Genius Club

Chapter 338: Zheng Xiang Yue’s Ticket

As expected, it was another “I can’t say.”

Lin Xian snorted lightly. Without a firm denial, it was very likely that Yu Xi’s time travel had something to do with the Genius Club. But what kind of relationship? That was still a mystery. It could be a positive connection, or it could be a negative one. The current situation was confusing.

Lin Xian felt the whirlpool of mysteries around him growing bigger. He had to break through the stalemate soon.

“I’m going to sleep now,” Lin Xian said, closing his eyes. “If you get tired of driving, wake me up.”

“Okay,” Yu Xi replied curtly.

….

“Has that time-space assassin caught up again?” Lin Xian opened his eyes once more.

Yu Xi shook her head. “She’s still lingering around Princeton. Don’t worry, even though she’s shrouded in mysteries, she’s ultimately just a human being of flesh and blood. She can’t fly, nor can she withstand bullets. Plus, I can sense her position. She’s not as terrifying as you think. Just sleep soundly, I’ll wake you if anything happens.”

Lin Xian nodded. Resting well was essential for a better fight tomorrow.

He glanced at his watch. It was 1:23 AM in America, which meant it was 1:23 PM in X Country. Falling asleep at this time would definitely lead to dreaming. Once he entered the dream, unless it was 00:42 in X Country time, or he died in the dream, nothing could wake him up from the outside world.

This had happened once when he was a child. His parents couldn’t wake him up no matter what and were so scared they took him to the hospital. The doctor checked him over and found nothing wrong, concluding that he was simply sleeping too deeply. Though it was rare to see someone sleep so deeply, facts were facts.

But in the current situation, he couldn’t afford to sleep so deeply. If something dangerous happened, and Yu Xi couldn’t wake him up, or even if hitting him wouldn’t wake him, his life could be at risk.

So, he had to think of a way to die quickly, wake up once, and then continue sleeping.

The fourth dream was different from other dreams; it didn’t offer many chances for a deliberate death. His activity range was very limited, and if he missed the initial opportunity, he would be electrocuted unconscious, entering a state of dual disconnection from reality and the dream, comparable to actual death.

His eyelids grew heavier. Gradually, Lin Xian fell into a deep sleep.

….

The familiar summer breeze and the familiar noise filled the air as Lin Xian quickly opened his eyes. He found himself in the usual scenario: dozens of soldiers surrounded him, and more than a dozen balloon airships with Time Bank’s advertisements hovered high above.

All the soldiers nervously held up their rifles, disengaging the safeties as they faced the young man who had appeared like a magician. The soldier dressed as a captain was about to step forward when Lin Xian chuckled softly.

“Heh,” Lin Xian murmured, his voice tinged with a mix of amusement and determination.

Without wasting a second, he charged toward his chosen target—a soldier who seemed less proficient with his gun and was a beat slower than the others. The soldier’s hesitation was all Lin Xian needed.

Lin Xian pounced directly at the gun barrel, aiming it at his forehead. With a swift and decisive movement, he pressed the trigger hard with his right hand.

Bang!

The deafening gunshot echoed in his ears, and Lin Xian’s vision went black.

….

Lin Xian jerked up from the passenger seat, heart racing, gasping for air. The familiar sensation of returning to reality hit him hard, and he struggled to steady his breath.

Yu Xi glanced over, confusion etched on her face. “What’s wrong? A nightmare?”

Lin Xian took a moment to calm his breathing, looking at Yu Xi. It seemed that this time-traveling protector from the future didn’t know the secret of his dreams. This realization was comforting.

This also proved she didn’t know Yellow Finch. Yellow Finch knew everything about him, including his ability to time-travel in dreams. But as for Yu Xi, she seemed completely ignorant about his dream ability.

Good. Lin Xian had no intention of sharing this, his most precious secret, with anyone.

“Sort of,” Lin Xian replied vaguely, not wanting to delve into details.

Satisfied with his response, Yu Xi returned her focus to the road, her hands steady on the wheel.

Lin Xian turned over and went back to sleep. Once he “popped” out of a dream by dying in it, he wouldn’t dream again until the next cycle. Now, he could sleep soundly.

….

