In the Wind.

Angelica walked away.

Her slender, tall figure disappeared into the courtyard of the Peninsula Hotel. The July breeze blew the fragrance of her hair into the car, and Lin Xian smelled the scent of "bait."

Looking at Angelica's last smug smile, it was clear that she had achieved her goal.

She successfully piqued Lin Xian's interest.

Lin Xian was also well aware that Angelica was eager to know the truth about Ji Lin's death and more about the Genius Club.

That's why she kept testing him, throwing out bits of information, until he showed enough interest... and then stopped abruptly.

"She's really good at fishing."

Lin Xian picked up the business card in his hand. It had a standard US mobile phone number, with the first three digits as the area code and the last seven as the phone number, in the same format as a landline.

This woman was certain that he would go to Einstein's former residence in Princeton to see the painting Ji Lin had left for him.

*The Sad Einstein.*

Lin Xian wasn't sure if what Angelica said was true, but it seemed that with both Ji Lin and Ji Xinshui dead, she had no reason to lie.

"The code hidden in that painting... or rather, the different codes hidden in the eight identical paintings, could they be the key to the Genius Club?"

Lin Xian thought it was very likely.

Because for Ji Lin, he also wanted to find the murderer who killed his parents, and in his reasoning, the most likely candidate was the mysterious Genius Club.

"In any case, I really need to find a chance to go to 112 Marshall Street and take a look at that painting... but not now, it's still too dangerous now."

Without sufficient strength and protection, Lin Xian was unwilling to go abroad easily.

The unknown is the greatest danger.

*Beep beep*

The Elfa's electric door closed, and the driver drove Lin Xian home.

One bite at a time.

The Princeton matter could be put aside for now.

The top priority now was to copy out all of VV's code, and then copy some cold fusion technology information... and get the rental of the Guizhou Tianyan (Sky Eye) settled as soon as possible.

...

In the following two months, Lin Xian relived his senior year of high school, experiencing the thrill of studying hard day and night.

After falling asleep at night, he would quickly activate VV as usual, and then tell VV how many lines of code he had copied last time, and this time he would start displaying from the next line on the blackboard.

Naturally, the most crucial step was indispensable.

"VV, give me the drugs!"

With his memory greatly enhanced, Lin Xian was able to remember more and more code every night.

On the one hand, he had figured out the best dosage of the drug, finding an optimal balance between endurance and explosiveness—

While maximizing memory efficiency, he tried to delay brain death.

Sharpening your tools before you work is the key, that's the principle.

On the other hand, as he memorized more and more code, Lin Xian's understanding of the code logic also improved. Many things had gradually become integrated, and he increasingly felt that even rote memorization of code had certain rules to follow, so efficiency naturally increased a lot.

In addition, Lin Xian wasn't idle during the day.

He bought a lot of related books and watched a lot of courses online, and his programming skills also improved a lot, gradually changing from rote memorization to understanding memory and divergent memory, which further improved the efficiency of memorizing code.

Multiple approaches at the same time...

In mid-August, the hottest time of the year, Lin Xian sat at his desk coding, sweating profusely, and took the opportunity to pick up the remote control and turn down the air conditioner a few degrees.

Today's Donghai City, the temperature had already approached 40 degrees Celsius, it was so hot that the air conditioner was a little

Unable to turn.

Recalling that the first time he realized that the dream was the future world 600 years later, it was still a cold winter. Sometimes he forgot to close the window at night, and he would sneeze from the cold.

At that time, entering the dream from a cold environment often gave him the feeling of experiencing both ice and fire.

But now, the temperature in reality and the dream world was balanced, both were equally hot.

Even though the real world had changed from winter to summer, the dream world was still repeating that infinitely looping day.

It was truly an endless August.

An August that would never pass.

"Okay."

*Pa!*

Lin Xian pressed the last Enter key, breathed a sigh of relief, and looked at the results of his efforts over the past two months on the laptop—

A full 130,000 lines of code.

He copied it out!

He thought it was a huge project that was impossible to complete... but it was true that nothing is impossible to a willing mind, and he actually did it!

The code editing interface in front of him, the cursor was still flashing.

