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What’s going on?! Are you all ganging up to mess with the new guy?

Why are all eight of you wearing masks of famous scientists, mathematicians, artists, or deceased geniuses? Would it have hurt to give me a heads-up?! If you’d told me beforehand, I wouldn’t have worn this kid’s toy—the “Rhine Cat” mask—to the gathering.

I mean, I have plenty of favorite scientists and artists too. If I knew I was supposed to pick one of them, I would have had tons of options.

But now…

This situation was just too embarrassing. In such a solemn atmosphere, they looked like members of a real “Genius Club,” while he looked like some comical bandit—a big-headed cartoon cat crashing a serious event. How was this any different from making a fool of himself in the middle of a crowded street?

For a moment, Lin Xian wanted to exit the VR program and start over. Then he remembered: during the initial mask setup, there was an option for physical scanning or providing an online image, and the system would generate the corresponding mask based on the image. There was no doubt the masks worn by these eight members were all made using online images. They were eerily realistic—really exquisite.

But none of that mattered now.

Even though Lin Xian kept moving forward, his mind raced with thoughts. He never imagined that the first challenge he’d face after joining the Genius Club would be explaining this ridiculous mask on his face!

Sure enough.

After a moment of icy silence in the room, someone snickered.

The woman in the Da Vinci mask couldn’t hold back any longer and burst into laughter.

“Hahaha! Rhine… Rhine Cat… What were you thinking?! Why did you… Oh my, my stomach hurts from laughing… Why did you come to the gathering with a cartoon mask?!”

She laughed so hard it seemed like she’d never seen anything so funny.

Beside her, a young man in a Newton mask chuckled as well, finally shaking off his initial stiffness.

“Friend, was this on purpose, or just an accident? From ‘The Sorrowful Einstein’—didn’t you understand the meaning of the mask?”

To the left, the slender man in the Gauss mask slowly straightened up and began speaking in a slow, measured tone:

“A genius… this is… true… unconventional…”

He spoke so slowly that the middle-aged man beside him, in a Galileo mask, interrupted.

“This kind of silly behavior… it’s disrespectful to everyone here,” he said, his voice deep and steady.

“No, no, no.” The man in the Tesla mask on the opposite side chuckled.

“As Gauss said, this is true genius behavior.”

After speaking, Tesla began clapping enthusiastically.

“Well done. I like you already! You’ve made everyone here—all these people acting all serious—look like clowns with that mask of yours! How about we take this opportunity to get rid of this mask tradition? I’ve wanted to get rid of it for a while anyway since you all know who I am.”

The small man in the Gauss mask nodded slowly.

“Indeed… He chose so casually… making our seriousness… seem even more…”

Again, his slow words were interrupted, this time by the young man in the Newton mask.

“Oh, now that I look closer, isn’t that the Rhine Cat mask? Every time I take my grandkids to the park, I see kids running around wearing that cat.”

“Ugh,” sighed the woman in the Da Vinci mask.

“Newton, can’t you update your virtual avatar a bit? I get it, you’re an old man, but with your intelligence, you should be able to figure out a VR system, right? You look like a young man here, but you keep talking about your grandkids. It’s unsettling, you know?”

Newton laughed and turned to Da Vinci.

“You’re one to talk, Miss Da Vinci. Decades ago, when we met in person, you had this mask and this lovely figure. Don’t tell me you’re still some ageless witch now, even at your grandmotherly age?

“If you’re willing to change your avatar to look like an old lady, I wouldn’t mind changing mine to an old man. I’ll be honest: I tried changing it, but it turns out there’s no such function.

“There was a meeting you missed, and I asked Turing if he could add that option. This entire VR network, the avatars, the whole setup, it’s all Turing’s work. He gave me a bunch of technical reasons why changing avatars would cause bugs. He said once a program works perfectly, it’s best not to mess with it.”

Da Vinci sneered.

“He was just lazy. He didn’t want to make the change, so he came up with all those excuses.”

“I think so too.” Newton shrugged. “I mean, he’s Turing, right? The world’s greatest hacker, and he can’t add a simple function? He just didn’t want to do it.”

