Chapter 21: The Lottery

9:00 PM

After a long day of overtime, Gao Yang arrived at Lin Xian’s apartment and collapsed onto the sofa with a heavy sigh.

“Okay, Lin Xian, let’s hear it. What’s the scoop?”

Lin Xian, seated across from him, began from the top. He explained how he had persuaded Big Cat Face to join his cause during a dream sequence, uncovered the heart-wrenching truth about his daughter’s death, and discovered the existence of the sinister Genius Club responsible for her murder. He detailed Big Cat Face’s bank heist strategy to secure an invitation to this elusive club, climaxing with Lin Xian spotting an invitation himself at his workplace.

“Mhm, mhm,” Gao Yang nodded, sipping his water, his face a mask of pensiveness and tension.

“I get it,” he said.

“You get it?” Lin Xian repeated, raising an eyebrow.

Bang.

Gao Yang slammed his glass down, fixing Lin Xian with a serious gaze.

“It’s fundamentally about the subconscious!”

“The subconscious, really?” Lin Xian scoffed. “When in doubt, blame quantum mechanics? Can’t explain something, blame parallel universes? I’ve been talking for an hour, and you boil it down to ‘the subconscious’?”

“It’s not the same!” Gao Yang cut in, eager to explain. “Remember that time at the bar? I was in a rush because of the World Cup and didn’t clarify. The subconscious is more complex than you think!”

“Simplify it for me.”

“Think about it—sometimes you see or hear something, then it slips your mind. But is it really forgotten? No, it lingers in your subconscious. That’s why you have feelings of déjà vu.”

Lin Xian stood, dismissing the notion with a wave of his hand.

“That’s too far-fetched. Save it for a novel. I’m done with this conversation.”

“It’s not pseudo-science!” Gao Yang insisted, pulling Lin Xian back to the sofa. “Let me give you an example.”

“Go on.”

“Ever had a song feel familiar, but you can’t remember where you heard it?”

“Yeah, that’s happened.”

“Or seen a stranger who seems familiar, or a place that feels oddly recognizable?”

“Sometimes, yes.”

“During your daily commute, you see countless faces. Over the years, you’ve had numerous classmates. Can you remember every face or the passengers from this morning’s subway ride?”

“Of course not, who could?”

Smack!

Gao Yang slapped his thigh, pointing at Lin Xian emphatically.

“That’s it! Human memory is unreliable, especially with distant memories. But the subconscious holds onto much more, like faces, music, places. That’s why things sometimes feel familiar.”

Lin Xian headed to the bathroom to freshen up.

“Keep it down out here. Don’t interrupt my sleep.”

“Make sure you get it right!” Gao Yang called after him. “And try to dream the exact score too—we could win big!”

“...If I can find it in the dream. Don’t hold your breath.”

“You can look it up online in your dream! It takes a second.”

“I’ve tried that. You think I’ve been idle for twenty years?”

Lin Xian rinsed and spat out the toothpaste foam.

“I experimented with the lottery in middle school, trying to dream up winning numbers.”

“And?”

“Nothing! I found nothing useful—no lottery, current news, or stock info... The internet in dreams is useless.”

“I see...”

Gao Yang grabbed a snack and turned on the TV, lowering the volume.

“Logically, online information should be archived forever. There should be traces. But since your dream is fictional, it figures.”

Lin Xian dried his face.

“My dream isn’t that simple. There’s too much I don’t understand.”

“Facts will prove everything! Go dream!”

Completing his routine, Lin Xian retired to his bedroom.

He turned off the light, cocooning himself in his blanket.

“Let’s see.”

A familiar summer breeze whispered through the room as Lin Xian closed his eyes.

He awoke in the familiar plaza, surrounded by the usual bustle and the chirping of cicadas.

Lin Xian glanced around. The electronic billboard displayed the date:

August 28, 2624

21:54

Lin Xian scratched his head, wondering.

“Where can I find the results of the 2022 Qatar World Cup?”

This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation