Chapter 35 Galileo and Da Vinci

Lin Xian listened.

And smiled slightly.

Warmly:

"Now I feel a bit guilty. After all, you can dream of me, but I can't dream of you. The only time I did, all that was left was a statue."

Zhao Yingjun chuckled: "Why are you taking it so seriously? It doesn't matter whether I dream of you or not. After all, for ordinary people like us..."

"Everything in dreams is fake. Having the real you is enough."

Having said that, she turned and pulled the doorknob, gently closing the study door. Only Lin Xian was left in the room.

Indeed.

Zhao Yingjun was right.

For ordinary people, everything in dreams is fake. That's why it's impossible to deeply analyze Zhang Yuqian's dreams.

Because...

There are too many contradictions.

Zhang Yuqian's dreams are completely illogical, a nonsensical jumble.

And his own dreams... are even more unthinkable.

From the perspective of the laws of spacetime, Lin Xian with blue eyes, that kind of creature, could never exist!

This was something Lin Xian realized from the very beginning.

Time travelers inevitably face spacetime rejection. The changes in appearance, the blue eyes, are all results of spacetime rejection.

So, from this point on, his own dreams become contradictory.

If she really saw him, the same as he is now, then his eyes would definitely not be blue.

If she saw him with blue eyes, then his features and appearance would definitely not be like this. Spacetime rejection would definitely occur. Whether it's Huang Que or Zhao Yingjun.

Or the spacetime assassin Lin Yuxi and the normal-looking Lin Yuxi.

The rejected appearance is completely different from the original. The face shape and features undergo huge changes, with no resemblance to the original.

Therefore, if he really traveled through time, spacetime rejection would inevitably use some kind of "Qiankun Great Shift" to drastically change his appearance. Even if she dreamed of him, she definitely wouldn't recognize him.

That's the first contradiction. There's also a second.

Multiple confirmations show that time travel can only go to the past, not to the unknown future. This means that as a girl living in the future, she could see the black-eyed him hibernating into the future, but she could never see the blue-eyed him traveling to the future.

"Too messy."

Lin Xian shook his head in frustration:

"It's too messy. The logic and timelines are too confused. I have no idea how to explain Zhang Yuqian's and her dreams."

"If only I knew what Chu Anqing dreamed of. That would be another clue, maybe I could connect these dreams."

"But there's no point in thinking about it now. At this gathering, I'll deal with Einstein and Copernicus first."

*Ding-a-ling, ding-a-ling, ding-a-ling, ding-a-ling*... At that moment, his phone rang.

Lin Xian picked it up and saw it was an international call from Jask.

The meeting was in twenty minutes. What was he calling for at this time?

"Hello?"

"Lin Xian, I've been thinking about the question." Jask spoke quickly as soon as the phone was connected:

"I think we should switch questions. You ask Einstein's question, and I'll ask whether Copernicus really died."

"This is also for your safety. Although our designed questions, regardless of how Einstein answers or doesn't answer, allow us to determine the death of Copernicus. But don't forget, the other members aren't stupid. As soon as they hear this question, they'll know that the target is definitely Copernicus."

"That's right."

Lin Xian nodded:

"That's obvious. Copernicus definitely won't attend this club meeting. And everyone knows that the person who kills mathematicians at 00:42 is Copernicus. Once we ask the designed question, the others can understand our intention to verify whether Copernicus is alive or dead based on Einstein's answer."

"If Einstein refuses to answer, then everyone will know that we killed the wrong person, and Copernicus will continue to kill scientists in the future. If Einstein answers that mathematicians will continue to die, it also means that we didn't kill him successfully. If Einstein answers that no more mathematicians will be murdered at 00:42, then it means we really killed Copernicus."

On the other end of the phone, Jask hummed in agreement:

"That's right, so I said I'm worried about your safety."

"Your identity is completely hidden right now. No one knows who you are. Why would you actively expose your position and let everyone know that you killed Copernicus?"

"This will not only cause trouble but may also attract extra attention from other members. As a new member of the Genius Club, you can actually better use the 'newbie' identity to approach others and obtain more information."

