Genius Club

This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation

At that moment, Lin Xian understood.

The key to Reverse Forced Evasion wasn’t just evasion itself. It was the “Reverse” part that mattered most. The reverse aspect was the real core of everything.

Here, in 1952, there were no locked historical events or time anomalies. According to Yellow Finch’s explanation, forced evasion couldn’t happen in this era, and that made sense to Lin Xian.

The laws of time are strict. If something is supposed to be there, it is; if it’s not, it isn’t. But with Reverse Forced Evasion, there were more factors at play. Before, Lin Xian had been cautious, unwilling to try it or think too deeply about it. But now, as he considered it, he realized the source of Reverse Forced Evasion’s power came from the entangled spacetime particles and his need to return to his original timeline. This meant that Reverse Forced Evasion was an independent rule, separate from whether history was locked or if there were anomalies in this time period.

His entangled state existed in the future—in 2234—and that was the key to triggering Reverse Forced Evasion.

That’s why, when the man in black with the hooked nose had aimed his gun at him earlier, the evasion had activated, causing the man to lose his strength and collapse. The sensation of being out of control was all too familiar to Lin Xian.

After all, he was probably the person who had experienced Reverse Forced Evasion the most. Every time-traveling assassin, using those same entangled particles, had targeted him. He’d been powerless, helpless, and humiliated for so long. But now, this seemingly invincible cheat finally worked in his favor.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Lin Xian, stop daydreaming. Look… that guy’s getting up,” CC’s panicked voice brought him back to reality. Despite her worry, she wasn’t strong enough to pull Lin Xian away; she stood there, watching nervously.

Lin Xian turned his head towards the gangster, who had fallen to the ground earlier. About a minute had passed before the man managed to push himself up, trembling all the while. It was clear he was still weak, barely able to stand. He wiped the blood from his nose with his sleeve, adjusted his sunglasses—relieved that at least he still had those, so he hadn’t lost all his dignity—and then grabbed his revolver and quickly fled.

…

And just like that, the commotion ended.

In no time, people lined up again in front of Nathan’s hot dog stand. The tourists who had run off because of the gun had returned, chatting and laughing like nothing had happened. Their casual attitude amazed Lin Xian.

If this had happened in X Country, nobody would have dared to stay in the amusement park. It would have been shut down for at least ten days for investigation. But here, in the Land of the Free, everyone seemed unfazed.

Next to him, CC, who was born and raised in Brooklyn, let out a sigh of relief. She grabbed Lin Xian’s arm, pulling him back towards the line. “Thank goodness… he’s gone. Come on, let’s hurry up. We were near the front before, and now people are cutting in ahead of us!”

Seeing her eagerness, Lin Xian couldn’t help but laugh. CC really loved hot dogs—so much so she’d put herself in danger for one. He might as well hurry up and get her one.

It took half an hour for their turn to come, with CC standing on her tiptoes, peering around impatiently like a restless rabbit.

“Two hot dogs,” Lin Xian said in English, glancing at the price board. He muttered under his breath. The hot dogs were 5 cents each here, whereas in downtown Brooklyn they were still 3 cents. It was clear the prices were inflated for tourists.

Lin Xian mentally counted his remaining money—$1.10 left.

The amusement park tickets were 50 cents each, which meant that with the original hot dog price of 3 cents, they would still have had enough left for bus fare back to Brooklyn. But now, with these prices, they wouldn’t have enough for the bus.

Still, seeing CC’s eyes sparkle with excitement, even if the hot dogs cost 50 cents each, he’d buy them for her.

He’d figure out the bus ride later. Hopefully, there’d be a stall inside the park with some kind of game where he could win a bit of cash by showing off, or else, they could sleep under a bridge again—there wasn’t much difference between a Brooklyn bridge and one at Coney Island.

He handed over his last 10-cent coin.

The cashier, a freckled young woman, looked at Lin Xian. “Sir, would you like to add a soda to the meal? It’s only 6 cents more.”

“No thanks,” Lin Xian said, licking his dry lips. “I’m not thirsty.”

…

“Delicious!” CC exclaimed, sitting on a bench, her eyes wide with delight after biting into the hot dog. “Lin Xian, this is the best thing I’ve ever eaten!”

“It’s pretty good,” Lin Xian agreed after taking a bite. He wasn’t exaggerating; it was delicious. It made sense why Nathan’s hot dogs were so famous—they had a unique flavor that made them stand out. It was just a hot dog—bread and sausage—yet somehow, it tasted special.

CC slowly savored each bite, nibbling away like a small hamster, fully immersed in enjoying the taste.

Seeing her like that, Lin Xian couldn’t help but laugh. He remembered Gao Yang, back when they were in kindergarten. Lin Xian had bought two sausages with his pocket money, and Gao Yang, who had never had one before, tried to eat his slowly, savoring every bite. Then, he tripped, and the sausage rolled into the gutter.

If it had fallen anywhere else, Gao Yang would have picked it up and continued eating. But it ended up in the sewer. He’d cried until Lin Xian gave him half of his own.

“What’s so funny?” CC noticed Lin Xian watching her, her cheeks turning pink. “Why are you staring? I’m just trying to enjoy it slowly. Don’t make fun of me.”

“I’m not,” Lin Xian said, waving his hand. “I was the same way when I was a kid.”

“Hah, when you were a kid?” CC chuckled. “You don’t look that old now. How old are you anyway?”

“I…” Lin Xian paused, calculating. What age should he say? He was born in 1999, and now it was 1952. If he went by the timeline, he’d be negative 48 years old—not even born yet. But if he considered his time of origin, he was 26.

“I’m 26,” he finally said.

“Oh…” CC murmured, nodding as she continued eating. “Not that much older than me then—basically the same age.”

“Seven years older is the same?” Lin Xian teased.

“Six!” CC corrected him. “I’ll be 20 soon—maybe even within the next month. So, only six years difference!”

She went back to eating her hot dog, more determined than ever to savor it.

Lin Xian watched her, and his heart felt heavy. He knew CC’s fate—the cruel reality of the Millennial Stake meant that on her 20th birthday, she would disappear, her body disintegrating into blue stardust.

She didn’t know. She had no idea that she only had a few days, maybe a couple of weeks left.

Lin Xian was pulled from his thoughts when CC tore her hot dog in half, offering him a piece.

“Here,” she said, smiling like she had the day before when she’d split her bread. “You must still be hungry, right? Have half of mine.”

Lin Xian blinked, surprised. “You’re willing to share even though you were savoring it so much?”

“Of course,” CC shrugged. “You were nice enough to buy it for me. Besides, I may be poor, but I know how to repay kindness.”

Lin Xian pushed the hot dog back to her. “No need—think of this as me repaying you for sharing your bread with me yesterday.”

He got up and pointed towards the amusement park. “I’m going to get tickets. Finish your hot dog, and we’ll go have some fun.”

CC opened her mouth to say something, but Lin Xian cut her off. “We’re at Coney Island—we’re not leaving without having fun. Enjoy your first time at an amusement park.”

He smiled at her. “Have a nice day.”

…

Back at the ticket booth, Lin Xian bought two adult tickets for 50 cents each, using up his last dollar coin. Now he was penniless again, just like when he had first arrived in this era. Except now, he had shoes, a church coat, CC by his side, and a sense that Reverse Forced Evasion was still working. The future looked promising.

Returning to the bench, CC had finished her hot dog and was wiping her hands. “Done already?” Lin Xian asked, amused. “Not savoring it like a little hamster anymore?”

“I knew it—you were going to make fun of me!” CC huffed. “I didn’t make fun of you for wearing that otter skin when you were on the streets, did I?” She paused, then smiled sweetly, her dimples showing. “But seriously, thanks. Now, when I dream about hot dogs, I’ll know what they taste like.”

Lin Xian sighed. “You…” He gently ruffled her curly brown hair.

He wished he had more money—enough to buy Nathan’s Hot Dogs just so CC could eat them until she was sick of them.

“Come on,” he said, holding up their tickets. “We’ve got a lot to do if we want to see everything before the park closes tonight.”

…

“Waaaahhhh!” Two kids screamed as the roller coaster rushed along its tracks. Lin Xian and CC were seated behind them, one with a calm face, the other smiling happily at the rush of wind and speed.

When the ride stopped, the kids tumbled to the ground, and a woman in the back threw up. Lin Xian and CC stepped over the mess, unfazed.

“Didn’t you feel anything?” Lin Xian asked, glancing at CC. “Most people are nervous their first time on a roller coaster.”

“It was thrilling!” CC grinned. “But I wasn’t scared—didn’t even feel dizzy. Maybe I have a talent for being a pilot?”

“A pilot? You’re selling yourself short.” Lin Xian laughed. “You could be an astronaut.”

“An astronaut?” CC blinked, confused. “What’s that?”

“An astronaut is someone who flies even higher than a pilot,” Lin Xian explained. “In about nine years, the first human will travel to outer space.”

CC looked at him, shaking her head with a laugh. “You’re making stuff up again, aren’t you? You might as well say they’ll land on the moon!”

Lin Xian smiled. “Well, eight years after that, some astronauts will actually land on the moon.”

“Oh, stop,” CC scoffed. “If things develop that fast, then maybe one day people like me could take a vacation in space?”

Lin Xian fell silent.

CC turned back, puzzled. “What’s wrong? Was that one too hard to make up? Just give me a random date. It’s all a joke anyway.”

Lin Xian looked at her. “March 28th, 2024,” he said quietly.

CC’s eyes went wide, and she counted on her fingers. “2024? The 21st century? I’d be 92 by then! Why would I want to go to space at 92?” She grinned, shaking her head. “You’re just saying something so far off that I can’t prove you wrong.”

“You’ll see,” Lin Xian said, raising his hands. “Just have a little faith in me. Did you think you’d be at Coney Island today, eating hot dogs?”

“Hmm…” CC thought for a moment. “All right, I’ll believe you.” She smiled at him. “March 28th, 2024… it’s a long way away, but you’re right—it’s good to have dreams. You never know when one might come true.”

She laughed, her eyes twinkling. “Lin Xian, if I ever do make it to space, I’ll never forget you. I’ll make sure to bring back a gift from space just for you, to thank you for today’s hot dog.”