Genius Club

Chapter 382: The Hidden Hand in the Future

The bright moonlight filtered through the dense forest, casting patches of light on the ground. Lin Xian and CC had been walking for an hour and a half from Queens Town before they finally arrived at Rhine Village, located by the river. The village was almost completely dark, except for a bonfire still burning in the middle of the square. Over the fire, a pot of water simmered, and a few night watchers sat around it, quietly chatting.

Normally, Granny Zheng Xiang Yue, the village chief, would still be awake at this hour. As CC had mentioned, Granny Zheng often used the quiet early morning hours to prepare lesson plans, grade the children’s homework, and plan for the village’s future. She was a dedicated and responsible leader.

Lin Xian and CC crossed the river, intending to enter the village and find Granny Zheng. But then they noticed something unusual.

“Granny Zheng?” CC called out.

An elderly figure dressed in white stood at the village entrance—it was Granny Zheng Xiang Yue. But why was she outside so late?

Hearing CC’s voice, Granny Zheng turned and sighed in relief, smiling. “CC, you’re back.”

CC nodded and walked up to her. “Granny Zheng, why are you out here? Were you… waiting for me?”

“Hehehe,” she chuckled warmly. “You’ve never come back this late before. I was worried something might have happened, so I came out to check.”

“It’s good to see you’re safe. There are often wild animals in the forest. It’s best not to come back so late… couldn’t things be done during the day? Right?”

Then, she looked past CC at the young man beside her. “And who might this be?”

CC stepped aside to introduce him. “Granny Zheng, this is my friend, Lin Xian.”

Upon hearing the name, Zheng Xiang Yue’s eyes widened. “You… you are…”

“Yes,” Lin Xian said, stepping forward. “I’m Lin Xian, the one you mentioned in your wish list. I’m sorry it took so long to come…”

He looked at her and smiled gently. “Xiang Yue, I’m here to see you.”

By the stone well in Rhine Village, the night was calm and peaceful. The bright moon rose higher in the sky, and the distant cicadas grew quieter, leaving everything still.

Lin Xian and Zheng Xiang Yue sat on the stone steps beside the well, holding a laminated piece of paper—a wish list that had been preserved for over a hundred years and existed in this world for six centuries:

“Things to Do After Waking Up from Hibernation!”

Bury my brother on the moon.

Repay Lin Xian properly.

Be a kind and loving person.

“This is what you wrote before you went into the hibernation chamber,” Lin Xian said softly, looking at the laminated paper. “You were very young back then, just over fifteen, almost sixteen. But mentally, you were probably only about eight or nine—very innocent and naive.”

“Because of that, you didn’t really understand what losing your memory would mean. You didn’t think it would be that bad. So, you didn’t prepare anything like notebooks or recordings like others did.”

Zheng Xiang Yue listened quietly, closing her eyes. “I see.”

“I always wondered why other people who woke up from hibernation had tons of notebooks and videos, but I only had this one sheet of paper. Now, I understand. It’s because of this.”

“For years, I kept thinking, why didn’t I leave any record of my memories before hibernation? I thought maybe I had lived a miserable life and wanted to forget everything and start anew. That’s why I didn’t leave any memories.”

She chuckled softly. “Looks like I was overthinking it.”

Lin Xian was silent for a moment before continuing. “It’s not entirely your fault. You had many caring adults around you, but almost everyone stayed silent about the idea of leaving behind a memory journal before you went into hibernation.”

“It’s hard to say whether this was misguided kindness or unnecessary compassion. But back then, I thought the same. I knew this wish list you wrote wouldn’t help much because the wishes were too simple, too vague. After waking up, you’d definitely not understand them.”

“Even though I knew this, I still didn’t say anything. Like the doctors, I thought it was better to forget such sad and painful memories. After all, you had nothing before hibernation, and you would have nothing after waking up. Starting fresh wouldn’t be so bad, right?”

Zheng Xiang Yue slowly opened her eyes and looked at Lin Xian. “So… Mr. Lin Xian, have you changed your mind now?”

“Are you willing to tell me about my past, about my real life before?”

Lin Xian nodded. “Today, I met a friend from Mars who is also searching for his memories and himself.”

“His name is a bit unusual, but his story is fascinating. He once hated his name, then forgot it, later doubted it, and even doubted himself. But in the end… he came to love his name.”

“It sounds funny, but it’s true. So, my thinking has indeed changed. A person’s life, even their memories, can’t be perfect. But memories aren’t just movie clips you forget after watching; they’re filled with emotions, the sweet, bitter, and sour parts of life.”

