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Sure, the Genius Club was incredibly powerful, but could it really control time and space to this extent?

Lin Xian had always thought their influence was immense, manipulating history from behind the scenes like an unseen hand. But now? Could they really control time and space too? If so, what’s left for others to do?

He was uncertain about this idea. He felt more confused as time went on, not knowing the true nature, power, or methods of the Genius Club. It was all too mysterious.

Despite his long investigations, Lin Xian found himself understanding less about the Genius Club. Whether the stakes, historical lock, and other matters were related to the Genius Club remained unclear. It was just a thought he had while staring at the piling machine on the construction site.

The real truth, the answers, still needed further verification.

….

Lin Xian also thought of another coincidence. The bizarre time point: 00:42.

The end of his dream happened at 00:42. Chu An Qing turned into blue star fragments and disappeared at 00:42. The murders by Ji Xin Shui and Ji Lin, part of the Seven Deadly Sins, happened at 00:42. The formal capture of the time-space particles was also recorded at 00:42 on the rice cooker. In his first dream, Big Cat Face’s father died at 00:42. In the second dream, the Universal Constant answer calculated by Big Cat Face’s father was astonishingly 42.

Lin Xian never expected that since he first encountered the concept of the Universal Constant over a year ago, he would come full circle. All these events, everything, seemed to revolve around this mysterious number 42.

What kind of magic did this number hold? How was it connected to the Genius Club, the time-space particles, the millennium stakes, history, and the universe?

“Ah…” Lin Xian felt dizzy from his own thoughts. Ultimately, everything’s core and end point seemed to be the “Universal Constant.” Understanding its secret might reveal the truth behind 42, and by extension, the mysteries of the millennium stakes and the Genius Club.

“Luckily, even though the energy of the time-space particles was depleted, it could still calibrate Liu Feng’s ‘time-space clock.’ This means we can formally begin researching the Universal Constant… At least, we’ve taken the first step.”

Lin Xian twirled his pen. After figuring out what happened to Chu An Qing, he planned to visit Liu Feng at Donghai University’s laboratory to check the progress of the Universal Constant research.

….

While Lin Xian was deep in thought, Gao Yang finished his preparations and walked over, adjusting his pants. “So, what do you think? Isn’t my guess reasonable? With so many coincidences tied to 00:42, doesn’t it make sense that Chu An Qing and Zhang Yu Qian were also born at 00:42?”

Lin Xian nodded, “I can’t deny your logic. It does make sense that their specific birth and death times are 00:42. But… there’s no way to verify it.”

“Why not?” Gao Yang rubbed his nose. “Oh, right. I was going to say you could call Chu Shan He or Chu An Qing’s mom. As parents, they should know their child’s exact birth time. But… don’t call Chu Shan He now. He probably doesn’t know about Chu An Qing’s situation yet. We should focus on the important stuff.”

“You could ask Zhang Yu Qian’s parents, or wait until Chu Shan He is in a stable mood to ask. I just think it’s pretty important.”

Seeing that Gao Yang was finally ready, Lin Xian stood up. “Let’s go.”

“Where to?” Gao Yang asked.

Lin Xian opened WeChat, added the address Liu An had sent him into the map, and followed the green route. “Shouchuang Xirui Du, we’re going to that neighborhood.”

….

As the taxi door opened, Lin Xian and Gao Yang got out from either side. The door shut with a thud, and the driver sped off. They stood on the street, gazing at the luxurious high-rise neighborhood before them.

“This should be the Third Ring Road, right? Chaoyang District Third Ring. This couple must be loaded. The housing prices here must be at least a few hundred thousand per square meter. These are truly rich people, super rich!”

Suddenly, Gao Yang looked Lin Xian up and down. “Then again, they might not be richer than you. You could easily afford a house here.”

“Affording it and actually buying it are two different things,” Lin Xian replied, opening his chat with Liu An again to check the exact building and unit number.

“You also have to remember, Gao Yang, that in the year 2000, in a place like Qufu, Shandong, a family with a car must have been wealthy. I’ve met Zhang Shi and Yan Qin before. They’re very refined and educated. The man looks like he comes from an intellectual family, and the woman… well, she might have been fine too, but she’s been mentally unstable for so many years… Ughh…”

Pity the hearts of parents everywhere. Lin Xian quickened his pace, heading into the neighborhood with Gao Yang.

….

It was easy to blend in. The community had separate paths for pedestrians and vehicles, with cars entering the underground parking lot from the main gate. This left the surface area free of parking spaces and beautifully landscaped, almost like a park. Children played happily in the sunshine, creating a pleasant atmosphere.

“Building 22 should be over there,” Gao Yang pointed to the northeast corner.

“Wait,” Lin Xian stopped him, pointing to an elderly woman sitting in a small wooden pavilion. “Look at that woman… that’s Yan Qin, Zhang Yu Qian’s mother.”

“What?” Gao Yang was shocked. “So old?”

