Genius Club

11:00 AM.

Lin Xian walked into his house, holding two small gift bags. They were for Yan Qiao Qiao and Zhao Ying Jun for Children’s Day. Giving a Children’s Day gift to someone Zhao Ying Jun’s age was a bit odd, but it was really just an excuse to give Yan Qiao Qiao a gift. Since he was doing that, he figured he might as well get one for Zhao Ying Jun too.

Lin Xian and Zhao Ying Jun’s relationship was complicated. Zhao Ying Jun felt like she owed Lin Xian a lot and was very grateful to him. But from Lin Xian’s point of view, he felt like he owed her just as much. They both felt indebted to each other, making it hard to say who really owed whom more.

After a quick lunch, Lin Xian glanced at the clock in the living room: 11:47. It was time to get ready for bed. The sooner he fell asleep, the sooner he could get things done. Tomorrow was Children’s Day, and he planned to spend it at Disneyland with Yan Qiao Qiao and Zhao Ying Jun. He wouldn’t have time to explore his dream world then, so he had to make the most of today.

“There are 37 days left until July 7th,” Lin Xian thought. “The sooner I clear the dream world and solve the Genius Club’s puzzles… maybe I can avoid the decapitation crisis.”

After freshening up, Lin Xian lay down on his bed and drifted off to sleep.

“Ah-ow!”

A loud cry echoed in the hot summer air as Big Cat Face got whipped. The midday sun on August 28, 2624, beat down, making every dark-skinned slave sweat, their skin shiny like boiled eggs.

“I get it now,” Gao Wen said. “You’re saying that if we want to get my ‘Memory Notebook’ back, we can’t do it alone. Even with the help of that blue-eyed girl you call ‘The Terminator,’ the Lynx Tribe has too many guns. A direct fight would be suicide. Even she can’t handle that much firepower.”

“So, the best plan is to use her strength to break out of the Lynx Tribe’s control first. Then we head to the Grizzly Tribe to find the Turing Machine, negotiate with it, and form an alliance. Finally, we come back, destroy the Lynx Tribe, and take back my ‘Memory Notebook.'”

Lin Xian nodded and gave Gao Wen a thumbs-up. “Exactly, that’s perfect. Saves us a lot of time explaining.”

He then turned to Big Cat Face. “Brother Cat, got any questions?”

Big Cat Face shook his head, his big cheeks jiggling. “I can’t remember all that; most of it went in one ear and out the other. But when I heard we’re going back for revenge, that’s all I needed to know! I’ve been drifting around, waiting for a chance to get back at the people who hurt my family and friends! Now that the chance is here, I’m all in!”

With a playful grin, Big Cat Face raised his hands in mock surrender. “So, I suggest we call this the ‘Breakout, Visit Turing, Then Strike Back Plan!'”

“No problem.” Lin Xian patted Big Cat Face on the shoulder. “That’s why we need straightforward and honest people like you.”

The three of them then hashed out the details of the plan. Over the past three years, Gao Wen had observed everything around him and learned all he could. He had memorized the patrol patterns at the excavation site: “Every day around 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM, a foreman drives an armored car around the site. That’s our only chance to get close to a vehicle.”

“If we can hijack that car, we can drive up the slope and escape. The site is far from the Lynx Tribe’s main camp, so they won’t have time to send reinforcements. By the time they arrive, we’ll be long gone.”

“But the problem is… that armored car is really tough, with thick steel plates. We can’t damage it with what we have. I don’t know how we’re supposed to hijack it.”

Lin Xian noted the 4:00 PM time slot in his mind. There was enough time. The blue-eyed girl in the hibernation pod would wake up and regain her strength much faster than a normal human, thanks to her enhancements.

It was only a little past 1:00 PM. If they started digging to uncover the underground hibernation base right away, reported it to the supervisors, and woke the girl, everything would be ready in time.

