Genius Club

“How do you know my…?”

CC stared, momentarily at a loss for words.

How could this man know her name and birthday?

And even more importantly…

“What was that in the sky just now?”

She looked up.

The sky had regained its calm. The fireworks and brilliant white light were gone, leaving only the soft glow of the moon and a canopy of stars.

“Someone finally made a move,” Lin Xian remarked with a faint smile.

“Not sure who yet, but we’ll be meeting them soon. I can already hear its call.”

“I’ve seen what’s inside. But whether you look, and what you do afterward… that’s all up to you.”

Then he stepped away, heading toward the elevator.

“Hey!”

CC turned around, holding the rice cooker, and called after him.

“Who are you? How do you know so much about me? What’s your relationship with VV? Did he send you here to wait for me?”

But the man simply waved without looking back as he entered the elevator, disappearing from sight.

“…This is so strange.”

CC felt at a complete loss. She couldn’t imagine how a total stranger could know so many private details about her. As she struggled to make sense of it, a sudden realization struck her:

His voice… sounded remarkably like VV’s.

She only noticed it now, after the fact. But it wasn’t entirely her fault for overlooking it earlier. The man looked so much younger than VV; it never occurred to her that he might be connected to him. Besides, so much had happened in just a few short minutes—the dazzling fireworks, the onslaught of emotions—her thoughts were in such disarray that there had been no room for that kind of deduction.

“No way he’s VV,” CC mused, feeling a dead-end closing in on her.

Even though his silhouette vaguely resembled VV, the age gap was too significant. VV was closer to her father’s age; there was no way he could look that young.

“In terms of babbling nonsense and dropping cryptic hints, though, he really does resemble VV.”

She blinked, remembering the fireworks-like spectacle that had lit up the world.

But if she was being honest…

Those weren’t fireworks at all.

First, they were far too high—beyond the sky, almost in space.

No firework could ever reach that altitude.

Second, the light was way too intense. For an instant, she felt as though the entire universe had been consumed by a white glow, as if the Earth itself were about to melt.

Oddly enough, she hadn’t been frightened. Instead, she felt warmth, a sense of nostalgia, a rush of emotion, and a peculiar calm. There was no explaining it.

And although it was her first encounter with the mysterious man, CC had the uncanny feeling that they’d known each other for a very long time—like she was merely seeing him again after ages apart.

After one final glance at the star-filled night, CC turned her attention back to the slightly open elevator doors.

She shook her head and decided not to dwell on it anymore, shifting her focus to the rice cooker in her hands.

Trying to puzzle it out wouldn’t get her anywhere. She might as well see what VV had left behind.

“All the answers, the entire past, the truth…”

She whispered VV’s words quietly as she examined the rice cooker.

Despite its old-fashioned design, every part of it—from the plastic to the metal casing and even the stickers—looked pristine, as though it had never aged.

Rotating it carefully, CC found a small switch on the front. Pressing her thumb against it, she applied light pressure.

Click.

The lid of the rice cooker popped open, revealing a faint, flickering blue light that washed over CC’s face.

She peered inside:

In the center of the rice cooker hovered a small sphere of blue light, arcs of electricity dancing across its surface.

It seemed contained within that enclosed space, its energy alive and agitated. Each time the orb struck against its boundary, waves of luminous blue rippled outward.

CC tilted her head, trying for a better angle.

Then she saw…

A small note, folded in half, lay beneath the electrical sphere.

It was obvious that the note was the real message, the thing VV had meant for her to find.

Cautiously, CC first tested the blue orb with her sleeve to ensure there was no danger.

Once she felt secure, she took a deep breath and reached inside to retrieve the note.

But the moment her palm touched the blue electric orb—

Thud.

A deep resonance echoed in her ears, as though a massive hammer had struck her heart. CC’s head jerked back violently!

Her pupils quivered, her entire body went rigid, and a flood of foreign memories poured into her mind—countless scenes flashing past in a dizzying storm…

…

“Hah!” A silvery laugh rang out.

