Genius Club

The Laws of Time and Space

Lin Xian hadn’t thought about the laws of time and space for a long time. Memories of that rainy night when he first met Yellow Finch came flooding back. It was in Zhao Ying Jun’s office. The mysterious woman had startled him by handing him a fake Genius Club invitation before turning away gracefully.

“The laws of time and space are far more important and strict than you imagine,” she had said. “Almost all the answers are hidden within them… but for now, your understanding is still too shallow.”

Nearly two years had passed since Lin Xian first grasped the initial four laws of time and space. Two years seemed like a long time, but it had flown by in a blur of discovery and intrigue.

Now, he had uncovered a new law: Temporal Rejection. This fifth law followed the butterfly effect, time-space fluctuations, fluctuation anchors, and time-space elasticity. With this revelation, many previously puzzling mysteries began to make sense.

Temporal Rejection: The intrinsic characteristic of time-space to repel foreign objects, instinctively rejecting, resisting, attacking, or even annihilating anything that doesn’t belong to the current timeline. This phenomenon is called Temporal Rejection.

Understanding this concept brought clarity to numerous enigmas. For instance, why were Yellow Finch’s eyes a crystalline blue, like flowing glass? This was a reaction caused by temporal rejection.

Yellow Finch, a traveler from the future, was a foreign object in this timeline. Therefore, the inherent power of time-space instinctively rejected her. This rejection changed her eyes to blue, altered her appearance, made her body weak, and restricted her actions due to time-space elasticity. It was a self-protection mechanism of time-space.

Lin Xian speculated that perhaps time-space itself is inert and stable, like a healthy human being. The presence of someone like Yellow Finch would undoubtedly disrupt the development and causality of time-space, destabilizing it. So, the immune system of time-space activates, marking these outsiders with noticeable features.

Such striking blue eyes might be a way to alert beings in this timeline to the presence of a dangerous outsider. Her altered appearance could also be a result of temporal rejection, aimed at preventing beings in this timeline from being deceived. Similarly, Yellow Finch’s sudden weakness, coughing, trembling, and faded eye color in the washroom were all attacks by temporal rejection, aiming to eliminate the outsider quickly to maintain the stability and health of time-space.

“Now I understand…” Lin Xian muttered to himself. He finally comprehended the mysteries surrounding Yellow Finch. Indeed, as she had said the first time they met, the laws of time and space were incredibly intricate and essential. Almost all answers lay within these laws.

Yellow Finch wasn’t wrong about that. Just by comprehending a new law, many mysteries were instantly unraveled. If one day he could understand as many of the time-space laws as possible, or even all of them, wouldn’t he be able to clear away all the clouds of mysteries and see the complete truth?

Lin Xian continued to stare at Yellow Finch. When he first saw this woman, he had mistaken her for Zhao Ying Jun. Chu An Qing had also mentioned that she always found Yellow Finch and Zhao Ying Jun too similar; if you didn’t look closely, it was easy to mix them up.

Their auras, small movements, habits, every expression. Even though their appearances, face shapes, body types, and eye colors were entirely different, considering the premise of temporal rejection, they could very well be the same person.

The office password, which only he and Zhao Ying Jun knew, was also known to Yellow Finch. In addition, her driving techniques were very similar to his own, and he had taught Zhao Ying Jun how to drive. Zhao Ying Jun loved wearing high heels and earrings, and so did Yellow Finch. On New Year’s Eve in 2024, both women had wished him a happy new year at the exact same time.

Yellow Finch could very well be Zhao Ying Jun from the future!

Suddenly, Lin Xian remembered a joke he had made to himself: because Zhao Ying Jun always matched the color of her earrings with her coat, he once thought that if a clone tried to impersonate her, this habit would give them away.

So, was Yellow Finch doing this on purpose? Intentionally mismatching her earrings to mislead him? To make him never suspect?

He remembered bringing this up with Zhao Ying Jun: “What if… you wore a beige coat and blue earrings?”

Zhao Ying Jun had instantly frowned. “What kind of weird combination is that? I find it hard to accept.”

She had asked Lin Xian in return, “Do you like such a mismatched style?”

“No, no,” Lin Xian had quickly denied. “I just happened to see a woman dressed like that the other day, and it looked odd.”

“It is quite odd,” Zhao Ying Jun had said at the time. “In terms of outfit coordination, there shouldn’t be too many colors, or you’ll look like a Christmas tree, overly decorated. I think three to four colors are just about right.”

Besides, Zhao Ying Jun didn’t like wearing blue earrings and only wore them two or three times a year. She had said so herself. She would only wear blue earrings at evening banquets or parties, paired with a blue dress.

Lin Xian felt a chill run down his spine. If Yellow Finch really was Zhao Ying Jun from the future, what had happened that forced her to travel back in time? What dangers lay ahead, and what secrets were still hidden within the intricate laws of time and space?

He needed to uncover more about these laws, not just to understand Yellow Finch, but to prepare for whatever challenges the future might hold.

…

Lin Xian felt a whirlwind of emotions swirl inside him.

