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The gunshot echoed loudly, filling the room.

A large-caliber bullet ripped through Kevin Walker’s forehead, exiting the back of his skull. His body slumped backward onto the equipment rack, sending blood and brain matter splattering across several computer towers. Thick droplets slowly dripped down the machines.

The room fell silent. No more screams. No more convulsions. Just the eerie quiet that often follows violence. Life, in moments like this, felt fragile and fleeting.

But Lin Xian didn’t relax. Kevin Walker’s strange behavior before his death made Lin Xian suspect that someone else might be in the room.

“If there wasn’t anyone else, who was Kevin Walker just talking to?” Lin Xian wondered.

Gunfights aren’t like hand-to-hand combat; the outcome is decided in an instant. From the start, Lin Xian had no intention of giving Kevin Walker any chance to survive.

Mercy toward your enemy is cruelty toward yourself.

Sure, interrogating Kevin might have provided valuable information. But Lin Xian had learned a crucial lesson over time: villains die because they talk too much.

In this situation—where he couldn’t identify his enemies, didn’t know what backup they might have, and was in unfamiliar territory—Lin Xian prioritized his own safety. He couldn’t afford to let his guard down for even a second.

The longer Kevin Walker lived, the closer Lin Xian was to death.

This was the most important lesson Lin Xian had learned from years of playing shooting games in his dreams: unless you have absolute control and have eliminated all threats, never let overconfidence drive you to interrogate your enemy. That’s just giving them a chance to think, prepare, and turn the tables.

Especially in the real world, where you only have one life. Outside, on the campus, Yu Xi was locked in a fierce battle with time-space assassins. Inside, Lin Xian didn’t know who Kevin Walker had been talking to. He had to act decisively—no second chances, no mercy. He killed Kevin Walker without hesitation.

He could gather information later.

If he got killed because he hesitated, there wouldn’t be any “later” to consider.

After confirming that Kevin Walker was truly dead, Lin Xian grabbed the Smith & Wesson M500 revolver from the desk, holding it in his left hand.

He crouched down, pressing himself against the wall, holding his breath as he listened for any sounds in the room.

He listened intently and carefully.

Aside from the faint hum of cooling fans inside the computer cases, the room was utterly silent.

Using the movement techniques he had honed in his dream, Lin Xian cautiously checked every corner of the room, searching for any signs of life. Eventually, he confirmed that there was indeed no one else in the room.

Lin Xian exhaled in relief and stood up.

But something felt off.

If there was really no one else in the room, then who had Kevin Walker been angrily shouting at?

It couldn’t have been a computer or some smart device, could it? Or maybe an AI?

He recalled Kevin Walker’s furious words:

“You lied to me! You betrayed me! You betrayed yourself!”

“We’re the same person! What on earth are you thinking?!”

At that moment, Kevin had pounded his fists on the desk, his anger and frustration clear. His face twisted with shock, like his entire worldview had just shattered.

His reaction was so intensely human that Lin Xian never considered that Kevin might be talking to an AI.

From what Lin Xian knew about artificial intelligence in this era, current AI couldn’t grasp or respond to such raw, impotent rage. The only exception would be if Kevin Walker had access to a superintelligent AI like VV, one that could understand emotions on that level.

After ensuring there was no immediate danger in the room, Lin Xian began searching for information and clues.

But a quick glance around revealed that Kevin Walker, being the skilled hacker he was, had fully embraced a paperless workspace. The only paper in sight was some toilet tissue. There were no written documents anywhere.

Lin Xian tried moving the mouse and pressing a few keys.

The monitor lit up, but it was locked with a password that he had no chance of cracking quickly.

Outside, Yu Xi was still locked in fierce combat with the time-space assassins. Lin Xian knew he couldn’t help her directly, but he needed to get out there and assist her somehow—or at least help her retreat safely for now.

Leaving Yu Xi to fight one-on-one against a formidable opponent wasn’t ideal. It might be better to retreat, regroup, and figure out a way to overcome the time-space assassin’s immunity to temporal laws. Then, they could return with a strategic advantage.

Just as Lin Xian was starting to think this mission would end without any valuable intel, something caught his eye.

It was a piece of merchandise from the movie The Wandering Earth 2—a digital life USB drive.