“Are you ready, Xiang Yue?” Lin Xian asked, holding the laminated paper so that the wishes faced her. The moonlight highlighted the three wishes written on it.

“Behind these three wishes are some very sad and heartbreaking realities,” Lin Xian continued, “but they also hold three different kinds of love, warmth, and kindness.”

“If you’re ready, I’ll start telling you. This is a story from over 600 years ago. Even after such a long time, some things never change.”

Zheng Xiang Yue stared at the laminated paper, focusing on the simple words written there. After a moment, she nodded.

“Mr. Lin Xian, please tell me,” she said softly. “Tell me about the life I once lived and the things that happened around me.”

Lin Xian began to share her story.

He talked about how she and her brother lost their parents, how Zheng Cheng He got bitten by a dog, and how the two of them left home and relied on each other in Donghai City.

He didn’t tell her about Zheng Cheng He’s involvement with the Seven Deadly Sins. Instead, he told her that her brother had found a generous employer who helped pay for her hospital treatment.

When it came to Zheng Cheng He’s death, Lin Xian stuck to the official story—a car accident, as reported in the news. After all, that’s what the teenage Zheng Xiang Yue had believed, and since the law had never convicted Zheng Cheng He, Lin Xian wouldn’t either.

He also spoke about the ticket to the moon, her agreement with Elon Musk, and the missing logo on the moon—he told her everything in full detail.

“In the end, you decided to go into the hibernation chamber,” Lin Xian said.

He handed the laminated paper back to Zheng Xiang Yue. “You wrote these three wishes while lying in bed. At first, there were only two, but then I told you… kindness needs to be shared. You could repay me by passing it on—help the country if you could; if not, build up your hometown.”

“It’s incredible that even after losing your memories, you traveled billions of kilometers from Mars to Earth and rebuilt Rhine Village on the ruins of Donghai City.”

Lin Xian finished his story.

As he had expected, Zheng Xiang Yue didn’t show a big reaction.

Even while retelling these stories, Lin Xian felt more moved than she did. Because he had lived through these experiences himself. But for the current Zheng Xiang Yue, it was like listening to a story from a 600-year-old movie.

How many people would still watch early black-and-white films? And how many would still be interested in the silent films of Charlie Chaplin?

It was understandable that Zheng Xiang Yue didn’t feel much. The life he described was so far removed from her current reality that she couldn’t connect to it.

Angelica’s thirst for revenge, on the other hand, came from years of self-persuasion and self-hypnosis, making those memories feel real to her.

Old Man Wei Sheng Jin’s tears for past memories were because the name “Liu Shiyu” became a bridge connecting his past and present.

But what did Zheng Xiang Yue have?

She had nothing.

A few birds flew over Rhine Village, landing on the wooden waterwheel outside the village. They dipped their heads to drink, then rode the turning wheel up, flapping their wings, and flew back into the moonlit forest.

“Ah…” Zheng Xiang Yue sighed deeply, shaking her head with a hint of disappointment.

“The stories you told… I had already guessed most of them over the years. I also figured that you were the one who gave me the ticket to the moon, which is why I wrote, ‘Repay Brother Lin Xian properly’ as my second wish.”

“But… I wish I could feel something about these things—whether it’s about my brother, whom I’ve never met and have no memory of, or about you, who helped us so much, bought me a ticket, and put me into the hibernation chamber. I wish I could truly thank you. But I don’t want to just say thank you without any real feeling behind it.”

Lin Xian gave a small smile and shook his head. “You’ve already done more than enough. Even without talking about the perfect moonlight shining on Earth… Just the fact that you willingly returned from Mars to Earth to rebuild your hometown shows enough kindness and greatness to move me and make me proud.”

“I never thought I was a great person, but who would have thought that a casual remark could lead to the creation of Rhine Village on Earth 600 years later? That’s the greatest reward you could give me, and the highest point in my life.”

“Oh, I almost forgot to mention the Rhine Cat. You loved Rhine Cat toys when you were a kid. That giant Rhine Cat plush toy was my birthday gift to you. And… do you know why Elon Musk couldn’t find the same toy or even a promotional picture?”

“Because that giant Rhine Cat plush was never for sale,” Lin Xian explained. “Only two were ever made, but the project was canceled due to the high cost, so no more were produced. One went to the real little princess of Donghai City, and the other ended up with you.”

Hearing this, Zheng Xiang Yue suddenly understood. “No wonder…”

“Elon Musk told me that when I woke up from hibernation, the Rhine Cat plush that had been around for 600 years had completely fallen apart. The stuffing inside had turned black and rotten, and the outer fabric was faded, cracked, and had turned to dust.”

