Genius Playground

Chapter 35 42
"Will do."

Jiang Ran replied:

I definitely will.

"No matter how the world lines change, I will never abandon any of you."

"No matter how the butterfly effect of time and space changes our relationship, I will definitely find you both and make up, just like we are now."

Jiang Ran answered without hesitation, decisively, and from the bottom of his heart.

Qin Feng cherishes the relationship between the three of them the most.

So why isn't he?
"only……"

Jiang Ran shrugged:
"But just like you said, I'm the only one who has the memories of the original timeline. If I really try to pull you guys from the new timeline into talking about bonds and friendship, you'll probably just think I'm crazy."

"So the biggest problem isn't whether I go to find you or not, but that even if I do find you... you might not believe what I say."

Qin Feng nodded:
"That's true."

No normal person would readily believe the nonsense of a stranger, let alone something as absurd as a shift in the world line.

"Sometimes, getting to know someone is a matter of fate, chance, or coincidence. Once you miss it, it may be a missed opportunity for a lifetime."

Qin Feng looked at the night sky:

"Speaking of which, our meeting was like a preordained arrangement. Although we didn't know each other when we entered high school, our student ID numbers were actually next to each other."

"Jiang Ran, do you still remember our student ID numbers from high school?"

Jiang Ran smiled knowingly:
"Of course I remember, I'm not senile."

The student ID numbers at Hangzhou No. 1 High School consist of the first few digits representing the grade level and the last two digits representing the class.

Often, when teachers take attendance in class, they simply call out student ID numbers, selecting students to answer questions like drawing a blind box.

Nobody knows how the student ID numbers are arranged; it's not by pinyin or by the number of strokes in the surname... It feels very chaotic and random.

It's a coincidence.

Jiang Ran, Cheng Mengxue, and Qin Feng's class numbers are indeed consecutive, and they happen to be the last three.

There were 42 students in their high school class.

Therefore, the three students' student ID numbers are 40, 41, and 42, respectively.

"I remember it very clearly."

Jiang Ran recalled:

"My student ID number is 40, Xiaoxue's is 41, and yours is 42. Just as you said, isn't this a kind of fate?"

"Hey!"

Inside the activity room, Xiaoxue urged:

"How long are you going to keep talking? Aren't you going to start?"

Jiang Ran checked the time on her phone.

indeed.

We've been chatting since we interrupted the experiment, and it's almost 12:30. We can't afford to waste any more time.

"Then let's get started."

Jiang Ran picked up her phone and looked at Qin Feng, who was standing in front of the electrical box with his hands in his pockets:
"I hope you don't mind what happened tonight. I will apologize to you afterwards."

"Come on you."

Qin Feng rolled his eyes at him:
“I won’t even remember this after the timeline changes. You’re as cunning as ever.”

Jiang Ran smiled and gave Cheng Mengxue an OK sign.

"Okay, I'll start the countdown now!"

The words, repeated countless times, came through the window from inside the club:
"5!"

Jiang Ran looked down at her phone screen.

This was a text message that Qin Feng had edited beforehand. It was perfect, simple, and straightforward.

In comparison, I seem rather petty.

His thumb hovered over the send button.

My gaze fell upon the transformer distribution box.

"4!"

The moon is very round today, and the moonlight is very bright, casting a pure white glow on the ground.

Qin Feng closed his eyes, put his hands in his pockets, and leaned against the electrical box; his breathing was even and weak, mixed with the sound of willow branches swaying.

The transformer inside the distribution box hummed steadily, its hissing sound hinting at danger.

A black nameplate is embedded in the silver iron casing, with the distribution box number engraved in large yellow letters.

Distribution box No. 42 at Tunghai University.

Huh?
"3!"

Jiang Ran blinked.

42.

It's 42 again. Doesn't it feel like we were just talking about this number?
Correct.

Qin Feng's student ID number is also 42, what a coincidence.

Jiang Ran suddenly felt that the number 42 seemed to appear with extremely high frequency during this period, as if it was intentionally or unintentionally surrounding him.

Where else?
Where else have I seen 42?

"2!"

Upon hearing Cheng Mengxue's voice, Jiang Ran suddenly realized what was going on.

Correct.

It turns out that I had seen 42 back when the world line changed and the first time the time-space text message was sent.

That was the Rhine Cat pendant hanging on Cheng Mengxue's phone.

It's said to be a limited edition collaboration with "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," with only 4200 pieces released, making it extremely rare.

Jiang Ran vaguely remembered that it was a Rhine cat wearing a spacesuit, with the large blue number 42 written on the chest of the white spacesuit.

"1!"

How strange, why are there so many 42s?

Jiang Ran suddenly thought of something.

There seems to be a 42 in that mysterious text message and that mysterious number.

289269426494642
There is a 42 in the middle and a 42 at the end.

In an instant, the numbers were separated and grouped in my brain, corresponding one-to-one with the Chinese characters translated from the nine-key keyboard.

不（28）要（926）相（94264）信（946）哈（42）

Don't believe it!

wrong!

Jiang Ran opened her eyes wide and took a deep breath.

Rhine Cat 42, Distribution Box No. 42, Qin Feng Student ID 42.

In an instant, countless long-standing puzzle pieces began to be rapidly assembled.

His long-standing concerns and worries...

His long-standing hesitation and unease...

So that's where the answer was!

It is not incomplete, it does not have a sequel, and it is not difficult to understand!
That mysterious number conveyed a complete warning to him with remarkable clarity and precision!

Don't believe it, haha.

Don't believe ha.

Don't believe 42!!!

"0!"

"Xiaoxue, wait—" Jiang Ran shouted.

however.

It's too late!

Just as Jiang Ran shouted, Cheng Mengxue pressed the positron cannon's start button! A roar erupted from the club activity room, blasting directly at the transformer distribution box!
"I'm sorry, Jiang Ran."

Next to the electrical distribution box, Qin Feng took out an old-fashioned button phone from his pocket.

There was even a cell phone hidden there!
Qin Feng pressed his thumb on the physical send button.

At last.

look up.

Hesitantly glanced at Jiang Ran:
"Forgive me."

hum!
hum!
hum!
Jiang Ran felt dizzy and lost all five senses, as if she had been thrown into a washing machine and spun around.

hateful.

Why did it take so long to realize this?
Why did it take you so long to realize this!
His intuition was correct.

That string of mysterious numbers was a very simple coded warning to him to be careful of Qin Feng!
Qin Feng is such a genius, he must have seen through the truth long ago; that's why he's been pretending to be ignorant and leading their thoughts in the wrong direction.

What malfunction, what incomplete information, what follow-up information...

It's all a cover-up and misleading!

Don't believe 42.

The final number 42 refers to Qin Feng!
It refers to everything related to time-space text messages!
The world is spinning faster and faster.

Everything was blurry and dark; I couldn't see anything.

Jiang Ran was powerless to resist the relentless march of history and time, heading towards an unknown and entirely new worldline...

It fell down.

(End of this chapter)