"But once you admit that you killed Copernicus, many things will be exposed simultaneously. I think that's unnecessary exposure. Right now, although everyone can see that you and Copernicus don't get along, the reasons for your disagreement and the details of your feud are unknown. Maintaining that sense of mystery is the best."

"I'm different. My identity is an open book. Everyone knows who I am. I might as well take the blame directly. You pretend not to know me and pretend not to know about Copernicus's murder, and continue to play the rookie Rhein."

Lin Xian thought about it.

Indeed, his analysis made a lot of sense.

Everyone in the Genius Club is shrewd. What they say is hard to believe. Although it seems like everyone hates Copernicus, they may secretly be in the same faction.

For example, Turing is hiding very well.

Caution is never wrong. Let Jask take the blame. Believing in his personality, he'll probably be incredibly proud and boastfully tell everyone:

"Everyone, look at me! I have something to announce! That's right! The one who killed Copernicus is none other than yours truly! Applause, thank you!"

Lin Xian agreed to Jask's request and hung up the phone. He glanced at the time: September 1, 2024, 00:20.

He suddenly realized that he always entered the VR virtual venue right at 00:42. Every time he pushed the door open, everyone was already sitting there, chatting for a long time.

This meant that he could attend the meeting early.

The club rules only said that you couldn't be late, not that you couldn't be early. In any era, arriving at the meeting venue early is a form of politeness.

"Then I'll go in early today."

Lin Xian put on his VR glasses:

"I'll sit down in my chair early, listen to what they're talking about, and eat more melons (gossip)."

After adjusting his VR glasses, Lin Xian stuck the Genius Club gold badge onto the front shell of the VR glasses.

*Beep.*

With a soft sound, colorful halos began to appear in the holographic field of view, like a spacetime tunnel. Finally, the picture stabilized inside the familiar castle.

Lin Xian lowered his head.

Underneath his feet was a soft red velvet carpet, leading to the brown double doors directly in front. The previous two times, there would be sounds of chatter from behind the doors. Usually, the loudest and happiest laughter would be from Miss Da Vinci. But today...

It was very quiet.

No one was talking.

"Could it be that I'm too early?" Lin Xian started walking, following the carpet forward.

Perhaps he was the first to arrive at the venue for this meeting. That was fine too.

He had been late the previous two times, so this time he'd balance it out.

*Creak*...

He pushed open the brown double doors and looked into the golden hall. "Hmm? Huh?"

Lin Xian raised his head and met the gaze of the middle-aged man wearing a Galileo mask on the high-backed chair on the left through his Rhein cat mask.

So, he wasn't the first to arrive. Someone had come even earlier.

"Why are you here so early?"

Galileo's tone didn't sound very happy. He seemed to be complaining to Lin Xian: "Our gathering doesn't start until 00:42. There's no need to come so early. Arriving a few minutes early is fine, or even coming right on time wouldn't matter."

"That's not it." Lin Xian couldn't help but retort.

How could he be reprimanded for being early for once? Wasn't this Galileo a very rigid person?

When he first attended the meeting wearing the Rhein cat mask, Galileo said he was too informal and lacked the most basic respect for the club.

But today, he made a special effort to come early and change his impression, and the old man just started scolding him?

Lin Xian walked forward while looking at Galileo:

"How is coming early wrong? Besides, aren't you here even earlier?"

"Hmph."

Galileo snorted lightly, turned his head back, and sat upright in his chair:

"I was just afraid you wouldn't understand some things after joining the gathering, and I was kindly reminding you."

"Arriving early is certainly a good habit, but there's really no need to come too early. You're not like an old man like me. I'm very free and like to be alone in peace and quiet."

"Alright then."

Lin Xian sat in his chair, the last one, leaned back, and crossed his legs.

"Sorry to disturb your peace and quiet. If I had known you were the only one here early, I wouldn't have bothered to come so early."

Although he didn't know why, Lin Xian could tell that Galileo disliked him. And the interesting thing was...

He disliked him not because of his position or his words, but because he had come too early and disturbed his peace and quiet?

This old geezer was hard to please.

If he wanted peace and quiet, he should go to a snow mountain villa or a quiet winery in real life to meditate. Why seek peace and quiet at the Genius Club venue, where every second counts?

Lin Xian originally wanted to eat melons (gossip).