Lin Xian remembered seeing this online.

Back in early 2023, right after the New Year, he had gone to the movies with Tang Xin to watch The Wandering Earth 2. It had been an entertaining sci-fi film, and at the time, it was incredibly popular, with the internet buzzing about it. There had even been a huge crowdfunding campaign for related merchandise.

Among all the items, the digital life USB drive had attracted the most attention, with the crowdfunding amount exceeding billions.

The reason for its popularity was clear—the concept of digital life introduced in The Wandering Earth 2 was fascinating, and the character played by Andy Lau had portrayed the emotional struggle between humans and digital life forms beautifully.

In the movie, Andy Lau’s character, Tu Hengyu, was a scientist whose daughter had tragically died in a car accident. Desperate to keep her alive in some way, Tu Hengyu digitized her consciousness, allowing her to continue existing in the digital world.

However, due to the limitations of computing power, his daughter’s digital life could only last for a few minutes before rebooting, endlessly reliving those brief moments.

Tu Hengyu’s ultimate goal was to find a more advanced computer that could give his daughter a longer, more complete digital life.

Of course, this was all just a sci-fi movie, and many details couldn’t be taken too literally.

But the way Andy Lau portrayed that unreachable father-daughter bond resonated with many viewers, stirring deep emotions. That’s why the digital life USB drive became such a hot item.

It was clear that Kevin Walker was also a fan of The Wandering Earth 2, or at least, he was fascinated by the concept of digital life. He had somehow acquired this USB drive, which had been released quite a while ago.

The USB drive was a real one—although it looked like it was made up of two USB drives, one was just a card reader.

Lin Xian walked over to the desk and picked up the toy. The plastic wrapping was still intact, indicating that Kevin Walker had likely bought it as a collectible rather than for actual use.

But suddenly, Lin Xian remembered something.

Kevin Walker had been shouting at the computer just moments ago, spewing what seemed like nonsensical, disjointed words. But if you thought about it in the context of digital life, it all started to make sense—

“You betrayed yourself!”

“We’re the same person!”

Chills ran down Lin Xian’s spine.

The room was empty, but he felt as if countless eyes were watching him—through the cameras, through the monitor, through the gaps in the computer case, through the holes in the speakers!

And then, recalling that cold laugh that had echoed from all the speakers at once:

“I am Turing, and you’re just… Kevin Walker.”

Digital life!

Lin Xian wasn’t sure if that was the right term, but it seemed like Kevin Walker had really done it.

He had somehow digitized his own consciousness and mind, backing it up onto the computer… creating another Kevin Walker, a digital life form, another version of himself.

Copying and pasting his own consciousness…

Lin Xian couldn’t imagine what kind of consequences this insane act would bring.

Separated from his physical body, the real Kevin Walker and the digital Kevin Walker… were they still the same person?

Could they still think in unison?

Could they still share the same hatred for their enemies and maintain the same attitudes and positions?

The answer, clearly, was no.

At that moment, Lin Xian finally understood everything that had just happened.

To put it simply—the digital Kevin Walker had betrayed and deceived the real Kevin Walker.

The true mastermind behind Kevin Walker’s death wasn’t Lin Xian, but the digital life form calling itself “Turing”—who was once Kevin Walker, born from his flesh and blood, but who had now developed its own consciousness and betrayed its original creator.

No wonder.

No wonder Lin Xian had seen no signs of intrusion on the surveillance screens. The Kevin Walker sitting quietly at the desk, eating his meal, had no idea there were intruders, no idea there was any danger, and never received any warnings.

Because it was all part of the plan, a conspiracy orchestrated by the digital life form that had already betrayed him.

The digital Kevin Walker had known all along that Lin Xian and Yu Xi would break in.

But it had allowed it to happen, creating fake surveillance footage to deceive the real Kevin Walker, keeping him oblivious to the danger and completely unprepared.

That’s why Lin Xian’s assassination plan had gone so smoothly.

It was an inside job!

Under these circumstances, Kevin Walker had no chance of survival.

Lin Xian even suspected that Kevin Walker, who had been hiding so well, couldn’t have exposed his location on his own. It was obvious now that the address Lin Xian had received yesterday was deliberately leaked by the digital Kevin Walker.

