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Now, Copernicus was dead, so he was out of the picture.

Lin Xian would have preferred to exchange information with Newton or Gauss, but the problem was, they weren’t necessarily interested. Newton and Gauss held the kind of knowledge Lin Xian needed, but Lin Xian himself had nothing that would pique their interest. It would be foolish to expect these old geniuses to be tricked with empty promises. If they didn’t deceive him, that would already be a favor.

As for Galileo, Lin Xian knew quite a lot about the information Galileo wanted. Whether it was about spacetime particles, comets, Astatine-339, or the Brain Neural Electric Helmet, Lin Xian had plenty of things that would interest Galileo.

From a purely practical standpoint, an exchange of information with Galileo was feasible. However, on a personal level, Lin Xian wasn’t willing to do it.

First of all, Galileo was a sly, cunning old man. Lies rolled off his tongue with no effort, and he could say them without blushing or breaking a sweat. Lin Xian had no desire to exchange genuine information for lies.

Secondly, the information Galileo wanted was all extremely crucial, each piece touching on a core secret. Lin Xian wasn’t about to risk so much for an uncertain outcome.

And lastly, there was a good chance that Galileo was behind the Great Catastrophe of 2400. Such an anti-human villain, who nearly wiped out human civilization and repeatedly lost track of both himself and crucial vaults of secrets, was someone Lin Xian would only work with if there were no other choice.

In contrast, there was Miss Da Vinci.

Even though the future world of the Eighth Dreamscape was oppressive and distorted, Miss Da Vinci’s original intentions weren’t bad. Without her Savior Corporation, human civilization might really have been extinguished by Galileo.

Looking back from the future, Lin Xian knew Miss Da Vinci well enough. Moreover, the bargaining chips he had to exchange with her wouldn’t harm him.

To be safe, he wasn’t planning to tell Miss Da Vinci anything about the Great Catastrophe of 2400. Instead, he was going to use “The Current Situation of the Eighth Dreamscape” as his bargaining chip. Essentially, he planned to tell Miss Da Vinci directly that her future plans wouldn’t succeed—she either needed to abandon them or take a different route.

If she, like Elon Musk, could see the error of her ways, that would be great. If she didn’t listen, that was fine too. Lin Xian would have done his best. In return, he just wanted some information about the “Future Virus.”

It could be considered a fair trade.

The “Meeting of Total Rejection” continued for a short while, as the geniuses discussed among themselves. Lin Xian could tell that everyone was being very cautious, giving nothing away, each playing their part to perfection. After President Einstein announced the end of the meeting, the virtual avatars of the participants began disappearing one by one.

Lin Xian and Da Vinci remained seated.

Galileo was the last to stand up. He looked at Lin Xian’s Rhine Cat mask one last time. He was courteous enough, not saying anything more. With a gesture of removing his VR headset, his virtual image became transparent and vanished.

Now, the vast golden hall was left with only Lin Xian and Da Vinci.

Einstein didn’t seem interested in whatever the two of them were going to discuss. After announcing the end of the meeting, he had descended the stairs at the back, disappearing to who knows where. Da Vinci turned to look at Lin Xian.

“Rhine, what information do you plan to exchange with me?” she asked.

Lin Xian smiled slightly. “I’m sorry to say, but through certain means, I’ve managed to guess your future plans. I can point out the flaws and the points of failure in your plan as my bargaining chip in exchange for the question Turing asked and Einstein’s answer.”

“Oh?” Miss Da Vinci seemed indifferent. “Today is really something. First Galileo says he’s guessed about seventy or eighty percent of my future plans, and now you’re here to point out my flaws and loopholes. You all are so straightforward, it’s almost making me lose face.” She shook her head, smiling.

“However, though we haven’t met many times, I do have a rather good impression of you, so I have no problem with this information exchange.” She paused, then added, “But when you say you’ve guessed my plan, I still have some doubts. After all, I think I’ve hidden it very deeply, and no one should have discovered it.” She looked at Lin Xian and said, “So, why don’t you start by explaining? I promise I won’t deceive you in what you want to know, because there’s no need for me to deceive you.”

“Firstly, this isn’t some valuable or secret information,” Lin Xian replied. “And secondly, it’s not like I’m the only one who knows it. Newton, Galileo, and Gauss know it too. You can verify it with them anytime. I can’t afford the shame of deceiving a junior with lies.”

Lin Xian nodded. “No problem. Deal.” He continued, “Then I’ll go ahead and explain.”

Just as he had thought, Miss Da Vinci was indeed a reasonable and kind person. This was why Lin Xian wanted to tell her the outcome in advance. Someone like Copernicus, who was just plain evil, could be dealt with directly. But for someone like Miss Da Vinci, whose well-intentioned actions might lead to mistakes, a simple conversation could prevent misunderstandings. She hadn’t done anything wrong, and Lin Xian didn’t want to play the role of a time cop.

“If I’m not mistaken,” Lin Xian began softly, “your future plan involves using humanoid robots and mechanical beings as ‘role models’ to help and guide people in rebuilding a civilized society, correct?”

There was a long pause.

Miss Da Vinci stayed silent for a couple of seconds before she smiled. “And then?”

Lin Xian continued without missing a beat, “I’m not sure what your purpose was in asking about a global catastrophe during today’s meeting, but I suspect you intend to use such an opportunity to help mechanical beings establish credibility and gain humanity’s trust.

“For any system to be dismantled, there must be a destructive catalyst that leads to something new. Once people place their trust in these flawless, tireless, and incredibly capable mechanical beings, they’ll start giving them more and more responsibilities.

