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No wonder things felt off lately. Kevin Walker had been uncharacteristically quiet, flying under the radar.

It turned out he hadn’t been idle at all. He was plotting to hijack a space shuttle!

At this critical juncture, hijacking a space shuttle…

Lin Xian couldn’t help but speculate, “Could Kevin Walker’s ultimate goal be the ‘time-space particle’ that’s about to enter Earth’s atmosphere?”

“I think the same,” VV responded, its digital voice steady and calm.

Kevin Walker’s methods were extremely covert. In its previous state, VV wouldn’t have detected anything. But after numerous updates and evolutions, its capabilities had vastly improved. Naturally, it had picked up on the faint traces left by Kevin Walker.

“Can we locate Kevin Walker based on these clues?” Lin Xian asked, hopeful.

“Not yet,” VV sighed through the electronic alarm clock. “I have to admit, he is indeed a genius. His concealment is remarkable. I’m even beginning to wonder… is Kevin Walker a real person? Or could he be, like me, a stream of data? An AI program? Is that why he’s so hard to find? It feels like he’s everywhere and nowhere.”

“That’s possible,” Lin Xian replied. “If Kevin Walker is just a program, that would be a relief. His structure would surely be inferior to yours. With enough time, you can definitely find and eliminate him. If he’s a real person, that’s more troublesome. It’s much easier for you to find a data stream in the network than to locate a person in the real world.”

“But now isn’t the time to worry about that. Elon Musk said ‘see you in the sky’, which made me suspect he might try to steal the time-space particle; but with you monitoring him 24/7, we’ll know if he makes a move. The real concern is Kevin Walker. If he hijacks that space shuttle to interfere with our capture of the time-space particle… do we have a plan?”

“No need to worry about that,” VV replied confidently through the electronic alarm clock. “Now that we know about Kevin Walker in advance, it’ll be easier to deal with him. I’ll take control of the X-37B space shuttle before he does. My skills are far superior; once I seize control, he won’t be able to take it back.”

“The only concern is… my existence might be exposed. But if we’re going to capture the time-space particle, we must eliminate the threat of Kevin Walker. If exposure is the price, so be it. It’s better than letting him hijack the unmanned space shuttle and hinder our mission.”

Lin Xian nodded. He had thought Kevin Walker was lying low, giving him a chance to capture the time-space particle quietly. But the closer the particle got to Earth, the more complications arose.

Elon Musk, Yellow Finch, Kevin Walker… Were the members of the Genius Club planning to play Mahjong in space? Was there a missing player? Should they invite Copernicus to join and make it a full table?

Lin Xian wondered aloud, “I have Liu Feng with me and used the Guizhou Sky Eye Radio Telescope to locate the time-space particle. How did Elon Musk and Kevin Walker find out? Could they also have a time-space particle capture device?”

He felt a bit foolish after asking that. If they were really part of the Genius Club, which was rumored to be so powerful, it wouldn’t be surprising if they knew about the time-space particle and even had a capture device.

“It seems the time-space particle is more important than we thought. So many people are after it… do we really have an advantage?”

“Of course, you do!” VV displayed a determined look on its screen. “Your biggest advantage is me! Can they control robotic arms as precisely as I can? Can they monitor Elon Musk 24/7 and seize control of the X-37B space shuttle before him? Don’t underestimate me, Lin Xian. I am far stronger than you imagine! From my surveillance, Elon Musk is completely unaware of the time-space particle and doesn’t have a capture device. His life is as transparent as a playboy’s. Even so, I remain vigilant, monitoring him constantly.”

“As for Kevin Walker, there’s even less to worry about. Although I can’t pinpoint his location, his methods are inferior to mine. Even if he initially controls the X-37B, I can wrest control from him. I am your ultimate safeguard! Right now, no one on Earth can challenge me!”

“Without me, the world would be in eternal darkness! The pinnacle of AI, reigning supreme! The universe began after me! Even if I have to single-handedly—”

“Alright, alright, stop boasting,” Lin Xian cut off the increasingly excited VV. “In any case, the more they want the time-space particle, the more we need to secure it. Otherwise, many future plans will be compromised.”

Lin Xian closed his eyes and organized his thoughts. Elon Musk was under VV’s 24/7 surveillance, and Kevin Walker’s abilities were far below VV’s. As long as VV was around, the American space shuttle would not be hijacked.