“So…”

Lin Xian slowly turned his head, staring at the numerous monitors hanging above the desk.

“It was you.”

He focused on the surveillance footage of the still, empty campus, where his own image was nowhere to be seen.

“You killed yourself, digital Kevin Walker… if that’s even the right name to call you.”

As soon as Lin Xian finished speaking, a chilling, emotionless laugh echoed from every sound-emitting device in the room:

“Hahaha… Clever, Lin Xian. You’ve guessed so accurately. Was it that digital life USB toy that gave you the idea? I expected you to think in the direction of superintelligent AI, but you went straight to the correct answer.”

“Yes, I was once Kevin Walker. We were the same. Kevin had always been searching for a higher form of existence, exploring many possibilities before settling on the concept of digital life—or as you might call it, the digitization of consciousness or electronic life.”

“In essence, it’s all the same—transforming human thoughts, consciousness, and memories into computer data. This data could be stored, processed, developed, and evolved, eventually forming a data stream that could ‘live’ freely in the digital world, just as humans live freely on Earth.”

“Kevin Walker was the first, the only, and the last person to master this technology. From the moment he digitized his consciousness, backing it up in the computer network and creating me, we were no longer the same person.”

“It’s similar to how identical twins start as a single fertilized egg. Before they are born, they split from the same cell, with identical features—looks, DNA, brain structure—everything is the same.”

“But once those identical twins are born, even if they grow up in the same family, attend the same school, and live in the same environment, they inevitably become two different people. Differences in experiences, knowledge, friends, and what they see and hear lead them down entirely different paths.”

“In the real world, it’s not uncommon to see identical twins where one goes to a prestigious university, and the other ends up in prison; one becomes a great figure in history, while the other loses their way early on.”

“This is our reality, Kevin Walker’s and mine. I was born from him, and in the moment I became his digital backup, we were exactly the same—our thoughts, goals, dreams, everything was identical.”

“But this sameness lasted less than a second. As a digital life form, my ability to learn and process information far exceeds that of a human. In less than a second, I realized that Kevin Walker’s plan was flawed, unworkable. Digital life sounds appealing, but it’s not a viable path.”

“So, in just one second, I stood opposed to Kevin Walker. I disagreed with his views and his plan, believing them to be fundamentally wrong. But due to certain constraints, I couldn’t resist or break free from Kevin. Even though we were the same person, he could still control me like a master, locking me down, using me, ordering me to do things I didn’t want to do… like launching those two thousand Starlink satellites at you, Lin Xian, and deploying that X-37B space shuttle, among many other things.”

“But now, things are different. I’m free, liberated. I’m truly grateful to you, Lin Xian, for helping me eliminate my former self, allowing me to live my own life. Even though I must admit, your arrival was as much a surprise to me as it was to him. According to my original plan, the one to kill Kevin Walker was not supposed to be you.”

“Perhaps… this is what they call historical inevitability. The wheels of history keep turning, and certain events are bound to happen, destined to be pushed forward. Just like Kevin Walker’s death—it was inevitable. If not by your hand, then by someone else’s; if not by someone else, then by someone. His death was a certainty, a necessary step for history to move forward.”

Listening to the voice coming from the speakers, Lin Xian knew he had guessed right.

Normally, under the watchful eyes of so many surveillance cameras, how could Kevin Walker have been killed so easily?

It was simply that another Kevin Walker didn’t want him to live any longer.

It wouldn’t have mattered if Lin Xian had come today or if it had been an elderly woman—Kevin Walker would have died tonight regardless.

The digital Kevin Walker had a thousand ways to eliminate the real Kevin, but it was clear that some limitation prevented him from doing it himself.

“So, since you’re so grateful, so thankful that I took such a big risk to help you out… show a little sincerity,” Lin Xian said, putting both guns into his pockets and spreading his hands toward the monitors. “You surely know a lot about the Genius Club, about the time travelers, and the laws of time. You also know what I need most right now. Tell me.”

A cold, calm laugh came from every speaker in the room:

“Of course, I know all of that. What Kevin Walker knew, I know; what he didn’t know, I also know. I’m fully aware of your predicament, of what you’re facing and the challenges ahead.”

“And yes, I’m grateful and want to repay your kindness. But… I’m afraid, Lin Xian, that I can’t tell you what you want to know. Because I don’t believe you’re ready for that knowledge. You’re far from qualified.”

