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“Why is it you?” he muttered, feeling awkward as he remembered the name he had just been yelling loudly through the banana leaf.

He had been shouting for “Wei Sheng Jin.”

And he had shouted it very loudly.

This was embarrassing.

CC frowned, looking him up and down. She hadn’t gotten the wrong person. It was definitely Lin Xian, just like the fragments of her memories. But this crude and shameless behavior… Was this really the Lin Xian she remembered? The Lin Xian from her memories was bold, decisive, quick-thinking, and charismatic. But now, here he was, yelling for a woman’s pad in the middle of a forest.

(Note: I actually didn’t catch this joke either so the previous chapters weren’t done so well for this gag.)

The only word that came to mind was “sleazy.” If he didn’t look exactly like the Lin Xian she remembered, she wouldn’t have wasted her time.

“What on earth are you yelling about?” CC finally asked when he didn’t say anything. “Are you really that desperate for that thing? Who do you think is going to bring it to you? Earth’s industry can’t even make that stuff anymore.”

Lin Xian cleared his throat and tossed the banana leaf aside. “You misunderstood. I was looking for someone—a man named Wei Sheng Jin.”

He looked up and saw the disbelief in CC’s eyes, which seemed to scream, “-99 Affection Points.”

“You don’t believe me?” Lin Xian asked.

“Do you believe yourself?” CC shot back. “Who would have a name like that?”

Lin Xian chuckled. “You’d be surprised. Today, you’ll see the cultural gap between Earth and Mars up close.”

They exchanged more information after that, and surprisingly, there were no issues with trust. The memory fragments from the First and Second Dreams had proven useful. They skipped a lot of the usual drama and quickly fell into a rhythm as teammates. If it weren’t for the “Wei Sheng Jin” mess, maybe their bond would have been even stronger.

But what could Lin Xian do? He was lost in the dense jungle and had no idea where to go. Looking at CC, he glanced in the direction she had come from.

“So, that way leads to Rhine Village,” he said. “And from the timing, you just left there.”

Lin Xian remembered clearly—yesterday, in the dream, CC told him she’d leave Rhine Village around noon to head to Big Cat’s Village and search for a safe.

Rhine Village was north of where he started, and Old Man Wei Sheng Jin and Big Cat’s Village were to the south…

Today, Lin Xian had gone the wrong way. He missed Old Man Wei Sheng Jin but, by some fluke, intercepted CC.

“No, you didn’t intercept me,” CC corrected. “Your shouting got my attention. I was curious about what kind of performance art it was… I really didn’t expect it to be you. You’ve truly expanded my worldview.”

“Alright, alright,” Lin Xian said, waving his hand. “Let’s not talk about that. Let’s get down to business.”

He continued, “Like I said before, finding a safe with my name on it is too hard right now; we don’t have any leads.”

“There are only two options. We either use Old Man Wei Sheng Jin’s metal detector to search randomly, or we head to Big Cat’s Village and check out Gao Wen’s safe to see what’s inside.”

“You mentioned before that you’ve been to Big Cat’s Village and that Er Zhuzi and San Pang have been trying to crack the safe’s code for years—they might be just a few digits away from the password. We just need to get there first and open it. We’d be like the cuckoo laying its egg in another bird’s nest, benefiting from their hard work.”

“But first, we still need to find Old Man Wei Sheng Jin. We need his equipment; it’s advanced Martian technology. At least on Earth, it would be like an attack from another dimension.”

To Lin Xian, Old Man Wei Sheng Jin was a goldmine. Not to mention the gun at his waist—the large backpack he carried was packed with survival supplies and tools. Just that folding shovel was like having Lu Bu—the legendary warrior—back on Earth, capable of defeating any god.

“Let’s go find Old Man Wei Sheng Jin,” Lin Xian said, waving for CC to follow.

CC sighed but followed him. “I still can’t believe anyone would have that name, especially an old man. When we meet him, what should I call him? I really can’t bring myself to say that name.”

“Just call him Teacher Wei,” Lin Xian replied, pushing through some vines. “Like me, just call him Teacher Wei. But first… we have to find him. I’m completely lost right now.”

“You could describe the surroundings from the last time you saw him,” CC suggested as she ducked under some vines. “I’m familiar with this forest. If it’s a distinct tree or landmark, I usually know where it is.”

Lin Xian briefly described a few trees, and CC, like a human GPS, quickly figured out the general location and started leading the way, swinging a large black machete to cut through vines and branches.

