Genius Playground

Hearing this, the white-haired Zhang Yang was taken aback.

He slowly raised his head, narrowed his eyes, and stared blankly at Jiang Ran.

’This young man...’

He didn’t recognize him at all.

"Do you... know me?"

He asked slowly, his mind working as he spoke.

Jiang Ran nodded.

"Teacher Zhang, I know you. But please, don’t ask me anything just yet. Take a good look at my face... Do you remember me at all?"

He was already taller than Zhang Yang, and now the old man was stooped with age. Jiang Ran crouched down, bringing his eyes level with the old man’s so he could get a better look.

"Teacher Zhang, please, look closely at my face. Any impression at all?"

Zhang Yang held his breath, studying Jiang Ran’s face carefully from different angles.

Finally,

He could only shake his head in resignation.

"I’m sorry, young man, I really can’t seem to remember..."

"After being here all these years, my memory has gotten quite poor. I can’t recall many things from the past."

"But... you look like you’re not even twenty. I’ve been locked in this prison for ten years. Logically, our paths should have never crossed."

"So, I’m truly sorry, but I really can’t recall where we might have met. I have no memory of you whatsoever."

Jiang Ran pursed his lips.

’Was it because I didn’t make enough of an impression?’

’That’s certainly possible.’

’After all, in timeline number one, I only met Teacher Zhang Yang once. And that was even though he praised me and said he’d give me a high score on the final exam.’

’But...’

’In his decades-long teaching career, Teacher Zhang Yang must have encountered countless scenes and students just like that, right?’

’I’m a sophomore in college now, and when I think back to elementary school—which was only ten years ago—I’ve already forgotten the names and faces of many of my classmates.’

’And we spent six years together, day in and day out.’

’If I can forget the names and faces of people I spent so much time with, what hope is there for him to remember a single chance meeting from twenty years ago?’

"Do you still remember how you got this scar on your hand?"

Jiang Ran decided to press on.

"Right here. See this little blue-gray dot? It must be from being stabbed by a pencil, right?"

"Think hard. Can you remember when and how you got this mark?"

Zhang Yang raised his hand and looked at the fleshy part of his palm.

"Oh, this. It’s definitely from a pencil. I have another one on my arm from my deskmate in elementary school. I remember that."

"As for this one on my hand... I think it was when I was a teacher at East Sea University. A student poked me with a pencil while I was explaining a problem. I don’t really remember the details."

!!!

’That student was me!’

The words were on the tip of Jiang Ran’s tongue.

But after a moment’s thought, he held back.

’Unless he confessed he was a Time Traveler who had come back from the year 2025, there was no way he could explain this to Teacher Zhang Yang.’

’The age paradox was the biggest problem.’

Besides, there was no need to press Teacher Zhang Yang on this now. He had already gotten the answer he was looking for.

Whether Teacher Zhang Yang remembered him or not, that little blue-gray pencil dot was ironclad proof that the future he knew was real.

"East Sea University?"

This time, the conversation between Jiang Ran and the Bookworm, Zhang Yang, had attracted the Assassin’s attention.

He walked over and looked at Zhang Yang.

"Bookworm, you were a teacher at East Sea University before? How come I’ve never heard you say that?"

Zhang Yang looked at the Assassin and gave a helpless smile.

"You guys never asked before. Why would I bring up the past for no reason? It’s just depressing to talk about."

This conversation had happened before.

Back then, however, the cell doors hadn’t been opened, so they had all been talking to each other from their separate cells. Naturally, Jiang Ran hadn’t been able to see the Assassin’s expression.

But now, he could.

Ever since learning that Zhang Yang had been a teacher at East Sea University, the Assassin’s expression had grown complicated. His gaze darted back and forth between Jiang Ran and Zhang Yang, as if he wanted to say something but was holding back.

"I know what you want to ask."

Jiang Ran said bluntly,

"Assassin, are you trying to ask about... the [Time Travel Machine]?"

The Assassin looked at Jiang Ran but didn’t say a word.

But his silence said it all.

"Don’t hold back."

Jiang Ran smiled.

"If you don’t ask, I’ll ask for you."

With that, he turned to the elderly Zhang Yang.

"Teacher Zhang, there have always been rumors that someone at East Sea University invented a [Time Travel Machine] that allows people to return to the past. Have you ever heard anything about that?"

"Huh?"

Zhang Yang was taken aback, utterly astonished.

"That... that’s impossible."

He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

"The scientific community has always had theories about it, and I’ve even researched it myself out of curiosity. But to say someone has actually succeeded in inventing one... Heh. To be honest, I find that hard to believe."

"I’m no luddite. I believe that with the continued advancement of science, explosive growth in energy supplies, and humanity’s gradual mastery of light speed and black holes, it might be possible to develop a Time Travel Machine in the future."

"But... to say a Time Machine has been invented in this day and age... and on the campus of East Sea University, no less... Heh. I think that’s completely preposterous."

?

Huh?

Jiang Ran turned to look at the Assassin, only to see him snickering as well.

’Great. I’m the Clown.’

’It seems the Assassin’s meaningful silence wasn’t because he wanted to ask that question after all. What he knows... about himself, and about the East Sea University he’s familiar with...’