Genius Playground

Without a moment to lose.

Jiang Ran rushed out the door, phone in hand.

Cheng Mengxue and Qin Feng followed right behind. At the school gate, the three of them hailed a taxi and sped toward Hang City Hospital.

On the way, they learned what had happened.

The elevator in Jiang Ran’s parents’ building had broken down and was undergoing maintenance.

So, Jiang Ran’s mother had taken the stairs down, but she’d accidentally fallen. She landed headfirst, was knocked unconscious, and was now in the hospital receiving emergency treatment.

The hospital said her condition was critical. There was massive bleeding in her brain, and she needed an immediate craniotomy.

The three of them arrived in a panic outside the hospital’s ICU...

Relatives and friends were all gathered, their palms sweating with anxiety.

Hours passed, but Jiang Ran’s mother was still not out of danger.

When it was time to sign the critical condition notice, the doctor said that even if they saved her life, she would likely have permanent brain damage. He advised the family to prepare themselves for the worst.

Jiang Ran’s heart pounded like a drum. Cheng Mengxue held his hand, squeezing it tightly.

Qin Feng patted Jiang Ran’s shoulder.

”Let’s go back and use the Time SMS.”

Jiang Ran’s brow furrowed.

”But...”

’They were both sons, and these were their parents. If he saved his mother, then should he also save Qin Feng’s father?’

’Granted, one event was from a few hours ago, while the other was from ten years ago. The potential Butterfly Effect and risks were on completely different scales...’

’But they’re both parents. How could he treat them differently?’

”Don’t worry about my situation.”

Qin Feng urged.

”Save your mother first. We can talk about my wish later. Relax, I know there’s a world of difference in the Butterfly Effect between these two events. You don’t have to worry about that.”

”And don’t feel guilty about it. After the worldline shifts, Xiaoxue and I won’t have any memory of this. You just have to handle it yourself. In the Time SMS, just tell the you from a few hours ago not to mention this to us.”

”That’s impossible.”

Jiang Ran shook his head.

”I could never keep this from you.”

”Jiang Ran...”

With tears in her eyes, Cheng Mengxue squeezed Jiang Ran’s hand.

”Let’s hurry back... We have to save your mom!”

...

After another two-hour, high-speed taxi ride, the three of them were back in the clubroom at East Sea University.

Jiang Ran stood by the transformer’s distribution panel, the message already composed.

This time, the solution was simple.

The elevator had malfunctioned because a buffer at the bottom of the shaft had come loose. It wasn’t a major problem; it just needed to be discovered and repaired in a timely manner.

If it had been discovered and repaired just one day earlier, the elevator would have been operating normally today. Jiang Ran’s mother wouldn’t have needed to take the stairs, and she wouldn’t have fallen.

Therefore, all he had to do was notify property management two days ago to get it fixed in advance.

”The message is ready!”

Jiang Ran shouted toward the window.

Cheng Mengxue, perched on the windowsill, gave an OK sign and then looked over at Qin Feng.

With the Positron Cannon’s new visual control panel, everything became much simpler.

Qin Feng twisted the dials, setting the numbers on the year, month, and hour screens to zero. He then turned the dial for the day screen to 2.

This would send the Time SMS two days into the past.

”I’m set on my end!”

Cheng Mengxue nodded and faced the window.

”Alright, I’ll count down! 5! 4! 3! 2! 1! 0!”

The Positron Cannon roared, and Jiang Ran slammed the send button—

VMMM!

VMMM!

VMMM!

The world spun around him. Gravity disappeared. A wave of sickness washed over him.

Jiang Ran gritted his teeth and held on.

Two seconds later, it was all over.

He opened his eyes.

He discovered... his location had changed. He was no longer outside by the distribution panel, but sitting upright on the clubroom sofa.

He quickly pulled out his phone and dialed his father.

”Hello? Dad! Where’s Mom?”

”Huh? Your mom just got back from grocery shopping. She’s making dinner now.”

Jiang Ran could hear music in the background—his dad was probably watching TV. He breathed a sigh of relief.