The current program was incomplete.

There were still the last 10 lines of code left before the super artificial intelligence VV could be launched in 2023.

This was the margin Lin Xian left for the time-space change.

According to previous experience, the time-space change required a fixed anchor point; so far, this anchor point was not enough to be irreversible, so it would not naturally trigger a time-space change.

"Now that VV's code has been copied, it's time to proceed to the next plan."

"Starting tomorrow, I'll start copying the information on cold fusion technology."

Lin Xian had also asked VV before.

Compared to these 130,000 lines of code, the cold fusion technology information was much easier to memorize.

"Lin Xian, even if you copy the cold fusion technology information back, the technological level of 2023 will not be able to fully realize it. Although the theory can be understood and verified by experiments, it will take at least 100 years for other basic industries and materials science to develop to the point where they can build a mature cold fusion engine like the Rhine Sky City."

That's what VV said.

But Lin Xian didn't care.

He told VV that he only needed theoretical information, and the most important thing was to have a simulation experiment that could verify the feasibility of the theory under the technological level of 2023:

"I don't care when the cold fusion engine can be built, I just need to let the president of the Dragon Country Academy of Sciences at that time recognize that this theory is correct. So the cold fusion information you summarize for me doesn't need to be too advanced or too complete, the key is to make others believe that the information I copied is correct."

...

VV was indeed the smartest artificial intelligence in human history. As long as the questions were asked accurately enough, he could give correct and detailed answers.

Cold fusion technology in the Rhine Sky City 600 years later was so mature that it couldn't be more mature. Even in the past 200 years, it had been optimized and simplified a lot, and the theory had been perfected to the extreme.

According to Lin Xian's original understanding, in these 200 years, people were still limited by nuclear fusion technology and had not developed more advanced ways of obtaining energy, which in fact was a kind of standing still.

In short.

In this world of Rhine Sky City, although technology had taken off to a certain extent compared to the Second Dream, it was still limited and artificially controlled.

More than ten days passed.

Lin Xian had also finished copying all the related manuscripts of cold fusion technology and controlled nuclear fusion technology.

The moment he wrote the last period on the manuscript...

Lin Xian felt a sense of loss.

He knew.

This time.

It was really irreversible.

When he gave this manuscript to President Gao Yan of the Dragon Country Academy of Sciences, the wings of the time-space butterfly would once again set off a hurricane that would change the future; the Third Dream

Rhine Sky City, VV, Zhao Yingjun's white jade statue, that projection corridor, that blue Bentley Continental, that bouquet of fake flowers spanning 600 years...

Blow it away...

Mess it up...

Blow it beyond recognition.

A new, unknown, and unfamiliar Fourth Dream will arrive unstoppably when an irreversible time-space anchor point is formed.

Evening.

9:00 PM.

Lin Xian bound and packed all the manuscripts and put them in a file bag.

It was time to sleep.

Chu Shanhe had already made an appointment with Dean Gao Yan of the Dragon Academy of Sciences for a meeting, which was tomorrow night.

The two of them would leave from Pudong Airport tomorrow morning and head to the Imperial Capital.

So...

Tonight.

Was the last time he and VV would meet.

...

"VV."

Lin Xian sat cross-legged on Zhao Yingjun's statue platform, looking up at the lonely white jade statue, and touching the top of the garbage can robot next to him:

"How many years have you been picking up garbage here?"

"Me?"

The garbage can robot pointed to the can body with its mechanical gripper:

"I've only been here for an hour. It was after you shouted out VV's voice and said the password correctly that I activated into this garbage can robot."

"Although I am talking to you using this garbage can robot now, the two of us are actually two completely different things. I am the central brain of Rhine Sky City, the super artificial intelligence VV; and it is the first miniature garbage disposal robot VV personally manufactured by Ms. Zhao Yingjun; although the name is also VV, it is actually unrelated."

"It was it that accompanied Ms. Zhao Yingjun in her later years, it was it that played the game of picking up paper balls with Ms. Zhao Yingjun, and it was it that accompanied her in the car. And I have been operating Rhine Sky City and self-evolving for these 200 years... so I can't answer your question."

