Genius Club-Chapter 287 - 9 Long Time No See

Zhao...

Zhao Yingjun?

Lin Xian looked at the name inscribed on the base of the statue with some disbelief.

To commemorate, the builder of Rhein Sky City... Zhao Yingjun.

"Why is Zhao Yingjun’s name here?"

"Then that means..."

He looked up.

Lin Xian gazed at the white jade statue towering dozens of meters high before him.

From this upward angle, although he could not see the specific facial features and details, since the name Zhao Yingjun was written on the base... This commemorative and praising statue must be of his own original boss, the president of MX Company, Zhao Yingjun.

There was no possibility of a namesake, because everything was too coincidental... so coincidental it couldn’t possibly be another Zhao Yingjun.

Lin Xian lowered his head and stared at the inscribed text on the base, falling into thought as he began to organize his ideas.

According to his initial speculation,

This Rhein Sky City was most likely built by an evolved version of his own Rhein Company; hence, under such a premise, it would make the most sense for his future self to leave a back door for his past self, a gap in the invisible defenses.

Continuing this line of thought, where should this gap have been left?

If there were a plaza with a statue commemorating the founder of Rhein Company, namely his own statue, then leaving a hidden gap right above his statue would be utterly reasonable and perfect in every way.

Therefore,

When Lin Xian descended from the air and saw the white jade sculpture on the ground, his instinct told him that it should be his own statue.

However...

Due to a twist of fate,

Visit freёnovelkiss.com for the 𝑏est n𝘰vel reading experience.

All his reasoning was sound up until the final answer, which was worlds apart.

"The builder of Rhein Sky City, as well as the original model for this statue and the person who intentionally left me a gap in the air defense... "

"Turned out to be Zhao Yingjun."

Lin Xian was somewhat puzzled.

Why was all of this done by Zhao Yingjun?

What were her purposes and the history behind building Rhein Sky City?

Rhein was clearly his own company, so where had his own existence gone? What about the traces of his history?

...

Lin Xian believed that if Zhao Yingjun had designed all this with the intent of bringing him into Sky City, then the answers to these questions would surely be found here.

Over the past few days in the dream worlds, he had discussed a lot with Big Face Cat and Lee Ningning, and had a general understanding of this world.

The history of Rhein Sky City wasn’t very long; it had been only less than 200 years since it took to the skies.

But the construction of Rhein Sky City on the ground spanned over 100 years before that...this was a true cross-century project.

From this, it could be inferred that Rhein Sky City began its construction on the ground around the 2300s.

By that time, the residents had already begun living there, still isolated from the outside world, just like New Donghai City.

The construction of Sky City continued for over a hundred years. Then all controllable nuclear fusion engines were ignited in order, lifting this colossal structure to a height of 2000 meters in the air, where it has since been suspended for 200 years, becoming a city in the sky in every sense of the word.

And the appearance of radiation sickness started to spread gradually from that time.

According to the descriptions of Big Face Cat and Lee Ningning...

The standard of living technologies for these surface dwellers had actually progressed significantly compared to the Second Dreamland, with many disciplines and talents.

However, since the incurable, 100% fatal radiation sickness appeared, the surface world changed entirely.

Survival became the primary concern for everyone.

Gradually, education, science, and many other things fell into neglect.

All around the world, there were many such cities in the sky, all lifted by thousands, even tens of thousands of nuclear fusion engines.

This almost inexhaustible infinite energy source, lighting up the night sky like stars, also cast a nightmare over the surface.

Lin Xian also asked them how much they knew about Rhein Sky City, including who its founder was and the purpose of its construction...

Regarding these "historical" questions, they were just as uncertain as those in the Second Dreamland.

Clearly, in this world, history had also failed to be passed down.

They could still narrate the events of the last hundred years or so rather clearly, but anything further back, they had no clue.

Lin Xian naturally asked about the black hand shadow of the Genius Club on the moon as well, but again, all sorts of legends abounded and not a single piece of useful information was found.

Before arriving at this statue, Lin Xian had thought that Rhein Sky City was just another form of New Donghai City, that it too lacked history, was heavily guarded, and would be meaningless to enter.

But now,

He no longer thought so.

Rhein Sky City was fundamentally different from New Donghai City!

Rhein Company, Zhao Yingjun’s statue, and the invisible gap precisely located ten thousand meters above the statue... piecing all these clues together, a conclusion was not hard to draw—

[This Rhein Sky City was indeed built by Zhao Yingjun for me!]

She clearly knew that I would return to the last day of the apocalypse in 600 years time—over and over;

She clearly knew that only I possessed the ability to keep trying and error, and only I would be able to find that gap in the air defense;

She clearly knew how important the name Rhein was to me, knowing I couldn’t possibly miss visiting such an immense city in the sky;

She also believed in me... that upon seeing her statue, which had awaited for 600 years, I would naturally understand the intricacies of her design—

[Inside this Rhein Sky City, there must be a precious gift that Zhao Yingjun had endeavored to leave for me through hundreds of years, a gift of profound significance and critical importance.]