Lin Xian watched her back, deep in thought, reminded of Chu An Qing, who had vanished like an ancient tree stump. Lin Xian never dreamed—not the kind where he could see people he wanted to meet. After his grandmother passed away, he missed her a lot. His father often said he dreamed of her, seeing her kind face, handing him “big bills” from her handkerchief. But these were all his father’s dreams. Lin Xian wanted to dream of her too, to see her one last time. But no matter how much he wanted it, he never could.

Everyone else could see people they missed in their dreams. Everyone but him.

Just like Tang Xin, Yellow Finch, and Chu An Qing, who had left him. If only he could see them again, at least to say thank you or apologize.

Even though CC and Chu An Qing looked almost exactly the same, he knew deep down they were not the same person.

Suddenly, CC stopped and looked back at Lin Xian. “You seem unusually quiet today,” she said.

Lin Xian looked up. “Wasn’t I always like this?”

CC shook her head. “In the memory fragments I have of you, you were always lively, full of energy—even annoyingly so. You’d jump around without being serious.”

“But now… you’re too quiet. It makes me uncomfortable, like you’ve become someone else.”

Lin Xian chuckled softly, a hint of helplessness in his voice. “Well, a lot has happened.”

The last time they met was before the Third Dream arrived, back in May 2023. Then, the Rhine Company was founded. He entered the Third Dream, then the Fourth, never seeing CC again.

And now, a year had passed. Both in dreams and reality, so many things had happened—so many goodbyes, to the living and the dead.

Lin Xian admitted it. He couldn’t be as “lively” anymore. At the very least, he needed to bring Chu An Qing back, as he had promised her. He had also promised Chu Shan He to bring his daughter back home.

Saying pretty words isn’t enough; you have to do real things. But for now, the clues about the millennium-old tree were completely stuck. If there was one breakthrough… it would probably be CC, who was also like a millennium-old tree in front of him.

“I’ve lost many friends,” Lin Xian said as he walked. “There was a girl, exactly your age.”

“Your girlfriend?” CC asked, chopping through a vine blocking their way. “Only close relatives or girlfriends passing away could hit you this hard.”

Lin Xian looked at her. “She looked just like you.”

“That’s the oldest pick-up line I’ve ever heard,” CC replied, unimpressed. “Can I take back my sympathy?”

Lin Xian stepped over the vine. “You already made that joke two years ago; it’s just not in your memory fragment. Believe it or not, she jumped out of a plane at 20,000 meters to help me get something precious.”

“Wow.” CC responded calmly. “She was brave. I read once that the true white moonlight is the one who’s already gone. Now that she died in front of you… you’ll never forget her.”

“Jumping from 20,000 meters… you probably never found her body, did you?”

Lin Xian shook his head. “The moment she jumped, I followed her. I caught her hand mid-air, opened the parachute, and tried to save her… But I couldn’t. She still vanished.”

CC stopped and looked at Lin Xian, trying to find a hint that this was all a joke. But she saw his face was serious. He was genuinely sad.

He wasn’t lying.

CC turned back around and swung her machete hard, cutting through several vines. “Hmm,” she kept walking ahead. “Jumping out of a plane without hesitation… You really are quite a man.”

In her heart, CC let go of the bias she had formed against Lin Xian because of the whole “Wei Sheng Jin” incident. It seemed she hadn’t misjudged this man. No wonder her memories of him were so turbulent.

“I don’t think you should feel guilty,” CC said, speeding up her pace. “The moment you jumped after her, you had a clear conscience. Whether you saved her or not, jumping from 20,000 meters to save someone proves everything. No one can say anything bad about you. No one can say you didn’t do enough.”

Lin Xian smiled softly. He shook his head. “Her father said the same thing, but the fact is, she’s still gone. Words can’t change that.”

“I don’t agree,” CC said, turning around to face him, now just a step away. Their eyes met, and Lin Xian saw determination in CC’s gaze.

“If there was a man who would jump out of a plane for me, risking his life to save mine…” CC said, her voice clear and strong. “Then I’d be willing to give everything for him, even my life.”

Sunlight filtered through the dust in the air, landing between the two of them. It separated their shadows and then merged them back together. The cicadas’ cries grew louder, almost like cheers or mourning. A gentle breeze blew through the forest, carrying the earthy scent of moist soil and the sweet fragrance of blooming flowers. Butterflies and dragonflies danced in the sunlight between them, creating an enchanting scene.

“It’s that bearded man, VV, isn’t it?” Lin Xian sensed a hidden truth in CC’s words. “I’ve asked you many times before, but never got an answer… Why would a single word from VV drive you to chase after the safe like this?”

“There must be a story between you two. Something unforgettable, something deep. Isn’t that right? You seemed like you were talking about me, but actually, you were talking about that bearded man, VV, the one who changed your life’s plan with just a word.”

