Genius Playground

”Look, Assassin wants to break out because he has a younger brother they’ve relied on each other... well, at least they used to. But they’re still brothers by blood. After he escapes, he’ll definitely want to find him.”

Jiang Ran analyzed rationally:

”And the stupid young man? He’s a Super Male patient whose brain can’t control his body, surviving on instinct like a paramecium. He just stumbles along. Whatever the group decides to do, he’ll mindlessly follow, so let’s not even get into him.”

”So what about you, Sang Biao? What’s your reason for being willing to risk your life to break out? In fact... your desire to escape is stronger than anyone else’s. Even if I hadn’t taken the lead today, you would have stepped up and instigated this.”

Upon hearing this, Sang Biao fell uncharacteristically silent.

He stood there without a word, gazing at the mirror on the wall. He saw his scruffy reflection, then turned his head away.

”For my mom.”

He said softly,

”I’m breaking out just to see my mom one last time.”

?

Jiang Ran tilted his head.

This sudden emotional turn caught him so off guard that he was left speechless.

This...

’This is completely out of character for someone like Sang Biao,’

”Your mother... is she alright?” Jiang Ran asked.

Sang Biao scratched his head.

”She’s probably... not going to make it.”

At this, the burly, fierce-looking inmate let out a long sigh.

”About two months ago, a friend from my hometown paid a guard to pass me a message. It said my mother’s illness had gotten worse and that she probably... wouldn’t make it through the year.”

”This prison doesn’t allow visitors, let alone leave for family emergencies. You can’t even send or receive letters.”

”She’s the only family I have in this world. She raised me all by herself. And what was the result? I was a huge disappointment and ended up in prison for this long...”

”I’d planned on behaving myself in here so I could get out one day and take care of her in her old age, to be there for her at the end.”

”But look at this damn prison. If I don’t seize this one and only chance to break out today... I’m afraid I’ll never get to see my mom again.”

He rummaged through a drawer and was lucky enough to find cigarettes and a lighter. He lit one and stuck it in his mouth.

”To be honest, after being locked up for so many years, I don’t really care if I live or die. My only obsession... is wanting to see her just one more time before she passes, you know?”

”Even if they drag me back from my hometown after I escape and throw the book at me, locking me up until I die, I don’t care... My worthless life... what’s the big deal if I just end up dying here?”

HUFF...

He blew a messy cloud of smoke toward the ceiling, where it swirled amidst the sunlight and dust motes.

”So, today is my only chance.”

Sang Biao bit down on the cigarette, his eyes filled with a readiness to face death.

”Either I die trying to escape, or... I kneel by my mom’s bedside. I don’t care about anything else.”

ROAR!!!!!!!!!!!

Suddenly, an unprecedented roar of cheers erupted from outside, so loud it made the soundproof glass tremble.

Jiang Ran glanced at the digital clock.

It was 11:30 AM, the exact moment the Magician, Qin Feng, was to be dragged out, hooded, and forced to kneel on the execution platform.

Tsk.

He clicked his tongue.

’Why are Assassin and the stupid young man taking so long? Haven’t they found the van yet?’

’Any later...’

’...and it’ll be too late.’

Finally, after Sang Biao had morosely smoked half a pack of cigarettes until the visibility in the room dropped to less than two meters, a prisoner transport van finally drove past the window, honking its horn impatiently.

”It’s Assassin and the others!”

Jiang Ran stood up and pulled Sang Biao.

”Let’s go, hurry! They found the van and they’re here to get us!”

The two of them immediately ran for the corridor.

Jiang Ran knew the layout here like the back of his hand. Making a few turns, he precisely located the white double doors that led to the execution ground.

He pressed the handle and pushed them open—

A massive, surging crowd; a deafening, earth-shattering roar. The Magician’s life was on a countdown.

”Get in, quick!”

Assassin lowered the window and pointed to the back of the van.