Gauss turned his head to look at the still and seemingly robotic Turing model beside him.

“Since… Turing is dead… why keep the model here…? Can we get rid of it? I feel a chill… Still, it’s good he’s gone… As the system’s administrator, he surely knew…”

“That’s right,” Tesla interrupted, laughing.

“Good riddance. Now only Einstein knows everyone’s true identity, which makes the game fairer for all of us. No more worrying about Turing playing favorites.”

“Enough.” Copernicus, who had been silent until then, cleared his throat and scolded them.

“It’s because of this childish bickering that I hate coming to these meetings. You all give me a headache.

“And you,” he said, turning to Lin Xian.

Though his mask covered his face, it was clear he was annoyed, perhaps even furious.

“You need to take off that ridiculous mask.”

Lin Xian, who had been quietly listening, finally let out a cold chuckle.

“I was actually thinking about changing it, but now… I think I like it even more.”

He looked up at Newton.

“Mr. Newton, could you switch seats with me? I’d like to sit across from Copernicus.”

Newton let out a hearty laugh, clapping his hands.

“Good! Glad to see our new member has some fire! I don’t even know your name yet… No. 9, you’ve earned my respect.

“But as for the seating arrangement, I’m afraid we can’t change it. Our seats are assigned by the order in which we joined the club. If we could switch, Gauss over there would have done so long ago.”

Gauss slowly nodded.

“I often feel… being beside…”

“Enough,” Copernicus snapped, coughing a few times. He looked at Lin Xian, exhaling slowly.

“If you’re going to break the rules, then how should we address you?”

Hearing the back-and-forth among these so-called geniuses, combined with the bits he overheard on his way in, Lin Xian had already figured a few things out.

Firstly, the way these geniuses got their invitations was indeed different from his own. Just as he initially suspected, his invitation… it was gained through cheating, a backdoor entry. He didn’t know who had cheated for him or who had opened that door, but it didn’t matter.

What mattered was… because his invitation came differently, it led to today’s farce—the “Rhine Cat’s grand entrance at the Nobel Prize ceremony.”

Now he was sure of one thing: everyone else here had gotten their Genius Club invitations by deciphering the code hidden in “The Sorrowful Einstein,” an oil painting, and by solving a series of puzzles.

Through this process, they naturally learned about time-space coordinates, laws of time-space, and the club’s purpose and meaning, including the symbolism behind the masks.

No wonder Elon Musk had said that getting the invitation was the hardest part; the three online test questions were practically giveaways, just a way to verify one’s identity.

Having skipped straight to the end with cheats, Lin Xian missed all the preliminary steps, thus missing out on key information.

But that couldn’t be helped. Liu Feng and the super AI VV hadn’t managed to decipher the code on “The Sorrowful Einstein,” so that path was blocked for Lin Xian from the start.

Even Ji Lin hadn’t cracked it, proving the code was a deliberately high threshold set by the club. The implication was clear: if you can’t crack this code, don’t waste your time—the Genius Club door is closed to you.

Looking at it that way, Ji Shui had said something true: Ji Lin had indeed been the closest to the Genius Club. He had found the painting and discovered the code but hadn’t had time to solve it.

If he’d had a few more years…

Who knows, maybe he could’ve cracked it.

Unfortunately, by the time Ji Lin found the painting, someone had already used it. And that someone was the mischievous “Newton.”

Unlike Copernicus, Galileo, and Gauss, who were all serious and played by the rules—destroying the painting after cracking the code—Newton had kept it, even selling it off to a Hollywood director. Eventually, Angelica bought it for Ji Lin, who then passed it on to Lin Xian, who handed it over to Liu Feng.

So, even if Liu Feng or Ji Lin had cracked the code, it would’ve been useless. The invitation had already been taken by Newton.

If Lin Xian had followed the clues, he might’ve ended up opening a box only to find Newton’s prank waiting for him. That would have felt like a sick joke.

But these questions could wait. Right now, the most pressing issue was the one Copernicus had just raised—

What should he be called?