The next day, near noon, Yu Xi was still driving in the same position, showing no signs of fatigue. Lin Xian yawned and sat up, adjusting the seat back to its upright position. He looked out at the scenery and, as expected, it was flat land. The highway stretched out straight to the horizon, with no curves at all. It was no wonder people said you could lock the steering wheel and sleep while driving on American highways.

“I’ll drive,” Lin Xian said to Yu Xi. “You get some sleep, have something to eat. By the time you wake up, we’ll be close to Texas.”

Without any fuss, Yu Xi pulled over, and they switched places. She moved to the back seat to rest. “The time-space assassin is probably still in Princeton. She hasn’t followed us because we’re too far away for me to sense her position clearly now. But don’t worry. Even while sleeping, I can sense the assassin’s distance from us. If she gets close, I’ll wake up immediately.”

With that, Yu Xi closed her eyes and began to sleep. Lin Xian turned down the volume of the radio to avoid disturbing her. He rested his left elbow on the car window frame, supporting his chin, while his right hand lightly held the steering wheel that hardly needed any control. He glanced at Yu Xi, sleeping peacefully in the backseat, through the rearview mirror.

It dawned on him that he knew almost nothing about Yu Xi. How old was she exactly? What kind of life had she lived? What kind of experiences had she gone through? Was she an only child? Were her parents still alive? Would she be able to return to her time after completing her mission?

Even in the future, with advancements in drug enhancements and gene editing making everyone smarter, prettier, and stronger, real skills and knowledge still had to be acquired through practice and learning. Yu Xi looked at most fifteen or sixteen years old, maybe even younger. To have such excellent driving skills and the ability to use a handgun at such a young age, not only managing the strong recoil but also having precise aim, it was hard to imagine how many years she had spent in training.

Thunk. Thunk.

The old car, with its poor suspension, bounced over a railroad track crossing the road, jolting Lin Xian and the sleeping Yu Xi in the backseat. In the rearview mirror, he saw the girl rub her eyes in her sleep. She shifted her position, turned over, and, facing away from Lin Xian, continued to sleep.

….

After reaching Cameron County, Texas, Lin Xian and Yu Xi decided not to go directly to the address Angelica had given them. Instead, they found a motel to rest for the night.

The next morning, they followed Angelica’s instructions to a suburban villa complex. One of the villas was the residence of Elon Musk’s female secretary. Angelica said she had arranged everything, and Lin Xian should go straight in to find her.

“I’ll stay outside and keep watch,” Yu Xi said as Lin Xian got out of the car. “I can sense the time-space assassin moving towards us quickly. She probably noticed we stayed here for a while and decided to come directly.”

“Get me a gun. If there’s a chance for close combat, I can use it to deal with her. As long as there are no other people around, I can use a gun without worrying about stray bullets triggering the forced avoidance law.”

Lin Xian nodded, closing the car door. “You keep watch outside. I told Angelica, and she’s prepared two handguns for us. I’ll go see her now.”

With that, Lin Xian walked to the villa and knocked on the door.

Knock, knock, knock.

Soon, Angelica, dressed in loose pajamas, opened the door. She had no makeup on, looked tired, and her seaweed-like hair was casually tied up.

“Where’s the secretary?” Lin Xian asked.

“Asleep,” Angelica replied blandly.

Lin Xian couldn’t help but laugh. “She sleeps a lot, doesn’t she?”

Angelica raised an eyebrow. “This time, I used some special means. She won’t wake up until evening. Come in quickly, we need to discuss the next steps.”

Lin Xian entered, and Angelica closed the door behind him. She first led Lin Xian to a bedroom where the secretary was sleeping soundly on a large bed.

“She’s definitely in a deep sleep,” Angelica assured him. “But just in case, you stay here and watch her. If she wakes up early, restrain her to prevent her from alerting Elon Musk and ruining our plan.”

Angelica tapped a black briefcase on the dining table. Lin Xian opened it. Inside were the items he needed: two black handguns, magazines, and bullets.

Angelica then pointed to a familiar pair of large suitcases in the corner of the living room. Those were full of her “disguise tools.”

“My driver dropped these off and left. Today is a rare opportunity. Elon Musk asked the secretary to meet him at the Starship rocket launch center’s observation tower at 10 AM. I’ve been waiting for this chance. For the past two days, I’ve been with the secretary, and she’s taken leave from work to stay with me. I’ve studied her speech habits, catchphrases, posture, and gait. Plus, we have similar body types, so impersonating her is no problem.”

