Chapter 91: Chapter 90: Blind Spot (Vote for Monthly Ticket)
The sun set westward, and the moon crept up.
Through the window facing the street, Lin Xian looked up and saw, once again, the bright white jade disc that had been split in two by the sinister Black Hand.
It truly was ridiculous…
No matter how many times he saw such a moon, Lin Xian always found it laughable.
The emblem of the Genius Club appearing on the moon was something Lin Xian could never have imagined, not even if he had to write a novel about it.
But on the other hand, this act was indeed “genius” and did fit Lin Xian’s long-held impression of the Genius Club—
Mysterious and full of Arrogance.
Placing their emblem on the moon so that every person on Earth would see it when they looked up at night, that hand extending its index finger, pointing straight upwards.
Impressive yet inscrutable.
Now, upon reflection, Lin Xian realized he knew very little about the affairs of the Genius Club, but one thing truly concerned him—
They had only killed Xu Yun and had not taken his research papers. Yet in this Dream World, they not only took away Big Face Cat’s father but also all his draft papers…
“[The Genius Club did not care about Xu Yun’s research results, but they feared Big Face Cat’s father’s findings, feared the Cosmological Constant! Feared the true meaning of 42.]
Lin Xian stood up, once again affirming his previous conjecture.
Perhaps this Cosmological Constant 42…
Really was the Genius Club’s greatest weakness, their most feared entity.
He walked out of the room.
Stepped onto the stairs.
Arrived at the rooftop of the second floor.
The rooftop was covered with lines of drying clothes and some assorted greenery.
Lin Xian turned around to look at the towering expanse in the distance, the shining neon lights of New Donghai City.
It stood so tall and massive… rising between heaven and earth.
There was still a chance to uncover the meaning of the Cosmological Constant 42.
Lin Xian stared at the colorful steel city:
“If the Genius Club chooses the exact time to kill these scientists, always at 00:42…”
“That means that Big Face Cat’s father is not dead yet. Until 00:42 on August 29, 2624, he would be alive.”
“If I can infiltrate New Donghai City before this time, I can find Big Face Cat’s father… and ask the meaning of the Cosmological Constant 42.”
This was yet another race against time…
He always had this inexplicable feeling that perhaps his unique dreams, the white light that destroyed the world precisely at 00:42, the purpose of the Genius Club… and so on, all these mysteries were related to the enigmatic number 42.
Lin Xian looked up at the moon overshadowed by the Black Hand, peered into the endless dark universe behind it and recalled the phrase repeatedly muttered by Big Face Cat’s father:
Lin Xian surveyed the steel walls of New Donghai City that stretched for tens of kilometers from west to east:
“It seems I must make a trip to this New Donghai City.”
After coming out of the Dream World the last time, Lin Xian had set two main tasks for himself.
One was to get a clear answer about the Cosmological Constant 42 from Big Face Cat’s father.
The other was to enter New Donghai City and find the correct history books to understand how this future world had developed to its current state.
Since Big Face Cat’s father had been captured and taken to New Donghai City, it seemed like these two main tasks had merged into one.
The biggest gain from today’s venture into the Dream World was learning that the Cosmological Constant was 42.
But what did 42 actually mean?
What role did 42 play?
These were still the biggest mysteries in Lin Xian’s mind.
“Hey! Younger bro! Why stand so high up? Come down!”
In the yard, Big Face Cat had finished feeding the pigs and dogs and was calling for Lin Xian to come down:
“Hurry up and come down! I still have to buy a roast chicken for my son, don’t dilly-dally!”
Since Big Face Cat’s father was not there, and nothing of valuable use was left in the room, staying here did not really have any point.
Lin Xian closed the doors and windows and turned off the lights. He got on Big Face Cat’s motorbike, put on a helmet, and started his return journey.
Putt-putt-putt-putt-putt—
Big Face Cat’s motorbike belched unpleasant black smoke as it raced along the rugged, unpaved road.
The journey was silent.
Lin Xian’s mind was filled with thoughts about the Cosmological Constant 42 and how to sneak into New Donghai City to find Big Face Cat’s father…
“[No, actually there’s another way.]”
A spark of insight hit Lin Xian, and he thought of a brilliant idea.
He shouted into Big Face Cat’s ear from the motorcycle’s passenger seat; the bike was so fast and the wind so loud he had to yell for the other to hear:
“You said your father’s book, that ‘Introduction to the Cosmological Constant,’ is a book from 600 years ago? Are you sure?”
Without turning back, Brother Lian shouted into the wind:
“My dad told me himself, he’s been reading and practically wearing out that book for years, there’s no mistake. It’s a 600-year-old ancient tome unearthed from a tomb.”
“But that’s not right, Brother Lian, it’s unscientific,” Lin Xian yelled back:
“Unless it’s been preserved under laboratory conditions, paper simply cannot last 600 years in good enough condition to be handled.”
“If you’re lucky and the conditions are right, perhaps it could be excavated from ancient tombs and restored as a cultural relic; if you’re unlucky, it may fall apart into scraps the moment you touch it.”
“But in either case, it’s absolutely impossible for it to have been handled for so many years by your father and still be intact. That’s just an impossibility. The lifespan of paper is actually quite short.”