Rhine Cat? Big-headed Cat?

Neither fit. He would laugh every time if people called him that.

“Hmm… Rhine Cat,” said Einstein, who stood hunched yet dignified on the steps, looking at Lin Xian.

“Interesting. There are no written rules that say one must use a mask of a scientist or great figure—it’s just an unspoken tradition. Since there’s no such rule, this new member’s mask is perfectly acceptable.

“However, by the club’s tradition, the mask determines how we address one another. This cannot be changed or compromised. So, last genius, if you insist on keeping that mask, for convenience, why don’t we drop ‘Cat’ and just call you ‘Rhine’?”

Rhine.

Lin Xian heard the name. It was the same as his company, the beginning of everything. Using that name seemed fitting. He liked it. So he nodded.

“Alright.”

Einstein chuckled hoarsely, extending his arms and gesturing for everyone to rise.

“Then let us all welcome the ninth genius to their seat—”

“No. 9, Rhine!”

Applause erupted.

Amid the applause, Lin Xian walked toward his seat, the last of the four chairs on the right, right next to Tesla.

Tesla clapped the loudest and most vigorously. Of course, Lin Xian knew who Tesla was. In fact… The entire Genius Club knew who he was.

He was too flamboyant, as if concealing his identity was a joke to him.

When Lin Xian reached his seat, Tesla extended his right hand toward him.

“Welcome, Rhine.”

Lin Xian smiled and extended his hand in return.

“Pleased to meet you, Tesla.”

But just as their hands were about to meet—

Tesla’s body suddenly stiffened, pixelation flickering over his form until he vanished entirely.

Clatter.

The mask with Tesla’s face fell onto the chair, bouncing twice before lying still, facing up.

The applause stopped abruptly. Everyone stared at Tesla’s sudden disappearance, shocked.

“Where’s Elon Musk?” someone murmured.

It seemed no one in the Genius Club called him Tesla.

Da Vinci looked at the empty mask on the chair, her eyes wide. She turned to Copernicus.

“Copernicus, is this what you meant by witnessing the fall of a genius?”

Gauss turned toward Copernicus.

“You… did you… kill Elon Musk…?”

“So that’s why you came today?” Galileo interjected, glaring at Copernicus.

“I wondered why you showed up after all these years. Is it that you wanted to witness Elon Musk’s death, just like those criminals who come back to the scene to revel in their work?”

Copernicus lowered his hands slowly, smiling dryly.

“Come on, now. Don’t put the blame on me. Did I say I wanted to kill Elon Musk?”

“Hmph,” Da Vinci huffed.

“Why is everyone suspecting you first? You know the answer to that better than anyone.”

Newton, now no longer joking, spoke in a serious tone.

“We won’t meddle with your plans, Copernicus. But at the very least, keep your dirty hands off fellow club members.

“Frankly, as an original member of this club, I’ve put up with you for too long. It’s only my conscience that has held me back from dealing with you. I kept hoping you’d turn around from your misguided nature, but instead, you just got worse.”

“Misguided?”

Copernicus shook his head, still smiling.

“Misguided? No, you’re the ones who are lost.”

He shook his head again.

“That’s why I dislike associating with you people… After today’s meeting, I’ll be heading into cryosleep. I hope that decades or even centuries later, when I awaken… you’ll all still be here.

“Honestly, I’m tired of this game. My time has passed. Thankfully, with cryosleep, I can keep going for a little longer. As for Elon Musk… yes, I knew someone was after him, and yes, today was always going to be a bad day for him. I came to confirm that.

“But do you really think Elon Musk’s dead?”

He paused, still smiling.

“Elon Musk has never hidden his identity since joining the Genius Club. He’s always been upfront about who he is and what he wants. Tell me, aside from Turing, who else here has that kind of nerve?”

Gauss took a deep breath.

“So… does this mean… both of them are—”

“Quiet, Gauss.”

Copernicus glared at him.

“Don’t interrupt me.”

He scanned the room again, making sure everyone was paying attention.

