Genius Playground

He had a gut feeling the young man across from him had to be joking. He must be bored and just trying to mess with him.

After all, what kind of normal person would think of studying Goldbach’s Conjecture in prison?

Even though the conjecture had been proven nearly twenty years ago, its complexity was still beyond the grasp of the average university student.

But his principles as a teacher meant he could never refuse a student’s question.

"If you’re serious about learning, I’m of course willing to teach you. It’s not like we’re short on time in here."

"It’s just... something as complex as Goldbach’s Conjecture can’t be explained just by talking through the bars. You need to write out the derivations on a board..."

Hearing this, Jiang Ran clicked his tongue.

Indeed.

That was a huge problem.

’Without Sang Biao, I can’t pick the lock. But with Sang Biao, I’d have to join the prison break.’

’This is so annoying.’

"Hey, kick that wire over here."

Suddenly, the Assassin in cell number 5 spoke up.

He extended a slender, pale arm, pointing like a slithering snake toward the wire Sang Biao had thrown on the ground:

"You two, take off your shirts, swing them to hook that wire, then toss it to me. I’ll pick your locks for you."

?

Jiang Ran couldn’t believe it.

’This Assassin is way too versatile! He knows every Skill imaginable!’

This godsend was, of course, a good thing.

Jiang Ran sprang into action. After a bit of maneuvering, he managed to retrieve the Silver Iron Wire Sang Biao had dropped and tossed it to the right, into cell number 5.

The Assassin took the wire, twisted his arm to insert it into the lock, and with a few clicks—CLICK, CLICK, CLICK—the door sprang open.

Then, he walked over, looked Jiang Ran up and down, and met his gaze.

Their eyes met, full of a tacit understanding.

’Of course, I know,’ Jiang Ran thought. ’The Assassin must suspect—or rather, be certain—that I’m a Time Traveler. That’s why he’s cooperating with my every move, no questions asked.’

’And I know his reasons for doing so, but my main mission right now is to study math. I don’t plan on getting any more involved with him than necessary.’

KLIK. KLIK.

The Assassin picked the locks even faster than Sang Biao could, opening the doors to Jiang Ran’s and Zhang Yang’s cells in quick succession before turning and returning to his own.

"Hey! What do you think you’re doing?!"

The stupid young man in cell number 2 was not pleased, rattling the iron bars.

"Open mine, too!"

The Assassin glanced back.

"Do you want to study Goldbach’s Conjecture, too?"

"What? What’s this about some ’Gold-back tug-of-war’ or whatever!"

The stupid young man sputtered, his tongue tied in knots.

"I just wanna get out for some fresh air!"

...

For the first time in a long while, this small section of the prison was in perfect harmony.

Jiang Ran and the elderly Zhang Yang squatted under the light of the corridor, using the handle of a toothbrush as chalk to write formulas on the damp, mottled walls as Zhang Yang explained them.

The Assassin leaned against the iron bars behind them, watching the two in silence.

Meanwhile, the stupid young man couldn’t sit still. One moment he was shadowboxing or shooting imaginary hoops, the next he was doing sit-ups and push-ups.

No wonder he was so muscular; he never stopped working out.

Perhaps getting tired or bored of his workout, he walked over and stood behind Jiang Ran and Zhang Yang, staring at the chaotic jumble of symbols on the wall.

"These study conditions are pretty rough. Worse than the elementary school in my village. What were you up to before? You didn’t study on the outside, but now you’re here hitting the books... It’s true what they say: when you’re young, you don’t value an education; you think slaving away at some job is the real treasure."

"Oh, will you just shut up?"

Jiang Ran shot him a look.

"You say that as if you love studying so much."

"I do like studying!" the stupid young man said, putting his hands on his hips.

"Then why didn’t you study properly?"

"The school didn’t want me!"

The stupid young man spread his hands.

"I was always getting into fights, sometimes even with the teachers. I know it’s not right, but I just can’t control myself. Once my temper flares, I can’t think straight."

"You’re a Super Male,"

Jiang Ran said softly.

"Super Male Syndrome."

"Hey, that’s a nasty thing to say! What makes you say I’m—""Alright, alright."

The Assassin stepped forward and pulled the stupid young man away.

"Don’t disturb their studies. Go do your sit-ups over there."