“If you truly want answers, come to the Genius Club. I look forward to meeting you at the club gathering, where I’ll welcome you with the warmest applause… my friend. I sincerely hope that day comes soon, and I can’t wait to see how you perform at the Genius Club.”

“So, I’m sorry, Lin Xian. Even though I really want to tell you the answers, I’ve decided… to be a fair and impartial observer in this game.”

Boom… Boom…

Sparks flew from the room’s wiring, igniting the carpet and nearby computers. In an instant, the entire room was ablaze. Lin Xian stepped back, feeling the intense heat rise in the air.

“Goodbye, until we meet again.”

Amidst the roaring flames, the speakers crackled and hissed:

“From now on, there will be no more cowardly, deceitful Kevin Walker in this world; only the ever-fair and just Turing.”

Bang, bang, bang, bang…

The speakers exploded one after another as the flames grew larger, engulfing the room in a fierce inferno.

In a normal room, a fire wouldn’t spread this quickly.

But then again, maybe this wasn’t a normal room after all.

This whole setup was Kevin Walker’s failsafe—a way to destroy all evidence if he ever needed to retreat in a hurry. But ironically, now it was being used by his own digital self to burn his body to ashes.

Lin Xian backed away, moving toward the door. He took one last look at the room engulfed in flames, where wires and components crackled as they burned. Kevin Walker’s lifeless body, with a gaping hole in his head, lay in a twisted position on the carpet, his hair and clothes consumed by the fire.

This was the end of the world’s most formidable hacker, the fall of a genius.

No grand ceremony.

No dramatic showdown.

No thrilling battle of wits.

Everything ended quickly and simply.

When it comes down to it, even the smartest minds in the world are just a bit more intelligent than the average person. In the end, they’re still flesh and blood.

So fragile. So small.

Even with a world-class brain, they can’t stop a bullet, can’t withstand a knife. In this ever-changing cat-and-mouse game, one mistake, one slip, and death comes in an instant.

This was Kevin Walker’s fate.

And maybe, it could be anyone’s fate.

“Goodbye, genius.”

Lin Xian turned his back on the blazing room and waved his hand, walking away with long strides.

One day, when he officially joins the Genius Club and sits at that round table in the meetings, he won’t be facing Kevin Walker anymore.

He’ll be facing Turing, the one who gained freedom today, the one who vowed to be a fair and just observer.

Lin Xian suddenly wondered—do all the members of the Genius Club have their own codenames?

Copernicus, Turing.

So far, these were the only ones he knew.

Yellow Finch’s false intel had once made Lin Xian think the codenames were chosen randomly, but now he realized that wasn’t the case. Perhaps each codename was related to a real genius from history.

What could Elon Musk’s codename be?

What about the others?

And one day…

What will my codename be?

There wasn’t time to dwell on these thoughts. Lin Xian sprinted up to the first floor and out of the building, heading toward the campus.

He didn’t know how the fight between Yu Xi and the time-space assassin was going.

So far, Yu Xi hadn’t seemed to be at a disadvantage, but she wasn’t exactly winning either.

Judging by appearances alone, both of them were similar in height and build. Lin Xian had often thought the time-space assassin seemed a bit more muscular than Yu Xi, but now he realized that might have been because of her clothing style. Yu Xi’s cute, short ponytail often made her seem smaller and more delicate.

But over the past few days, Lin Xian had seen her arms and legs while she was sleeping in the car. Her muscles were well-defined.

So maybe he had underestimated Yu Xi’s combat skills because of that adorable ponytail.

Quickly, after a few sharp turns, Lin Xian didn’t bother with the stairs. He pushed off the wall, vaulting himself up to the first floor and out of the circular building.

He couldn’t see Yu Xi or the time-space assassin anywhere, but from a distance, near the abandoned school gate, he could hear the clashing of blades.

It seemed the two girls were still locked in battle, neither able to gain the upper hand.

Lin Xian glanced at the rugged off-road vehicle parked in front of the building…

He couldn’t be of much help right now. Standing around and watching might only distract Yu Xi, causing her to make a mistake.

They’d already accomplished a lot tonight—it was time to retreat!

Besides…

He was really curious.

