Genius Playground

”Holy shit! Are you out of your goddamn mind?!”

Sang Biao couldn’t help but roar.

Even though he was filled with fear for the mysterious and unpredictable Jiang Ran, at this very moment, he simply couldn’t hold it in any longer.

”Is this the time for you to be studying? What were you doing before?! You didn’t study during class, you didn’t study when you were in school, and now that you’re in prison, *now* you decide to study?!”

He took a deep breath, utterly exasperated.

”It’s too late!”

Jiang Ran turned his head.

He looked at Sang Biao, whose face was turning purple with rage.

At that moment, he didn’t seem like a criminal masterminding a prison break, but rather a head teacher scolding a student for not living up to their potential.

’But right now... this really doesn’t seem like a good opportunity to discuss academics.’

Everyone had risked their lives to get out of their cells for the sole purpose of escaping to freedom. To some extent, they were all annoyed by Jiang Ran’s time-wasting, but they didn’t dare to voice their anger.

”Fine.”

He let go of the elderly Zhang Yang’s hand.

”Let’s just break out of prison first, then.”

’This pace won’t work,’ Jiang Ran thought to himself. ’The next time I come to the Future World of 2045, I have to find a different way to connect with Zhang Yang.’

’Sang Biao is dead set on escaping, while I’m dead set on learning the proof for Goldbach’s Conjecture. The two goals are in complete conflict.’

’Next time, I have to figure something out. I can’t follow Sang Biao’s prison break anymore. I need to find a chance to be alone with Zhang Yang...’

’That’s the only way I’ll have enough time to learn from him.’

’Zhang Yang just said it himself.’

’Understanding Goldbach’s Conjecture isn’t that difficult, but it’s definitely not something you can grasp overnight or in a short amount of time.’

’It not only requires a certain foundation in advanced mathematics but also a systematic study of specialized theories.’

’Therefore...’

’I absolutely cannot waste any more time playing this prison break game with Sang Biao.’

They set out.

The five-man prison break team followed the same route as before, arriving at the equipment room.

This time, however, Jiang Ran pulled the elderly Zhang Yang into the outer room, preparing to have a private chat.

”Teacher Zhang.”

Jiang Ran said in a low voice,

”My advanced mathematics is decent. If I want to understand Goldbach’s Conjecture—so that you can explain it clearly and I can understand it—what other theoretical knowledge do I need to study?”

”Whether it’s books or the works of a specific mathematician, could you tell me?”

At his current level, Jiang Ran definitely wouldn’t be able to understand the proof for Goldbach’s Conjecture, so he wasn’t in a rush to learn it today.

He planned to go back to 2025, study hard and prepare, and only after laying the necessary foundation would he formally ask for Zhang Yang’s guidance.

The elderly Zhang Yang pushed up his glasses.

He sized Jiang Ran up and down, his eyes filled with confusion.

He couldn’t figure out why this young man had suddenly been struck with the desire to study during such a tense prison break.

It was truly baffling.

However, his years of habit as a teacher made him always take students’ questions seriously, and he was more than happy to answer academic inquiries.

So, the titles of several mathematical works rolled off his tongue:

”If you can finish reading the mathematical works I just mentioned and then find a teacher to give you a systematic explanation, you should be able to understand the proof for Goldbach’s Conjecture.”

”Lu Yu’s proof is really just a line of thinking, a type of logic. It’s not hard to understand. It’s just that for hundreds of years, no one had thought of this solution.”

’Mhm.’

Jiang Ran nodded, silently committing the names of those mathematical works to memory.

’Lu Yu...’

’Thinking of this peerless, unmet genius, I can’t help but feel a little emotional.’

’According to the normal historical trajectory...’

’Lu Yu is supposed to enroll at East Sea University in September 2025, and then around 2027, at the age of 20, he will conquer Goldbach’s Conjecture, shocking the world in one fell swoop.’

’But if I ”steal” this academic achievement from the future of 2045 and then go back to 2025 to publish it, it would be like hijacking Lu Yu’s glorious life.’

’To be honest, that’s a very immoral thing to do.’

’But I have no choice.’