As she spoke, Angelica opened the suitcase. “And since this is her home, I have plenty of her clothes and accessories to choose from, making it even more convincing.”

“But what about her voice?” Lin Xian asked, spreading his hands. “Even if you can mimic her appearance, body, demeanor, and walking style perfectly, what about her voice?”

Angelica smiled slightly. She cleared her throat and adjusted her voice. Then she spoke in a completely different woman’s voice: “Mr. Elon Musk… Why do you always come up here without your phone?”

The voice was indistinguishable from the secretary’s!

“You can do a lot,” Lin Xian remarked, genuinely impressed. “It seems like the Oscar for Best Actress was long overdue for you. No wonder you played the secret agent so well in the movies… it was just you being yourself.”

“I’m curious, where did you learn all these skills? Who taught you? Hollywood doesn’t typically train for these things, right?”

Angelica put a finger to her lips, making a shushing gesture. “Secret~” she said, using another different but equally accurate voice.

“For normal speaking, I can imitate perfectly,” she continued in her normal voice. “But if I shout, it will definitely give me away. So here’s a tip… if you want to know someone’s real voice, make them shout or speak loudly.”

Indeed. Lin Xian thought of the once-popular bubble and nasally voices. Those two annoying voices could only be produced when speaking softly or in a low tone.

Now that her disguise, clothes, accessories, and voice were all sorted, Angelica’s chances of successfully infiltrating were high. Lin Xian trusted her acting skills. Even if Elon Musk asked unexpected questions, she should be able to bluff her way through.

Angelica took off her pajamas. “Alright, I need to start getting ready. You stay in the bedroom and keep an eye on the secretary.”

Lin Xian nodded and moved to the bedroom, making sure the secretary was still sound asleep. He then took a seat by the door, keeping a vigilant eye on her and listening for any signs of disturbance. As Angelica prepared herself, the gravity of their mission weighed on Lin Xian’s mind. Success was crucial, and any slip-up could cost them dearly.

….

Two hours later, the bedroom door opened again. Lin Xian looked up and saw what seemed to be a twin of the woman sleeping on the bed walk in.

“Do I look like her?” Angelica asked in a voice that wasn’t her own.

“You look exactly like her,” Lin Xian replied earnestly, comparing the faces of the awake and the sleeping women. It was as if they were clones. Angelica’s disguise skills were impressive.

The woman who had just entered, now disguised as the secretary, had a tall figure, was wearing a black professional skirt, slightly reflective stockings, high heels, and exuded the poised demeanor of a professional woman. Her hair was dyed the same color as the secretary’s, straightened, and pinned up in a familiar style with the secretary’s usual hairpin.

Lin Xian glanced at a magazine cover on the desk. The cover photo showed Elon Musk with the secretary, the headline featuring an interview with Elon Musk and his personal secretary. He picked up the magazine and compared the cover photo with the disguised Angelica. Perfect. Every detail was identical.

“Except for one thing,” Lin Xian noted.

Angelica produced a pair of red-framed glasses from behind and put them on her nose. “Now, don’t we look exactly alike?” she asked, blinking.

“Indeed,” Lin Xian confirmed. “Given the secretary’s face shape and eye habits, she probably wears glasses regularly.”

“That’s right,” Angelica said. “I’ve seen her work photos, and she’s always wearing these red-framed glasses. She never wore them around me these past two days, always opting for contact lenses. Maybe she thinks glasses aren’t attractive or are inconvenient. Honestly, I prefer her with glasses. It gives her more presence and makes her look more professional.”

Angelica checked her gold wristwatch, which also came from the secretary’s jewelry box. “It’s about time. Elon Musk is very punctual. Early or late won’t do; he expects us exactly on time.”

“Ah, one more thing,” Lin Xian suddenly remembered. He warned Angelica to be especially cautious of a girl with blue eyes. Although the time-space assassin was still far away, it was always good to be extra vigilant. “If that blue-eyed girl shows up, you must abort the mission immediately. She can see through disguises.”

“Got it,” Angelica said, picking up the secretary’s phone from the nightstand. She waved it at Lin Xian. “I’ll take her phone. I saw her enter the passcode these past two days, so I know everything about her now. I also have my phone. If anything happens, text me, don’t call. I’ll find a chance to reply.”

