Genius Club

Chapter 502: A Chance Meeting, A Dream

This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation

Lin Xian was genuinely intrigued by the movie “The Big Tree Ridge Feud.”

After all, he had never seen it before. On the other hand, he had watched Disney’s “Alice in Wonderland” more times than he could count and knew the story by heart.

But still, this felt different.

It was CC’s first time ever going to a movie, and that made it important for him to let her choose.

Even though they had enough money now to watch both films if they wanted to, it wasn’t like they could watch two movies at the same time.

“That’s life,” Lin Xian mused to himself. “Even if you can do anything, you can’t do everything all at once.”

CC rubbed her chin, her eyes darting back and forth between the two movie posters.

Finally, she pointed at the animated poster on the right.

“I’m interested in both, but I think I’d rather watch ‘Alice in Wonderland.’ Remember, Lin Xian, back at the balloon booth on Brooklyn Pier? The prize you won for me was an Alice doll. I really want to see what she’s like… you know, when she’s moving.”

Lin Xian smiled and nodded. “Alright then. We’ll watch this one. You know, you’ve got good taste. Decades from now, ‘Alice in Wonderland’ will still be a classic, while ‘The Big Tree Ridge Feud’ will be forgotten. People will remember Kirk Douglas, sure, but the movie itself—nobody will talk about it anymore.”

He glanced at the address on the tickets. “Looks like the cinema is just around the corner. Let’s go.”

Following the directions, they soon found themselves in front of a brightly lit cinema. They bought two tickets and, naturally, picked up the essentials: popcorn and two large cups of cola.

CC hugged an enormous bucket of popcorn as if she were holding the whole world. Lin Xian trailed behind her, holding both sodas in each hand.

Sigh.

Another day, more junk food.

Lin Xian couldn’t help but wonder, didn’t people here ever get “heatiness” from eating so much unhealthy food? Maybe the concept didn’t exist here, and that was why they were unaffected? He couldn’t quite figure it out.

What he really needed was a nice bowl of mung bean soup—or maybe some egg drop soup—something soothing. Tomorrow, he promised himself. Tomorrow he’d find something to cool his throat.

They passed through the ticket check and entered the screening room, finding their seats in the sixth row. The room wasn’t too crowded at this hour, just a handful of other viewers.

“Probably because it’s a family movie,” Lin Xian thought. “Most parents bring their kids to see something like ‘Alice in Wonderland’ during the day. By this time, the kids are already in bed, dreaming of wonderland themselves.”

Once seated, CC kept looking around, leaning from side to side in her chair.

“Lin Xian, there’s barely anyone here. It’s almost like we’ve got the whole place to ourselves. What a steal!”

Lin Xian chuckled at CC’s typical calculation.

She really had a knack for being thrifty. Whether it was snacks, hotels, or anything else, she was always figuring out whether it was “worth it” or not. It was so ingrained in her that it made Lin Xian’s heart ache a little.

“You’re right,” Lin Xian said, nodding. “We paid the same amount, but we get to have the entire cinema to ourselves—and this movie, all for ourselves.”

“Exactly!” CC beamed, grabbing a handful of popcorn and offering it to Lin Xian.

“Here, you take some first. Once you’re done, just poke me, and I’ll get you more.”

With that, she took a sip of her soda, sat up straight, and began eating the popcorn, one piece at a time, waiting patiently for the movie to begin.

Lin Xian picked up a single piece of popcorn—a taste from 1952—and popped it in his mouth.

Ugh.

Too sugary. Everything here had too much sugar. Even the popcorn was overly sweet. It was cloying, and his throat felt like it was on fire.

“I think I’ve had more sugar today than I’ve had in the entire past month,” Lin Xian muttered, worrying a little about America’s diabetes problem.

Soon, the lights in the screening room dimmed completely.

As the music played, a beam of light shot out from the projector behind them, casting its glow on the screen. Colors danced across the screen, and the animation began.

Alice was a cute young girl with a fondness for daydreaming. On this particular day, she wore a blue dress and a white apron, playing outside in her garden. Suddenly, she noticed a peculiar rabbit—dressed just like a person—in a hurry.

Curious, Alice followed the rabbit, diving into a hole and finding herself in a mysterious, magical world…

Beside Lin Xian, CC’s eyes were wide open, focused intensely on the screen. The Cheshire Cat, the Queen of Hearts, the Mad Hatter—they all opened a new world for this Brooklyn girl of 1952, drawing her in completely.