’If I don’t do this, I won’t be able to get into East Sea University, and I won’t be able to carry out the subsequent plan to resurrect Cheng Mengxue.’

’So, Junior Brother Lu Yu, I’m sorry.’

Jiang Ran kowtowed to Lu Yu in his mind, considering it a unilateral acquisition of Lu Yu’s authorization.

’In any case, what’s done is done. I won’t think about it too much for now.’

’If there’s a chance later, I’ll find another way to compensate Lu Yu.’

’However... if I can really return to World Line 0 and reset history, it wouldn’t count as me stealing anything from Lu Yu.’ Jiang Ran continued his analysis.

’On World Line 1, I do have to steal Lu Yu’s research, but it’s only to get a letter of recommendation to East Sea University.’

’But once I save Cheng Mengxue and a Worldline Jump occurs, I will already be a student at East Sea University, having applied there together with her.’

’At that point, Lu Yu won’t know me, and I won’t know him. And when 2027 comes, Lu Yu will still prove Goldbach’s Conjecture as destined.’

’The glory that belongs to Lu Yu will ultimately remain his.’

Jiang Ran’s only goal is to save Cheng Mengxue. He has no attachment to anything else and certainly doesn’t covet the fame and fortune that rightfully belong to Lu Yu.

「Soon.」

The motley crew once again arrived at the fork in the tunnel.

Sang Biao took a deep breath—

”The left path is a no-go,” Jiang Ran said, cutting him off mid-sentence.

”The left path is completely, totally out of the question. Don’t even consider it. Every nook and cranny of that abandoned building is being watched by snipers. We’ll be discovered no matter what.”

Sang Biao caught his breath.

”Then, we go right? That’s the way to the execution ground!”

”The right path has its own risks. There’ll be one guard and three police dogs.”

Jiang Ran had confirmed it last time—there were indeed three police dogs.

”But at least on the right path, we have a fighting chance. It’s not like the left path, where the enemy is in the shadows and we’re out in the open, just waiting to get shot.”

”I understand.”

The Assassin was the first to respond.

”You mean you want us to set an ambush on the right, then take the opportunity to kill the guard and the police dogs.”

”Exactly.”

Jiang Ran nodded.

”It’s the only way out. The risk is high, but so is the reward. We can get a pistol, a guard’s uniform, a chance to search the staff dormitories, and so on...”

”As long as we reach the execution ground in plain clothes and find a way to blend into the crowd watching the Magician’s beheading, we’ll be hidden in plain sight. The guards will never find us.”

Listening to Jiang Ran’s description, everyone was convinced. It all sounded very logical.

However, Zhang Yang, the Bookworm, still picked up on the unspoken meaning in Jiang Ran’s words.

He pushed up his glasses.

”From your tone, it sounds like there’s more to it. What’s the hard part of this plan?”

Jiang Ran spread his hands.

He smiled helplessly.

”The only difficult part of this plan is that we suck. We have zero coordination. The second an order is given, we’ll fall into chaos and get team-wiped instantly by the well-trained guard and his dogs.”

”Teacher Zhang, you’re too slow. You can’t keep up at all. And you, stupid young man, you’re too fast. You charge in before everyone’s ready... You have absolutely no patience.”

”Bullshit!”

The stupid young man retorted defiantly.

”We haven’t even tried! How the hell do you know I can’t stay calm?!”

”What about me?”

Sang Biao sidled up, pointing at himself curiously.

”What kind of guy am I? I’m probably the type who’s not too fast, not too slow, and very calm, right?”

”You...”

Jiang Ran sighed, recalling the scene of their team wipe from the prison break before last, and couldn’t help but cover his forehead.

”You’re the funniest one. You trip right at the start, tumble and crawl, and end up kneeling right in front of the police dog.”

”You’re full of shit!”

Sang Biao cursed loudly.

”Who are you looking down on?! You think I’d kneel to a dog? Stop talking nonsense!”

’Alright then.’

’These guys are all worse than the last, but each one is more confident than the last.’

Jiang Ran was speechless.

”Let’s assign the tasks first.”

