Chapter 172: The Dead Man

It was a dark night on the outskirts of Wolfsburg, Germany.

Beep. Beep.

The parking lights of a white Volkswagen flickered briefly, accompanied by the soft click of the doors unlocking.

A man in a white lab coat with a scruffy beard emerged from a nearby laboratory. He opened the car door and drove off into the night.

The road ahead was dark, illuminated only by the car’s headlights and the occasional reflective road sign. In these sparsely populated areas, the infrastructure was minimal, the roads stretching wide and straight with hardly any traffic.

This was a familiar scene for the man; his late work hours meant he rarely saw other vehicles. Compared to the bustling cities of Asia, Europe’s population density was quite low.

Suddenly, a warning light on the car’s dashboard flashed on. The tire pressure monitor indicated that the right rear tire was rapidly losing air.

“Could it be a flat tire? Maybe I ran over a nail,” he thought.

He pulled over, switched on the hazard lights, and stepped out to inspect the tire using his phone’s flashlight. A nail was indeed embedded in the tire.

But this wasn’t a major issue for him. In Wolfsburg, the hometown of Volkswagen, changing a tire was a skill shared universally, almost as instinctive as a baby knowing how to nurse.

He opened the trunk, grabbed the car jack, and began changing the tire.

Boom!

Out of the darkness, a Hummer with its lights off sped towards him, smashing into him and pinning him between the two vehicles. Blood splattered everywhere as his body was gruesomely crushed.

Boom...

The Hummer reversed and disappeared down the dark road.

From a nearby rooftop, an old man and a young man observed the scene in silence.

Ji Xin Shui checked his wristwatch.

00:42:58

00:42:59

00:43:00

“His research, like Tang Xin’s, was nascent. How did the Genius Club recognize its potential and predict its success?”

“That’s their strength. Their mystery!” Ji Xin Shui declared, his eyes glowing with respect. “They’ve never failed, never been wrong. My success and position are testament to that.”

“You’re quite the enigma,” Ji Lin chuckled. “Same lines, over and over. Well, my visit is over. Make sure to erase all traces of Dr. Ponsmike’s work, especially any documents related to room-temperature superconductors.”

“No problem. We’re professionals,” Ji Xin Shui replied dryly.

“One last thing,” Ji Lin added, looking intently at Ji Xin Shui. “You’re certain it’s acceptable to sacrifice our own if needed, but not harm innocents?”

“Exactly,” Ji Xin Shui nodded. “They were already doomed. Envy, Greed, Gluttony, Wrath... I resurrected them. Except you, they’re dispensable.”

“Death was their destiny. Their current lives interfere with history, much like Xu Yun and Tang Xin, albeit to a lesser degree.”

“I gave them a second chance. I understand this better than anyone,” Ji Xin Shui stated.

Ji Lin nodded, aware of Ji Xin Shui’s ruthless streak. He refrained from killing unnecessarily, concerned it might jeopardize his standing with the Genius Club. But his logic was sound; the others were supposed to be dead, their lives now merely granted by Ji Xin Shui.

“Pride, have you forgotten your origins?” Ji Lin suddenly asked.

“Hmm?” Ji Xin Shui looked puzzled.

“Remember, you were once an unknown at Donghai University,” Ji Lin smiled. “Your life was transformed by the Genius Club.”

“What are you getting at?” Ji Xin Shui frowned.

“Isn’t it clear?” Ji Lin continued, gazing at the distant blinking Volkswagen. “You altered the lives of Envy and Greed, making them expendable. But what about you? To the Genius Club, are you also just a pawn?”

“I’m not like them!” Ji Xin Shui’s voice rose. “Stop trying to trap me, Ji Lin.”

“Why not test it with Lin Xian’s case?” Ji Lin suggested, waving the research documents. “I may not understand Dr. Ponsmike’s work, but I recognize its potential. Do you realize what room-temperature superconductors could lead to? The ultimate breakthrough.”

“What would that be?” Ji Xin Shui asked, his brow furrowing.

“Controlled nuclear fusion,” Ji Lin declared, his eyes fixed on the industrial landscape of Wolfsburg.

This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation