Genius Playground

”Huh?” ”Huh?”

Jiang Ran and Fang Ze quickly looked down at the camera lens.

”...” ”...”

Sure enough.

On the front of the massive lens of the Fuji GW690 camera, a black plastic lens cap was ”blotting out the sky,” completely covering the entire lens.

The atmosphere was, for a moment, incredibly awkward.

”PFFT—”

Fang Ze couldn’t hold it in any longer and burst out laughing, shooting Jiang Ran a look:

”You were acting all professional. You totally had me fooled, but it turns out you didn’t even take the lens cap off!”

”Ahem.”

Jiang Ran coughed twice, smoothly trying to save face:

”It’s like this. Didn’t I just tell you that ninety percent of the operations for film cameras and digital cameras are similar?”

”But! The most important ten percent is this lens cap!”

Jiang Ran twisted off the lens cap and explained:

”With a digital camera, if you don’t take off the lens cap, you can’t see the image on the screen, so you basically never make this mistake.”

”But film cameras are different. They have a separate viewfinder. Even if you don’t take off the lens cap, you can still see the full picture through the viewfinder, so you have to be extra careful about this.”

”Yeah, right. Keep making excuses.”

Fang Ze had already seen right through Jiang Ran. He picked up his camera and walked off to the side.

Jiang Ran walked over to Chi Xiaoguo with his camera:

”So that picture I just took... does that mean...?”

”Yes, it’s wasted.”

Chi Xiaoguo looked pained:

”Senior, your Fuji GW690 uses a rangefinder viewfinder. That means the light for the viewfinder and the light for the image are separate; the light path for the viewfinder is independent.”

”So, this is the most obvious difference from an SLR camera—even if you don’t take off the lens cap, you can still see the image through the viewfinder. You really have to be careful next time.”

”The film used by medium format cameras is rare, expensive, and hard to buy. The film you bought this time is all standard format, so it can’t be used in your camera.”

Oh, right.

Jiang Ran filed that piece of information away:

”So that means the medium format film in my camera can take a total of eight pictures. I already took one before, and now I’ve wasted another, so there are only six shots left.”

”That’s right.”

”It’s not all bad.”

Jiang Ran was optimistic about it:

”Anyway, I have to finish the whole roll before I can get the photos developed. So the sooner I finish it, the sooner I complete the task. I just knocked out another one-eighth of my KPI.”

”...”

For once, Jiang Ran had left Chi Xiaoguo speechless.

”Your KPI assessment is certainly... unique.”

...

All four of them had brought cameras on their autumn outing.

Aside from Jiang Ran’s somewhat outdated Fuji GW690, the other three’s cameras all had electronic features like autofocus, making them much simpler to use.

Jiang Ran hadn’t wanted to bring this camera in the first place, as it was huge and incredibly heavy.

But Chi Xiaoguo had said:

”Since your friend gave you such an expensive camera, you should hurry up and master it! That’s the only way to do justice to their thoughtfulness.”

Resigned, Jiang Ran could only lug it along.

The camera in Chi Xiaoguo’s hands was also a certain Kodak model they had used before in the Film Club.

It was from back on Worldline 1, during the first activation of the Positron Cannon. Jiang Ran had mistakenly believed the Time SMS would be sent successfully and a worldline jump would occur... so with the thought of saying a final goodbye, he had suggested taking a picture of Chi Xiaoguo.

At the time, he knew full well that the photo would turn to dust in the Worldline Jump and cease to exist. But to give her a proper farewell, he had still promised Chi Xiaoguo that he would get the picture developed next semester when they had the funds.

Unexpectedly, his words had become a self-fulfilling prophecy, and it really had been delayed until this semester!

To be fair,

that photo of Chi Xiaoguo was the first picture Jiang Ran had ever taken with a film camera. You could call it his debut work.

Although the actual quality of the image was probably mediocre, it held great sentimental value.

Chi Xiaoguo had specifically brought this camera out this time because she wanted to finish the roll of film during the outing. That way, when they got back, she could develop all the photos at once in the darkroom.

The four of them chatted and laughed, strolling through the park and looking for scenery to photograph, enjoying the harmonious atmosphere.

After removing the lens cap, Jiang Ran also took four landscape photos with his camera.

It wasn’t that there was nothing else to shoot, but he felt that the film for this camera was exceptionally precious.

Under the pressure of having one less shot every time he took a picture, his hoarding instinct inevitably kicked in. Jiang Ran felt that ordinary scenery simply wasn’t worthy of such precious film; he had to strive for perfection.

So, over the course of the day, he had only taken four pictures in total.

All told, a total of six photos had been taken on the Fuji GW690’s roll of film. He just needed to find an opportunity to take two more, and then he could take out the film cartridge and get the pictures developed.

”Let’s take a group photo!”

Everyone’s cameras were almost full. Chi Xiaoguo looked at the last two empty slots on her roll and suggested:

”This is the Film Club’s first outing, after all. Shouldn’t we take a group photo to commemorate it?”

Jiang Ran looked around. There was no one nearby:

”We can, but who’s going to take the picture for us?”

”Hehe, it has an automatic self-timer!”

Chi Xiaoguo pointed to the timer dial on the Kodak camera:

”This film camera was manufactured relatively late. It’s a product from the very end of the film era, so it has autofocus and a delayed shutter function.”

”In a bit, we’ll get into position, and then I’ll just set a 10-second delay for the photo.”

The little club president was always surprisingly reliable at times like these.

And so,

Jiang Ran, Fang Ze, and Cheng Mengxue found a spot by the Turbulent River and struck a pose.