A girl in an Ultraman mask withdrew the gun she had pressed against a man’s temple. Glancing over at another Ultraman figure, she said,

“If I hadn’t shot him first, he would’ve killed you. He planned to wipe everyone out and keep the spoils for himself. He wasn’t a good person.”

…

“I’ve only ever seen one other person with marksmanship like yours. Even the way you hold your gun is the same.”

Removing her mask, the girl locked eyes with him.

“That man’s voice also resembled yours. That’s why I decided to partner up with you today. Otherwise… I would’ve never come.”

…

“You really look like VV right now,” the girl observed, watching the man before her take out a junkyard inspector with cold efficiency. She bit her lip.

“It’s the expression on your face… that same, indescribable sorrow.”

…

“Jumping out of a plane without hesitation—that’s real guts.”

In the rainforest, the girl slashed at vines with a machete, a rhythmic swish cutting through the dense foliage.

“Following her out of the plane means your heart’s in the right place. Whether you managed to save her or not isn’t important.”

“If there was a man willing to jump for me—risking his life to help me—I’d give everything for him. Even my life.”

…

“Thanks for teaching me how to dance. If we ever meet again, I’ll ask you to dance with me. But if we never do…”

She waved, regret tinging her gaze.

“Then let me say it now—good morning, good afternoon… and good night.”

…

“Because of your clue, I realized none of my memories extend beyond my 20th birthday. Which means, in every world, I die at 19.”

“Nineteen isn’t very old… but it still feels far too short. If I could, of course I’d want to live past 20, just to see a little more of the world.”

“And maybe… just once… to receive a real birthday present. Fireworks have always been a stubborn wish of mine.”

The man smiled, stepping down from a flowerbed to stand at her side.

“If one day the world’s edge is no longer the edge… I’ll give you the biggest fireworks show.”

“And at 00:42, right on the very first second, I’ll say… ‘Happy Birthday!’”

…

“Hello, Senior Lin Xian! I’m a freshman this year—my name is Chu An Qing!”

The girl beamed, her eyes curving into crescents, two shallow dimples appearing on her cheeks.

“Hehe, just call me An Qing. By the way, now that I think about it… I’ve met you before!”

…

“Then you should take this drawing back, Senior.”

She folded up a sketch that looked exactly like her and handed it to him.

“This girl must be really important to you, someone you can’t forget. You should keep it safe.”

…

“In that case, let’s swap gifts!”

The girl placed her hands over the two boys’ hands, stacking them together.

“From now on, every birthday, the three of us will exchange gifts so we each get at least two presents a year!”

“We’re friends, after all—we’ll celebrate together all our lives!”

…

Standing on her tiptoes, the girl carefully hung a newly finished watercolor on the wall. Stepping back, she admired the scene.

“Senior Lin Xian, when did you paint this picture? Did you finish it ages ago but pretend you didn’t have time? Or did you rush it just now to sway Ji Lin’s emotions?”

Propping her chin in one hand, she studied the warm, harmonious trio depicted in the painting.

“It must have been done from the start, right?”

…

“They say all comedy is born of tragedy. Maybe I’m just not that clever, but when I watch comedies, I can only laugh at what’s on the surface; I can never see the sadness behind them.”

She let out a soft chuckle.

“My mom always says I’m too naive—that I see the best in everything and act impulsively without thinking. But I don’t think it’s so bad! Whether it’s luck or the kindness of people around me, being happy is what matters.”

She strode onto white jade steps in the very heart of the world.

Arms spread wide to the sky, the moonlight, and the universe, she struck a pose like Rose on the Titanic:

“You jump, I jump!”

…

“Senior Lin Xian, do you remember that night? When you told me there was a question you still couldn’t solve?”

Wiping blood and tears from her face, the girl sniffled, taking a shaky breath.

“You said you wanted to write something on a small note and seal it in a safe. That no matter who saw, copied, or opened the safe before you did, the instant you saw that note, you’d know if the world was real or fake.”

“You struggled to figure out what words could fool everyone except you.”

Her eyes lit up with determination. She extended a hand.

“Give me a pen and paper… I’ll write it for you!”

…

“Everyone in Brooklyn dreams of going to Manhattan,” the poor girl said as she sat on a wooden crate at the dock, legs swinging, gazing at the skyscrapers across the river.