”The back doors are unlocked! Get in and bolt them from the inside!”

Jiang Ran and Sang Biao did as they were told, went to the back of the van, pulled open the doors, and scrambled inside.

Inside was a typical transport compartment. The walls were padded, with several seats lining each side and a barred window for communicating with the driver’s cabin.

”What took you so long?” Jiang Ran complained.

”There were too many people! The van was impossible to find!”

This was no place to linger. Assassin immediately turned the van around and headed for the prison’s outer wall.

It was the only exit to the outside world, and it was protected by heavily armed guards.

Everyone instinctively clenched their fists, breaking out in a cold sweat.

”Shit, we have to line up for an inspection.”

Assassin drove the transport van to the prison exit only to find a long queue. A dozen or so vehicles were lined up ahead, waiting to be inspected.

”Sigh.”

Jiang Ran gritted his teeth and sighed.

’The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry,’ he thought. They’d saved so much time earlier, only to be held up by the search for the van.

He looked at the digital clock. It was already 11:58 AM.

”It’s too late.”

He said quietly.

In two minutes, he would be ”kicked” back to 2025 by the timeline.

He didn’t know what would happen here in 2045 after he ”vanished,” but one thing was for sure... he wouldn’t get to see how the rest of the story played out this time.

”What do you mean, ’it’s too late’?”

Assassin turned back, confused.

”It’s just a routine inspection; they won’t be too thorough. Besides, we’re in a prison-owned vehicle. They’ll wave us through fast. We just have to wait a little longer for our turn.”

”It’s too late.”

Jiang Ran shook his head, wasting no words.

”Assassin, tell me quickly, where did you find the van?”

”In the northwest corner of the execution ground.”

”Be more specific.”

Jiang Ran pressed.

”I’ve already memorized the license plate. What was the exact location of the van?”

”There’s a dedicated parking lot in the northwest corner. It’s all for official prison vehicles.”

Assassin reported precisely.

”This van was against the wall, in the second row, at the front of the line.”

Jiang Ran repeated it twice in his mind, searing it into his memory.

Then,

He stood up.

He tossed the digital clock onto the floor.

”See you all tomorrow.”

He gave a small smile and waved to Sang Biao and the others.

”Congratulations are in order. We’ve finally made it to the last step.”

”Tomorrow, we’ll finally be able to breathe... the fresh air outside this prison.”

BZZZT!

BZZZT!

BZZZT!

The moment the digital clock flipped to 12:00 PM, an explosive cheer erupted from the direction of the execution platform. At the same instant, Jiang Ran’s vision went black, and he tumbled into an endless, spinning vortex of space and time.

The world spun around him, his head felt heavy and his feet light. He couldn’t see or hear a thing.

「Two seconds later.」

The unique autumn scent of sweet olive, characteristic of East Sea University, filled his nostrils. Jiang Ran breathed in the fragrance of his alma mater and slowly... opened his eyes.

”It’s gonna work!”

Jiang Ran was thrilled.

He’d never imagined that he was finally about to clear the Future Prison scenario that had trapped him for months!

Tomorrow, he just had to tell Assassin where the van was parked ahead of time, or the four of them could go to the lot together... they could get in line at the exit early, pass the inspection early, and drive out of the prison early!

”Tomorrow, all the mysteries will finally be revealed.”

Jiang Ran looked up, watching the maple leaves drift down from a corner in the distance.

This was the most beautiful time of year at East Sea University.

The sweet olives were fragrant, the maple leaves were falling, and the ginkgo trees were turning yellow.

The entire campus was a riot of color, vibrant with life and the fullness of autumn.

And he...

’Was finally about to receive the answer he had awaited for so long!’

After looping back to the Film Club room, Jiang Ran and Chi Xiaoguo agreed that starting tomorrow, they would conduct their Positron Cannon experiments in the evening, so they wouldn’t have to get up early anymore.