“So, it was hard to repair, and there was no clear way to start. He tried to find a similar one based on a few clues. But like you said, there were no duplicates on the market, no promotional pictures in history. Who would’ve thought that a girl as ordinary as me could own one of only two Rhine Cats in the world?”

“With no other options, Elon Musk had a craftsman recreate the original toy’s appearance from the few colored fragments that were left. That’s how the ‘Theseus Cat’ came to be. I’ve kept that cat toy by my side ever since, even bringing it back to Earth.”

“But I’m still sorry, Mr. Lin Xian,” she continued, a hint of sadness in her voice. “I still can’t recall what it felt like to love that cat. I know how important it is to me, and I know how much I must have loved it, but I just can’t remember that feeling.”

There was a sense of helplessness in Zheng Xiang Yue’s voice.

Lin Xian understood her inner conflict. She had kept that ‘Theseus Cat’ with her for over a century, fixing it whenever it needed repair. She never let it out of her sight, even when she came to Earth, and she named her village Rhine Village after it. All of this showed she was really trying to like the cat. But when it comes to memories and feelings, people can’t force themselves.

“I’ve seen your cat,” Lin Xian said with a gentle smile. “But… it doesn’t look like the one I gave you. That’s not the craftsman’s fault, though. He did his best, but without the original model or a reference picture, it’s easy to go off track.”

“The cat I gave you had a puffed-up face, looking both angry and cute. But the one you have now has squinting eyes and a smile. So, it shouldn’t really be called ‘Theseus Cat,’ but rather ‘Another Cat.’”

“Do you have a pen and paper?” Lin Xian asked, reaching out his hand. “Since I promised to tell you everything, that includes the original Rhine Cat you once loved.”

“If you have a pen and paper, I can draw the original Rhine Cat for you. I designed it myself, and I remember every cat I’ve ever drawn, clear as day.”

Zheng Xiang Yue went to her room and returned with two sheets of thick, coarse paper made with an old paper-making technique, along with a charcoal pencil tied with a string.

Lin Xian gladly took them.

Strong people never complain about their surroundings or tools. Historically, the earliest sketch artists used charcoal pencils.

Back at MX Company, he had drawn countless Rhine Cats. The memory was etched into his muscles and bones. As soon as the charcoal touched the paper, Lin Xian was in the zone, starting with the round face of the Rhine Cat.

There were only two of these Rhine Cats in the world: one in Chu An Qing’s hands and the other in Zheng Xiang Yue’s. They were never publicly advertised, and Lin Xian might be the only person who could draw them.

It took him only about ten minutes.

A lively sketch of an angry, puffed-up Rhine Cat appeared on the paper.

Satisfied with his work, Lin Xian handed the thick, coarse paper to Zheng Xiang Yue. “Take a look; this is—”

Suddenly, he stopped.

When he looked up after finishing the drawing, he saw tears streaming down Zheng Xiang Yue’s cheeks, her eyes fixed on the sketch in her hands.

She had been watching the entire time. From the moment Lin Xian drew the first line, she hadn’t looked away. She was sure this was an unfamiliar Rhine Cat. She had never seen this version before. It wasn’t like the one she owned. It wasn’t like any she had seen on Mars. This was a new, unseen, never-before-seen Rhine Cat in the world!

But…

Why were her tears falling?

Even Zheng Xiang Yue didn’t know.

Why was she crying?

“Do you remember?” Lin Xian asked softly, watching as Zheng Xiang Yue’s tears flowed uncontrollably.

“Do you remember playing with this Rhine Cat, leaning against it, lying on it, hugging it, and talking to it?”

“No,” the elderly Zheng Xiang Yue shook her head, but her tears kept coming. “I don’t know why… I don’t know what’s happening to me…”

“Even though I’ve never seen this Rhine Cat, and it doesn’t really stir anything in my heart, why… why can’t I control my tears?”

Zheng Xiang Yue took the sketch from Lin Xian’s hand, staring at the cat she had never seen before—one that felt completely unfamiliar yet made her cry instantly.

“This is so strange…”

She wiped away her tears, but more kept coming, blurring her vision.

“But I think I understand something now,” she said softly.

Zheng Xiang Yue lifted her gaze from the sketch and looked at Lin Xian. “Mr. Lin Xian, could you please close your eyes?”

Lin Xian nodded and shut his eyes completely.

He heard the thick paper being placed on the stone bench. Then, he felt two wrinkled, dry hands gently holding his left and right hands.

With his eyes closed, Lin Xian’s other senses became sharper. He could feel the roughness of Zheng Xiang Yue’s hands, the slight tremble in them, and a coolness that was colder than his own.