...

And so, the days passed quickly, filled with busy studying.

Every morning after his lesson with Zhang Yang, Jiang Ran would immediately return to his college library to continue his research.

As long as he didn’t try to escape, he wouldn’t be killed by the prison guards. But Jiang Ran would still be forced back to the year 2025 around noon, right when the Magician was beheaded. This compulsion was completely irresistible.

Lu Yu’s proof for Goldbach’s Conjecture wasn’t actually difficult to memorize. It was as concise as a poem, and it didn’t take much effort for Jiang Ran to learn it by heart.

But what Jiang Ran needed was to master it completely; he had to understand every single part of the proof.

He needed to know not only the method behind each step but also its purpose.

Otherwise...

’Otherwise, if some academician decided to test me later by asking a few questions, it would look far too suspicious if I couldn’t answer.’

Nan Xiuxiu came to the library to keep Jiang Ran company almost every day, and she frequently worried about his class attendance.

"Jiang Ran, it’s risky for you to keep skipping class every day like this."

"Just let me get through this stretch."

Jiang Ran filled a sheet of scratch paper and turned the page.

"I’m just too busy right now. I really don’t have time for class."

Nan Xiuxiu propped her chin on her hands, her eyes going blurry as she tried to make sense of the various symbols on his scratch paper.

"Why are you studying math now?"

She clearly remembered that after the May Day holiday, Jiang Ran had spent a long time in the library studying things like circuits, cathode-ray tubes, and other electronics.

And now, he was suddenly studying such complex mathematics.

’Oh, god...’

’Just what kind of competition is the East Sea University Film Club in? Is it really this difficult?’

"Hey."

Nan Xiuxiu poked Jiang Ran’s arm.

"A new rice noodle shop just opened on the third floor of the cafeteria. I heard it’s even better than the one that closed down outside the school gate. Want to go try it?"

In truth, she didn’t have much hope; she was just asking on a whim.

Jiang Ran was so busy and under so much pressure from the competition that he probably wouldn’t go.

If he said no, she would just go to the cafeteria and get him some takeout so he wouldn’t starve himself while working so hard he forgot to eat.

Jiang Ran stopped writing.

He was silent for two seconds.

And then...

He capped his pen.

"Okay."

He nodded.

"Let’s go try it, then."

...

"Really, Xiuxiu? You’re saying Jiang Ran is back to his old self? That’s great!"

Nan Xiuxiu and her best friend were sitting on the bleachers by the athletic field.

The girl with blonde hair and a tank top breathed a sigh of relief, genuinely happy for Nan Xiuxiu.

"I mean, Jiang Ran was acting a little weird for a while there, but everyone goes through things, right?"

"And like you said, he had a childhood sweetheart who died in a car crash. He was so traumatized for the last two years, so it’s understandable if he has a bit of a relapse."

"But things are much better now! You were so upset before, saying he’d ignored you for half a month. You were even afraid he was giving you the silent treatment because he wanted to break up!"

Nan Xiuxiu let out a long sigh through her nose, watching the couples sitting together in small groups on the soccer field.

"Yeah, I was really worried back then. But he went back to normal after that. He started asking me out on dates and to the movies again."

"And today, even though he was working on some really difficult math problems, and I honestly didn’t expect him to say yes, he still came with me to get rice noodles in the end."

Her blonde friend patted her on the back.

"Cheer up, sweetie!"

"You have to understand, the fact that Jiang Ran is willing to study, to work hard, and to better himself is a really good thing."

"Compared to going to internet cafes to play games or hanging out at bars, isn’t it super positive and a good sign that he’s entering competitions and learning new things?"

Nan Xiuxiu looked up.

She gazed at the few scattered stars in the pitch-black night sky and blinked.

"I know it’s a good thing, and I’m really happy that he’s back to how he was before, taking me out on dates and for meals again."

"But... but... sigh, how do I put this?"

She shook her head, her hair swaying.

A faint night breeze ruffled the pink, glitter-filled accessory in her hair, making it shimmer like an Elf’s tears in the moonlight.

"I just feel like..."

Nan Xiuxiu bit her lower lip.

She turned her head.

She looked toward the brightly lit library in the distance.

"I just feel like the distance between Jiang Ran and me..."

"Is growing wider and wider."