Genius Club

“Come on, get out of the car already, brother! Why are you dragging your feet?” Big Cat Face called out impatiently, noticing Lin Xian lagging behind.

Rushing back, Big Cat Face yanked open the car door, urging Lin Xian, “It’s almost midnight, man! We need to move!”

Lin Xian sighed heavily. His original plan for the night was simply to sketch the Coco Cat mascot, not to partake in a bank heist. However, Big Cat Face had other plans and managed to drag him along.

Resigned, Lin Xian muttered, “Well, since I’m here,” and jumped out of the car to follow his companion.

As they approached the bank’s entrance, the night was alive with rustling sounds. “Is it done?” Big Cat Face inquired, addressing one of his men who nodded affirmatively in response.

A sudden loud bang reverberated through the air, and blood splattered against the wall. Casually, Big Cat Face wiped his gun clean, remarking, “Now there’s one less person to split the money with.”

Lin Xian gave a nonchalant nod. “People like him, who can’t be trusted, are better off not sticking around.”

Big Cat Face froze for a moment, then turned to Lin Xian, puzzled. “How did you know?”

“Just look at his face. It practically screams ‘untrustworthy.'”

They reached a corridor junction where another masked accomplice was busy cutting wires. “Alarm system is now disabled!” he declared triumphantly.

Another loud bang ensued, and the electrical box was stained with blood. Lin Xian sneered, “That guy, always hitting on his boss’s wife, got what he deserved.”

Big Cat Face jumped, startled. “You knew about that too? Who’s been leaking these things?”

“It’s obvious, no one needed to leak it. His face was an open book.”

“You’re kidding, right? His face gave away that much in the dark?”

“I’m giving you a way out here. Take it, or I’ll spill everything.”

“Alright, alright. Let’s move. We don’t have all night.”

They continued, encountering a heavyset man emerging from an underground passage. “Boss—” he began.

Bang! Before he could finish, Big Cat Face shot him, turning to Lin Xian, who remained silent.

“Do you understand why I had to do that?” Big Cat Face queried.

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“No clue,” Lin Xian replied, shaking his head.

“He was planning to double-cross us, had his own escape planned and everything. Was I wrong to stop him?”

“You two really are cut from the same cloth…” Lin Xian muttered as they moved closer to the bank vault.

They stood before a formidable black wall with a silver-coded lock. “Your turn, brother!” Big Cat Face urged. “Crack this code quickly. Once the main power is back, the alarms will go off.”

“Don’t worry, it’ll only take ten seconds.”

“Seriously?!” Big Cat Face exclaimed in disbelief.

Lin Xian reached for Big Cat Face’s waist. “What are you doing?” the latter balked.

“Just borrowing your C4,” Lin Xian replied, attaching the explosive to the door and setting it off.

“Run!”

The resulting explosion was deafening, shattering the silence as debris rained down. Smoke and dust filled the passage.

Coughing, Big Cat Face climbed to his feet, spitting out dust. “This is your idea of cracking codes? Where’s the finesse in that?”

“Just appreciate the efficiency,” Lin Xian retorted, stepping through the now-clear passage.

“You just vaulted over the wall! How?”

“It’s called parkour.”

As the dust settled, they saw the vault door obliterated, revealing a massive hole. Big Cat Face rushed inside, followed by Lin Xian.

Frantically searching, Big Cat Face shouted, “Where’s the money?”

“Who are you asking?” Lin Xian shot back.

“I’m asking you! You promised piles of money and gold bars!”

The room was barren, except for the safes lining the walls.

Enraged, Big Cat Face grabbed Lin Xian by the collar, pressing a gun to his temple. “You played me! You said there’d be money!”

“I never said that!”

“I did,” came a clear female voice from behind them. Big Cat Face turned to face her—

Bang! Lin Xian felt a sharp pain on his shoulder as blood and bone fragments splattered him.

“Thrilling,” Lin Xian muttered, wiping his ear as adrenaline surged through him.

He pushed Big Cat Face’s body aside, the metallic taste of blood lingering. Unlike his dreams where he’d been shot at by snipers, experiencing it in reality was starkly different.

A woman approached with light footsteps.

“Why did you lie to Big Cat Face?” Lin Xian inquired, confronting her.

“What lie?” the woman responded tersely, her gaze sharp.

“You told him there would be money and gold here, but you were really after the safes, weren’t you?”

“Just mind your business,” she snapped back, turning away to focus on a particular safe.

Lin Xian rubbed his neck, recalling his dream where this very woman had saved him from Big Cat Face. Here she was again, intervening at a critical moment. It was curious why this ruthless woman would save him not once, but twice.

“Why did you save me?” Lin Xian pressed.

“It’s none of your business,” she retorted coldly.

“You’re not making this conversation any more enjoyable,” Lin Xian remarked, a hint of frustration in his voice.

Ignoring him, the woman proceeded to a safe that bore Lin Xian’s name. She set aside her small computer and began tampering with the lock.

“Let’s make a deal,” Lin Xian proposed, stepping closer. “Tell me why you saved me, and I’ll open this safe for you. It’s a win-win.”

The woman chuckled. “You think wearing an Ultraman mask makes you a password expert?”

“I’m better than a password expert,” Lin Xian countered confidently.

“Why should I trust you?”

“Because,” Lin Xian said, removing his mask and meeting her gaze squarely, “I am Lin Xian.”