An elderly hand, a young hand, a child’s hand. He had held Zheng Xiang Yue’s hand before, even lifted her up when she was young. Her hand had been so delicate, so light.

But now, 600 years later, the teenage Zheng Xiang Yue had become an elderly woman. And here she was, holding his hands.

“Thank you for the birthday gift…”

Her voice was slightly hoarse, and Lin Xian suddenly remembered the frail girl he first met, who couldn’t lift the Rhine Cat plush.

“Thank you for taking care of my brother and me…”

Her voice choked with emotion, and Lin Xian couldn’t help but think of the little girl who had used all her strength to lift her brother’s urn and forced a smile, saying, “Look, I can lift my brother now.”

“Thank you for buying me a ticket to the moon…”

Zheng Xiang Yue’s voice was soft and dream-like. Lin Xian wasn’t sure who was speaking to him—the elderly woman before him or the young girl who once said, “My dream is to be buried on the moon when I die!”

“Thank you for giving me a complete and regret-free life…”

Lin Xian kept his eyes closed. He felt the hands in his grip becoming smoother, softer, and warmer. Zheng Xiang Yue’s tearful voice seemed to merge with that of the strong yet lonely little girl from 600 years ago:

“Thank you, Brother Lin Xian.”

Suddenly, Lin Xian opened his eyes!

Boom!!!

Boom!!!

Boom!!!

A bright white light flashed exactly at 12:42, blinding him and making everything around him blur, including the smiling face in front of him.

In a quiet corner of his bedroom, Lin Xian opened his eyes. He stared at the ceiling above him. He didn’t move for a long time.

Maybe Zheng Xiang Yue had asked him to close his eyes because it would have been awkward for someone her age to call him “Brother Lin Xian” while looking him in the eye.

But…

Why did she end up saying it?

She had known he was her Brother Lin Xian ever since he had told her everything, but she always called him Mr. Lin Xian.

Had she regained her memory?

Definitely not.

But why did she cry when she saw that accurate sketch of the Rhine Cat?

Those were real emotions. Her memory hadn’t come back, but somehow, her feelings seemed to have traveled through time.

Lin Xian suddenly had a thought.

If memories can exist separately from emotions…

Then could emotions also exist separately from memories?

Right now, scientists all agree on one thing: memory loss caused by hibernation is irreversible.

In other words, the memory loss side effect from hibernation can’t be avoided, and once memories are lost, they cannot be restored.

But…

Is that really true?

What happened with Zheng Xiang Yue made Lin Xian question this widely accepted belief: Can lost memories from hibernation really never be restored?

He remembered something Angelica had said.

Elon Musk clearly hadn’t lost any memories, yet he looked far too young.

This was a very contradictory situation.

A youthful appearance suggests a long hibernation period, which should mean memory loss is inevitable.

No memory loss would imply a short and frequent hibernation, which would make it impossible to maintain a youthful appearance.

These two things seem to be mutually exclusive.

Lin Xian began to reflect on three key points:

First, no one has ever been able to fully explain the truth behind the super disaster that struck Earth in the year 2400.

Second, the mandatory history education for awakened humans on Mars is clearly selective and avoids certain topics.

Third, the Earth-Mars interstellar bus only runs once every two years, completely cutting off regular communication between Earth and Mars. If someone travels to Earth, they have to wait two years before they can return, effectively discouraging any interest in Earth tourism. This seems to be a deliberate attempt at control.

It all pointed to one thing…

“Some important truth is being deliberately hidden, intentionally covered up.”

“If people with real memories are killed, and those who survive lose their memories through hibernation only to have false memories implanted… wouldn’t that turn fake history into real history?”

As Lin Xian considered this, he began to suspect that the super disaster of 2400 and Elon Musk’s uncertain Mars migration plan might not be as simple as they appeared in the Fifth Dream world.

He sat up in bed, pulling open the curtains to look at the bright moon outside.

“Who could be Elon Musk’s enemy?” he wondered aloud. “Destroying all human technology, completely isolating Earth from Mars, forcing Earth back into a primitive era without even electricity… what is it afraid of?”

Lin Xian closed his eyes, trying to piece his thoughts together and find some clues.

The complete destruction of human technology.

The total isolation of Earth and Mars.

An era without even basic electricity.

Wait, why does this all seem so familiar?

It’s like… the pursuit and escape involving the super artificial intelligence VV back then!

The only “being” that might be worth this kind of extermination-level destruction could be just one.

Lin Xian’s eyes shot open as he recalled the scene of Kevin Walker being shot dead at the abandoned school in Mississippi, USA, and the digital life form that spoke confidently through the speakers, promising to always be fair and just—

“Turing.”