"But this garbage can robot can't answer your question either. It's just a simple program to the extreme. It doesn't think, it doesn't learn, and it doesn't understand flexibility. It only picks up garbage according to a set program... once I leave it, it will become that retarded robot that locks your ankles again."

"Okay."

Lin Xian said casually.

In his heart, he had never really distinguished between these two VVs.

But thinking about it carefully, that was indeed right.

The garbage can robot VV was the junk that accompanied Zhao Yingjun in her later years and guarded the statue for 200 years after her death.

The super artificial intelligence VV was the most dazzling pearl in human history and Zhao Yingjun's weapon for turning defeat into victory.

Although its name was also given by Zhao Yingjun, this VV did not accompany Zhao Yingjun for even a day. It only had respect and admiration for Zhao Yingjun.

If possible...

Lin Xian actually wanted to say a few words to the VV that had accompanied and guarded Zhao Yingjun for 200 years.

But that was impossible.

That was a retarded robot.

It would only shout "Garbage! Garbage! Found garbage!" and then run over at the speed of light to lock his ankles.

"Anyway."

Lin Xian turned his head and looked at the garbage can robot:

"Tonight is the last time we will meet. I don't know if you can understand what this sentence means."

"Of course I understand."

The garbage can robot's eyes flickered with green light:

"From the things you just told me, I have analyzed that the effect of the time-space butterfly effect will cause the time-space and the future to change dramatically, and everything in this world will cease to exist... starting from that one 600 years ago, changing the direction of development, everything will start again."

"This is indeed a very magical feeling. It's clear that today is our first time meeting, but for you, this has already been dozens, hundreds of times, right?"

"There aren't that many times."

Lin Xian lowered his head and smiled:

"Only dozens of times, at most 60 meetings in two months, only two months..."

Yes.

Only two months.

Compared to the long river of 200 years, how insignificant it was.

Lin Xian stood up and looked down at the garbage can robot:

"VV, after I enter the last 10 lines of code and run it in 2023, you shouldn't remember me, right?"

"Of course not, the 130,000 lines of code I gave you don't contain any memory data."

The garbage can robot said:

"This is also what you initially requested. I think this is the best solution. Memory is pure data, and the amount of code to memorize can be said to be astronomical... it's like asking you to write a lifelong diary, it's too long, too long."

"Not to mention a lifetime, even a day's diary, what you see and hear, turned into stored data, you can't finish memorizing it in a year."

Lin Xian didn't speak.

Remembering every night he had argued with VV, been lectured by VV, and studied hard late at night, Lin Xian was indeed a little reluctant.

He had also complained to VV, saying, you didn't include the elements of a drama queen in the 130,000 lines of code you gave me, did you? If you did, quickly delete all the parts that are playing with memes and being a drama queen! Don't take up my precious brain capacity!

But now, Lin Xian suddenly felt that... if he had known that he could memorize it in two months, he should have asked VV not to streamline the code so much. It would have been great if he had left some memory data and some happy memes.

Looking back.

Every dream change was sudden and unexpected. Everything came very suddenly. There was no need to face farewell, and there was no time to face farewell.

But today was different.

This was the first time he had taken the initiative to say this eternal goodbye to a friend in the dream.

Goodbye forever.

Never to meet again in this life.

"Lin Xian?"

Seeing that Lin Xian didn't say anything, the garbage can robot turned its tracks, came to the front of Lin Xian, and raised its head high, looking at the lowered head of Lin Xian:

"Could it be... are you sad?"

Lin Xian nodded and answered honestly:

"A little bit."

The garbage can robot swayed its body left and right, its eyes flickering:

"Sad... this seems to be a human emotion that I, an artificial intelligence, can never understand."

"I can learn many things and become extremely smart, but I can never experience this feeling of sadness that you humans have. I have thought about it for a long time. The reason why I can't feel sadness... is because I can't feel real death, and I don't understand the farewell of never seeing each other again, so I don't understand sadness, right?"

It tilted its head and looked at Lin Xian:

"Lin Xian, what exactly is sadness? Why be sad?"

