Genius Club-Chapter 249 - 67: The Trump Card

Lin Xian didn’t say much.

He naturally knew the answer to the riddle.

The song that he and his classmates would always sing when they went to KTV during high school...

As a movie enthusiast, how could he not have seen the masterpiece "20th Century Boys"...

Of course, he knew the answer to the question.

It’s just that.

He didn’t want to hit the buzzer and say the word, that’s all.

Especially tonight, this special moment in time, when the cat and mouse were about to unmask and face off directly.

"Ah, so Ji Lin won in the end!"

Chu Anqing added another point for Ji Lin on the scoreboard, where Ji Lin’s score was the highest, one point more than Lin Xian’s. Then, the two of them took a substantial lead over everyone else and finished the guessing game.

After these games, not only was the mood lifted, but everyone also became more familiar with each other, and Gao Yang had his wish fulfilled, mingling with the college girls.

He even impulsively opened a bottle of red wine from the villa’s collection!

The bottle of red wine looked very classy and aged; it must’ve been quite valuable.

But Ji Lin surely didn’t mind, as long as everyone was happy.

Gao Yang, while savoring top-grade red wine, talked at length with the college girls about Freud and the subconscious.

Lin Xian felt that during the New Year, Gao Yang really should kowtow to Psychologist Doctor Liu. Doctor Liu could never have imagined that a single post on her friend’s circle would allow Gao Yang to thrive so well among the college girls.

He glanced at the clock hanging on the wall.

It was already 10 p.m., but since the atmosphere was great and everyone was enjoying themselves, there was no sign of the party winding down.

Lin Xian sat on the sofa drinking juice, wondering whether Ji Lin would make a move on him tonight...

Based on his previous analysis with Chu Shanhe.

Tonight at 00:42, it was the optimal time for Ji Lin and his group to strike.

After all, he had been extremely cautious lately, never going out at midnight, and according to their usual method of killing, there was absolutely no chance.

And to get him to go out in the middle of the night, there had to be a reasonable excuse, right?

Right now, Ji Lin’s birthday party was their only opportunity; if they missed this chance, waiting for the next time to lure him out in the middle of the night... that would be far too difficult.

There was another point.

Chu Shanhe’s investigation also revealed that Ji Xinshui had entered the country a few days ago.

His timing of coming back at this particular point, whether or not it was related to Ji Lin’s plan.

Lin Xian was sure it was.

Based on the clues he currently held, there was no doubt in concluding that Ji Lin, Ji Xinshui, and Zhou Duanyun were birds of a feather.

It’s just a pity...

They couldn’t find Zhou Duanyun’s entry information now.

If they wanted to arrest Zhou Duanyun in the future, they would have to think of other methods.

But for now, the most pressing problem was...

An Qing and her classmates wouldn’t possibly stay here past 11 o’clock at the latest. Chu Shanhe had made clear about the curfew issue, so now they were just a little bit late because they were carried away with the fun, but they would have to take the driver’s car back to school in less than half an hour.

Then, there would only be himself, Gao Yang, and Ji Lin left in the room.

Given Gao Yang’s character.

After eating his fill,

Drinking all the red wine,

And seeing that his beloved college girls had left,

There would be no reason for him to stay at Ji Lin’s villa anymore, and he would surely want to leave, taking Lin Xian with him.

At that time, the problem would arise.

Lin Xian put down the juice in his hand, leaned back on the soft sofa...

It was the same issue he and Chu Shanhe couldn’t figure out back then—

[How exactly will Ji Lin manage to keep me here until 00:42?]

What would he do?

What other cards does he have?

Lin Xian couldn’t figure it out.

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This was the most worrying and concerning point in all his plans for tonight...

He took everything else into account.

But the one thing he couldn’t guess was how Ji Lin planned to keep him here so late.

So.

There was no other way.

He would have to adapt as the situation unfolded.

...

The time reached 10:40 p.m.

An Qing and her classmates were ready to head back to school.

Chu Shanhe’s driver started the minivan, waiting at the doorstep of the villa, ready to take them back to their school dormitories.