“Well then,” Lin Xian looked up, scanning the faces around him. “The ‘Breakout, Visit Turing, Then Strike Back Plan’… starts now!”

The three grabbed shovels and ran to the northeast part of the excavation site. Lin Xian remembered where the entrance to the underground hibernation base was, and with the three of them digging, it didn’t take long before a spark flew from their shovels—they hit something!

Big Cat Face rolled away, shouting, “We found it! We found it! Everyone, come look! We’ve unearthed a treasure!”

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More slaves gathered around, hoping they’d found the underground computer room of the Turing Machine. They believed that if the Lynx Tribe acquired the Turing Machine, they would be freed. But things didn’t go as they hoped. What they had uncovered was the underground hibernation base, which left the crowd disappointed.

Only Lin Xian, Big Cat Face, and Gao Wen rubbed their hands together, excited and ready for action. What happened next went smoothly since it was their second time rehearsing. The three entered the base and headed straight for the blue-eyed girl’s hibernation pod. Big Cat Face quickly activated the forced awakening program, noting the time on the display. “It’ll take about an hour for her to fully wake up. Are you sure we’re taking this girl with us? She looks pretty weak, with those skinny arms and legs.”

Lin Xian smiled slightly and shook his head. “Don’t underestimate her. We may not know her true identity yet, but she’s likely the time-space assassin I once knew… It’s good she lost her memory during hibernation; otherwise, the first thing she’d do when she woke up would be to chop off my head.”

“We need her fighting skills, but first, we have to convince her to join us.”

Big Cat Face listened, letting most of Lin Xian’s words go in one ear and out the other, focusing only on the last part. “How are we going to convince her?”

“When that unlucky guy woke up, I didn’t explain much. I just dragged him to dig. At the time, his mind was blank, so he mechanically followed along… Eventually, he accepted reality.”

Lin Xian nodded. “That’s how amnesia works. I’ve read about it. People who lose their memories tend to reject everything around them at first. They distrust everything and deny everything.”

“It’s a natural form of self-protection, meaning the more you tell her something, the less she’ll believe it; the more you tell her what’s right, the more she’ll resist.”

Big Cat Face’s brain couldn’t process it all. He threw up his hands. “So what do we do? Do we explain things backward?”

Nearby, Gao Wen, the analytical type, carefully processed Lin Xian’s words, his mind gradually clearing up the logic. “Hmm… When I woke up from hibernation, my mind was blank, with no basic sense of right and wrong. I stood there, confused, not knowing what to do. But when I saw everyone else digging, I thought I should dig too. So, I started digging, and eventually, I accepted it… My purpose in life became digging.”

“Of course, I eventually figured things out, but that was after a while. In those first few days after waking up, my mind wasn’t thinking much at all; I just followed what everyone else was doing. This is a strange psychological effect… How can I summarize it? It’s…”

“‘The Herd Effect,'” Lin Xian provided the term. “It’s when people doubt themselves and change their opinions, judgments, and behaviors to fit in with others. Most people can’t keep their independence. Herd mentality is a self-protection instinct… If others are doing something, doing the same thing usually isn’t wrong.”

“If you’re walking down the street and everyone’s looking up at the sky, you’ll probably look up too. If you’re somewhere and everyone’s holding their noses saying it stinks, you’re likely to think it smells bad too… even if you don’t smell anything.”

“‘The less information people have, the more they blindly follow others. This is particularly useful for amnesiacs waking from hibernation. Without any clear direction, they can be guided to accept what’s around them.’”

As Lin Xian and Gao Wen continued their discussion, Big Cat Face felt his head start to spin. “Stop, stop, stop!!” He quickly motioned them to quiet down. “Just say it in plain language. Don’t talk about so much theory; just tell me what I need to do.”

Lin Xian pointed to a spot behind them and instructed, “When she wakes up, you don’t have to do anything. Just cross your arms, put on an annoyed face like it’s the most natural thing in the world, and stand behind me. Make sure not to say a word—just keep that annoyed expression.”