She couldn’t even blink, she was so engrossed. Every smile, every frown on the animated characters’ faces seemed to touch her deeply—making her giggle or frown in concern. It was as if it wasn’t little Alice having this adventure, but CC herself, holding that giant popcorn bucket.

Lin Xian, on the other hand, found it hard to be interested in this old animated film. He’d been spoiled by modern technology—having seen the best visuals, this grainy, rough animation felt like a screen full of static, and it was hard to stay focused.

Instead, Lin Xian took the time to think about the discussion he had with CC earlier that morning—about Einstein’s unusual behavior in Brooklyn.

On the screen, Alice had just eaten a piece of cake and grown into a giant. The scene was absurd yet imaginative.

Lin Xian was lost in thought.

Einstein’s actions were just as puzzling.

Why wasn’t he staying in Princeton, as one might expect? Why did he keep visiting the outskirts of Brooklyn so often—and with such regularity, every few months?

It was as if… he was checking on something, or setting something up, or preparing for something.

The more Lin Xian thought about it, the stranger it seemed.

He closed his eyes.

According to CC, she had lived in the orphanage since she was a baby and had never seen Einstein pass by until she was around twelve or thirteen, around 1945.

Since then, Einstein had started passing by the orphanage at a regular pace.

Lin Xian pressed his lips together.

That was a significant year—the end of World War II, the first time humanity used atomic bombs in warfare, the colossal energy of nuclear fission reshaping world politics, and the beginning of the Cold War between the US and the Soviet Union.

“The atomic bomb,” he murmured, the sound of his voice drowned out by the screams of animated characters on the screen.

Einstein’s life was, in many ways, entangled with the atomic bomb.

In 1905, he had put forth the theory of special relativity and the famous mass-energy equivalence formula, E=MC², laying the theoretical foundation for the discovery and use of atomic energy. That was the beginning of it all.

In 1939, he had written to President Roosevelt, suggesting the possibility of building an atomic bomb and urging the U.S. to research it before Germany could. He had, in a sense, set it all in motion.

In 1941, the Manhattan Project began. Einstein, due to political reasons, was not trusted and was excluded. But the theory and momentum were unstoppable, and the atomic bomb was eventually created, with two mushroom clouds rising over Japan.

Since then, Einstein had fallen into a deep sense of guilt and regret, and the weight of it slowly crushed his spirit.

Could it be…

Could Einstein’s odd behavior in Brooklyn be connected to the atomic bomb?

Lin Xian shook his head.

The more he thought about it, the more far-fetched it seemed. But with so little information, it was difficult to get to the truth.

Still, the idea wasn’t entirely baseless.

He remembered Zhang Yu Qian’s strange dream—keywords like “explosion,” “white light,” “mushroom cloud,” “newspaper,” “1952,” “burning,” “Einstein”…

If what Zhang Yu Qian had dreamed of was an actual event from 1952, then they already had quite a few “pieces” of the puzzle.

Could it be that…

Whether it was Zhang Yu Qian, Chu An Qing, or even CC 600 years into the future—what they dreamed of was all connected, perhaps even the experiences of the original CC back in 1952?

Lin Xian opened his eyes and looked at the movie screen.

The movie had reached its halfway point, and little Alice, after all her trials, had grown braver and stronger. She was now facing off against the wicked Queen.

“It’s quite possible,” Lin Xian thought.

Zhao Ying Jun had once said that all the Millennial Stakes shared a common connection—that their dreams were related, telling the same story from the same time period.

Maybe, just maybe…

It was the story of the original CC from 1952!

He turned to look at CC, who was watching the movie intently. This girl, who might turn into blue stardust at any moment, disappearing only to become another Millennial Stake…

Who had turned her into a Millennial Stake? And why?

Perhaps they’d soon find out.

Pushing the thoughts away, Lin Xian turned his head back to the screen, focusing on the movie.

Eventually, brave Alice defeated the Queen of Hearts, bringing peace back to Wonderland.

She had completed her mission and was called back by her sister, leaving Wonderland behind… waking up in the real world.

On the screen, Alice opened her eyes.

She realized she hadn’t really followed a rabbit into a hole but had simply fallen asleep in her garden, with her sister standing beside her, waking her up.

Only then did Alice understand—all the marvelous adventures she’d had were nothing but a dream.

And with that, the movie ended.

Although the journey to Wonderland was just a dream, it had given young Alice newfound courage and wisdom that she could carry with her into her life, to face whatever challenges lay ahead.

“A happy ending,” Lin Xian said quietly. “It really was a wonderful family film, wasn’t it?”

He turned to look at CC, only to find—to his surprise—that she didn’t look as happy as he had expected. Instead, she looked worried, her brows furrowed, her lips pressed tightly together. She seemed… disappointed.

“What’s wrong?” Lin Xian asked.

He had wanted to make her happy, to end their lovely day in Manhattan on a cheerful note—so why was it having the opposite effect?

“I just feel…”

CC lowered her head.

“I feel like I’m a lot like Alice right now.”

She blinked, clutching the huge popcorn bucket even closer.

“Alice went on a dreamlike adventure in Wonderland, and here I am, in Manhattan—isn’t it just the same?”

She paused, her voice trembling.

“All the delicious food, the luxurious hotel, the dazzling lights, the warm and beautiful clothes I’m wearing—to me, to someone who’s lived the life I have, it’s no different from a magical wonderland.”

Lin Xian smiled and spread his hands. “But that’s a good thing, isn’t it? Alice got to experience something special, and so did you. You both gained something wonderful and important in your lives—Alice explored Wonderland, and you’re walking through Manhattan. It’s similar, sure—but why would that make you sad?”

CC shook her head, her eyes brimming with emotion.

“I am happy, and I’m grateful,” she said, her voice soft. “Honestly… ever since I met you, I’ve been so happy that sometimes I can’t even believe it’s real.”

She clutched tightly onto Lin Xian’s sleeve, as if letting go might make everything disappear.

“We met on October 28th. I still remember it like it was yesterday. You stole that newspaper from that little boy, and I shouted at you. Then we ran away together. That’s how our story began.”

She paused, her gaze distant as she remembered those early days.

“These days have been like a dream—so beautiful. I remember every moment, every tiny detail. I swear, I’ll never forget any of it for as long as I live.”

She held onto his sleeve even tighter, her voice barely audible beneath the movie’s ending soundtrack.

“That afternoon, you took me to Brooklyn Heights. It was my first time seeing Manhattan from the promenade. It was breathtaking.”

Her smile grew as she continued, her voice laced with nostalgia.

“And that night, you took me to a 30-cent motel. It wasn’t anywhere close to being fancy like the Empire State Building, but you slept on the floor so I could have the bed… and I swear, that was the warmest, safest sleep I’ve ever had.”

She let out a small laugh, her eyes shining.

“The next day, you took me to Coney Island and bought me a hot dog. It was the best thing I’d ever tasted. And then we went on all the rides—the roller coaster, the carousel, the Ferris wheel. It felt like magic. And that night, when those gangsters showed up, you fought them off like some kind of hero in a movie. You made me feel so safe.”

She glanced up at him, her eyes filled with admiration.

“After that, you bought me a wedding dress and took me across the Brooklyn Bridge. Then you took me to the top of the Empire State Building to see the snow fall and make a wish.” She paused, her voice filled with wonder. “And today, you’ve given me even more firsts—firsts I never even imagined I’d have. We ate the most amazing food, watched a show, and now we’re here, watching my very first movie.”

She sighed, her voice trembling as she clung to his sleeve.

“I’ve said it before—meeting you has been the best thing that’s ever happened to me. You’ve made my dreams come true, you’ve made everything feel perfect. But the happier I get, the more afraid I become.”

She twisted the fabric of his sleeve between her fingers, her grip tightening.

“I used to be different,” she whispered. “I used to have nothing. I wasn’t scared of losing anything because there was nothing to lose—no family, no friends, no one I cared about. I wasn’t even afraid of dying.”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Her eyes grew misty, and her voice cracked as she spoke.

“But now, I’ve got my dreams. I’ve got beautiful clothes, wonderful memories, and, most of all, I’ve got you. And I’m terrified…”

She swallowed hard, her voice dropping to a quiver.

“I’m terrified that I’ll wake up, just like Alice did in her dream, and realize none of this is real. That I never came to Manhattan, that I’m still stuck in Brooklyn. That I never wore a white dress, never ate a hot dog, never stayed in a motel… and that you’re not here with me.”

The movie credits ended, and the lights in the theater came back on, bright and sudden, bringing them back to reality.

CC bit her lip and looked up at Lin Xian, her eyes shimmering with tears.

“Lin Xian,” she whispered, her voice trembling, “what if one day I wake up, and you’re not there? What if all of this is just a dream?”