He remembered Chu An Qing’s words about Yellow Finch’s loneliness, Zhao Ying Jun’s fear of being alone, the white jade statue waiting for 600 years in the third dream of Rhine Sky City, and Zhao Ying Jun’s resolute declaration at the Hunan restaurant that she would never enter a hibernation pod.

At that moment, something clicked within Lin Xian.

He seemed to understand what could truly pierce through the barriers of time, transcend the laws of physics, and defy the elasticity of time-space to convey a message.

He took a deep breath and slowly raised his head.

“Yellow Finch,” he called out softly to the silent, lonely, and nonconforming woman standing before him. He met her deep blue gaze and asked in a low voice, “Why… do you always wear blue earrings?”

In the equipment bay, Gao Yang, Liu Feng, and Chu An Qing all widened their eyes, staring at Lin Xian as if he had lost his mind. They couldn’t fathom why, at such a critical moment, Lin Xian would ask such a seemingly trivial question. Was he losing his grip on reality? Had the complexities of time and space overwhelmed his brain?

However, Lin Xian’s expression was serious, his gaze unwavering. He wasn’t joking. He was earnestly asking Yellow Finch this question.

Yellow Finch pushed herself away from the cabin wall. She straightened up, facing Lin Xian. Her usually calm blue eyes were now trembling slightly. Neither of them spoke, yet their eyes exchanged countless unspoken messages.

You know. I know. An unspoken understanding.

Finally, Yellow Finch bit her lip and closed her eyes. “Because…” she began, her voice barely above a whisper, “Blue… is truly beautiful.”

…

In an instant, Lin Xian felt as if something inside him shattered.

Such a half-hearted answer. So difficult to utter. Some things could indeed transcend time. But the laws of time and space were absolute. Since even the time-space particles had been attacked to the point of invisibility by these laws, Yellow Finch, so cautious not to violate the laws, dared not speak more, dared not respond. She feared, just like the time-space particles, temporal rejection would erase her existence.

Moreover, the laws restricting Yellow Finch weren’t limited to temporal rejection. She had to endure the pain from temporal rejection while constantly guarding against the vigilance of time-space elasticity. Once she crossed the line of time-space elasticity, the consequences could be even more severe. Not to mention, there might be other laws of time and space he hadn’t comprehended yet, equally binding her.

Recalling the arguments, mistrust, and misunderstandings he had with Yellow Finch, compared to what she had done for him, Lin Xian felt a pang of guilt.

“I apologize,” Lin Xian said softly, “For many things, I apologize.”

Yellow Finch chuckled, turned her head away, and crossed her arms. “A qualified leader never apologizes.”

“Remembering Xiang Yu, who refused to return to Jiangdong. I never thought of Xiang Yu as a hero; none of the soldiers who followed him to the death wanted to see the Western Chu overlord commit suicide at Wujiang.”

“We followed you, for you, right or wrong, live or die, for you. Throughout history, the victor is always right, and the vanquished is always wrong. Many things, if you believe them to be right, then they are right; if you doubt them to be wrong, then they are wrong.”

“So, Lin Xian…” She turned back, her deep blue eyes bright, “Do it boldly if it’s right. If it’s wrong, then be resolute in your error. Don’t be like the Western Chu overlord Xiang Yu. Living in the praises of history is far less meaningful than living in the hopeful present. I much prefer Yu Ji over Xiang Yu in the story of Farewell My Concubine.”

“Yu Ji is the hero, not Xiang Yu.”

Gao Yang, Liu Feng, and Chu An Qing looked at each other in bewilderment, feeling like they were hearing a coded conversation.

This… Were these two speaking human language? Every word made sense individually, but what did they mean by saying them now? Asking about the color of earrings, an inexplicable apology, a random story about Farewell My Concubine. What was the point?

Liu Feng looked at Lin Xian helplessly. He had long known Yellow Finch was a mysterious person. Now, birds of a feather flock together; Lin Xian had also become mysterious.

“What are you two doing? Can’t you see the situation?” Gao Yang slammed his hand on the table, “Now is not the time for poetry appreciation! We need to come up with a plan! Think! I’m more anxious than you all!”

“Altitude is dropping to 52 kilometers! Entering the troposphere!” came Wei Cheng’s voice through the radio. “An Qing, check the time-space particles! If I deviate even slightly, let me know immediately! I have no radar or navigation and can’t see the particles; I’m flying blind!”

Chu An Qing hurriedly looked out the porthole. “They’re still there! The direction and speed of the time-space particles are stable… maintaining the current speed and direction is fine! I’ll keep watching; if we deviate, I’ll let you know immediately, Coach Wei!”

Liu Feng walked over, looking at Lin Xian. “What now?” He paused. “It seems we can’t capture the time-space particles with any instruments or our eyes; Gao Yang can’t use the robotic arm to grab them.”

“Even if Chu An Qing can see the particles, it’s not much help. They flicker so fast that by the time she describes their position to Gao Yang, they’ll have moved.”