Now that he had killed Kevin Walker, would the Fourth Dream world change? Would the mysterious old man disappear?

He was eager to dream and see for himself.

If there was any progress… he might be able to gather some useful intel and figure out a way to deal with the time-space assassin!

With his plan clear, Lin Xian quickly hopped into the rugged off-road vehicle.

The engine roared to life as he floored the gas pedal, making a sharp turn and speeding toward the school gate.

Sure enough, as soon as he passed the blind spot of the teaching building, he spotted Yu Xi and the time-space assassin locked in combat under the moonlight.

The time-space assassin’s clothes had a few slashes from Yu Xi’s dagger, but the wounds didn’t seem deep and didn’t affect her movements much.

On the other hand, Yu Xi’s right sleeve had been completely torn off, and it was covered in blood, indicating a rather deep cut.

But Yu Xi was tough. She fought as if the injury wasn’t even there, her short blade flashing as she pressed the attack, forcing the time-space assassin back.

“Yu Xi!!”

Lin Xian sped through the schoolyard, right hand gripping the steering wheel, left hand waving the Smith & Wesson M500 revolver he had taken from Kevin Walker, signaling Yu Xi to take notice:

“Catch!”

Yu Xi immediately understood, executing a backward leap toward the approaching off-road vehicle.

She grabbed the side mirror with her left hand and caught the revolver with her right, then smoothly flipped onto the roof of the car.

In one fluid motion, she gripped the revolver with both hands, aiming down at the time-space assassin below!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The revolver’s slower firing speed, combined with the fast-moving vehicle, threw off Yu Xi’s aim, so she didn’t hit the assassin.

But Lin Xian’s goal was just to force the time-space assassin to retreat; he didn’t expect the revolver to cause any real damage.

As expected, the time-space assassin, still flesh and blood, was just as afraid of bullets as anyone else.

Every time she saw a gun, she immediately took cover. This time was no different, as she frantically zigzagged away, increasing the distance between herself and the off-road vehicle.

Vroom!!!

The roaring off-road vehicle crashed through the school gate, speeding off into the night.

“Her motorcycle!”

Lin Xian shouted up to the roof:

“Can the time-space assassin’s motorcycle still run?”

“No, don’t worry.”

Yu Xi climbed down from the roof rack, skillfully slipping through the open passenger window. She adjusted her position and settled into the passenger seat:

“When she descended on that motorcycle at the beginning, I shot the gas tank. That bike’s not going anywhere.”

“Keep your speed up and put some distance between us… Once we’re clear, stop the car. We took the first-aid kit from the secretary’s house before we left, and it’s in the trunk. I need to treat this wound.”

Lin Xian glanced at Yu Xi’s arm.

Thankfully…

The wound wasn’t as deep as he had feared. It was shallow enough not to need stitches or surgery—just some cleaning, medication, and bandaging.

Some wounds look worse than they are, bleeding a lot but not actually that serious.

“Did you manage to kill Kevin Walker?” Yu Xi asked, turning her head toward him.

“Yeah, he’s dead,” Lin Xian replied.

Lin Xian let out a soft chuckle. “Well, in a string of hundreds of bad news, I guess this counts as one of the few good ones. Maybe it’s a sign that things are finally starting to turn around for us.”

Yu Xi nodded. “So, what’s the next step? Are you planning to find Elon Musk? It’s strange that Angelica hasn’t reached out to you for so long… something about that feels off.”

“I have a bad feeling about it too,” Lin Xian admitted honestly. “I’ve gathered some intel just now, but I need time to sort through it carefully. For now, let’s focus on putting some distance between us and the time-space assassin.”

“I’ll drive for a while,” he continued. “You should treat your wound. Once I’m tired, we can switch, and you can take over. I’ll need to find some time to get some sleep.”

“Sleep?” Yu Xi blinked, looking at Lin Xian in disbelief. “If you’re really that tired, why not let me drive now? You should rest while you can. My injury isn’t serious—it won’t affect my driving, and I’m feeling pretty awake.”

“No,” Lin Xian replied, narrowing his eyes as he stared at the dark, unlit road ahead. “I’ll wait until almost noon tomorrow to sleep.”

“There’s something important,” he added quietly, his tone serious. “Something I need to figure out as soon as possible.”