Genius Playground

”Sang Biao!”

Jiang Ran blurted out.

’That was definitely Sang Biao’s voice!’

”Holy shit?”

The person in the adjacent Cell 1 was startled. The iron bars CLANKED as what looked like a fat head tried hard to peer over.

”What’s going on? When did someone move into Cell 3? Kid, what’s your name?”

Jiang Ran remembered this part of the setup.

Previously, Cell 3 held an honest man nicknamed ”Shorty.”

Later, he was silenced by the guards for hearing and seeing things he shouldn’t have.

Cell 3 had been empty ever since, right up until he moved in.

But as for when exactly he had arrived, what crime he had committed, or how long his sentence was... no one knew, including himself.

”Hey! I asked you a damn question! Don’t just go silent on me!”

Jiang Ran was completely taken by surprise.

He never would have imagined that this ”time trip,” despite having so many different variables, would still land him in the exact same place at the exact same time.

Before this experiment, he had specifically checked the time.

Since there were no extra delays and Chi Xiaoguo had also arrived early, the two of them conducted the experiment shortly after six in the morning, about an hour earlier than usual.

But even so.

This ”time trip” still sent him to the moment two seconds before Sang Biao spoke, down to the very second.

”My name is Jiang Ran,” he replied.

Over in the other cell, Sang Biao was BANGING on the iron bars so hard it sounded like he was about to tear them down. Jiang Ran stopped thinking for a moment and started talking to him.

”What’s the date today? Is it still 2045?”

”Huh?”

Sang Biao was incredulous.

”Did you get your brains scrambled?! If it’s not 2045, what is it, 2085?!”

”The date?”

Jiang Ran pressed, ”What’s the month and day?”

”Date my ass!”

Sang Biao started spouting bullshit.

”I’m trying to organize a goddamn prison break here! Stop your useless chatter!”

Just then.

A calm, clear voice suddenly came from Cell 5 to his right.

”September 17th.”

It was the Assassin’s voice. Jiang Ran remembered it clearly.

During his last ”time trip,” the Assassin had, for some strange reason, taken good care of him. Not only did he help him multiple times, but he even protected him and let him escape first when they were being chased by police dogs at the end.

So, Jiang Ran had a pretty high opinion of him.

”September 17th, 2045. Morning. Around 10 AM.”

The Assassin repeated, this time with more precision.

”Thanks.”

Jiang Ran thanked him through the bars.

”Thanks my ass!”

Sang Biao kept on cursing.

”Dammit, I’m calling for a prison break and every single one of you is a coward! You... %#@$&*...”

Sang Biao started going down the line, berating the stupid young man, Bookworm, and the Assassin one by one for their failings.

Jiang Ran retreated back into his cell and sat on the small bed.

He needed to sort out his thoughts.

’From the looks of it, this prison is exactly the same as during my last ”time trip,” without the slightest difference.’

The room arrangement was as follows:

[1] [2]

[3] [4]

[5] [6]

Cells 1, 3, and 5 were in one column, 2, 4, and 6 in another, with a corridor in the middle.

Cell 1 was occupied by Sang Biao.

Cell 2 was occupied by the stupid young man.

Cell 3 was his own.

Cell 4 was Bookworm’s.

Cell 5 was the Assassin’s.

Cell 6 was empty.

The date was also still September 17th, 2045, matching the digital clock he had seen on his last ”time trip.”

Although it wasn’t enough to be certain yet, summarizing the common points from these two ”time trips,” it wasn’t hard to reach a conclusion—

’Answering a call while activating the Positron Cannon allows one to travel to a certain prison around 10 AM on September 17th, 2045.’

What was rather intriguing was...

He had already experienced everything these people were saying and everything that was about to happen once before.

To Jiang Ran, Sang Biao and the others’ actions now felt like a movie being replayed.

The exact same conversations.

Amidst it all, Jiang Ran once again heard the Magician’s name.

The Magician was Qin Feng, the world’s number one criminal and a public enemy of mankind, who was scheduled to be publicly beheaded at noon.

It was now 2045.

Normally, Qin Feng should be 40 years old by now.

Jiang Ran really wanted to go to the execution ground to see for himself what had happened to Qin Feng, what he had gone through, and why he had ended up like this.

But.

If this whole experience was a [fixed loop], then that meant there would be a patrolling guard and several police dogs on the path to the execution ground.

Going rashly would inevitably lead to the same team wipe as last time.

He rubbed his chin...

Remembering the scene where half his face was smashed in, Jiang Ran still felt a lingering fear.

CLICK!

Just like the previous ”plot,” after cursing everyone out, Sang Biao pried open his cell door and walked out, a piece of wire pinched in his hand.

”I’ll ask you all one last time...”

His voice held a hint of pleading as he looked from Cell 2 to Cell 5.

”Are you willing to break out with me?”

...

After a long silence, Jiang Ran walked forward, reached his hand through the iron bars, and patted Sang Biao’s shoulder.

”I’ll go with you.”

!

Sang Biao’s eyes went wide.

”For real, little bro?”

He never would have thought that this new kid—the one who looked like the biggest, weakest wimp—would actually support him!

Looking Jiang Ran up and down, question marks seemed to pop up over Sang Biao’s head.

”Wait a minute, little bro. What’s with your clothes? How come you’re not in a prison uniform? And your hairstyle—”

”That’s not important.”

Jiang Ran cut him off, shaking the iron bars.

”Hurry up and open the door.”

Sang Biao quickly unlocked the door and gestured for Jiang Ran to come out with both hands.

The events that followed unfolded just as Jiang Ran expected. The Assassin was the first to respond, stating that Jiang Ran was the ”luck” he had been talking about. Since Jiang Ran was willing to break out, he would go too.