”That’s good. You and Mom are getting on in years. If you take the stairs from now on, be careful. It’s easy to slip.”

”Tch! We have an elevator. Who takes the stairs?”

His dad said dismissively,

”Speaking of which, that elevator was actually shut down for repairs a couple of days ago. It’s not going to just fall halfway down, is it?”

”Don’t worry.”

Jiang Ran chuckled.

”For older folks like you, the elevator is much safer than the stairs, even if it has problems. It has so many locking mechanisms, it’s basically impossible for it to fall.”

After a few more pleasantries, he hung up.

Qin Feng and Cheng Mengxue looked over at him.

”Did you just experience a Worldline Jump?”

Jiang Ran nodded.

He didn’t hide anything, telling them how he had used the Time SMS to save his mother.

”So, what were we doing just now?”

He put his phone away and asked them to bring him up to speed. ”What were we just discussing? Where did we leave off?”

”We were talking about Qin Feng’s wish...”

Cheng Mengxue said quietly, cradling the Rhine Cat.

”Qin Feng said he wants to use the Time SMS to bring back his father, who died ten years ago.”

...

’Alright, then.’

’What’s bound to happen will happen.’

’Judging by the atmosphere in the room, they must have been at an impasse over this for a long time.’

”Let’s vote.”

Cheng Mengxue looked up.

”Just like how we’ve solved our problems before. When we disagree, we vote on it. The minority abides by the majority’s decision.”

”I abstain.”

Qin Feng stood up from his chair and walked toward the door.

”I know this is no small matter. Bringing someone back from the dead after ten years, rewriting a decade of history... The Butterfly Effect would be too immense to calculate.”

”But this is my father we’re talking about. I can’t trust my own judgment to be rational enough, so I’m abstaining.”

SNAP.

As he passed the sofa, Jiang Ran grabbed Qin Feng’s wrist:

”Don’t go.”

He didn’t look up.

”We’re a team of three. How are we supposed to vote if you leave? We’ve never been split up when making a decision.”

”I have to go.”

Qin Feng glanced at Cheng Mengxue, then looked down at Jiang Ran.

”You understand, Jiang Ran. If the three of us vote, it’s guaranteed to pass.”

’Jiang Ran knew what he meant.’

’Cheng Mengxue would definitely vote yes. Add Qin Feng’s vote, and that’s two votes in favor. The majority rules, so even if Jiang Ran voted no, it would be useless.’

”I don’t want to put you in a tough spot.”

Qin Feng’s voice was quiet.

”I miss my father dearly, but I cherish you two as friends just as much. To me, both sides of the scale are equal.”

”So... you two should discuss it. Take as long as you need. A few days, a few months, it doesn’t matter. I’ll wait for your answer.”

With that,

He gently closed the door to the clubroom, and his footsteps faded away.

...

Only Jiang Ran and Cheng Mengxue remained in the room.

But the silence and heaviness didn’t dissipate. Instead, they grew more intense.

Jiang Ran sat with his head bowed, elbows on his thighs, face buried in his hands.

”Am I... really selfish?”

He said it as much to himself as to Cheng Mengxue.

”I objected to saving Xu Yan, and I went silent when it came to saving Qin Feng’s father... but for my own mother, I only pretended to hesitate for a moment.”

Cheng Mengxue placed the warm Rhine Cat she had been cuddling into Jiang Ran’s arms, which still radiated her body heat. Then, she stroked the back of Jiang Ran’s neck and rested her head on his shoulder.

”Because it’s not the same, you know.”

She closed her eyes, her voice soft.

”You did save Xu Yan in the end. And Qin Feng’s father passed away ten years ago. The Butterfly Effect from a ten-year jump... even Qin Feng himself says it’s not a gamble he can afford to take.”

”Jiang Ran, I know how brave you are better than anyone... You’re not a coward, and you are definitely not a selfish person.”

Jiang Ran’s breathing grew heavier.

”Then what if...”

He bit his lip.

He paused.

Then he voiced the question he hadn’t dared to truly consider:

”[What if... what if it was my father who died ten years ago? Would he... would Qin Feng agree?]”