This gift was left only for me.

This gift was hidden for me alone, and only I could obtain it.

For a moment,

Lin Xian couldn’t help feeling moved.

This was a city in the sky that took 300 long years to build...

And its existence.

Was merely to span time and space, to leave a clue, a piece of information for myself from 600 years ago.

Even though he had not yet found the gift,

At this very moment...

Lin Xian felt the weight of this gift.

It was the weight of time, and the weight of the years as well.

Unexplainably,

Lin Xian raised his hand, caressing the white jade statue...

It was cold.

Yet there was warmth.

In that moment, it was as though a reel of tape that had been waiting for hundreds of years suddenly began to spin, and a laugh that had been awaited for centuries abruptly rang out:

"Lin Xian, it’s been so long."

...

...

In this moment.

Lin Xian suddenly felt a bit lonely.

This was a feeling he had never experienced in all his years of navigating through dreamscapes.

In so many dreams he had before.

He had felt fear, confusion, anger, and madness.

But he had never felt lonely...

Even if the friends he was the closest with today became strangers tomorrow; even if there was not a single acquaintance in the dreamscape, no home of his own, no family, no friends, no place to belong...

He had never felt lonely.

But now, as he touched the White Jade Statue of Zhao Yingjun, an indescribable sense of loneliness, like a ferocious flood, swept over him from the depths of his heart.

An unexplainable feeling.

An unspeakable loneliness.

Over these 600 long years, everything familiar had ceased to exist; the only trace that was left...

was just this one statue of an old friend.

From the word "in remembrance" on the inscription, it was clear that Zhao Yingjun must have left this world by this time.

It wasn’t clear exactly when she had passed away.

The technology level of the Second Dreamland already had Hibernation Pods, let alone the even more advanced Third Dreamland.

There must have been Hibernation Pods here.

Therefore, it was impossible to deduce the exact time of Zhao Yingjun’s passing.

Perhaps she had left this world before the construction of Rhine Sky City, as the designer;

maybe she passed away during the 300 years it took to build Sky City;

or possibly, it was after the successful launch of Rhine Sky City that she departed from the world.

Because of the existence of Hibernation Pods, human life could be extended for hundreds of years, so it’s really uncertain when she died.

In traditional concepts, it’s rare to erect statues of people who are still alive; it’s considered an unlucky practice.

So it goes without saying.

In this world, 600 years later, the name Rhein still exists, Rhein Cat may also still be here, and Sky City too.

It’s just that...

Zhao Yingjun is no more.

She built herself a City in the Sky, left a gap to guide herself back here, buried a secret, hid a gift, and then at some point, left the world of the living.

After the feeling of loneliness.

Lin Xian felt as though a warm current flowed from the cold surface of the White Jade Statue... along his arm, slowly into his body, giving him a sense of comforting warmth.

He spread out his hand.

He looked up at the towering, magnificent statue.

Truthfully.

Even now, this Rhine Sky City still held many mysteries for him.

Even if all the speculations just now were unconfirmed assumptions.

But this unfamiliar City in the Sky beneath his feet gave him a feeling that was entirely different from New Donghai City.

New Donghai City was cold; this Rhine Sky City, however, made Lin Xian feel familiarity and warmth.

The existence of this statue gave him an innate sense of belonging to this city.

It was as though he had come home.

Suddenly.

Lin Xian grew curious.

What did Zhao Yingjun look like in the future...

What did she, now middle-aged or even elderly, look like?

Did she still wear her proud earrings?

Did she still have a heroic, commanding presence?

Could he still recognize that familiar face after 600 years?

With curiosity, Lin Xian began to slowly back away while maintaining his gaze up at the statue—

"Ouch."

Thud!

Because he wasn’t watching behind, Lin Xian backed into a very hard cylindrical object and lost his balance, falling to the ground.

He pushed himself up and looked toward the thing that had tripped him.

That...

Was a grayish-white, trashcan-like cylindrical robot.

A floor-sweeping robot?

That was Lin Xian’s first thought.

But it probably wasn’t.

This trashcan-shaped robot was much more advanced in design than the sweeping robots of 2023.

Although it looked like a trashcan.

It had tracks underneath for moving, and now that it was knocked over and lying sideways on the ground, its tracks seemed very agile, twisting left and right trying to "stand up."

Meanwhile.

Its two pincer-like mechanical arms were waving in the air, trying to find a support to prop itself up.

Its "eyes" that flickered with green light were fixed on a small crumpled piece of paper on the ground in front of it:

"Trash! Trash! Trash detected!"

"Trash! Trash! Trash detected!"