But the Galileo across from him kept looking at the brown double doors of the venue and didn't want to pay attention to Lin Xian at all. So, Lin Xian certainly wouldn't offer him a warm face to his cold backside.

Then they'd just be awkward. They wouldn't acknowledge each other.

*Creak*...

Just as Lin Xian decided to play the "whoever speaks first loses" game with Galileo, the brown double doors were pushed open again. Miss Da Vinci, with the virtual image of a young, voluptuous woman wearing a Da Vinci mask, slowly walked in.

Lin Xian looked at Galileo across from him, thinking...

Miss Da Vinci also disturbed your quiet contemplation. Shouldn't you mutter a few words too? At the very least, you should give her a cold face, right?

But...

He never expected it!

"Welcome, Miss Da Vinci."

Galileo stood up straight like a gentleman and even made a habitual gesture of removing his hat, bowing slightly at the door.

"Seriously?"

Lin Xian asked in confusion: "You're being too biased!"

He finally understood.

The reason Galileo had so much malice towards him was entirely because he had come too early and disturbed his time alone with Miss Da Vinci!

This old geezer was quite clever with his romantic intentions.

Recalling the last gathering, Galileo also invited Da Vinci to stay and chat after the meeting. So, coming early this time, being angry that he came early, and advising him to come later in the future... his intentions were obvious. Everyone knew Galileo's goal.

"Hehe."

Lin Xian chuckled and decided to test his guess. So, he looked at the slowly approaching Da Vinci and said loudly: "Galileo said we shouldn't come so early in the future. He said arriving a few minutes early or right on time is fine. Coming too early would disturb his meditation. He wants to be alone in peace and quiet."

"Oh?"

Da Vinci sat down in the chair next to Lin Xian, somewhat surprised: "Is that so?"

"That's bullsh*t!"

Galileo stood up abruptly and pointed at Lin Xian rudely:

"Don't listen to this kid's nonsense! I was just kindly reminding him as a senior. I didn't expect you to be so ungrateful, Rhein."

"No matter what, arriving early for an appointment and being on time are signs of politeness and good manners. I've always encouraged and agreed with that."

*Pfft*...

Miss Da Vinci let out a silvery, light laugh.

Lin Xian knew, of course, that this was a voice altered by the VR system. In reality, there was probably a kind, white-haired old woman smiling behind the VR glasses.

"Hehe, Rhein, you must have misunderstood Galileo."

The woman wearing the Da Vinci mask covered her smiling mouth and turned her head to look at Lin Xian:

"Although he seems a bit rigid and strict, and his words are a bit extreme, he's actually a very easygoing person. He's quite shy at heart."

Hehe.

Lin Xian smiled without saying anything.

Alright, whatever you say.

From the perspective of being kind to others, Da Vinci had indeed reached the extreme. She truly had kind eyes that saw everything as kind.

Actually, before it was confirmed that the super disaster in 2400 was Galileo's doing, Lin Xian wouldn't have had any real hostility towards this rigid old man.

Currently, besides Turing telling him that Galileo was the culprit behind the super disaster in 2400, there was no second piece of substantial evidence. So, Galileo's future plans were still undetermined.

However, he turned his head and looked at Da Vinci, who was chatting with Galileo. The future plans of others were all vague.

But Lin Xian knew Da Vinci's future plans very well.

But he couldn't just say it directly.

First of all, even if he said it, Da Vinci might not admit it or believe it. Secondly, if Da Vinci believed it and corrected herself, then the eighth dream would change, and he hadn't finished copying the spacetime machine blueprints yet.

Finally, and most importantly, Miss Da Vinci's original intention was good. Lin Xian also thought the world she envisioned was good, which was basically strict law enforcement.

As for why it eventually became as harsh and overly strict as Donghai City, there were many reasons, partly due to human nature and partly because androids were in power.

However, as the saying goes, would the future world become better if humans were in power? No one could be sure.

This was also why Lin Xian thought some words were hard to say.

He didn't have a better plan or a way to solve the problem. He didn't know where Da Vinci's plan went wrong, so what qualifications did he have to correct others' mistakes?