“You all think Elon Musk is dead, but I’m more convinced than anyone that he’s still alive. If he didn’t make it, you’ll see the news later or find it trending on Twitter. If Elon Musk made it, well… you’ll see him on TV soon enough.”

Copernicus spoke with a facade of righteousness.

But Lin Xian felt that no one here believed a word he said. Even without seeing their expressions, the tension was palpable.

Clearly…

None of the Genius Club members liked Copernicus. They despised him. They were disgusted. They couldn’t stand him.

Especially Newton. If it weren’t for Elon Musk’s sudden disappearance, Newton might never have acknowledged Copernicus at all, let alone spoken to him.

From their words, Lin Xian could gather that Newton and Copernicus were both original members of the club. That much was obvious from the seating order. Copernicus was No. 2, Newton was No. 3, Galileo was No. 4, and Da Vinci was No. 5…

All of them were old—in 2024, they were at least in their sixties. They had likely been meeting offline since the last century wearing these masks.

Newton had hinted at not wanting to challenge Copernicus personally, only to be held back by his conscience and a sense of justice.

From this, Lin Xian concluded that although they were all undeniably geniuses, that didn’t mean they were good people. Morality was clearly lacking in some cases, and the group was just as mixed as society at large.

But for now, Lin Xian couldn’t understand much about the club, nor its members’ plans. It wasn’t time to draw any conclusions yet, especially on his first day at a meeting.

For now, his best bet was to sit back and observe, soaking in as much information as he could.

So, fight!

Lin Xian silently rooted for the geniuses in his head.

Keep arguing! Let the debate heat up!

That way, he could gather more information.

Unfortunately…

Einstein wasn’t giving him the opportunity to be a bystander for much longer. He stepped forward, and the room instantly fell silent.

“Genius Club, Article Three,” Einstein rasped with authority.

“Privacy is paramount. Avoid exposing your identity.”

The room was still. No one spoke.

Einstein looked at the fallen mask on Elon Musk’s chair, then at the Turing model, still like a statue.

“Gentle reminders often lack impact. The reason these meetings have moved online, instead of being held in person, is to protect the safety of all members.

“Resources are limited. Time is limited. The path to the future is limited, and more than that, the chance for humanity to move forward is limited. There is only one shot.

“I do not intervene in your disputes, nor do I take sides. I acknowledge necessary sacrifices, even unnecessary ones. I accept moral approaches, as well as immoral ones.

“However, please remember: with the power you have been given by history, you also bear the obligations, the risks, and the fragile fate that comes with it.”

“History is written by the victors, and so is the future. Only the victors get to write it, and only the victors… will decide humanity’s fate.”

Einstein’s words dropped like a heavy curtain over the room, silencing everyone. His was the final word in the Genius Club.

And what he said was reasonable. Article Three was clear: conceal your identity, avoid exposure. Elon Musk had been reckless. Turing, too, had made it obvious who he was. And now they were gone.

The saying came to Lin Xian’s mind: “It’s hard to help those who refuse to help themselves.”

No wonder Gauss had muttered about them both ending up dead. They didn’t heed the warnings.

From all this, Lin Xian had a clearer idea of what the Genius Club really was.

At its core, the club—led by the old man in the Einstein mask—seemed to have noble intentions, a desire to use the brightest minds to give humanity a better future.

But as Einstein said: resources were limited, geniuses were limited, time was limited, and opportunities were limited.

Since time couldn’t be turned back, humanity had only one chance at its destiny.

In this context, differences in beliefs, philosophies, methods, and plans among the geniuses were bound to create conflicts.

Just as Turing’s self-restraint clashed with Elon Musk’s conquest of the stars, their visions were completely at odds in both technological direction and resource allocation.

It seemed Newton and Copernicus were also at odds, likely with equally irreconcilable differences.

Based on Copernicus’s history of targeting scientists, Newton’s approach might be to advance science. It was an ironic twist.

Lin Xian silently listened, absorbing everything.

He had no idea how the members communicated or whether plans would be openly discussed or how Einstein would steer this “game of geniuses.”

But there was no rush.

Perhaps the next parts of this meeting would provide the answers he sought.

The real show had just begun.