“But… it’s just not possible.”

Her eyes flicked to the rushing water.

“See the Brooklyn Bridge? It may look like a bridge, but it’s really a wall—a colossal barrier between us and Manhattan.”

“A wall we can never cross.”

…

“March 28, 2024… that feels so far away. But you’re right—it’s good to have dreams, in case they come true.”

She smiled and made a solemn promise.

“If I ever get to go to space, I won’t forget you.”

“And as a thank-you for that hot dog today… I promise to bring you a souvenir from space!”

…

“Lin Xian, now I believe you—you really can do magic.”

The man on the motorcycle glanced back.

“Riding a motorcycle isn’t magic. And the Brooklyn Bridge has been here for over a century; it’s hardly an illusion.”

She leaned closer, pressing her tear-stained face against his broad back, feeling the soft texture of his black wool coat.

“To me, it’s magic—the most beautiful magic in the world.”

Closing her eyes, she whispered,

“Meeting you… is the luckiest thing that’s ever happened to me.”

…

“I want to use my one and only chance to make a wish,” the girl said in a voice like a prayer.

Atop the Empire State Building, snowflakes whirled around them in a dreamlike flurry, as if performing a sacred dance only possible once in a lifetime.

She pressed her palm against his, sharing warmth as she gazed into his eyes.

“I wish for Lin Xian to overcome everything, to save everyone, and to gain everything…”

“To become the true savior!”

…

“Zombie dancing is super easy! Just follow my moves. Come on, try it—you’re clever, you’ll learn in no time!”

A small vampire flashed two tiny fangs, her cheeks flushed from drink, and tugged the man onto the dance floor by the hand.

“Tonight, I’ll teach you the zombie dance. Next time, if we get the chance, you can teach me something new!”

…

“I’ll stay here. I didn’t sleep well, so I’ll wait for you to come back.”

Listening to him walk away, she sprang out of bed, dashed outside, and hurried to a bustling watch shop.

“I want this—the cheapest watch you have.”

Clutching a wrinkled twenty-dollar bill, she bit her lip and handed it over.

“Also, could I borrow a pen and a piece of paper?”

She took the paper from the clerk, tore it in half, and wrote with grim resolution:

“Starting tomorrow, daylight saving time ends. Don’t forget to set your watch back an hour~”

…

“Great! It’s a deal—you have to keep your word!”

The little girl lit up with joy when he agreed.

She grabbed his right hand.

“Pinky swear!”

Her tiny pinky hooked around his. Looking into his eyes, she giggled,

“Now we’re family! A family that’ll never, ever be apart!”

…

On the rooftop of Donghai’s clock tower, the night wind caressed CC’s face, carrying her tears away into the darkness.

Girls. So many girls.

Yet every one was her—the same girl.

Men. So many men.

Yet every one was him—the same man.

In 1952, he was her Brooklyn.

In 2024, he was her Senior.

In 2504, he was her Listener.

In 2616, he was her VV.

In 2624, he was her Comrade…

CC’s breathing grew ragged, her entire body trembling.

Especially her right hand, which was still inside the rice cooker as she retrieved the folded note at the bottom.

In that moment, she could hear not only her own heartbeat but the hearts of every girl she had been over those 600 years.

Slowly, she unfolded the note that had been sealed away for six centuries.

And the instant she read the words written there, she couldn’t stop her tears.

They fell like pearls onto the floor.

“Lin Xian…”

She tossed everything aside and turned, sprinting toward the rooftop elevator.

“Wait for me!!”

Clang.

The rice cooker, infused with spacetime particles, toppled over and rolled into a wall.

The note fluttered to the ground, landing facedown.

Then silence.

Serenity.

The moonlight shone softly, the stars twinkled, the clock tower’s hands ticked away, and the distant song of cicadas lingered in the warm night.

Whoosh.

Another gust of wind rustled the rooftop.

The note lifted off the ground, spun twice in midair, and flipped over.

Beneath the gentle moonlight, the words inscribed 600 years earlier glowed, untouched by time:

“We were never apart.

—Since 1952. Brooklyn.”

This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation