Genius Playground

”Let’s go. We’ll buy tickets first, then store our backpacks and luggage.”

Though the process was a little slow, the two eventually managed to enter Hang City Paradise. Looking ahead, several tall towers loomed before them, flinging people into the sky in all sorts of ways.

”Hehe, which one should we ride first?”

Like a little girl, Cheng Mengxue skipped ahead and then turned around.

”Hurry up! What are you spacing out for back there!”

Strolling along the crowded, tree-lined path, Cheng Mengxue looked left and right, filled with curiosity about everything.

”You act like you’ve never been to an amusement park before.”

Jiang Ran laughed.

”Even if we didn’t come here when we were kids, aren’t the rides and attractions here the same everywhere?”

”I have been to one before.”

Cheng Mengxue gazed at the carousel ahead, spinning around to a tinkling melody.

”But...”

But in the end, she didn’t say what it was.

Instead, she giggled, pulled on Jiang Ran’s sleeve, and pointed at the carousel.

”Let’s go ride that one!”

”Huh? Let’s not.”

Jiang Ran looked conflicted.

”That’s something for little kids. You don’t see any adults riding—”

JINGLE BELLS~ JINGLE BELLS~

Sigh.

Sighing, Jiang Ran straddled a black horse. Ahead of him was the sight of Cheng Mengxue’s back as she rode a white one.

’He couldn’t quite understand why Cheng Mengxue would be interested in such a childish ride. To be honest, this wasn’t really her style. Even if she was naive and a bit of an airhead at times, she was still twenty years old. Had her mind really reverted to a child’s the moment she stepped into the park?’

”Wow, look at that Princess! Her dress is so pretty!”

A special National Day float parade from Hang City Paradise was passing by on the street.

Ever since the float parades at Disneyland became a hit, amusement parks all over the country had started to blindly copy them. It didn’t matter if they didn’t have enough licensed characters or if their parks were full of random gods and monsters—in short, the parade must go on!

To welcome the National Day crowds, Hang City Paradise had clearly put in a lot of effort, not only extending its opening hours to 9 p.m. but also adding many attractions not normally available.

The knockoff float parade was one such addition.

Several long-haired [Princesses] in white dresses and crowns danced gracefully to the music, slowly parading down the main road. From time to time, they would wave to the park-goers, drawing cheers from the children.

On a tall float, a white-bearded [King] holding a scepter stood with his head held high, his majestic downward gaze making it seem as if he were enjoying the adoration of his subjects.

Afterward, Jiang Ran and Cheng Mengxue followed the program and went to see a circus performance.

A classic red-nosed [Clown] appeared on a unicycle; his comical movements and costume drew a wave of laughter from the audience.

He then pulled out a deck of cards to interact with the audience, but his skill was so clumsy he was more of a buffoon, with no real technique to speak of.

Just as everyone was getting a bit tired of the bumbling performance, the theater suddenly went dark. White doves flew up, and a spotlight hit the center of the stage—

A purple top hat, a black suit, a short cane in hand—a cool-looking character had appeared.

”Mommy! It’s the [Magician]!”

A child nearby shouted excitedly.

It seemed the Clown’s comical performance had just been a set-up, a contrast to build up the Magician’s grand entrance.

As the Magician made a fishbowl appear out of thin air and then performed a series of card tricks, the atmosphere in the venue grew more and more electric—

”The Magician is about to perform his greatest trick for you all! Let’s have a round of applause!”

With the host’s cry, the atmosphere in the venue reached its climax! The applause was thunderous!

”And now, for today’s most spectacular magic trick—”

”Shifting Form and Shadow!”

A slender female assistant in a tight-fitting outfit came on stage.

The Magician first showed that the wooden box was empty, with no hidden contraptions, then had the female dancer climb inside.

This was followed by a series of baffling movements and increasingly frantic music. With a BANG, the wooden box opened...

It was empty!

The entire audience fell silent.

And just then, several white doves flew up from the highest part of the audience stands. The spotlight swung to find the beautiful female assistant standing there, head held high, raising her hands to the crowd.

Thunderous applause erupted once more.

”It’s fake.”

Cheng Mengxue rested her chin in her palm, her elbow on her thigh, and said softly,

”The woman who suddenly appeared back there and the one who got into the box are two different people.”

”Heh.”

Jiang Ran smiled faintly.

”You’re overthinking it.”

He traced a line with his hand from the stage to the top of the audience stands.

”It’s not as complicated as you think. The wooden box has a trapdoor in the bottom that lowers the person beneath the stage.”

”Then there’s a secret passage under the stage that leads directly to the highest part of the audience. The assistant just ran through the passage to the top of the stands and appeared from there.”

”Everyone’s attention was on the Magician’s movements, so of course they wouldn’t notice someone suddenly appearing at the back of the audience... It’s all just misdirection.”

However, faced with such a well-reasoned deduction, Cheng Mengxue simply raised an eyebrow.

”Wanna bet?”

”Bet what?”

”Hmm... hehe, it doesn’t really matter what we bet, because you’re definitely going to lose.”

Naturally, Jiang Ran wasn’t about to concede.

And so, after the audience had dispersed, the two of them went to the spot where the assistant had appeared after the ”Shifting Form and Shadow” trick and opened a hidden door on the side.

”Huh?”

Contradicting Jiang Ran’s deduction, there was no passage behind the hidden door—just a small room with four walls.