“Okay, take care,” Lin Xian said as Angelica headed out. “Keep an eye on her. The sedatives should keep her asleep, but if she wakes up… use the gun I gave you to restrain her until I get back. I’ll convince her it was part of a game. She’ll believe it.”

“Is she really that gullible?” Lin Xian asked, incredulous.

Angelica chuckled, mimicking the secretary’s walk as she left. She turned back one last time. “A woman in love sees everything as romantic~”

Bang. The door closed.

Lin Xian watched through the window as the Tesla pulled away with Angelica at the wheel. She had perfectly transformed into the secretary, from head to toe. With Angelica’s Oscar-worthy acting, voice mimicry, and her close study of the secretary’s mannerisms and relationship with Elon Musk, her chances of success were high.

From Elon Musk’s perspective, Angelica’s mission wouldn’t matter much to Lin Xian. He already had the information he needed and knew Elon Musk’s stance and attitude towards him. But Angelica had her own goals. She wanted to uncover more about the Genius Club, find out who Copernicus really was, and identify the murderer of Ji Lin’s parents.

So, she had to take this risk and try her luck. She wanted to see what Elon Musk had hidden at the observation tower and whether he would divulge any information about the Genius Club. If he didn’t, then Angelica’s mission would be fruitless. But if Elon Musk trusted his secretary and often confided in her about the Genius Club, then Angelica’s infiltration could yield valuable information.

Buzz… The electric Tesla drove out of the yard with minimal noise, except for a faint warning hum. It moved steadily. The Tesla left the villa, heading towards Boca Chica, the SpaceX Starship launch center.

….

At the observation tower, Elon Musk looked up. The sun was blazing. It was late April, the weather was getting warmer, and the world was becoming more vibrant. He gazed at the distant rocket launch pad. On the ground below, a massive transporter was slowly erecting a new Starship rocket. Another test launch was imminent.

His Starship rockets had exploded many times. The first explosion was laughed at worldwide, mocking him. But now, more and more people feared his rockets’ explosions. Because everyone knew, the more his rockets exploded, the closer they got to success. Failure yielded more experience than success. He was never afraid of failure. That was why he was so successful now. His Starship rockets were undeniably the most powerful launch vehicles in history. The reusable models could carry 150 tons of cargo per launch. The expendable models could carry 250 tons. Worldwide, those were staggering figures. But for his grand vision, it was still not enough. Mars was just his first step. He aimed for farther into the universe, a more distant future… and beyond.

Click-clack, click-clack. The rapid sound of high heels on steel grating echoed in the observation tower. Elon Musk knew his anxious and easily flustered secretary had arrived. He checked his watch. Right on time. 10:00 AM.

“Mr. Elon Musk…” The secretary, wearing red-framed glasses, was panting and holding a folder, bending over. “Can’t we meet somewhere else? Why do I have to climb this high in heels every time?”

He smiled. As usual, his secretary would complain like this every time she climbed up to the observation deck.

“I need to go to X Country at the end of this month for a conference in the capital,” Elon Musk said.

The secretary straightened up, blinking. “Anything special to note? I’ll jot it down.”

Elon Musk leaned against the observation deck railing, shaking his head. “Nothing special. The schedule is the same as before: attending the conference on April 28 and meeting with X Country officials. I love X Country. When they invited me, I accepted immediately. I told the officials it was an honor to attend the Trade Promotion Conference. I meant it, not just a polite remark… X Country has always supported me greatly. Without Donghai officials and X Country’s help, there would be no Tesla’s super factory today.”

“The itinerary for the trade conference is set. What I wanted to tell you today is… we’ll leave a day earlier. I want to deliver a ticket to a girl.”

“A ticket?” The secretary chuckled but opened her folder and started taking notes. “What kind of ticket? I’ll record your leisure activities. Do we need to notify the media or reporters?”

“No, no,” Elon Musk waved his hand. “It’s not for publicity. It’s something I need to do, and I must do it personally.”

He tilted his head, looking at the secretary. “I thought you’d understand. Since we’re talking about delivering a ticket to a girl in X Country… it’s about Zheng Xiang Yue! Didn’t I personally call her before? She probably didn’t watch the live stream and didn’t know she won a ticket to the moon. I had to explain it to her for a long time. The little girl was happy, but I felt she thought it was a joke or didn’t fully believe it. I later had friends in X Country investigate. This girl, Zheng Xiang Yue… I really like her name. It’s so beautiful.”