"Well then, Senior Lin Xian, Ji Lin, Senior Gao Yang, we’re heading back to school," said An Qing at the door, waving goodbye to the three young men.

Ji Lin nodded his head and stepped forward:

"I’m really glad you could come to my birthday party, I had a lot of fun today."

"Hehe, we should be the ones thanking you for the hospitality!"

Chu Anqing smiled as she looked at Ji Lin:

"Next year, we’ll celebrate our birthdays together again! Next year’s birthday... maybe Lin Xian and I can give you a more meaningful present! Cough cough... Actually, we planned to give it to you this year, but we didn’t manage to prepare it in time."

"Is that so."

Ji Lin smiled:

"That’s a real shame. I was quite looking forward to what you two would have gotten me."

"It’s not a pity, it’s not a pity, there’s always next year!"

Happy-go-lucky Chu Anqing didn’t mind at all.

In her view, next year was just a short year away.

365 days.

Second year of college.

The three of us each a year older.

Nothing would change, everything would still be there.

Ji Lin waved his hand:

"Goodbye."

...

After watching Chu Anqing and her group leave in the business van, Lin Xian, Ji Lin, and Gao Yang went back inside the house to sit for a while.

After the girls left, the topics of the three men’s casual conversation became more realistic and fragmented.

Gao Yang’s main purpose was to finish that bottle of expensive red wine.

As the level of wine in the bottle dropped little by little... Lin Xian too felt moment by moment the approach of the decisive moment.

Finally.

Gao Yang drained the last glass of wine and let out a satisfied belch:

"Ah, that’s the stuff! Today was a day well eaten, well drunk, and well played! Glad to have met you, Ji Lin, definitely count me in for the next party! Lin Xian and I will come together!"

"No problem."

Ji Lin smiled as he looked at the two:

"I’m also very glad to have met you guys. This has been the happiest evening I’ve had in many years."

"So, Lin Xian, shall we take off as well?"

Gao Yang, rubbing his stomach, looked at Lin Xian beside him:

"It’s getting late. Let’s not keep Ji Lin from resting any longer; his dark circles are already pretty bad."

Lin Xian nodded:

"Indeed, it’s almost 12 a.m., let’s head back."

With that, the two stood up, picked up their coats from the rack, and made their way to the door.

"Bye, Ji Lin."

Gao Yang waved to Ji Lin:

"We won’t help you tidy up, haha."

"It’s fine, the housekeeper’s here," Ji Lin replied softly, then followed them out to the yard.

Gao Yang, patting his belly and humming a tune, was in the lead and already out of the courtyard gate.

Lin Xian walked behind, not as fast as Gao Yang, only just descending the steps.

And Ji Lin stood behind them, standing by the door of the house.

Lin Xian was puzzled.

Could it be...

He had guessed wrong?

Their murder plan was not for today?

"Lin Xian."

Just as Lin Xian was wrestling with his doubts, Ji Lin behind him suddenly called out to Lin Xian.

Lin Xian turned his head to look at the slender and fair youth under the moonlight:

"What is it?"

Ji Lin looked up at the moon, fell silent for a while, and then slowly said:

"Actually, there’s something I’ve been wanting to ask you."

"What’s that?"

"Over the years, I’ve been investigating the death of my parents. Now that the murderer of the 00:42 serial killings has been caught, we still haven’t found any information on the shooter of my parents."

"So, I often wonder, who killed my parents? If it isn’t the group of lunatics driving cabs and running people over... then who could it be? What reasons would they have for killing mathematicians like my parents?"

"I’ve investigated for so many years, almost without a single useful clue, and it frustrates me."

Ji Lin’s gaze moved from the moon to look directly at Lin Xian in front of him:

"It’s not that I haven’t found a single clue at all, in fact, I did find a little something. You’re very smart, you solved the 00:42 serial killings and you caught the murderer. So, I want to hear your opinion."

"What did you find?" Lin Xian asked, turning his head.

"I only found a name."

Ji Lin narrowed his eyes, staring into Lin Xian’s pupils:

"Lin Xian, have you ever heard of... "

"The Genius Club?"