Genius Playground

Jiang Ran arrived at East Sea University First Affiliated Hospital.

He went straight to Tian Xiaoli’s room in the rehabilitation ward, but he found it empty.

He stepped back to the door and looked at the nameplate.

Rehabilitation Ward: Room 42

Name: Tian Xiaoli

’It seems Tian Xiaoli hasn’t changed rooms. She probably went somewhere else, for a check-up or something.’

”42…”

Jiang Ran narrowed his eyes, staring at the mysterious number, which seemed almost preordained, as if its appearance had been anticipated all along.

’Could it be?’

’Had this 42 actually been hinting at the answer all along, and I just failed to understand it?’

’Trust 42...’

’42 is correct...’

’Follow 42...’

These were the ”Three True Sentences” that the Magician Qin Feng from the year 2045 had imparted to him.

But he had to admit, he was completely incapable of analyzing any useful information from this one baffling number alone.

”So cryptic,” Jiang Ran grumbled.

In hindsight, the number 42 on the hospital room door certainly seemed to confirm a few things. But from his perspective at the time, there was no way he could have connected that number to Old Tian’s situation.

’Ultimately, I just know too little about 42.’

’In fact... you could say I have no understanding of 42 whatsoever.’

He turned and walked to the nurses’ station. After asking for the location of Tian Xiaoli’s attending physician, he found the office, knocked, and went inside.

The attending physician saw him and put on his glasses.

”And you are...?”

”Hello, Doctor. I’m here to visit Tian Xiaoli, the patient in Room 42.”

”Ah, I see.”

The doctor nodded.

”Are you a family member? What’s your relationship to Tian Xiaoli?”

”Um...”

Jiang Ran scratched his head.

”I’m not a relative. I’m friends with her father.”

”Her father?”

The doctor’s brow furrowed instantly.

”You mean the murderer?”

His tone grew noticeably sterner.

”You’re a young man. Why would you be friends with a murderer? What is it you do, exactly?”

”I’m a student at East Sea University,” Jiang Ran answered truthfully.

”Ohh.”

Upon hearing this, the doctor’s attitude softened considerably.

This was, after all, the East Sea University First Affiliated Hospital. Many of the doctors had graduated from East Sea University’s medical school, so they tended to have a soft spot for students from their alma mater.

”What’s your field of study?” the doctor asked.

”I’m a graduate student,”

Jiang Ran replied.

”My advisor is Teacher Zhang Yang from the School of Physics.”

”Zhang Yang!”

A look of realization dawned on the doctor’s face.

”Isn’t he Dean Gao Yan’s last disciple? Then you must be... what’s your name?”

Jiang Ran was a bit surprised. ’He knows them?’

”Doctor, my name is Jiang Ran.”

”Well, I’ll be! So you’re the super-genius Dean Gao Yan was always raving about!”

The doctor’s demeanor changed completely as he chuckled warmly.

”Dean Gao Yan was a mentor to me, too. We’re on good terms. And your Teacher Zhang Yang is a patient here, isn’t he? The one who broke his leg? Heh, I was just doing his rounds this morning.”

”Speaking of which... what brings you here? Are you very concerned about Tian Xiaoli’s condition?”

Jiang Ran nodded.

”To be honest with you, Doctor, I’ve visited Tian Xiaoli before, so I know a little about her situation.”

”As her attending physician, you must know this better than anyone. A patient like her, in a vegetative state for ten years, with significant brain atrophy... by all medical logic, she should have had absolutely no chance of ever waking up.”

”But... the fact is, she did miraculously wake up. I’d like to hear your professional opinion. Is a situation like this... even possible?”

The doctor heard him out.

He pursed his lips and exhaled slowly through his nose.

”Sigh... since you’re Zhang Yang’s student... Come here.”

The doctor motioned for Jiang Ran to come to the front of his desk, then pulled up several brain CT scans on his monitor for Jiang Ran to see.

”Do you see this? The CT image on the left shows the state of Tian Xiaoli’s brain three months ago.”

”See these cavities here? That’s a symptom of brain atrophy. Since you’ve done your research, you should know that medically speaking, brain atrophy is completely irreversible.”

Jiang Ran nodded.

’Brain damage is irreversible. That’s common knowledge.’

’The neurons in the brain can’t regenerate or proliferate. Once one dies, it’s gone for good.’

’This means that no matter the cause, any loss of brain function is permanent.’

”Look, these atrophied parts of the brain... many functions were completely lost. That’s why I had to gently tell Old Tian that his daughter had no chance of waking up.”

”Her brain was essentially ruined. You could even say that if the atrophy had continued, it would be like she had no brain at all. Can a person with no brain even be considered alive?”

As he spoke, the doctor’s expression suddenly grew tense.

”But... now look at this CT scan on the right.”

Jiang Ran followed the mouse cursor on the screen and looked to the right.

Although he wasn’t a medical professional, even his untrained eye could tell that the brain on the right was larger and fuller than the one on the left. The gaps within it were smaller, too.

He instantly realized what he was looking at.

”Doctor, don’t tell me this is...”

”That’s right.”

The doctor’s brow was furrowed, his expression as grave as if he were facing a formidable enemy.

”This is the CT scan we took of Tian Xiaoli this afternoon, right after she woke up.”

”You can see it too. This... this is just unbelievable... It’s as if her brain suddenly reawakened. Not only are its functions gradually returning, but the atrophied areas seem to be... expanding.”

”It’s terrifying, frankly. I even suspected the CT scanner was malfunctioning. In all my years as a doctor, I’ve never seen anything so utterly outrageous!”