“When she kicks the reinforced glass out, don’t scream or panic. Stay calm and show authority… Don’t scream, okay? I’m worried you’ll mess up this performance.”

“Bah!” Big Cat Face spat on the ground. “Who do you think you’re talking to? I won’t scream like a kid! I’ll show you how tough I can be!”

Finally, Lin Xian checked the plan again with Gao Wen. The core idea was simple: don’t explain too much to the blue-eyed girl when she wakes up. While she’s in a state of amnesia, her mind blank, and unable to process much, the key is to bombard her with rapid information and act like it’s all normal, triggering the herd effect. No need to complicate things that could be kept simple.

He glanced at his watch. Yan Qiao Qiao should be waking up soon. In a few minutes, she’d kick open the hibernation pod, so the three of them had to quickly get into character. Lin Xian waved his hand, and they took their positions in front of the blue-eyed girl’s hibernation pod, with Lin Xian at the front and the other two behind, arms crossed, wearing stern expressions.

A long moment passed. The girl in the hibernation pod opened her eyes. She took a deep breath, feeling her lungs fill like never before. Her vision gradually cleared, and her hearing sharpened. She turned her head. Through the glass cover, she saw three figures standing still outside, silent.

Who are they? What are they doing? Who am I?

She tried to move but couldn’t control her limbs. This place felt so stifling. She wanted to get out.

Suddenly, a display above her showed symbols, and a voice speaking a language she could understand followed: “Please move your eyes and look at this symbol.” She followed the instructions. “Now, stretch your right leg as hard as you can.”

Boom!!!

A massive explosion sound erupted. The reinforced glass shattered, spreading cracks everywhere. The glass cover fell apart like a torn fabric, slammed into the ceiling, and crashed to the ground.

The girl didn’t know where she was or who she was. But this hibernation pod felt uncomfortable, so she grabbed the edge of the broken cover and flipped herself out, landing barefoot on the ground. Amid the mist, she saw three tall figures standing still!

Even with all the noise, they hadn’t moved an inch, looking serious! This made her nervous. She took a step back, unsure who they were, ready to ask—

“Level Three Agent, Yan Qiao Qiao,” said the tall man in front with a deep, powerful voice. “I’ve been waiting for you. Fall in and get ready for the mission!”

The girl’s mind raced to process his words: “I am… Yan Qiao Qiao? Level Three Agent? Mission… What mission?”

Before she could ask, the three men turned around and walked away. The mist swirled as they moved, and in a blink, they were several meters away.

“Hey!” she called, running after them. As she ran, her foot hit a locker with a nameplate: Yan Qiao Qiao. She blinked, realizing her name really was Yan Qiao Qiao!

“Wait… wait for me!”

The blue-eyed girl didn’t care about much else. Even though she’d lost her memory, she knew these three men knew who she was. And they were on some kind of mission.

What was it? What was she supposed to do? Why was her mind so blank? She needed answers!

She moved fast, like a cheetah, catching up to them. But then, from the door where sunlight streamed in, a man in a foreman’s uniform, dragging a steel whip, walked in. Swinging his whip, he looked fierce.

“Yan Qiao Qiao!” the leading young man shouted.

“Here… here, sir!” the girl instinctively stood straight.

She didn’t know why, but her body reacted before her mind. She focused on the young man with black hair, who slowly turned his head. He called her a Level Three Agent… which meant he must be her superior?

What order would he give? Facing the sunlight, the young man with black hair spoke, his eyes half-closed: “Take him down.”

The blue-eyed girl stepped forward, grabbed the steel whip, and ripped off a metal nameplate from a nearby hibernation pod. In one swift move, the foreman’s head flew off, rolling to a stop at Big Cat Face’s feet. He almost wanted to scream, but remembering Lin Xian’s instructions, he held it in.