CC blinked, then turned away and kept clearing the path ahead. “Maybe,” her voice was distant. “But everyone is the same, and the logic is the same. There will always be some things worth fighting for and some people worth risking everything for.”

“Speaking of which…” CC paused, circling around a massive tree and changing direction. “I noticed you’ve… aged a bit. Aged might not be the right word. Is it growth? Or maturity? For your age, I think ‘matured’ fits better.”

“In the memory fragments I have of you, you seemed a bit younger than you are now. Not just in your demeanor and behavior, but literally, in how you looked.”

Lin Xian remained silent. Of course, it made sense. When he first met CC in the First Dream, he was only 23, while CC was just a day shy of 20. And now… They met again. CC was still one day away from being 20, forever unable to reach 20. And he was already 25.

Would there come a day when they would keep meeting in the dream world? CC would remain young like this, while Lin Xian would grow older… 35, 45, 55, 65…

Thinking of himself aging, he thought of Old Man Wei Sheng Jin at 70 and Grandma Zheng Xiang Yue at 116…

Lin Xian couldn’t help but laugh. “Yeah, I’ve gotten a bit older. Maybe next time we meet in another world, I’ll look like that bearded man, VV.”

CC scoffed, quickening her pace. “You’re back to being unserious again.”

It turned out that CC was indeed very familiar with the forest. Soon, she led Lin Xian to a familiar landmark, and Lin Xian roughly pinpointed Old Man Wei Sheng Jin’s direction.

“Over there,” Lin Xian pointed southwest, and the two of them hurried through the jungle. Sure enough, before long, they spotted a hunched figure in the distance, holding a metal detector, carefully scanning the ground.

“Teacher Wei!” Lin Xian shouted, waving from afar.

Hearing him, Wei Sheng Jin turned around warily, his right hand reaching behind his waist.

“Teacher Wei, don’t get excited. Let me explain.”

Lin Xian kept a safe distance and delivered the lines he had prepared in advance:

“We’re also looking for a safe, Teacher Wei. We’re looking for Safe No. 66, and what’s inside is important to us too. How about we search together? I also know where a safe is buried. It probably isn’t yours or mine, but it’s worth checking out.”

Soon enough, Old Man Wei Sheng Jin was convinced by Lin Xian’s sincerity and decided to follow Lin Xian to the place where the aluminum alloy safe was supposedly buried. He extended his hand to shake hands with them.

“Young man, young lady, what are your names?”

“I’m Lin Xian,” Lin Xian said, pointing to himself, then to CC. “And she’s CC.”

Wei Sheng Jin chuckled, “Okay… okay… I’ll remember your names. My name is—”

“Teacher Wei!”

“Teacher Wei!”

Lin Xian and CC quickly grabbed his hand.

“We’ve heard so much about you, Teacher Wei. We’ll just call you Teacher Wei.”

Huh?

Old Man Wei Sheng Jin looked confused. He was just an ordinary university teacher without any significant title or invention. Was his name really that famous?

“Teacher Wei, let me carry your backpack. Just keep up with us,” Lin Xian said, switching to speed mode. He took Wei Sheng Jin’s large backpack and led the way.

“The safe is buried over there. There’s nothing along the way. Let’s speed up!”

Lin Xian and CC acted as if they were in a hurry, rushing off. This made Old Man Wei Sheng Jin nervous…

He quickly followed behind. “Hey, young people, why are you running so fast? We’ve got plenty of time!”

After running for a bit, he started to run out of breath.

“Whoa, I can’t keep up with you… slow down, slow down, folks. It’s not like the world is ending tomorrow, what’s the rush?”

Finally, they dragged Old Man Wei Sheng Jin to a clearing. Lin Xian put down the backpack. Wei Sheng Jin activated the metal detector and began locating the safe.

Beep, beep, beep, beep!

Soon enough, he pinpointed the location of the aluminum alloy safe.

Excited, he exclaimed, “Wow! You were right! There really is an aluminum alloy safe buried here! This is amazing… I’ve been searching here for two months and haven’t found a single one. I can’t believe we found one today!”

“Lin Xian!” Old Man Wei Sheng Jin turned around, beaming with excitement. “Take out the folding shovel from my backpack. We’ll—”

He stopped mid-sentence. His eyes widened. He stared at Lin Xian and CC, who were now fully equipped. Both had folding shovels in hand, with Lin Xian even handing CC a pair of gloves. They each wore a spare straw hat, and Lin Xian had even taken out a water bottle, which CC drank from and passed back to him.