"In this universe, stars explode and galaxies are annihilated every moment. Birth, old age, sickness, and death are essential parts of life. Everyone and everything is constantly experiencing farewell... It's clear that this is the law of development of all things. Why do humans still regret and feel sad for things that they are bound to lose and cannot recover? This is meaningless."

Lin Xian lowered his head and smiled:

"It's not as complicated as you said, you're even analyzing it. Sadness is only because we'll never see each other again in this life, that's all."

He turned sideways and touched the top of the garbage can robot:

"I'm not just missing you, I really like you as a friend, and I'm also very reluctant to part with you. But what I'm even more reluctant to part with... is her."

Lin Xian looked at his watch.

12:40 AM

Tonight's time was so fast.

This dream only had the last 2 minutes left.

He turned around.

Looking at the dozens of meters high Zhao Yingjun statue in front of him:

"I

Often wonder, what is the farthest distance in this world?"

"Li Qiqi said that the farthest distance is the height of a meteor. After she dies, she will turn into a meteor and cross Liu Feng's sky. The 1,000-kilometer atmospheric height is the distance between her and Liu Feng, and it will not become farther."

"In Zheng Xiangyue's opinion, the farthest distance in this world is the distance between the Earth and the Moon, 380,000 kilometers, which is a road that you can't walk to the end, even if you look forward to it until your eyes are sore. It's the distance between her and her dead brother, 380,000 kilometers... the distance of burying the ashes of relatives on the Moon."

"And now I suddenly feel that the farthest distance in this world is the 600 years of time that have been forgotten by history but are still remembered by a woman in her heart."

"The speed of light is 300,000 kilometers per second. The distance that light travels in a year is 9.46 trillion kilometers. I can remember these numbers. But, the distance of 600 years... the length of 600 light years, how much is it, I can't calculate it."

"However, any distance that can be calculated and described is not really far away."

Lin Xian sighed lightly, then raised his head a little higher, staring at Zhao Yingjun's white jade face higher up:

"The truly farthest distance in this world, in the universe..."

"Is the distance of never meeting again in this life."

Suddenly!

The entire Rhine Sky City flickered!

At the same time, the city that had been suspended and stable for 200 years suddenly began to tremble.

Like breathing,

Like a heartbeat,

Like a pulse!

The lights of the entire city became dim, undulating, and sad.

The roaring 6,000+ nuclear fusion engines even made a cry-like wail!

The violent vibration almost made Lin Xian unable to stand still.

He was very surprised and turned his head to look at VV, who was the control center of the Sky City next to him.

He only saw...

This super artificial intelligence, who has always liked to play with memes, be a drama queen, and be hippie-smiling, actually lowered his head silently at this moment.

That dim flickering green light, at this moment, was like tears flowing down:

"Life is like stars that never meet. How sad it is, sharing this candlelight tonight."

Lin Xian widened his eyes...

VV's voice changed!

This flat mechanical sound was not the voice of the super artificial intelligence VV!

This was the most original voice of this garbage can robot!

Without emotion...

But full of emotion.

What was going on?

In confusion, the garbage can robot slowly raised its head and looked at Lin Xian:

"Ms. Zhao Yingjun told me this story... the two stars of Shen and Shang, one rises in the east and the other sets in the west. They can never appear in the same night sky. This is the farthest distance... Life is like stars that never meet."

Lin Xian froze in place.

Looking at the bragging garbage can robot.

Who exactly was this?

Which VV was this?

It was neither the old, foolish, and retarded garbage can nor the playful and meme-playing super artificial intelligence!

Did these two VVs merge into one at this moment!?

Or was it...

*Ka-cha!*

The garbage can robot's tracks moved forward, extending its mechanical gripper and tightly locking Lin Xian's ankles.

It raised its head and looked into Lin Xian's eyes:

"If you can really see Ms. Zhao Yingjun again, please say hello to her for me—"

"VV... has always missed her very much."

*Boom!!!!!!*

*Boom!!!!!!*

*Boom!!!!!!*

The scorching white light arrived as scheduled, burning everything in the world.

...

...

...

In a corner of the bedroom, Lin Xian opened his eyes.

He turned his head to look at the electronic clock next to him.

August 29, 2023

12:42 AM