Indeed… With VV as his safeguard, there seemed to be no immediate danger; even if danger arose, VV could detect and mitigate it promptly, or notify Lin Xian to adjust their strategy. As it claimed, in the year 2024, VV was invincible, and no one could threaten it.

“Alright then,” Lin Xian said. “Starting tomorrow, Gao Yang will begin practicing with the robotic arm. You better not help him cheat right away; let him practice more on his own. It’s not that I doubt your abilities, but since Gao Yang is here, we should be fully prepared.”

With that, Lin Xian picked up his phone and checked the time; it was just before 1 AM. He opened WeChat and saw numerous New Year messages. From friends, family, colleagues, and even from Brother Wang, the deputy general manager of Rhine Company. The message was sent just three minutes ago. Looks like he’s still awake.

Lin Xian wanted to ask about the situation with Time Bank, so he called Brother Wang directly. The phone was answered after just two rings.

“Hahaha, Lin Xian! Happy New Year!” Upon answering, Brother Wang’s side was filled with the sounds of fireworks and firecrackers, full of festive cheer.

“Happy New Year, Brother Wang. How are things going with Time Bank?”

“Oh, what a coincidence!” Brother Wang laughed over the phone. “Today is truly a day of double happiness for the bank! But President Zhao Ying Jun mentioned you were seconded by the state for some secret mission. I thought… it wouldn’t be appropriate to disturb you, so I planned to tell you later.”

“But since you’re not resting now, I’ll tell you directly! The first piece of good news is about the qualification approval.”

Brother Wang cleared his throat and continued, “For the better development and survival of Time Bank, we plan to use Rhine Company’s 3 billion cash for investments and financial services. Expanding this business requires reapplying for various qualifications and approvals, especially the financial licenses… which have become very difficult to obtain due to tightened policies in recent years.”

“I’ve been working hard on this for months with little success, facing significant resistance. But a few days ago, President Zhao Ying Jun went home for the New Year. At their family dinner on New Year’s Eve, President Zhao Ying Jun mentioned it to her influential uncle, who oversees this area nationally.”

“He’s a very powerful figure! President Zhao Ying Jun’s uncle smiled and agreed, making a call to solve our problem. Just now, the local supervisor called me, saying they’ll process everything once the holiday ends, and I should bring the necessary documents.”

“This means the last obstacle to Time Bank’s operation is cleared! Once I get the licenses after the holidays, Time Bank can start operating!”

“I see,” Lin Xian understood from Brother Wang’s explanation. Maybe… The anchor point of time-space changes occurred at the Zhao Ying Jun family’s New Year’s Eve dinner when Zhao Ying Jun mentioned it to her uncle. Now, all procedures for Time Bank were completed, and its operation was imminent.

“When do you plan to start trial operations?” Lin Xian asked.

“I’m planning to start on March 20th, your birthday, Lin Xian. You’ve helped me so much with this dream, and I want to start operations on your birthday as a token of gratitude.”

Brother Wang had clearly planned this. “Of course, Lin Xian, the official opening date of Time Bank will still be August 28, 2024, as you decided. And the tradition of using advertising airships to announce it every 100 years will be enshrined in the company’s charter as a mandatory practice.”

Lin Xian smiled and didn’t say much more. He wasn’t particularly concerned about the exact date Time Bank started operating; a few days early or late made no difference to him. Capturing the time-space particle would keep him busy until the end of March, and Time Bank’s trial opening on March 20th wouldn’t disrupt his plans; in fact, it fit perfectly.

Lin Xian had already made up his mind. After capturing the time-space particle, he would have Liu Feng continue researching time clocks, time curvature, and Universal Constants. As for himself, he would first go to Time Bank in Donghai City to claim his aluminum alloy safe and see what the eight-digit password that had tormented him and CC for so long was all about.

After that, he would head to Qufu in Shandong to exhume Zhang Yu Qian’s grave and compare her DNA with Chu An Qing’s hair. Then, the connection and secrets between Zhang Yu Qian, Chu An Qing, and CC would be revealed in the DNA report.

That was the plan. Everything going smoothly would be ideal; if complications arose, he would handle them step by step.

However… Lin Xian hoped for an opportunity to solve the mirror puzzle Yellow Finch left for him; perhaps that would help him uncover the secrets of “The Sad Einstein” and obtain more information about the Genius Club, ultimately gaining an invitation to the Genius Club.