The best way was to wait until he finished copying the time machine blueprints and use the opportunity to ask Einstein, allowing Miss Da Vinci to know about the failed future through Einstein's answer.

That way, Da Vinci's future plans could also be avoided from being exposed.

Jask had repeatedly reminded Lin Xian that everyone in the Genius Club was very smart and could deduce the true identity and purpose of a member with just a word or a clue.

Unless he had the chance to chat with Miss Da Vinci privately, if others guessed Miss Da Vinci's true identity from his words and killed her, then he would be doing a disservice.

No need to panic.

Anyway, he hadn't finished copying the spacetime machine blueprints yet, and he still had many questions to ask. He'd put off indirectly probing Da Vinci's affairs for a few months.

"Do you have many children?"

Galileo chuckled and continued chatting with Da Vinci: "I always hear you talking about children."

"Yes." Da Vinci smiled:

"I have many children. They're all very cute. Although they're always naughty, which children aren't naughty? I like them very much and really hope they can always be so happy and never grow up."

Having said that, she raised her head and looked at the middle-aged man wearing the Galileo mask across from her:

"By the way, I haven't asked yet. We usually don't talk about private matters involving identity during our gatherings, unless someone like Jask reveals his identity. And you're different from Newton and Rhein. You've never talked about your family."

"So, it's okay if you don't answer this question. I'm just curious. Do you have children? If you do, considering your age, you should have grandchildren by now, right?"

"I don't."

Galileo's voice was very calm:

"I've never married and have no children."

"Oh."

Da Vinci let out a long, regretful sound and shook her head: "I really hope that's a lie to conceal your identity."

Nearby, Lin Xian sat on his high-backed chair, as if sitting on pins and needles. He really regretted coming so early.

He was really too redundant and awkward in this kind of sunset love matchmaking event!

He kept scratching the sole of his shoe with his big toe. Sorry, Galileo, I was wrong.

Before, when Lin Xian apologized to Galileo, it was definitely sarcastic. But now, it was a sincere apology.

He was indeed a genius.

His heart wasn't old, and he was always so energetic and full of hormones.

If he wasn't afraid of not being able to participate again if he left the meeting, Lin Xian really wanted to temporarily go offline and not ruin Galileo's "little thoughts."

Obviously, Galileo came so early every time to wait for Da Vinci.

He didn't know Da Vinci's true identity, and because they were both members of the Genius Club, they would likely never be able to meet peacefully in real life.

Every month, these short few minutes or ten minutes before the meeting were Galileo's only chance to meet and be alone with Da Vinci. That was it.

One month, only these short few minutes. Soon, other geniuses would push open the door and take their seats.

No wonder Galileo was so upset when he suddenly saw him come so early. He had been waiting for a month to get these precious few minutes.

Galileo must have come very early.

Because he knew Da Vinci liked to arrive early, he must have come early for Da Vinci's sake.

And so, Galileo sat here early every month, thinking about when Da Vinci would push open the brown doors, thinking about what to talk about, and wondering what Da Vinci was doing this month.

But today, his expectant gaze was met with the comical mask of Rhein the Cat. Slightly substituting Galileo's perspective, Lin Xian could understand why the old man was so unfriendly to him just now.

*Creak*...

Turning his head, the brown doors were pushed open again. It was Tesla's mask.

Needless to say, Jask had arrived.

"Hehehe," this seemingly frivolous man approached quickly in his original voice: "What are you talking about? Tell me!"

"Hmph," Galileo across from him snorted, turned his head, and stopped speaking.

It seemed his happy time was over.

Jask walked over and sat in the high-backed chair between Da Vinci and Lin Xian, looking left and right: "Long time no see, my old friends."

"Has anything new happened during this time that I didn't attend the gathering?"

Da Vinci looked at Jask with a smile: "New? Isn't the newest thing your sudden departure from the gathering that time? We all thought you had been killed."

"Hehe, how could that be!" Jask laughed heartily: "I was just playing a role-playing game."

Da Vinci chuckled next to him and shook her head: "Then let me tell you another new thing."

"What is it?" Jask asked.

Da Vinci raised a finger, pointed at Lin Xian, and looked at Jask, saying, "That pretentious line you just said was already said by Rhein at the last gathering."