Dark clouds covered the moon, and the entire sky dimmed.

Lin Xian stood still, looking at Ji Lin, both silent.

Before this.

Lin Xian had thought of countless reasons why Ji Lin would want to keep him around...

He had considered countless scenarios.

But he never expected Ji Lin to say these words:

"Have you heard of... the Genius Club?"

In those brief two seconds, countless possibilities flashed through Lin Xian's mind.

He couldn't even begin to guess why the words "Genius Club" would come from Ji Lin's mouth.

Why would he know this extremely mysterious name?

What was his relationship with the Genius Club?

Could Ji Lin, Ji Xinshui, Zhou Duanyun, and the others be members of the Genius Club?

No...

Quickly.

He dismissed the idea in his mind.

Because on that thrilling rainy night, in Zhao Yingjun's office, Huang Que (Oriole) had told him personally:

"If you don't go looking for trouble, trouble will come looking for you. Your cat-and-mouse game has already begun."

"I'll be waiting for you at the Genius Club."

These two sentences were difficult to understand at the time.

But now, it was very clear. The cat-and-mouse game referred to Ji Lin's group. Huang Que and they were clearly not on the same side, otherwise, she wouldn't have bothered to warn him.

So, it was conceivable that Ji Lin and the Genius Club were definitely not on the same side either.

Clearly unrelated...

Clearly, the Genius Club was so mysterious, hidden in the river of time for over 600 years, never seeing the light of day...

Why would Ji Lin blurt it out at this moment?

But.

At this moment.

Lin Xian had to admit that Ji Lin had succeeded.

He had indeed found the most compelling reason to make him stay.

The Genius Club.

He was still completely ignorant about this mysterious organization. If he could learn even a word or two from Ji Lin... even the slightest clue, it would be of great significance.

Especially since Huang Que had said that the fastest and most direct way to know the truth and solve all the mysteries was to obtain an invitation to the Genius Club... and then join the Genius Club.

Could Ji Lin have any clues about how to join the Genius Club?

"Lin Xian!"

Gao Yang, patting his stomach, turned his head from the courtyard gate:

"What are you dawdling about? Let's go!"

Lin Xian also came back to his senses, shook his head at Ji Lin:

"I haven't heard of that name."

In any case.

Denying it here was the right move.

First of all, it was normal that he hadn't heard of the name. His greatest understanding of the Genius Club came from the dream world. His only connection in the real world was that fake invitation. It made more sense to say he hadn't heard of it.

Secondly, Ji Lin's main goal now was to keep him at the villa until 00:42. With twenty minutes to go, Ji Lin wouldn't let him leave easily. So, he would inevitably tell him some enticing information about the Genius Club, otherwise... he might just dust himself off and leave. The information Ji Lin was about to share was likely to be true and reliable, and it was worth listening to.

Finally, regardless of whether this was a trap or a scam, he had to take the bait. Ji Lin and his group wanted to kill him at 00:42, and he wanted to use 00:42 to capture Ji Lin and Ji Xinshui in return... Their goals were aligned in terms of delaying the time until 00:42, and Lin Xian was willing to take the bait.

"It's normal that you haven't heard of it because this organization is very mysterious, and I know very little about it. But... I think you'll be interested. Perhaps they are the real masterminds behind the deaths of Xu Yun and Tang Xin."

Ji Lin smiled at Lin Xian, opened the redwood double doors, and pointed to the brightly lit, magnificent living room inside:

"Would you like to come in and talk some more?"

...

Lin Xian nodded.

Then he turned around and shouted to Gao Yang at the courtyard gate:

"Gao Yang, go back first. Ji Lin and I will chat for a while."

Gao Yang walked over, burping:

"Can I join? I'll wait for you guys for a while."

"No, no, you go back first." Lin Xian waved his hand to hurry him away.

Gao Yang had heard him mention the name Genius Club before. If Gao Yang stayed here to chat, he would definitely let something slip.

It wasn't that he didn't trust Gao Yang.

Before, he didn't want Gao Yang to get involved in danger, so whether it was the dream world or the Genius Club, he brushed it off as a "false alarm." Therefore, in Gao Yang's eyes, these things were just false and meaningless fantasies.

Just like when he casually mentioned the psychologist during his birthday, it was purely unintentional. From Gao Yang's perspective, it was completely irrelevant.

And now, Gao Yang was obviously drunk, his mind a little muddled.

Letting him stay...

He would probably mess things up and reveal what he had said about the Genius Club before.

"Okay then."

Gao Yang left, holding his round belly:

"Then you guys talk. I have to go to work tomorrow, so I won't wait for you."

...

Bang.

The redwood double doors closed.

Lin Xian and Ji Lin sat back at the dining table. Ji Lin took out a bottle of unopened juice, opened it, and poured a glass for each of them.

"What is the Genius Club?" Lin Xian asked first.

He knew that Ji Lin would definitely deliberately delay the time.

However, his advantage now was that in the time before 00:42, Ji Lin was almost certain to answer any question he asked. After all, if he wasn't interested in the topic, he might just dust himself off and leave, and then their plan to kill him at 00:42 would not be able to be implemented.

The next twenty minutes would be Lin Xian's best and last chance to extract information from Ji Lin.

"I don't know."

Ji Lin shook his head:

"But I've always suspected that the murderer who killed my parents wasn't Sergeant Sam and his group, but the Genius Club."

"Why do you think so?"

"Remember what you analyzed before, Lin Xian?"