“As for Chu An Qing operating the robotic arm… forget it, that’s not realistic. Gao Yang’s talent is rare, and it took him so long to operate it smoothly. Even if Chu An Qing trained for a year, she couldn’t handle it, let alone learn it now.”

“Execute Plan B,” Lin Xian replied. “In our plan, we accounted for Gao Yang’s inability to capture the particles with the robotic arm, so we have Plan B—using the space shuttle to hit the time-space particles directly, letting them enter the plane, and capturing them in the spacious equipment bay. Since they can pass through any material, they should pass through the space shuttle’s walls.”

“The only adjustment is that I was supposed to catch the particles with a rice cooker, but since we can’t see them, An Qing will do it. Her agility and coordination make her the best candidate.”

Liu Feng shook his head. “You didn’t consider one thing, Lin Xian. It’s proven that the time-space particles don’t damage inanimate objects, but what about living beings? What if they harm a person?”

“I’ll go.” Lin Xian interrupted Liu Feng, looking around. “I’ll go first, I’ll contact the particles to see if it’s dangerous.”

Everyone stared at Lin Xian, their faces a mix of shock and confusion.

“You! You’re crazy, Lin Xian!” Gao Yang shouted, rushing over to punch him in the shoulder. “What are you thinking? Those particles look dangerous, sparking electricity. What if they kill you or drag you into another time? You could die!”

“Enough, we’re not discussing this,” Lin Xian said firmly, raising his hand to stop Gao Yang. “Just as Yellow Finch said, everyone is here for me, on this dangerous space shuttle. You all have your roles, but I’ve been of no use. Give me a chance to prove myself.”

He walked toward the passenger cabin, determination in his steps. “Stay in the equipment bay; I’ll be in the passenger cabin. An Qing, guide Wei Cheng to let the particles pass through the cabin wall to me. Once you confirm contact and I’m safe, speed up to let the particles enter the equipment bay, and An Qing can capture them.”

A hand rested on Lin Xian’s shoulder, stopping him in his tracks. He turned to see Liu Feng.

“I’ll do it,” Liu Feng said, his eyes earnest. “I’ve always admired you, Lin Xian, but you have parents, friends, and many ties to this world. I’m an orphan, and Qi Qi is gone; I have nothing left.”

“My only wish is to understand the Universal Constant and prove it to the world. But if we can’t catch these particles, my research might stall… I’m not a genius, and this is my only chance.”

“So, let me do it. I’ll contact the particles. I’m older and more desperate for them, with no ties. I’m the best choice.”

Time was limited. The space shuttle had descended to 50 kilometers, and no one knew when the particles would vanish, leaving no time for delay.

Finally, Liu Feng stood alone in the passenger cabin, eyes closed, ready to welcome the first human contact with the time-space particles.

“Coach Wei! The position is perfect! The particles are outside the left cabin wall, flickering steadily!” Chu An Qing called out, watching the particles’ path through the porthole, guiding Wei Cheng.

“Slide over! Let the particles into the passenger cabin!” Wei Cheng turned the steering handle sharply. The space shuttle’s rear engines twisted, propelling the shuttle to swerve left.

However, the particles dodged the plane’s movement as before. Several attempts failed to bring the particles through the cabin wall.

“Damn…” Liu Feng clenched his teeth. “The space shuttle is too slow. If we were faster or rammed into them, maybe we could drag them in.”

“I doubt it,” Gao Yang said, shaking his head. “I’ve fought them before. They’re too agile; this big plane is too easy to dodge.”

“Should we slow down, let the particles pass ahead, and then speed up to hit them?” Wei Cheng suggested through the radio.

“No,” Lin Xian dismissed the idea. “Even if it worked, the space shuttle can’t brake in the atmosphere. We’d hit them, but their speed is always 0.97 Mach. We’d outrun them, and they’d exit through the tail.”

“With no way to track them, we’d lose them forever.”

Gao Yang jumped in frustration. “What do we do, then?”

“Too fast or too slow won’t work. Damn it… these particles are right outside, but we can’t see or touch them. It’s infuriating!”

The situation was deadlocked.

“Altitude dropping! Now at 48 kilometers!” Wei Cheng’s voice was the only sound breaking the tense silence.

“47 kilometers!”

“45 kilometers!”

Each update on the decreasing altitude made the air heavier with tension.

45 kilometers…

45,000 meters.

They were now much closer to Earth compared to their previous altitude in space. Despite this, they had no solution to their problem.

Suddenly, Chu An Qing raised her right hand. Her voice, though calm, had a slight tremor. “Let me do it.”

Lin Xian, Gao Yang, and Liu Feng turned to her, their faces filled with confusion.

“What are you going to do?” Lin Xian asked, a mix of curiosity and concern in his voice.

“Go outside,” Chu An Qing replied simply.

“What!?” they exclaimed in unison, their shock evident.

But Chu An Qing’s eyes were filled with determination. “Since I’m the only one who can see the particles, the only way to catch them is—” She extended her right hand, pointing above the equipment bay. “I’ll stand in the open cabin of the mechanical arm, holding the rice cooker… and catch them myself!”