Then,

The two of them hid the Positron Cannon in a cardboard box, locked the door, and headed to their respective classes.

...

「The next day, 6:00 AM.」

Even though he had canceled his alarm, a person’s internal clock doesn’t change so easily. Jiang Ran still woke up naturally at his usual time.

He took out his phone and checked the date.

September 15, 2025.

He didn’t need to go to the Film Club this morning, but since he was awake, Jiang Ran decided to get up and go say a proper goodbye to Old Tian.

Over the past while, sweeping up with Old Tian every morning had become a tacit understanding between them.

Every day at the same time, Old Tian would be waiting for him by the flowerbeds, and Jiang Ran would pick his moment to jump out the window. They would share a smile and start their ”duo sweep.”

Since he wouldn’t be able to sweep with Old Tian anymore, Jiang Ran decided he should go and explain things clearly, to save the other man from waiting for him at the usual time.

He got dressed, left his room, and took the main path to the area behind the club activity building.

”Well, well! Xiaojiang isn’t jumping out the window today?”

Old Tian spotted Jiang Ran from afar and greeted him with a chuckle.

”I’m not used to you suddenly walking up the main path like this.”

Jiang Ran smiled, walked over, and grabbed the spare broom from the tricycle, sweeping with practiced ease.

”Old Tian, this is the last day I’ll be sweeping with you.”

He made up an excuse, telling Old Tian that the club’s recruitment drive was over, so he no longer needed to get up early and stay late preparing materials.

Which meant, naturally, that he couldn’t sweep with Old Tian anymore.

”That’s no big deal at all!”

Old Tian waved his hand dismissively.

”Sweeping is my job, anyway. I shouldn’t have been letting you help in the first place, Xiaojiang... I’ve felt bad this whole time, you helping me sweep every single day.”

”You’re a student; studying is what’s most important. You shouldn’t waste your time on pointless stuff like this. You’d be better off sleeping in and getting some proper rest!”

Old Tian seemed to be in a good mood today. He kept Jiang Ran chatting for a long time, even sharing some gossip and amusing stories about the school’s logistics department.

Their final moments together flew by in a flash.

Jiang Ran felt that with every scrape of the broom against the pavement, a piece of his bond with Old Tian was being swept away. It was just like this path they had swept together countless times from south to north—the leaves fell every day, same as always, yet with each new day, everything was different.

As he tossed the last shovelful of trash into the tricycle cart, Old Tian dusted off his hands and said his farewells to Jiang Ran.

”Alright, Xiaojiang, I can take it from here.”

He chuckled and patted Jiang Ran on the shoulder.

”I’m serious, I’m really glad to have met you. You’re a good kid. This whole time, I’ve really looked forward to seeing you every day. You’ve been a huge help, and you even introduced me to Teacher Yan and worried about Lili’s situation.”

”Old Tian, you’re making it sound... like we’ll never see each other again,”

Jiang Ran said with a light chuckle.

”Even if we’re not sweeping together anymore, we’re still at the same school. We should stay in touch! You have my number, so if you need help with anything later, don’t hesitate to call me anytime.”

”That includes... the thing Teacher Yan Chonghan discussed with you. If there’s anything you’re not sure about, you have to talk it over with me. Don’t make any hasty decisions.”

”Haha, got it!”

Old Tian gripped Jiang Ran’s hand, looking reluctant to let go.

”I really wish my daughter... could be just like you. Warm-hearted, kind, full of life, and studying here at East Sea University.”

”Things will get better.”

Jiang Ran comforted him.

”A lot of things... they’ll get better with time.”

Then, Jiang Ran let go, ready to watch Old Tian leave.

Old Tian got on his tricycle.

But instead of pedaling away, he just sat there, looking as if he wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words.

Finally...

He slowly turned back around.

”Xiaojiang.”

Old Tian pressed his lips together, looked up, and met Jiang Ran’s eyes.

”Can I ask you... for a favor?”