Genius Club-Chapter 1194 - 45 Hello, I am Galileo_3

"The first key time point is..."

Tap-tap-tap-tap.

The sound of chalk scratching the blackboard echoed as Lin Xian wrote down the first time point on the board:

[1952. Something significant must have happened this year, not only involving Einstein, the Millennium Stakes, and the World-Ending White Light, but also concealing numerous secrets and truths.]

"This is the first one."

Lin Xian pointed at the number 1952 and turned to look at Liu Feng:

"Zhang Yuqian’s diary password is 1952, and she dreamt about this year;"

"The painting in the corner, ’The Sorrowful Einstein,’ was created in 1952;"

"One of the Millennium Stakes turned into blue stardust and faded on this date—1952;"

"The first person to reference the concept of 42 in science fiction was Douglas Adams, author of ’The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,’ and he was born in 1952;"

"What an uncanny year, where almost every event’s origin points to 1952, even linking the universal constant, 42, to this very year."

""The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy" and Douglas Adams’ connection—I just thought of it, so you see, a new discovery…"

"Perhaps the universal constant 42 is also tied to this mysterious year, 1952!"

Straight-backed, sitting attentively in the chair.

Like a diligent elementary school student, Liu Feng listened seriously, his face grave, as if facing a great enemy:

"So... don’t you see the key point, Lin Xian?"

"The key point?"

Lin Xian froze, looking eagerly at Liu Feng:

"Liu Feng, did you spot a blind spot?"

"Exactly."

Liu Feng looked up, meeting Lin Xian’s gaze, enunciating carefully and solemnly:

"The pattern of the Millennium Stakes—dissipating once every 24 years—this is also an [arithmetic sequence]!"

"..."

"..."

Lin Xian stared at the resolute Liu Feng.

Feeling speechless:

"So... arithmetic sequence—is that the truth of the universe?"

Lin Xian quipped sarcastically:

"Arithmetic sequence, is it more important than the universal constant? Liu Feng, I’ve always considered you a serious mathematician... why are you becoming more like a comedian?"

"Come on, man! In this world, some can calculate the universal constant with just a pencil and paper; some can develop time shuttle machines without using space-time particles at all... Can we stop fixating on this middle-school math concept of arithmetic sequences?"

"Now, moving on to the second key time point…"

Lin Xian turned back and continued tapping the chalk on the board——

[2234. A comet originating from an external space-time impacts Earth, bringing with it an isotope that shouldn’t exist—Astatine-339.]

"This is old news, no need for further explanation; Astatine-339 is an essential material for calibrating the time shuttle machine modules. Without it, time travel is impossible under any circumstances."

"This means that whether we plan to consume the entangled state of space-time particles or personally travel back to a certain time point—like 1952 to gather intelligence and witness history—we cannot bypass Astatine-339, and will definitely not achieve time travel before the year 2234."

Liu Feng nodded.

Crossing his arms:

"So the time points of 1952 and 2234 are actually bonded together."

"Without the comet’s arrival in 2234, we can’t travel back to 1952, and without traveling back to 1952, it seems there’s no other way to uncover those buried secrets and truths."

"Exactly."

Lin Xian turned again to the blackboard and wrote down the third key time point——

[2482. The birth of Cheng Qian, genius creator of the supercomputer, is pivotal in erasing future viruses from the internet and liberating the VV artificial intelligence.]

"This is another despairing time point."

Lin Xian rubbed the chalk between his fingers:

"If VV could be revived and given enough time to develop… many problems would cease to be issues, and many challenges would no longer be insurmountable."

"But 2482—such a distant future! No wonder that future virus is so formidable, capable of killing VV. The higher the stakes, the greater the obstacles; only future technology can counteract future technology."

"Thus, the same principle applies—only the person who tied the knot can untie it. Without Cheng Qian, VV cannot be saved. To find Cheng Qian, we must locate him in 2482 to get him to develop antivirus software."

Tap.

Lin Xian threw the piece of chalk toward the lectern, hitting the chalk holder dead center.

Liu Feng shook his head:

"It seems like, as of now, all paths to solving these issues are blocked."

"Indeed."

Lin Xian felt despondent as well.

Blocked.

All paths were completely blocked.

Let alone finishing copying the engineering schematics for the time shuttle machine; even if the blueprints were completed and handed to Liu Feng, they’d be useless.

There were still 53 years remaining until humanity identified the comet’s trajectory, and 221 years until the comet reached Earth; before this, any effort concerning time travel would be futile.

As for...

Hoping that Cheng Qian, the expert, would enter a hibernation pod and awaken in 2624 to wait for them—it was purely wishful thinking.

Cheng Qian’s origins were completely unknown.

If he was far away from Donghai City, even if he lived until 2624, with dream durations limited to just 12 hours at most, Lin Xian wouldn’t be able to traverse great distances to find him.

"So our only hope lies with Du Yao."

Lin Xian declared:

"Once Du Yao successfully develops the [Neural Electrocution Helmet], the resulting worldline shifts may reveal some breakthroughs."

Liu Feng glanced at the Space-Time Clock on the central laboratory table:

"Ever since July 1, when the readings on this clock started behaving like a frenzied dance, it has remained completely still for the past three months."

"Sometimes worldline shifts occur easily; other times, they’re far more difficult. The key lies in finding the right leverage point to break through the space-time elasticity."

He stood up.

Walked to the laboratory window and forcefully pulled open the curtains.

Dazzling sunlight streamed in.

Liu Feng squinted as he gazed at the blazing sun high in the sky:

"When will the next worldline shift—the trajectory of the future—occur?"

...

Meanwhile.

At the junction of two provinces, deep in the Wuyi Mountains.

Surrounded by lush green waters and towering hills, the scenery was breathtaking.

"Kids, stop running outside and come back to read your books."

A kind-hearted elderly woman called to the children frolicking in the fields.

This was a school nestled in the mountains, which sheltered left-behind children from impoverished nearby villages.

Occasionally, volunteer university students would come here to teach.

But most of the time, it was just the old woman alone.

One by one, the children raced back to the classroom, and a little girl ran over, cradling a large bundle of freshly picked leaves:

"Grandma, look! We picked tea leaves!"

The elderly woman smiled faintly and patted the girl’s head:

"At this time of year… these tea leaves are already too old. To truly make tea, you should be harvesting them in April or May."

"Ah?"

The little girl looked disappointed:

"So these tea leaves are useless?"

"Hmm..."

The old woman thought for a moment:

"You could weave them into a floral wreath, or place them in a bottle as decoration. Although you can’t brew tea with them… the fragrance of Zhengshan Xiaozhong tea leaves is delightful no matter how many years you smell it."

Soon, the children filed into the classroom, and the elderly woman turned around, ready to head back.

Suddenly.

Behind her, a foreign gentleman emerged, leaning on a cane and dressed in black formal attire reminiscent of a 20th-century aristocratic noble.

His hair was snow-white yet meticulously groomed, particularly the glossy locks under the brim of his hat, clearly styled with care.

His skin was porcelain white, and his nose sharply defined; in his youth, he must have been a dashing man.

But alas.

Time shows no mercy.

The traces of years carved deeply into his face like a blade, etching countless wrinkles.

The elderly woman looked up, blinking her eyes:

"Who might you be?"

Before her...

The old gentleman smiled faintly, removed his hat deliberately, bowed slightly to the woman, and said in perfect English:

"Hello, Miss Da Vinci, I am… Galileo."