He quickly calculated Zhang Yu Qian’s age if she were still alive, and thus her mother’s age. She shouldn’t be more than sixty or seventy, but the woman in the pavilion looked at least eighty, with white hair. However, her attire was neat and simple, her hair meticulously combed, and her demeanor composed, though slightly sorrowful.

She sat there quietly, not leaning against the pavilion’s railing but sitting upright, slowly peeling a fruit.

Gao Yang squinted to get a better look. “A pomegranate?”

Lin Xian, with better eyesight, had noticed it earlier. “Yes, a pomegranate. She’s peeling a pomegranate. Look to her left, in that plastic bag from the supermarket, there are several large, high-quality pomegranates. And to her right, there’s a glass bowl filled with peeled pomegranate seeds.”

Gao Yang smacked his lips. “She’s so patient. I’ve never seen anyone peel pomegranates like that, one seed at a time… Isn’t it easier to just break it open and eat it directly?”

Lin Xian frowned, feeling a bit disgusted. “Not everyone eats like a hippo, you know.”

“But peeling it seed by seed? That’s too meticulous. And she’s peeled almost half a bowl. Who’s it for? She can’t eat all that herself, especially with more pomegranates in the bag.”

“I don’t know,” Lin Xian shrugged. “From what I saw at the shopping mall, this old lady seems mentally unstable, likely due to her daughter’s death. She talks nonsense and is emotionally unstable.”

“Let’s go. I doubt we’ll get much from her, and it might upset her to bring up the past. Let’s find her husband, Zhang Shi. He seems educated and stable, someone we can talk to. Maybe he’ll tell us where Zhang Yu Qian’s grave is.”

Gao Yang sighed. “This feels… wrong.”

“It’s not that simple,” Lin Xian said, heading around the small square. “If we can figure out what happened to Chu An Qing and Zhang Yu Qian, it might help this old lady. We need to find the truth to understand what’s right and wrong.”

….

Soon, they arrived at Building 22 and took the elevator to the right floor, standing before Zhang Yu Qian’s parents’ door.

Lin Xian knocked gently. Shortly after, a kind-looking middle-aged man opened the door. He looked at Gao Yang, then Lin Xian.

“Oh, I remember you,” he said, pointing at Lin Xian with a smile. “We met at the mall with your… your lady friend.”

At this, the man’s expression turned sorrowful. “Mr. Zhang,” Lin Xian said. “Sorry to bother you. We have some questions about your daughter.”

Zhang Shi sighed. “My wife scared you at the mall, and I’m sorry. But what can I say? It was just a misunderstanding. She mistook your friend for our daughter in her delusion. I hope you understand.”

“We’re not here for an apology,” Lin Xian reassured him. “We just wanted to… pay respects to your daughter. We’re planning a trip to Shandong and thought it would be meaningful to visit her grave during Qingming Festival. Could you tell us where it is?”

Zhang Shi’s face changed, becoming wary and anxious. “What do you really want?” he demanded.

“Nothing but to pay our respects,” Lin Xian said quickly. “No need.” Zhang Shi shook his head firmly. “We don’t observe Qingming Festival that way, and we won’t be visiting her grave. Thank you for your kind intentions, but please go.”

With that, he closed the door firmly. Lin Xian turned to Gao Yang. “Did I say something wrong?”

“No,” Gao Yang replied. “But asking about someone’s child’s grave is always tricky. What now?”

“I don’t know how to ask,” Lin Xian admitted. “But didn’t you notice how nervous he was? Something’s off.”

“Definitely,” Gao Yang agreed. “He seemed more than just wary, like he was hiding something.”

….

“Let me handle this,” Gao Yang said confidently.

“You?” Lin Xian looked skeptical. “Are you going to knock again?”

“No, I have another idea,” Gao Yang said, waving a finger. “We should talk to the old lady. She might not be as guarded.”

“You’re right. If Zhang Shi is hiding something, the old lady might give us clues without realizing it. But be careful; she’s mentally unstable,” Lin Xian cautioned.

“Trust me,” Gao Yang said, patting his chest. “I’ve dealt with all kinds of customers in my sales job. This should be easy.”

They headed back to the pavilion where the old lady was still meticulously peeling pomegranates.

“Hi there, ma’am!” Gao Yang greeted her cheerfully.

The old lady looked up and smiled. “Hello, young man.”

“That’s a lot of pomegranates you’re peeling. Who are they for?” Gao Yang asked, sitting down beside her.

“My daughter loved pomegranates. She used to insist I peel them like this, seed by seed,” the old lady replied. “But I never had the time. Now, I do it for her.”

….

Half an hour later, Gao Yang returned, beaming. “Got it.”

“What did you find out?” Lin Xian asked.

“Zhang Yu Qian was born just before 1 a.m. Her mom remembered clearly because she was in labor from the afternoon until midnight. Also, she’s not as mentally unstable as we thought. Her memories are sharp,” Gao Yang reported.

“And the grave?” Lin Xian pressed.

“West side of Jiu Xian Mountain in Wucun Town, by the pomegranate trees,” Gao Yang recited. “We’re ready to go. Book the tickets.”

“Shandong, here we come,” Gao Yang declared, pointing dramatically at the southern sky.