opens that empty fridge, he won’t realize he’s been deceived.”

“It was his excessive caution that led to his downfall. I can guarantee he’s not in Donghai right now, probably not even in X Country. By the time the fridge reaches him, it’ll be at least ten hours later.”

“And those ten hours… are the perfect window to turn the tables and shatter Copernicus’ schemes.”

Angelica didn’t respond immediately. She was conflicted.

Copernicus and Elon Musk had said completely opposite things, and she didn’t know whom to believe.

But she trusted Lin Xian!

She only trusted Lin Xian!

Because he was the friend her brother Ji Lin had chosen.

Lin Xian had promised her that once he joined the Genius Club, he would share Copernicus’ intel and reveal who had killed Ji Lin’s parents.

Now, Copernicus claimed it was Elon Musk, but Elon Musk would surely say it was Copernicus.

Angelica didn’t trust either of them. She decided to wait for Lin Xian’s answer.

Someday, when Lin Xian told her who the real killer was, she would believe him without question and carry out her revenge!

So when Elon Musk offered to help Lin Xian, Angelica was tempted.

“How do you plan to help Lin Xian?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. “I’ve heard from Lin Xian that you sent a blue-eyed girl to kill him… How do you explain that?”

Elon Musk narrowed his eyes. “Is that what Lin Xian said? Then maybe that’s where the misunderstanding lies…”

“The blue-eyed girl, I did meet with her. But it seems I was also a victim, deceived by her.”

“Looking back, who knows what kind of nonsense was hidden in the USB drive she gave me. And after she left, she never contacted me again. I honestly don’t know why she went after Lin Xian.”

“If Lin Xian survived being hunted by that monster, he must be pretty skilled… Wait! This doesn’t make sense! How could that blue-eyed girl even attempt to harm Lin Xian?”

Elon Musk muttered to himself, confused. He had only just learned that Lin Xian was being hunted by the blue-eyed girl, a fact he hadn’t known until now!

If Angelica hadn’t mentioned it, he would still be in the dark!

He realized something was very wrong.

Time travelers attacking people in the present? That was impossible!

Suddenly, Elon Musk remembered what Copernicus had said to him over the phone at the observation tower:

“If I told you… that the blue-eyed girl deceived you, that she wasn’t your closed loop at all?”

“Think carefully, boy… Turing is far smarter than you think. You believe you’ve outsmarted Turing? No… this has all been Turing’s trap.”

Elon Musk pondered this.

So, the blue-eyed girl wasn’t his closed loop but Kevin Walker’s?

That would explain why she manipulated him and then went after Lin Xian.

But how could a time traveler attack someone from the present? It violated the laws of time!

Was there a flaw in his reasoning?

“Speak, Elon Musk. Why did you suddenly go quiet?” Angelica’s sharp gaze locked onto him. “If you can’t explain why that girl went after Lin Xian, I won’t cooperate with you.”

Elon Musk snapped out of his thoughts and looked up. “I want to know the answer too. Maybe… this is the final piece of Lin Xian’s puzzle.”

He glanced down at the fridge in his arms, holding it close to his chest. He typed a series of numbers on the keypad with his left hand.

Click.

The fridge door popped open.

Elon Musk looked at Angelica, then slowly opened the fridge door wider.

Angelica gasped, her eyes widening as she blinked rapidly at the sight inside.

Two apple-sized blue orbs crackled with electricity, swirling around each other, emitting blue sparks.

She had never seen anything like this…

The two orbs spun around each other like a “binary star system,” silent but constant, almost colliding but always narrowly missing each other.

It was a delicate balance. They seemed like they would crash into each other at any moment, but their rotation kept them just apart, so close yet never touching.

“What are these things?” Angelica asked, looking up. “These two spinning orbs… what are they?”

“No, Angelica, you’re mistaken,” Elon Musk said, shaking his head. “This isn’t two; it’s one.”

“One?”

Angelica blinked in disbelief, looking back at the fridge. “Impossible! There are clearly two of them! They’re rotating around each other in a stable binary star system!”

“I heard about this kind of system from a director and writer when I was working on a sci-fi movie… They said that in a binary star system, the stars orbit each other due to gravity, eventually colliding to form a rapidly spinning celestial body that emits a massive gamma-ray burst… The movie’s plot was based on that.”

“These blue orbs may not be stars, but they’re orbiting just like a binary star system. There are two of them—why do you say it’s one?”

Elon Musk looked up. “Quantum entanglement. Have you heard of quantum entanglement?”

“It’s a fascinating phenomenon in the quantum world. Quantum entanglement is a kind of action at a distance, with no need for a transmission medium, no speed involved. The interaction between entangled particles is instantaneous. Once two particles become entangled, no matter how far apart they are, their connection remains unbroken, and their interaction is instantaneous.”

“Imagine placing two entangled particles at opposite ends of the universe, 90 billion light-years apart. Even at that incredible distance, their entanglement would persist, and their interaction would still be instantaneous.”

“When people hear this, they often think of faster-than-light communication, long-distance communication. But that’s getting off track. Let’s get back to the orbs in the fridge, the ones you called two blue orbs.”

“Unfortunately, your eyes are deceiving you. This is one, absolutely one—a randomly formed, entangled spacetime particle!”

Angelica didn’t have much formal education, having completed what little schooling she had in Hollywood. She didn’t fully grasp what Elon Musk was saying and didn’t feel the need to.

“So, Elon Musk, what’s your point? You said you’d help Lin Xian—how exactly are you going to do that?”

“Just wait and see, Angelica.”

Bang.

Elon Musk closed the fridge. He stood up straight, looking at the Hollywood star before him.

“The stage is set.”

“Now it’s time to invite the actors… to take the stage!”