Ji Lin looked at Lin Xian:

"You said before that perhaps there were two groups involved in the 00:42 killings, one was Group A, which killed people in a very casual way, and the other was Group B, which killed people in a very rigid way, only using car accidents."

"You analyzed at the time that it seemed like Group B was a clumsy imitation of Group A... I agree with you on this point because the way Group B, Sergeant Sam and his group, killed people was so clumsy that it was unimaginable. If there wasn't a necessary reason, I wouldn't believe that someone would repeat the killing in such a stupid way. It's really too stupid."

"Yes, it really is too stupid."

Lin Xian nodded in agreement:

"This kind of killing method with fixed times and repeated methods is practically slapping the police in the face with the plan."

"According to you, then Group A is the Genius Club? And Sergeant Sam's Group B is clumsily imitating the killing behavior of the Genius Club."

"Then what is the purpose of their imitation? What is the necessary reason?"

Ji Lin smiled:

"Lin Xian, what do you think? What are your thoughts?"

Okay.

Deliberately stalling for time, huh?

Of course, Lin Xian saw through Ji Lin's scheme.

In the time that followed, Ji Lin was very passive.

He had to constantly throw out useful information, otherwise, he might leave early because he wasn't interested.

So Lin Xian shook his head bluntly:

"I can't guess."

"My personal idea is... Sergeant Sam, that is, Group B... they might be trying to prove something," Ji Lin said.

"To the Genius Club?"

"It should be."

Ji Lin admitted frankly:

"I can't guess the specific reason. That's why I'm telling you this now... because since Group B isn't the murderer who killed my parents, then Group A is most likely the murderer who killed my parents, so... I want to ask you to help me deduce it."

Lin Xian took a sip of juice, closed his eyes, and leaned back in his chair to think.

Ji Lin was very smart.

What he said was also half true and half false.

It was difficult to extract useful information from this kind of mixed truth.

However...

What Ji Lin couldn't guess was that he had already figured out their situation pretty well, and that he had known about the Genius Club for a long time.

Under this premise, those things that Ji Lin wanted to hide... were actually completely exposed in front of him.

What Sergeant Sam, what Group B...

That's just you guys!

Ji Xinshui, Ji Lin, Zhou Duanyun, Sergeant Sam, Academician Lyon, you people are all Group B.

It's you who are imitating Group A, that is, imitating the Genius Club.

So what is the "necessary reason"?

Lin Xian remembered what Da Lian Mao (Big Face Cat) had said:

"My ultimate goal is to obtain an invitation to the Genius Club!"

Remembering what Huang Que had said:

"If you want to find the answer to all of this... the easiest way is to obtain a real Genius Club invitation."

...

These people.

Everyone related to the Genius Club seemed to be working hard to obtain an invitation to the Genius Club.

But everyone's efforts seemed to be in the wrong direction, without any clues, and the execution was also varied.

From this perspective...

Ji Lin and Ji Xinshui so awkwardly and clumsily imitating car accidents to kill people at 00:42... was their ultimate goal also to obtain an invitation to the Genius Club?

Lin Xian felt that it was highly likely.

"What exactly is the Genius Club?"

Lin Xian couldn't help but ask again.

He was getting more and more curious.

What kind of organization was this? What kind of magic did it have?

Why was everyone so eager and almost obsessed with that non-existent invitation?

This made Lin Xian more and more concerned.

"You've already asked that question, Lin Xian."

Ji Lin smiled, picked up the juice, and took a sip:

"If I knew, I wouldn't be so troubled now. I would have found a way to avenge my parents long ago."

"It's a pity... I don't know what the Genius Club is, where they are, or what I should do next."

Lin Xian picked up a silver fork from the table and twirled it between his fingers, like twirling a pen.

It seemed that Ji Lin could only provide information up to this point.

But that was normal.

He knew better than anyone how mysterious the Genius Club was.

This was a powerful organization that could imprint its logo on the moon, but even so, no one knew of its existence.

Under this premise, it was already very difficult for Ji Lin to have investigated this name.

So, by association.

Since Ji Lin knew the name of the Genius Club, then Ji Xinshui must also know it, right?

Would Zhou Duanyun know?

Lin Xian wasn't sure about this.

Because according to Lin Xian's guess, Zhou Duanyun's relationship with Ji Lin and Ji Xinshui was very subtle, even a bit estranged. It was likely that Ji Lin wouldn't share this information with him.

Lin Xian twirled the silver fork, looking at Ji Lin:

"Analyzing it simply from the name... I feel that this organization might be a group that gathers all kinds of top geniuses. In my opinion, Ji Lin, you are the smartest person I've ever met. I think you are the closest person to the Genius Club."

Hehe.

Ji Lin lowered his head and smiled, shook his head slightly, and looked up at Lin Xian again:

"But in my opinion... Lin Xian, you are the one who is closest to the Genius Club."

"Why would you think that?"

"Have you read the book *The Three-Body Problem*? The second book, *The Dark Forest*, the one about the Wallfacers."

"I've read it." Lin Xian nodded.

"Then after you go back, you can think about it carefully... In a sense, you are very similar to the protagonist in *The Three-Body Problem*, Luo Ji." Ji Lin stood up and looked at the electronic clock.

May 4, 2023.

00:39

"I actually wanted to chat with you for a while longer, but it's obviously too late now, Lin Xian. Thank you very much for being willing to chat with me so much."

"It's getting late, so I won't disturb you from going home to sleep."

Lin Xian nodded.

Finally, he finished the juice in his glass.

He also stood up from the dining table:

"Yeah..."

"It's time for me to leave too."