Chapter 1368: Chapter 35: Watch and Small Note_2

“In this way, it also largely explains why Copernicus and Newton have to play the roles of villain and righteous leader.”

“Firstly, it perfectly hides their goals, plans, and relationships. As the number of members in the Genius Club increases, the restrictions on questions naturally grow, under which circumstances their antagonistic relationship allows them to better grasp the initiative.”

“It’s the same with intelligence. Copernicus is often absent from meetings, but he doesn’t miss any key information because Newton tells him everything; likewise, even if Newton is always offline and doesn’t raise any questions, he won’t lack any answers because Copernicus can ask on his behalf, allowing Newton to hide even deeper.”

“Overall, the caution of Copernicus and Newton indicates their fear of having their plans exposed and others learning the truth about the universe constant 42.”

Lin Xian stood up from the chair and paced in the underground shelter:

“But for me, to continue digging deeper into the truth about Einstein, the millennium stakes, and the world-ending white light, I must start with Newton’s secrets and the universe constant 42.”

“This is also my next main task—”

“[To find Newton amidst the vast sea of people and further investigate the truth about the universe constant 42!]”

The thoughts became clear.

Lin Xian also breathed a sigh of relief.

He returned to the lab bench and looked at the small oven containing the space-time particles and the watch gift box.

He opened the oven.

And reached in.

Taking out this gift sedimented in time for 300 years…

Thanks to the partial time pause properties of ordinary space-time particles, the small gift box in his hand remains as new as ever, as if untouched by time.

He pinched the sides and opened the small gift box.

A slightly tarnished silver watch came into view, its hour, minute, and second hands stalled for a long time, as if what froze time was not the space-time particles, but this unwound watch.

He raised his wrist.

Lin Xian placed the watch against his pulse, feeling the coldness.

As the clasp was fastened, this $20 watch from 1952 was officially worn on Lin Xian’s wrist.

After casually winding the knob a few times…

Click, click, click.

The time stalled for 300 years began to turn, the crisp sound of gears transmitting from 1952 to the present.

“This is the most valuable watch I have ever worn.”

Lin Xian softly said.

This was a gift bought by a poor girl from Brooklyn with everything she had, surpassing all the Rolexes under the sky.

At the bottom of the small square gift box, there was a gently yellowed small piece of paper folded.

Lin Xian picked it up.

Clearly, it felt like he had opened it just a few days ago.

But now.

It felt like time had passed through eons…

He certainly knew what was written on the note.

It was a gentle reminder, telling him that daylight saving time would end tomorrow and to remember to set the watch back by an hour.

Now, it was indeed December in the year 2234.

“Indeed, it is standard time.”

Lin Xian suddenly thought.

In the Hafnium Alloy Safe at Tem Bank, there was also a small note Chu Anqing wrote to him.

Coincidentally.

That small note, like this one, was also covered by space-time particles, placed in a rice cooker version of a space-time particle captor.

“According to Einstein’s theory, that small note, including that rice cooker, is also in a state of temporal stasis, unable to be damaged or aged no matter how long it’s kept.”

“What exactly did Chu Anqing write on that small note?”

He vaguely remembered that back on the skyspace aircraft, Chu Anqing wrote two lines of text with swift and steady strokes; both lines were not very long and were written quickly.

Actually, to Lin Xian now, using that small note to discern the dream’s authenticity was no longer of great significance.

Even without that small note, it wouldn’t hinder his efforts to rescue the millennium stakes and save humanity’s future.

However.

Every time he thought of the steadfast and resolute gaze of Chu Anqing on the skyspace aircraft; and the weathered bearded man in CC’s memory fragments…

“Perhaps, that small note is not only important to me, but equally significant to the millennium stakes, CC, and Chu Anqing as well.”

“I hope, that the next time I change the worldline and enter the next dream, I will be able to find the long-lost safe.”

Now, Lin Xian is in the underground bunker, and with the various hafnium alloy structures forming a Faraday cage, there’s no signal on the phone.

Therefore, even if the Space-Time Clock reading changes, and the worldline transitions, Liu Feng’s call cannot get through.

However.

Lin Xian feels the probability of the worldline changing is not high.

This near-extinction worldline for humanity was forged by several geniuses together; Einstein’s death, as Newton said, will only make the worldline more stable.

As it stands.

To make the worldline change, it must start with Newton or Galileo.

Galileo still remains missing and out of contact.

There’s even reason to believe he might hibernate directly until 2600 to trigger a super catastrophe.

In comparison.

Newton, who shows his fox’s tail, is somewhat easier to find.

Lin Xian closed the small oven and went to the other side of the underground bunker to check.

He unexpectedly discovered…

There were actually many life supplies and facilities here.

Lots of canned food, lots of stored water, various nuclear batteries, and even a perfectly intact [Hibernation Pod].

“Obviously, Einstein had no use for these things; he didn’t need to eat or drink, nor hibernate.”

Lin Xian carefully inspected and found that neither the hibernation pod nor the food showed any signs of use.

It seems, Einstein was just preparing for a rainy day.

An underground bunker should look like an underground bunker, even if he didn’t need them, the things that should be there still must be.

Lin Xian turned and left, exploring other places, which were basically the same ordinary bunker setup, nothing new or unusual, and almost no traces of use.

Hard to imagine…

Einstein spent these hundreds of years sitting alone on a chair?

Perhaps, he was always finding a way out for humanity’s future;

Perhaps, he was always waiting for a reunion with Douglas;

Or perhaps, he was immersed in a false future, silently waiting for that day to come.

“Einstein, I’ve noted this debt for you too.”

Lin Xian looked at the spot where Einstein had fallen and dissipated and said softly:

“Every debt has its source, and every grievance its master. Whoever is behind the release of those two space-time particles, I will settle the score with them.”

“To save Chu Anqing, save CC, figure out the cosmic constant 42, and solve the world-ending white light… I reckon the answers to these four things are all connected to this backstage manipulator.”

“So, the first step, step by step, is to find out Newton’s real identity and start with him.”

Stepping behind Einstein’s seat platform, Lin Xian touched the computers and servers with their hafnium alloy cases.

These devices should be the foundation of the Genius Club’s gathering system.

According to previous intel, the security system and logical programs of the gatherings were written by the genius hacker Kevin Walker.

In the early days, Kevin Walker had all the access; he knew the real identities of all members; after killing Kevin Walker himself, the access belonged to Einstein.

Theoretically, from the data of these network devices, one should be able to lock down Newton’s real identity.

But…

“If things were really this simple, then Newton shouldn’t have been so arrogant and calm just now; since he knows I killed Einstein, he must guess that I found the Genius Club’s headquarters, and it wouldn’t be hard to guess that I could analyze the connection data from the network server.”

“Yet even so, Newton doesn’t care at all, nor is he afraid of me finding him… is it bluffing, or was Kevin Walker’s security system invincible and flawless at the time?”

Lin Xian straightened up:

“No matter what, let’s try to find a way to test it.”

He turned around and looked back at the once bustling but now deserted Genius Club:

“This underground bunker should not become too well-known, it’s a place Newton, Copernicus, and a bunch of geniuses couldn’t find, extremely hidden, and arguably the safest place on Earth, possibly a lifesaver in crucial times.”

“So, let’s just bring Jask over and see if there’s any way to extract network connection data.”

“If Jask can’t do it either…”

Lin Xian stretched.

Thinking of an old friend who had long played dumb, and was his last and most powerful trump card:

“Then I’ll have to find a way to eliminate the future virus and revive VV!”