Genius Playground

’It’s so lucky, running into Teacher Zhang Yang in a prison that only holds a few people.’

”COUGH COUGH!”

From behind, Sang Biao let out two coughs to get their attention.

”Um... how should I put this? Your teacher-student bond is deep and all, but shouldn’t we be focusing on breaking out of here right now?”

This time, Sang Biao was being exceptionally polite and civilized.

On the previous attempts, he would have definitely jumped up and shot his mouth off with a stream of curses.

It proved that Jiang Ran’s current demeanor had truly cowed him.

Although Jiang Ran also wanted to chat more with Teacher Zhang Yang, he knew this really wasn’t the right time.

Besides, they could talk later, after he confirmed whether this version of 2045 was real.

So he turned, scanned the group, and nodded.

”Alright, then let’s... try again.”

After failing the last two prison breaks, Jiang Ran didn’t have much faith in this suicidal endeavor, but he figured he might as well give it another shot.

’What if we actually succeed...’

’Wouldn’t I get to see the world outside?’

’Wouldn’t I get to see the Magician, Qin Feng, on the execution grounds?’

He was still intensely curious about the answers to both questions.

In a dim, unnoticed corner, the Assassin’s eyes narrowed, his gaze fixed on Jiang Ran. He had caught that one word: ”again.”

’It didn’t matter.’

Jiang Ran had said it intentionally for him to hear.

During his last trip to the future, the Assassin had hit him with a soul-piercing question at the very end:

”You’re a... Time Traveler, aren’t you?”

At the time, the expression on the Assassin’s face wasn’t one of inquiry, doubt, or suspicion, but a kind of calm that said ’I knew it all along.’

This meant the Assassin must have been certain of this from the very beginning, which was why he had supported and followed him all along.

Since that was the case, he might as well lean into it. He’d confront the Assassin directly in a moment and see if he could get more information.

...

Afterward, as if stuck in a movie replay or a plot loop, the five-man escape team once again arrived at the equipment room and began to scavenge for weapons.

Jiang Ran caught the Electric Stick tossed to him by the stupid young man, handed one to the Assassin, then watched as Sang Biao led the other two into the inner room to search.

’Now’s a good chance.’

”You were right,” Jiang Ran said out of the blue.

”What?” The Assassin looked up.

Jiang Ran looked at him.

”I am... a Time Traveler.”

Instantly, a peculiar glint flashed in the Assassin’s eyes.

But it was gone in a moment.

He said nothing, only watched Jiang Ran in silence, waiting for him to continue.

”Do you want to escape?” Jiang Ran asked.

The Assassin blinked.

”Isn’t it obvious?”

”Then I’ll need more information.”

Jiang Ran fiddled with the Electric Stick in his hand, flicking the switch back and forth.

”Assassin, I need to ask you some questions. I hope you’ll answer me truthfully.”

The Assassin hesitated for a moment.

Finally, he nodded.

”Go ahead and ask.”

’Excellent.’

Jiang Ran was secretly pleased.

He had thought the Assassin would be as tight-lipped as before, not saying a word until the brink of death, but unexpectedly, gaining his trust this time was exceptionally easy.

This meant the Assassin must have experienced, encountered, or at least clearly knew something about Time Travel and the Time Travel Machine.

Otherwise, there was no way he would have believed something so absurd so easily.

’After all...’

’If he were a normal person...’

’Who would immediately jump to that conclusion?’

’Let alone be willing to bet his life on a complete stranger.’

”First question.”

Jiang Ran looked at the Assassin.

”How did you figure it out?”

After a pause, he added:

”Neither Sang Biao nor Bookworm questioned my identity. At most, they were just confused why I wasn’t wearing a prison uniform and my hairstyle was wrong.”

”But you were different. Your first impression of me was one of near-certainty... So, how did you know?”

Hearing this, the Assassin chuckled and lowered his head.

It seemed Jiang Ran’s question wasn’t as pointed as he had expected.

”It wasn’t hard to notice.”

The Assassin said softly:

”I’m a very light sleeper. The slightest movement will wake me. My hearing, smell, and sight are also excellent, so even when I’m sleeping, I don’t miss a single detail.”

”Sang Biao and the others all thought you were brought in during the middle of the night. The lack of a prison uniform and the non-regulation hairstyle can be explained away by them not having time to process you.”

”After all, the entire prison’s focus is on executing the Magician right now. It’s perfectly reasonable that they wouldn’t have time to process a new prisoner.”

”But I’m different. I know for a fact that no one came here last night... No guards, no patrols, no security, not even a mouse came here, let alone opening Cell 3 to put someone inside.”

”So...”

The Assassin slowly raised his head, looking at Jiang Ran.

”You appeared suddenly this morning.”

”Like a sleight of hand, a magic trick. With no logic, like a ghost... you just suddenly appeared in Cell 3.”

...

Jiang Ran didn’t speak.

Hearing the Assassin’s words, he felt a chill, even though he was the subject of the story.

With no warning.

A sudden appearance.

It defied all logic.

He had initially assumed it was similar to the principle of a Worldline Jump—that he would possess a continuous history on this new worldline. Just as Sang Biao and the others believed, that he’d been thrown in jail in the middle of the night.

This scenario was similar to the concept of ”soul transmigration” common in web novel settings.

This is when one’s consciousness and soul travel into a new body, a common trope in rebirth and transmigration novels. One might travel into their past or future self, or even into someone else’s body.

However, the Assassin’s account had just refuted that possibility.

In his last future experience, Jiang Ran had confirmed through a mirror that his current body was his 19-year-old self, with no changes in appearance or details.

He was 19 years old in 2045, and he had appeared in Cell 3 out of thin air. It defied all reason.

In that case, the only explanation was ”physical transmigration.”

Physical transmigration was another common concept in web novels.

Unlike soul transmigration, the hallmark of physical transmigration is that one’s entire body travels to the past or the future.

This setting is common in sci-fi works, such as *Terminator*, *Predestination*, *Back to the Future*, and so on.

But in this situation, two paradox-like questions arose:

1. In 2045, where had his 39-year-old self gone?

2. If he really did travel through time with his body, why would he return to 2025 after death?

”I heard that the Magician has this kind of ability, appearing and disappearing like a phantom,” the Assassin continued.

”What?”

Jiang Ran snapped out of his thoughts.

”The Magician? Are you saying... something similar has happened with Qin Feng?”

”I’m not sure.”

The Assassin shook his head.

”By the time the Magician was arrested, I was already in prison. I know next to nothing about him; it’s all just hearsay.”

”The Magician, as people describe him, is always portrayed as possessing incredible powers. Some say he’s omnipotent, some say he can manipulate anything, some say he’s like a God, and some say he can travel through time and change history.”

”I didn’t believe any of it before, but today... heh, what a coincidence that you would appear, of all days, today.”

It was as if the Assassin had just put the pieces together in his mind.

He smiled faintly.

”Precisely today, two hours before the Magician is to be publicly beheaded.”

”Precisely today, someone who can appear out of thin air like a magic trick, just like the Magician.”

”Precisely today, you appear in the very prison where the Magician is to be executed, and you’re skillfully leading us in a prison break.”

”So, if I’m not mistaken...”

He raised his head, looking Jiang Ran in the eyes.

”Jiang Ran.”

”You traveled through time to this point to save the Magician, didn’t you?”

”Or perhaps... there’s another possibility...”

The Assassin extended his slender and fair right hand, pointing his index finger at the spot between Jiang Ran’s eyebrows.

”You... are the Magician.”