They deliberately left a space open for Chi Xiaoguo. Meanwhile, Chi Xiaoguo was on a rock in front of them, adjusting the focus and aiming the lens at the three of them:

”Okay, okay, all set! Don’t move!”

With that, she turned the timer dial to the 10-second mark.

Counting down in her head, she dashed in front of the other three, tilted her head, and made two cute peace signs.

”4, 3, 2, 1—”

”Cheese!” x4

All four of them smiled at the same time. With a CLICK, the Kodak camera on the rock recorded this historic moment.

Chi Xiaoguo ran back again and picked up the camera:

”Alright, it’s done! But as for how it actually turned out, we’ll only know after it’s developed. It’s a mystery box for now.”

”Later, I’ll get a few extra prints of this photo made, one for each of us as a memento!”

Then, she checked the remaining film count and looked up:

”There’s still enough for one last photo. How about I take a group picture of you three? If I take it myself, I can be more sure of the result.”

”Just take a picture of those two.”

Fang Ze tactfully stepped aside, pointing at Jiang Ran and Cheng Mengxue:

”Leave the last negative for the two of them.”

Jiang Ran and Cheng Mengxue paused, looking at each other.

Cheng Mengxue blinked:

”It’s true, we haven’t had a photo taken together in a long time. The last ones... were from when we were kids. I even missed the high school graduation photo.”

”Yeah.”

Jiang Ran agreed.

’Might as well,’ he thought. ’It’s no big deal.’

The two of them stood still, their arms touching. A strand of hair by Cheng Mengxue’s ear was blown by the wind, brushing against Jiang Ran’s neck.

”Look over here! Smile!”

Chi Xiaoguo aimed the viewfinder at the pair and counted down, ”3, 2, 1—”

CLICK.

The childhood friends, separated for two years, were framed together once more in the shutter of time, freezing this moment of true history.

”Help—help—”

Suddenly, a woman’s cry came from the distance.

A woman in a dress was wailing loudly:

”Save my child! Save my child!”

Jiang Ran followed the woman’s gaze and looked toward the river...

And saw!

A child was flailing in the middle of the river, splashing wildly. They had clearly been swept down from upstream.

The river’s current wasn’t fast, but there was still a powerful undercurrent pushing the drowning child eastward—

’This is bad!’

Jiang Ran made a split-second decision. He sprinted toward the riverbank, shrugging off his shirt and tossing it aside as he ran before diving headfirst into the water.

”Jiang Ran!” ”Senior!”

It all happened in an instant. By the time Fang Ze and Chi Xiaoguo reacted, Jiang Ran had already leaped into the water and was swimming toward the drowning child!

”AHHHHHH!!!!!”

Cheng Mengxue suddenly let out a terrifying scream and charged madly toward the river.

”Wait!” ”Sister Mengxue!”

Although Fang Ze and Chi Xiaoguo hadn’t been able to stop Jiang Ran, they reacted quickly enough to block Cheng Mengxue.

The two of them grabbed the frantic Cheng Mengxue from the front and back:

”Xiaoxue! Calm down!” ”Senior went, that’s enough! Sister, you—”

”Let me go!!!”

Cheng Mengxue was like a crazed wild dog, her eyes wide and teeth clenched, completely devoid of her usual ladylike demeanor.

She struggled violently, her sleeves tearing in the process.

”Calm down!”

Fang Ze held her tightly, refusing to let her follow and do something foolish. He trusted that Jiang Ran had made a calculated decision, but Cheng Mengxue had clearly lost all reason.

”Let me go!!! Jiang Ran!!!!”

Cheng Mengxue wailed hysterically. Fang Ze had no choice but to wrap his arm tightly around her neck in a hold:

”Xiaoxue! Listen to me—”

Fang Ze let out a cry of pain. An intense, bone-deep pain shot through his arm. Cheng Mengxue had bitten him! Beads of blood instantly welled up!

For a moment, his grip loosened. Like an arrow loosed from a bow, as swift as a swallow, Cheng Mengxue leaped into the river with a WHOOSH.

Seeing this, Fang Ze and Chi Xiaoguo’s faces went pale with fright.

But the next second... they were dumbfounded.

Because.

Cheng Mengxue’s swimming skill was, unexpectedly, incredible!

She was like a fish in water. With a perfectly standard stroke, she caught up to Jiang Ran in just a few moments, like a champion athlete in a competition.

At that moment, Jiang Ran had managed to grab the drowning boy and was dragging him toward the bank. Cheng Mengxue’s fingers clamped around Jiang Ran’s arm like a vise, and she used all her strength to push him upward.

Soon, the two of them brought the child to the shallows. Since the child had been flailing so much, it meant he hadn’t been in serious danger of drowning. Once on his feet, he burst into tears and ran to his mother...

Meanwhile.

Jiang Ran wiped the river water from his face, resting his hands on his knees and panting heavily.

Before him, Cheng Mengxue stood panting just as heavily, glaring at him with a ferocious expression, as if she wanted to eat him alive. Her teeth were clenched, and her breathing grew more and more ragged.

”You...”

Jiang Ran was at a loss for words, looking at the soaking wet Cheng Mengxue.

Jumping into a river without taking off your coat is a huge mistake when rescuing someone; the clothes get waterlogged and become a heavy burden.

”You don’t have to worry about me. I’m a really good swimmer...”

Jiang Ran bent down, preparing to go ashore, pick up the jacket he had taken off, and drape it over Cheng Mengxue—

SLAP!!

An incredibly loud slap.

Jiang Ran froze on the spot. His left cheek burned, and the force of the blow even made him a bit dizzy.

”You idiot!!”

Tears streamed down Cheng Mengxue’s face, her voice breaking as she sobbed, her whole body trembling uncontrollably:

”Are you trying to get yourself killed?!?!”