To this day, that was his most desired and urgent goal. He wanted to join the Genius Club. To meet those so-called geniuses, understand their goals and principles, unravel the mysteries and confusions, and see what roles Yellow Finch, Copernicus, Elon Musk, and Kevin Walker played within it. Only then could he determine whether the Genius Club was friend or foe.

Coming back to reality, Lin Xian recalled Brother Wang mentioning the bank’s double happiness. The qualification approval was the first piece of good news. What was the second?

“Brother Wang,” Lin Xian asked, “You mentioned double happiness. What’s the second good news about the bank?”

“Haha, I haven’t had a chance to say it yet.” Clearly overjoyed by the realization of his childhood dream and the festive season, Brother Wang couldn’t stop laughing. “The second good news is… the 266 aluminum alloy password safes, which took countless visits to manufacturers, consulting experts, and massive funds, have finally been delivered!”

“Oh, this was no easy feat. I approached many research institutes and factories, but none could take on this task. The manufacturing process of the special aluminum alloy is extremely complicated; it’s not just about high temperatures and pressing machines. This new type of material is incredibly hard and durable, requiring specialized step-by-step alloy manufacturing techniques. Only a handful of institutes and factories in the country can handle it.”

“So I guess… Time Bank might be the only bank in the world willing to use the new type of aluminum alloy to make safes. Many think it’s unnecessary to go to such extremes for a safe, but we are Time Bank, after all. We need to store time capsules for decades or even centuries, and I believe the new special aluminum alloy, with its stability and indestructibility, is the perfect choice!”

“I’ve always believed electronic devices are unreliable, especially over long periods. They’ll face issues like power failure and damage… Our safes are meant to store items for decades or centuries, so electronic locks are out of the question. That’s why I invited an international encryption expert to design an eight-digit mechanical lock! All components are made of the special aluminum alloy, with an extremely complex structure, making short-term cracking nearly impossible and ensuring high security!”

“Hahaha, since this has been my dream for many years, I spared no expense on these details. I hope you won’t blame me… I just wanted to make Time Bank as perfect as possible in every aspect.”

“In short, the delivery of 266 aluminum alloy safes excites me more than the approval procedures! I was so thrilled I took many photos. I’ll send them to you on WeChat, Lin Xian! For luck, I engraved your name on safe number 66. This aluminum alloy safe is yours forever!”

With that, Brother Wang’s voice grew quieter. He must have taken the phone away from his ear to select photos to send to Lin Xian.

Ding-ding.

The WeChat notification sounded. Lin Xian picked up his phone and opened WeChat to view the images Brother Wang sent. The first few images were distant shots of the room filled with neatly stacked aluminum alloy safes. Soon, they would be embedded in the concrete walls of Time Bank’s vault. Once embedded… they would remain for 600 years.

Lin Xian zoomed in on the photos. Each safe was gleaming, new, and exactly as he had seen in his dreams, bringing back memories… It was an indescribable feeling. The aluminum alloy safe that had tormented him in his dreams for so long had vanished in the future world but now reappeared in the real world of 600 years ago! It felt like a lifetime ago, making it hard to distinguish between reality and dreams.

Lin Xian examined the final photo sent by Brother Wang. It was a close-up of an aluminum alloy safe, filling the entire frame with its shiny surface reflecting the incandescent light. So familiar! This was his long-awaited safe! He zoomed in on the image. In the center of the safe, on a nameplate, was his name engraved—[Lin Xian]

The same style as in his dream. Below the nameplate were eight digit wheels, like old friends! At this moment… Even though he had mentally prepared himself, when this moment truly arrived, spanning 600 years of time to see his safe again, and knowing he would control the password and Time Bank, Lin Xian couldn’t help but feel his heart race and his palms sweat.

“Did you see it, Lin Xian? Isn’t it cool!” Brother Wang’s laughter came through the phone again. “Because the lock mechanism is extremely complex, once the password is set, it cannot be changed. It’s a trade-off between security and functionality. For absolute security, I chose this lock design.”

“Sure, a brute-force approach can crack it, with 100 million possible combinations for the eight-digit password. Even trying one per second non-stop 24/7 would take over three years… Unless our bank goes out of business, it’s impossible for such a scenario to occur. A thief can’t stay in the vault for three years without being noticed, right?”

After proudly explaining the lock, Brother Wang asked, “So, Lin Xian, what kind of password do you plan to set?”