The blue-eyed girl shook off the blood and looked at the young man. But he ignored her, walked past, and picked up a handgun from the headless foreman. He checked it, loaded it, and continued walking toward the sunlight.

“Wait… wait a minute!” the blue-eyed girl called, still confused.

Gao Wen raised a hand to stop her. “This is Commander Lin Xian,” he said in a low voice.

Big Cat Face pointed to himself. “I’m Vice Commander Big Cat.”

Gao Wen nudged Big Cat Face to keep quiet. The blue-eyed girl looked at Lin Xian. “Commander Lin Xian, what is my mission?”

Lin Xian handed her a knife, glanced at his watch, and said, “Follow me.”

Lin Xian, walking ahead of the group, breathed a sigh of relief. It worked. Using the girl’s memory loss and confusion, bombarding her with information, and acting like it was normal had worked. This was the herd mentality.

Seeing the three of them knowing everything and acting together made her feel she had to join them. Eight hours would be enough. “See that car?” Lin Xian pointed at an armored car driving down a slope. “That’s our target.”

The girl nodded. “Got it, Commander Lin Xian. What do I need to do?”

Lin Xian raised his handgun. “Big Cat Face will distract them to make them stop. You rip open the door and take down the people inside as fast as possible. I’ll cover you. After that, we’ll take the armored car to the next destination.”

“Understood,” she replied.

Big Cat Face pretended to slack off on the road. The armored car screeched to a stop. Just as the foremen inside were about to curse—

Screech!

The steel door was ripped off by hand! The two foremen were stunned, not having time to react—

Bang! Bang!

Two gunshots sent them to the afterlife. Smoke rose from Lin Xian’s handgun as Big Cat Face, Gao Wen, and the girl looked shocked. It was fast and precise!

Lin Xian ordered, “Drag them out and collect their weapons.” The girl quickly pulled the dead foremen out, and Gao Wen and Big Cat Face grabbed their guns and knives before jumping into the car.

Since only Lin Xian knew how to drive, he took the driver’s seat, while Gao Wen and the girl squeezed into the back, and Big Cat Face, bulky as he was, sat in the front.

“Oh no! There’s no door on my side!” Big Cat Face whined.

“Buckle up,” Lin Xian replied.

“There’s no seatbelt!” Big Cat Face complained.

Lin Xian quickly started the electric car. It was nuclear-powered, with no internal combustion engine. The Lynx Tribe couldn’t have made it; it must have been a war trophy.

“Lin Xian! They’re surrounding us up ahead!” Gao Wen warned.

Lin Xian sped up, avoiding gunfire. Up ahead, another armored car blocked their path.

“Yan Qiao Qiao!” Lin Xian shouted.

“Understood!” She jumped out, sprinting toward the car. Lin Xian aimed and cleared the way for her.

The girl ripped off the car door and used it as a shield. “Gao Wen, give me the gun!” Lin Xian shouted. He tossed his empty gun and grabbed another from Gao Wen, then made a sharp drift—

“Shit!” Big Cat Face shouted, flying out of the seat.

Lin Xian fired four bullets at the enemy car as it passed, hitting their driver and sending the car into a pit. Lin Xian turned the wheel toward Big Cat Face and waved at the girl, “Save Big Cat Face! Get back in the car quickly!”

The girl moved like lightning, grabbed Big Cat Face, and threw him back into the passenger seat. She climbed back into the car, and they sped off, leaving the Lynx Tribe’s territory behind.

“Woo-hoo!” Big Cat Face shouted, high-fiving everyone. “We’re really something!”

“Where are we heading next?” Big Cat Face asked.

Slap! Gao Wen smacked him. “Show some respect! Call him Commander Lin Xian!”

“We’re heading to the Grizzly Tribe,” Lin Xian said, stepping on the gas, eyes set on the north. “The second step of our plan. It’s time to meet my old friend… Turing.”