Chapter 91: The Boss

As Lin Xian walked down the road, a whirlwind of questions surrounded him: Who exactly was the “boss” that Big Cat Face had referred to?

He considered countless possibilities, each one casting the boss in a positive light. After all, in this dream world, Big Cat Face had morphed into a benevolent villager. Despite his rough exterior, his actions had won him the villagers’ respect and affection.

It seemed clear that Big Cat Face had transformed into a champion of justice.

Therefore, it only made sense that his boss would be a figure of righteousness as well. Big Cat Face was known for his straightforward and honest nature, lacking the cunning to play both sides.

However, the reality before Lin Xian was starkly different. Standing in front of him, with a friendly smile, was none other than Li Cheng—the infamous villain from his first dream, a man known for his immense wealth and wicked ways.

Despite Li Cheng’s present aura of respectability, which contrasted sharply with his past as a flamboyant nouveau riche, Lin Xian recognized him immediately. This was undeniably Li Cheng!

In the first dream, Lin Xian often stole money from Li Cheng’s villa, where the latter conducted affairs with his mistress. When a car was needed for a high-speed chase, Lin Xian would head to the villa’s underground garage, stocked with luxury vehicles.

Li Cheng, though a coward, was always cooperative, while his mistress showed fierce loyalty, often intervening to save him—until she met her end under Lin Xian’s gun.

Just a few days earlier, in Lin Xian’s last journey through the first dream, he and Big Cat Face had stormed Li Cheng’s villa. They had killed the mistress and, after attempting to extract information about the Genius Club from Li Cheng, Big Cat Face had executed him too.

Now, seeing them converse like old friends required a significant mental adjustment for Lin Xian.

Still, considering that shifts in time and space could alter destinies, it wasn’t entirely impossible for Li Cheng to reform, much like Big Cat Face had, and align with justice.

Throughout five thousand years of history, many had been “heroes in chaos and villains in peace.” Li Cheng had clearly thrived in both, rising to become a top boss.

“Hahaha! Bet you didn’t see that coming!” Big Cat Face’s laughter filled the air.

“Hey, my boss is none other than the famous Boss Li! I’ve been working for him since I was a kid, along with Ah Zhuang and Er Zhu.”

Pride shone in his eyes as he spoke of Li Cheng.

So, Lin Xian had been right...

In this second dream, Li Cheng had indeed transformed into a respected, virtuous person.

“Boss Li! This is my new little brother, Lin Xian. He’s got some serious skills!” Big Cat Face introduced Lin Xian enthusiastically, giving him a hearty pat on the back.

“Hello, Boss Li,” Lin Xian greeted, managing a smile.

The irony was palpable. In the first dream, he had frequently held Li Cheng at gunpoint. Now, he was being introduced to him as a brother.

“Lin Xian...” Li Cheng appraised him with a smile. “You seem quite talented! You must be well-educated. Big Cat Face, he must have other extraordinary qualities, right?”

“Of course! I have a good eye for talent!” Big Cat Face quickly led Lin Xian to the courtyard wall, gesturing excitedly. “Quick, Lin Xian... Show Boss Li a flip! A difficult one!”

“But luckily, there are great people like Boss Li, determined to change the world outside the walls—” Big Cat Face gestured towards a section of the giant steel wall of New Donghai City. He urged Lin Xian to look through the telescope.

Lin Xian did so, focusing on the indicated area.

It was a garbage processing plant at the base of the wall. In comparison to the towering, extensive steel barrier, the plant seemed minuscule.

“But on closer inspection, several similar plants were visible, each playing a part in a larger scheme of waste management.”

“That looks like a garbage processing plant? New Donghai City incinerates all its trash?” Lin Xian asked.

“Yes, and they won’t even let us scavenge their waste,” Big Cat Face confirmed, lighting a cigarette.

“And our task...” He took a puff and continued, “Is to sneak into Plant 221 tonight and retrieve whatever useful items we can find. Any book, newspaper, even small toys... in our deprived area, these are treasures.”

“I understand,” Lin Xian nodded, grasping the situation more fully.

“So, Brother Face,” he turned back to Big Cat Face, “that book, ‘An Introduction to Universal Constants,’ your father had, it was taken from New Donghai City, right?”

“Yes,” Big Cat Face, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, grinned. “But that book was actually pilfered from the garbage plant by Boss Li when he was younger. I was too young then to remember the details.”

“Are there more copies, or was it just the one?” Lin Xian inquired.

“Hard to say. You should check Boss Li’s warehouse,” Big Cat Face suggested, pointing towards several nearby warehouses.

“Brother, this is the real benefit of joining us! We work for Boss Li, so we have access to the items stored in the warehouse!”

“That warehouse over there is where Boss Li keeps the books. Over the years, through several generations’ efforts... we’ve managed to rescue quite a few books from the garbage plants. You might find an old copy of ‘An Introduction to Universal Constants’ there.”

“Who knows... you might discover something valuable,” Big Cat Face added, his tone hinting at the potential treasures hidden within.

Lin Xian nodded, ready to explore the warehouse.

“Wait,” Big Cat Face halted him, pointing to another building.

“We need to go to that warehouse first,” he said with a chuckle.

“Why?” Lin Xian was curious.

Big Cat Face grinned mischievously. “Don’t you plan to join our operation tonight? As the first step... you need to pick a mask!”

This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation