Genius Club

“Mask?” Lin Xian asked, his brows furrowing in confusion.

“Why do we need masks if we’re on the same team?” he questioned further. “Is it really necessary, Brother Face?”

“Yes and no,” Big Cat Face replied with a shrug. “Masks aren’t really for safety. They’re more about tradition.”

Big Cat Face flicked his cigarette to the ground and stamped it out. “Around here, everyone wears cartoon masks. It’s like an unwritten rule. You see someone with a cartoon mask, you know they’re here for business, not trouble. It helps avoid any panic or confusion.”

“When we see someone else wearing a cartoon mask, we just nod and keep moving. No one bothers anyone else. We respect each other’s space, whether we know them or not.”

“When in Rome…” Lin Xian murmured, following Big Cat Face into another warehouse.

As night enveloped the sky, the lights of New Donghai City twinkled in the distance.

Click.

Big Cat Face flipped the warehouse light switch, illuminating piles of children’s toys.

“What mask do you wear?” Lin Xian asked curiously.

In his first dream, Big Cat Face had worn a Rhine Cat mask. But what about now, 600 years later? Was the Rhine Cat still popular?

“I wear this one.” Big Cat Face lifted a robot mask off the ground. It looked similar to a Gundam, though it was a different series.

“My son loves this robot-fighting show.”

“I see,” Lin Xian noted, appreciating the personal connection in Big Cat Face’s choice.

As Lin Xian sifted through the toy pile, his eyes caught on a cat mask.

“Rhine Cat.”

Seeing his own design, the Rhine Cat, in this strange new dream, filled him with a sense of deep nostalgia.

He cleaned the dust off the mask and polished it until the playful face of the Rhine Cat stared back at him.

A smile lit up his face, thrilled to find his creation so far from home. “Are Rhine Cat toys still popular now?”

“They sure are!” Big Cat Face chuckled, scratching his armpit. “The Rhine Cat is one of the few toys that has remained popular in both new and old Donghai. It’s famous worldwide. My daughter was crazy about it when she was little. I used to pick these toys out of the junkyard and clean them up for her.”

Lin Xian couldn’t put the Rhine Cat mask down, each detail reminding him of his craftsmanship. He made up his mind. “I’ll wear this one tonight.”

“Hey, aren’t you a bit old for that?” Big Cat Face scoffed. “A grown man in a Rhine Cat mask? It’s almost laughable! People will think I’ve taken in a foolish child. No serious man would wear such a childish mask!”

“No, it’s perfect,” Lin Xian countered firmly. “If this cat has been popular for 600 years and is still a hit in New Donghai, then it’s a powerful brand. Never underestimate the impact of a globally recognized icon.”

“It is well-designed and cute, I’ll give you that,” Big Cat Face conceded.

Lin Xian donned the mask, followed Big Cat Face out of the warehouse, and eyed his large silhouette.

“Face, you wouldn’t guess who designed this cat.”

“How could I not know?” Big Cat Face turned around, his expression confident. “Everyone on Earth knows it’s the mascot of MX Company.”

Lin Xian was taken aback. He removed the mask and stared at Big Cat Face.

In his first dream, despite its advanced technology and lifestyle, no one knew the true origins of the Rhine Cat, its creator, or the history of MX Company. Lin Xian had scoured various records and online sources but found nothing about the founder of Rhine Cat, himself, or MX Company. There were many theories, but none were definitive.

He had been frustrated then. But he had come to accept that a 600-year historical gap was too vast. It was normal for him and MX Company to be forgotten, buried under the sands of time.

But now, hearing MX Company mentioned by Big Cat Face, and knowing Rhine Cat was their mascot, meant in the second dream, the history and fate of MX Company had also undergone time-space changes.

Lin Xian speculated that after securing Professor Xu Yun’s exclusive authorization, the Rhine brand’s immense success had catapulted MX Company into becoming a global cosmetics giant.

Rhine cosmetics could have been wildly popular worldwide for centuries, making Rhine Cat famous for hundreds of years. Even now, girls around the world might still be using Rhine cosmetics, and MX Company might still be thriving!

“Face, is MX Company still around? It hasn’t gone bankrupt, right?” Lin Xian asked, eager for confirmation.

“Are you kidding me, kid?” Big Cat Face looked at him as if he were naive. “MX Company going bankrupt? The world could end, and it might still survive.”

“That company must be over 600 years old, right?”

“Probably. I’m not entirely sure,” Big Cat Face admitted, scratching his nose. “But it’s definitely one of the world’s top companies.”

“Is MX Company still making cosmetics?” Lin Xian pressed on.

“You’re joking, right?” Big Cat Face laughed.

“They’re a global powerhouse. New Donghai City was built by MX Company. Why would they still be making just cosmetics?”

Lin Xian stopped in his tracks, a chill running down his spine.

“What did you say?” He stared at Big Cat Face. “You said this steel and sci-fi city, New Donghai, was built by MX Company?”

“Yeah, isn’t that common knowledge?” Big Cat Face pointed to the colorful, neon-lit New Donghai City in the distance. “See that tallest building in the middle, the twin towers? Look at the letters on it.”

Lin Xian followed his gaze.

At the heart of New Donghai City stood a pair of twin towers, soaring above the other structures. They stretched high into the clouds, their tops obscured.

But halfway up the twin towers, two enormous black-and-white glowing logos were visible – two letters: MX

Lin Xian squinted.

Those letters were all too familiar. He saw them daily at work – on the building’s roof, the reception’s backdrop, the elevator stickers, the office stationery, and even on his ID badge.

Last time, he couldn’t see these letters from Big Cat Face’s rooftop due to the obstructing buildings. But now, from here, he could clearly see the giant white letters glowing against the night sky.

MX

No doubt about it.

The most central, majestic, and imposing twin tower in New Donghai City was the headquarters of MX Company.

To be precise, it was MX Company’s headquarters 600 years later.

It was colossal.

Magnificent.

Dignified.

The twin towers seemed like a giant anchor, stabilizing the massive city.

In 600 years…

What changes could have transformed a modest domestic cosmetics company into a global supergiant capable of building a futuristic city?

What was the history?

How did it get to this point?

Who now controlled Zhao Ying Jun’s once sole proprietorship, the company she built from scratch?

Suddenly, Lin Xian’s eyes widened.

He thought of a terrifying possibility…

The world now, in 2023, was vastly different.

With the advent of hibernation technology in 2023, humanity had entered an era of rapid technological advancement. No one could predict the future of technology or how the world would change.

Professor Xu Yun had optimistically estimated that within a few years, they could develop a hibernation pod reducing life activity efficiency by 90%.

But human potential is limitless.

Who could say for sure?

If the hibernation pod was developed soon, as per the most optimistic estimates…

The more Lin Xian thought about it, the more terrified he became, feeling increasingly cold.

He looked up…

At the moon split by a giant black hand’s shadow,

At the black right hand pointing skyward,

At Big Cat Face’s father, who died under a truck in the first dream,

At Xu Yun’s corpse split in the snow at 00:42 on New Year’s Day,

At Zhao Ying Jun’s Genius Club invitation,

At the mouse that successfully hibernated for 40 hours and woke up in Xu Yun’s lab…

“Face.”

Lin Xian’s voice was low, staring at Big Cat Face.

“Who is the current president of MX Company?”

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