Genius Playground

"In the end, I wasn't the one who carried out the assassination. I was replaced, and the mission was successful."

"The assassination took place on the night of September 16, 2025. I kept an eye on it, since... well, it was supposed to be my mission. I was bound to pay closer attention."

"The target's name!"

Jiang Ran's eyes were fixed on the digital clock as he cut in urgently:

"Hurry! Just give me the target's name!"

"He was a research scholar who had returned from a university abroad. His name was..."

The Assassin turned back, looked Jiang Ran in the eye, and enunciated each word:

"Yan. Chong. Han!"

BUZZ!

BUZZ!

BUZZ!

A wave of dizziness washed over him, and the world began to spin.

Time was up. Jiang Ran was "kicked" back to the year 2025 by the timeline.

He snapped his eyes open and gasped for air!

CLATTER.

The Rhine Cat slipped from his hand and fell to the floor.

But he didn't have time to worry about it. He immediately ended his call with Chi Xiaoguo, his fingers trembling as he fumbled through his contacts.

Yan Chonghan!

'I never imagined that the real assassination target at East Sea University was Teacher Yan!'

'And the time...'

'The night of September 16th.'

'That's today!'

"Come on, pick up..."

Jiang Ran clutched his phone, his hand shaking.

'I have to make it in time.'

'Please, let me be in time.'

Finally!

Teacher Yan answered the phone:

"Hello? Jiang Ran?"

'Thank god!'

Jiang Ran let out a sigh of relief. 'Teacher Yan is still alive.'

"Teacher Yan! Where are you right now!"

"I'm in the lab building."

Yan Chonghan said softly:

"Old Tian just called me. He said he's made a final decision about the Consciousness Upload experiment volunteer and wants to discuss the details with me. We're together right now."

THUD.

It felt like a sledgehammer had slammed into Jiang Ran's chest.

'Old Tian?'

'Old Tian?'

'Old Tian!'

Images of Old Tian flooded his mind: Old Tian hunched over, Old Tian with his simple smile, Old Tian crying, Old Tian laughing, Old Tian grieving...

Scene after scene from the past flashed before his eyes.

Especially yesterday morning.

Old Tian had been in a great mood, but he had said something cryptic:

"If, in the future, my daughter really wakes up from her vegetative state, can you... become good friends with her, and take care of her a bit?"

Awakening.

Regret.

Life.

Atonement.

Regret.

'REGRET! MUTUAL! AID! SOCIETY!'

"Teacher Yan!"

Jiang Ran shouted into the phone:

"Stay in the lab and don't move, I'm on my—"

BEEP.

The call was suddenly disconnected.

"Fuck!"

He clenched his teeth and, throwing all caution to the wind, sprinted toward the lab building like a man possessed!

"Jiang Ran!"

Chi Xiaoguo leaned on the windowsill, watching in confusion as Jiang Ran suddenly rushed into the night:

"Jiang Ran! Where are you going!?"

However, by the time her voice was swallowed by the night, Jiang Ran was already gone.

'Faster!'

He ran frantically.

'I have to be faster!'

'Since Teacher Yan was with Old Tian during the call, Old Tian must have been the one who hung up!'

'Teacher Yan is in danger!'

BOOM—————

A sudden crack of lightning split the sky, illuminating the dark campus.

In that momentary flash of light, Jiang Ran saw him clearly: on the roof of the lab building, Yan Chonghan, dressed in white, was being forced to the very edge, his hands raised in surrender.

"TEACHER YAN!!!!"

Jiang Ran shouted at the top of his lungs.

But with the rolling thunder, a torrential downpour began, falling as if the heavens had opened up and drowning the world in water.

Wiping the rain from his face, Jiang Ran charged into the lab building. He took the stairs two and three at a time, racing to the roof as fast as he could.

BANG!

He kicked open the iron stairwell door and burst onto the rooftop—

"Teacher Yan!!"

The scene before him left him stunned.

Amidst the booming thunder and blinding rain, Yan Chonghan retreated step by step, his hands held high, his heels already at the rooftop's edge.

In front of him, in the center of the rooftop, stood a figure in black, drenched by the deluge. The figure held a gun with both hands, the muzzle aimed directly between Yan Chonghan's eyes.

He knew that familiar silhouette all too well.

BOOM—————

Another bolt of lightning split the sky, its pale light illuminating the sprawling, rain-swept rooftop.

Jiang Ran stared at the face he had dreaded seeing most and slowly stepped out into the rain.

"Old Tian..."