“Zheng Xiang Yue has congenital heart disease. Her health has been poor, and she’s spent most of her life in hospitals, with frequent heart attacks, some nearly fatal. Honestly, I wish technology would advance faster… faster. Maybe in a few years, we can make those ten moon trip tickets a reality. But it’s not up to me. If it were, I’d launch the Mars fleet tomorrow.”

“So, record this trip to deliver the ticket quietly, without notifying the media. We don’t want to disturb her. Her health is fragile, and we shouldn’t stress her. The main reason I want to personally deliver this ticket is twofold. First, I want her to believe that her ticket, despite being bought with an anonymous check, is real and always valid! If she ever needs to enter a cryo-sleep chamber due to her health, we guarantee her moon trip ticket will never expire. Whenever she wakes up, we’ll arrange a flight to fulfill her dream. I promise, even if she’s the only passenger, we’ll still launch. And if she wakes up after being cured, even if I’m not around, SpaceX will honor her ticket.”

“Wow.” The secretary noted this down and asked, “What’s the second reason?”

“The second reason is a bit pessimistic,” Elon Musk said, turning to her. “I’m afraid her heart might fail before she can enter cryo-sleep… that would be the worst outcome. She wouldn’t get to see our moon trip launch or enter cryo-sleep for her cure. This would be the most tragic situation, something I dread. But if we think of the worst-case scenario, what if it happens? Even though I can’t change that, I want to ensure she gets this ticket in person. So, I’m visiting her to give her encouragement, to help her fight her illness and believe she’ll one day go to the moon. Her name, Zheng Xiang Yue, is so simple, beautiful, and inspiring… don’t you agree?”

The secretary finished noting this down and looked up. “I’ve got it. I’ll arrange it. Anything else? You wouldn’t have called me up here just for this small task, right?”

Elon Musk chuckled and shook his head. “Of course not, there’s something more important. But before that…” Elon Musk pointed at the secretary’s left leg. “Your stocking is torn.”

“What?” The secretary panicked, looking down at her left leg. “Oh no! When did it tear?” She put the folder down, crouching to fix her torn stocking.

Click! The cold muzzle of a gun pressed against the back of her head. The secretary felt a chill… She turned slowly, eyes wide. The dark barrel aimed right between her eyes! Elon Musk held the silver handgun with his right hand, looking at the crouching secretary.

“Tell me, who sent you?”

“Mr. Elon Musk…” The secretary breathed rapidly. “You… what are you…”

“I admit, your disguise is impressive. Too good… I didn’t notice anything wrong. Voice, walk, expressions, tone, all perfectly mimicked.” Elon Musk smiled. “But… you forgot to adjust your glasses.”

He tapped the red-framed glasses with the gun barrel. “My secretary pushes these glasses up every few seconds. No matter what, they always slide down. I yelled at her multiple times to get new glasses, but she never did. But now… I’m grateful. Her stubbornness saved my life.”

The gun moved forward, pressing tightly against the secretary’s forehead. “I don’t like wasting time. You have five seconds to tell me who sent you.”

Elon Musk’s smile vanished, replaced by a cold stare. “5, 4, 3, 2, 1… goodbye.” His finger tightened on the trigger—

Riiiing, riiing, riiing!

The secretary’s phone rang, breaking the tense moment. Angelica didn’t dare move. She didn’t even dare glance at her ringing phone.

“Take it out,” Elon Musk ordered. Angelica obediently pulled out two phones from her pocket. One belonged to the real secretary. The other, ringing now, was her own. She quickly glanced at the caller ID. A completely unfamiliar number. Not Lin Xian, nor anyone she knew.

Elon Musk took the phone, pressed the answer button, and held it to his ear. “Elon Musk…”

To his surprise! An elderly voice on the other end called his name! Elon Musk squinted, retreating a step into the observation tower. “Who are you?”

The elderly voice cleared his throat. “Let her go… Elon Musk, do me this favor.”

“Hahaha!” Elon Musk laughed. “No one has that much favor. Tell me your name, let’s see if it’s worth it.”

The elderly man chuckled dryly, his voice raspy. “I am… Copernicus.”