Jiang Ran repeated the plan the Assassin had laid out last time.

Three Electric Sticks for the three police dogs. Sang Biao, Jiang Ran, and the stupid young man were each responsible for taking one down.

Learning his lesson from last time, he didn’t assign any tasks to the Bookworm, Zhang Yang. He was the oldest and not very agile, so his job was to watch.

The Assassin’s task was the most difficult.

He was unarmed, yet he was responsible for killing the fully-armed prison guard.

He had requested this task himself. Jiang Ran didn’t know how he would do it, but the Assassin gave an incredibly reliable smile and flexed his wrists.

”Don’t worry, just leave it to me.”

’It seems...’

’His nickname really isn’t for nothing. If he’s called the Assassin, then killing must be his specialty.’

And so, the five-man team once again lay in ambush in the right tunnel, waiting for the ”patrolling mob” of one guard and three police dogs to arrive.

Jiang Ran, the stupid young man, and Sang Biao gripped their Electric Sticks tightly, staring intently down the dim corridor.

They had already assigned numbers to the three police dogs to ensure they could engage them one-on-one immediately.

Jiang Ran let out a shaky breath, rubbing his palms together only to find them slick with sweat.

Even though he had already experienced several team wipes during the prison break, this ”game experience” with its hyper-realism still made him tense up and his heart race.

”WOOF!”

A short bark suddenly echoed from the distance.

This was also part of the plan.

It signaled the approach of the ”patrolling mob.”

As the sound of hurried footsteps and clanking metal grew closer, the Assassin, positioned at the very front of the corner, held up five fingers and began a silent countdown.

5...

4...

3...

2...

”YAAAAAAAGH!!”

The stupid young man leaped out from the corner, howling as he swung his Electric Stick.

”You fuc—” Jiang Ran started to curse.

’Is this guy a Super Male or something?! I gave him a heads-up and everything! He just never learns!’

”FUCK!”

Sang Biao was forced to join the fray. He raised his Electric Stick high, then tripped on a wooden box, rolling like a tumbleweed right in front of the police dog, where he landed on his knees and looked up.

”WOOF!”

The German Shepherd police dog thanked Sang Biao for the gift of his neck and chomped down.

Jiang Ran was completely speechless.

’Is this part of a closed historical loop, too?’

’Whatever. I’ll just treat this as practice for teamwork and courage.’ Learning from his last experience, he leaped out from behind cover, predicting the target dog’s movement—

DODGE!

TURN.

STRIKE!

The Electric Stick, crackling with blue arcs of electricity—BZZZT—struck the police dog’s belly with pinpoint accuracy, sending it into a fit of violent convulsions.

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

Four gunshots rang out.

Jiang Ran thought ’This is bad,’ but in the next instant, he realized he hadn’t been shot. There was no pain.

He turned his head...

Only to see the Assassin choking the prison guard with his left hand and holding a pistol in his right, the muzzle still smoking.

The guard had been shot in the back of the head. Brains and blood trickled down.

The three police dogs had also been shot in the head and lay on the ground, twitching to varying degrees.

Jiang Ran sucked in a sharp breath...

Awestruck.

He hadn’t even had time to see what happened, but somehow, in that split second, the Assassin had subdued the guard, snatched his gun, turned the tables, and then, with three more precise shots, killed the police dogs, all with unbelievable speed.

’That reaction time.’

’That marksmanship.’

’He’s definitely a top-tier assassin!’

In his previous looped experiences in 2045, Jiang Ran had never asked the Assassin about his past.

He figured the Assassin wouldn’t have answered anyway, just repeating the same few lines over and over.

But now, after witnessing that shocking scene, it wasn’t hard to guess...

...that this unassuming Assassin must have a very dark past.

No wonder the others held him in such awe and fear.

THUD.

The Assassin dropped the corpse from his hand and walked toward Jiang Ran, one step at a time.

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

His voice was filled with absolute confidence.

”Everything, every single detail, you got it all right.”

”So...”

He squatted down.

His gaze met Jiang Ran’s, and he stared into his eyes.

”[This isn’t... your first time here, is it?]”