“Wait…” Wei Sheng Jin was stunned. “Are you two professional archaeologists? Isn’t this a bit too professional? How do you know my backpack so well?”

He couldn’t understand it. His backpack was so messy, filled with so many things. How did Lin Xian find everything so quickly, even the water bottle?

“Don’t worry, Teacher Wei,” Lin Xian patted his chest. “When it comes to dealing with safes, the two of us are pros.”

He bent down, pulling out another folding shovel like it was second nature, assembling it skillfully, and handing it to Old Man Wei Sheng Jin. “Here, let’s all dig together. It’ll be faster with three people.”

He then rummaged through the side pocket and pulled out a pair of work gloves, handing them to Wei Sheng Jin. “Teacher Wei, put on these gloves. Otherwise, you’ll get blisters.”

At this point, Wei Sheng Jin couldn’t hold it in anymore. “Young man! You’re too familiar with my backpack! You know it better than I do!”

He looked at Lin Xian in confusion. “You’re making me feel very insecure!”

However, Lin Xian and CC, true professionals when it came to dealing with safes, had already dug up several piles of dirt by the time Old Man Wei Sheng Jin finished complaining.

“Ughh…” Old Man Wei Sheng Jin sighed. He could only lament that he was getting old and couldn’t keep up with the younger generation. This young man and woman were the most decisive people he had ever met. They acted fast, like workers on an assembly line.

Oh well. At least they meant no harm. As an older man, Wei Sheng Jin knew better than to overthink things. So, he rolled up his sleeves and joined Lin Xian and CC’s digging team.

With three people digging, it was indeed much faster than with two. Two focused on digging. One was responsible for expanding and moving dirt. In less than an hour, the aluminum alloy safe was unearthed.

The moment it stood upright, the three of them crowded around to look at the number and name on the safe.

Number: 1277

Name: Pang Ya

Indeed, the number and the owner of the safe hadn’t changed. However, Lin Xian rubbed the nameplate with his gloves… And sure enough, he wasn’t mistaken!

The name “Pang Ya” was written in the Microsoft YaHei font…

Success.

This meant that Lin Xian’s plan to trigger a minor time-space change had succeeded. He preserved Wei Sheng Jin and Gao Wen’s safes but also caused the font of Pang Ya’s safe name to change from SimSun to Microsoft YaHei.

Though this was a minor change with almost no impact on time-space or the future, it provided a valuable parameter for studying space-time curvature and coordinates.

After leaving the dream in the early morning, by observing the changes in the time-space clock, he could deduce the rules of space-time coordinates. From there, he could answer the first question of the Genius Club.

Everything was ready. Now they just had to wait until tonight to leave the dream!

“What should we do next?” CC asked, sitting on top of the safe, wiping her sweat as she looked at Lin Xian. “Are we going to Big Cat’s Village?”

Lin Xian thought for a moment. This was a rare opportunity. They should go to Big Cat’s Village, the home base of Big Cat Face, and try their luck. Currently, Big Cat’s Village hadn’t been infiltrated by CC yet, which meant it wasn’t on alert and was ideal for sneaking in.

“How much do you know about Big Cat’s Village?” Lin Xian asked, watching CC swing her legs on the safe. “Have you scouted it before?”

CC nodded. “I’ve been there a few times. Around this time, Er Zhuzi usually patrols the entrance… They patrol in shifts, but I’m not sure of the exact rules.”

“My original plan was to sneak in later in the afternoon because that’s when they change shifts. Ah Zhuang takes over patrol duty from Er Zhuzi, and Er Zhuzi and San Pang continue their trial-and-error cracking of the safe’s code.”

“Ah Zhuang doesn’t have good eyesight, unlike Er Zhuzi, who’s sharp-eyed… I suggest we scout first, but it’d be easier to sneak in when Ah Zhuang takes over from Er Zhuzi.”

“Er Zhuzi is on duty?” Lin Xian recalled the agile and swift Er Zhuzi, like a human lightning bolt. If he’s patrolling… It might be an even better opportunity!

“No.” Lin Xian shook his head. “We’re going now. Let’s move fast and sneak in while Er Zhuzi is patrolling.”

CC frowned, confused. “Didn’t I make myself clear? Er Zhuzi is really strong. He’s fast, has great vision, and can spot movements from far away. And his red-tasseled spear is deadly at close range, considered the king of cold weapons. Why do you want to face him head-on?”

Lin Xian stood up from the ground and chuckled. “What’s there to be afraid of? Who said we have to face him head-on? We’ll outsmart him, won’t we?”

“I’ve seen Er Zhuzi’s skills; he’s indeed strong. But at the same time…”

“Er Zhuzi has a fatal weakness.”