“At first, it might just be simple manual labor. But gradually, society will grow increasingly dependent on these beings. Eventually, they’ll be doing everything, even the most critical tasks. One day, mechanical beings could become the leaders of cities, maybe even the rulers of the world.”

Lin Xian’s description was intentionally imprecise. He made sure to get a lot wrong—just enough to make it seem plausible, as if he were guessing. After all, he had said from the start that he had “guessed” her future plans through some means. A guess couldn’t be 100% accurate.

If he naively told the whole truth, it would certainly reveal his ability to see the future.

So, this was enough.

Lin Xian shifted in his seat, leaning back against the chair, looking ahead calmly. “Mechanical beings are different from humans. They lack emotions and are strictly bound by programming and regulations. Therefore, they won’t make mistakes. They are ideal role models—each one an elite, a symbol of excellence, a perfect standard of civility.”

“And most people,” he added, “tend to follow others. When everyone around them does something, they follow. When others believe something is right, they believe it too. Gradually, as mechanical beings take control, people will begin to emulate them, becoming more civilized, more diligent, and kinder.”

Da Vinci listened in silence, showing no reaction, as though she were listening to a story about someone else. Her tone was calm when she spoke.

“Isn’t that a good thing?” she asked. “People are influenced by their surroundings. In a silent library, they lower their voices. In a noisy market, they raise them. If people live in an environment full of kindness and civility, they will naturally reflect those values. Placing someone in a city of virtue versus a city of vice will produce two entirely different results. People need guidance, and I believe robots, who never make mistakes, are the perfect role models.”

Lin Xian smiled. “I don’t deny that your theory is correct. The problem is that theory is one thing, reality is another.”

“If we assume your plan for the future is as I described, then the outcome is inevitable—a repressive, rigid, stifling world. Do you know why?” He looked at Da Vinci, her face hidden behind the mask. “The reason is simple—human nature.”

“Every system has its loopholes, and every age has those who exploit them. Just as teachers in school know that one bad apple can spoil the bunch, human society functions similarly. Rules and laws are initially created to restrain the few who break them. If everyone were as good as you, Miss Da Vinci, we wouldn’t need laws or regulations.”

“So that’s what I want to tell you. The reason your plan is destined to fail isn’t complex. It’s simple. There will always be people who find loopholes, and in trying to correct that, more detailed rules will need to be established. But loopholes are endless. As long as people have freedom and can speak, they will find ways to bend the rules.

“Eventually, the world will end up in a vicious cycle—people exploiting loopholes, more rules being made, and then more exploitation. In the end, human behavior will be so restricted that people won’t dare say a word, and the world will truly become a ‘Silent City.\'”

Lin Xian finished speaking, and silence fell between them.

Miss Da Vinci, being intelligent, clearly understood Lin Xian’s point. After a long pause, she spoke softly.

“‘Silent City.’ I’ve read that piece of science fiction. It was a short story, but the imagery was striking. Using it to describe such a society is indeed fitting.”

Then she smiled, nodding at Lin Xian. “Thank you, Mr. Rhine, for imagining such a future for me. But to be honest, I don’t agree with you.”

She paused before continuing.

“I still believe that human nature is malleable. Unlike animals, humans are driven by emotions, and emotions are what lead to true change. Mr. Rhine, let me ask you something.” She looked at him. “Do you believe in the existence of innate, pure evil in humanity?”

Lin Xian squinted. This question was essentially asking if there were truly evil people, born to do wrong with no reason, just for the sake of evil.

After thinking for a few seconds, Lin Xian responded solemnly, “I believe there is.”

Miss Da Vinci shook her head with a smile. “I believe there isn’t.”

At this point, Lin Xian took a deep breath through his nose. There wasn’t much point in continuing the conversation. He’d said more than enough—everything he could possibly say, really. He added, “If you doubt my words, you could ask Einstein for yourself.”

Miss Da Vinci chuckled. “Thank you for the suggestion. After today’s discussion, I think I just might.”

“All right,” she added. “It seems there’s no point hiding anything from you now. Your guess about my future plan was indeed quite close, and I think the situation you outlined has its merits.”

“But the future of humanity, the world, and civilization isn’t for any of us to decide. After all, we’re not Einstein. We can’t see the exact future.”

Lin Xian decided to switch topics. “Hasn’t anyone ever asked Einstein directly what the future would look like? If he says humanity has no future, what exactly does he mean?”

This was the very question Lin Xian had been planning to ask later. Would Einstein tell everyone that humanity would evaporate in a white light at 00:42 in 2624?

He found it hard to believe that in all the Genius Club meetings over the years, not one person had asked about the future.

“Oh, plenty have asked,” Miss Da Vinci said, as though it were obvious. “Not only asked—they ask often. But most of the time, Einstein refuses to answer, and the question is voided.”

Lin Xian sighed, rubbing his temples. He’d expected that. The future was essentially a manifestation of the closed-loop plans of the members. If Einstein casually gave an answer, they’d all be able to match it to their own plans.

“Wait.” Lin Xian suddenly realized something, looking at Da Vinci. “You just said ‘most of the time.’ Does that mean there were times Einstein did answer?”

“Only once,” she said, shaking her head. “To be precise, I only know of one instance.”

“It was around May or June of this year,” she continued. “Elon Musk asked what the future looked like, and Einstein refused. The next month, Elon rephrased the question, asking if humanity had left the solar system before its extinction.”

“Einstein answered ‘no.’ In that moment, Elon seemed a bit disheartened, unusually quiet for a long time. We all guessed that his plan for the future was likely tied to space travel or Mars colonization.”

“Since Einstein said humanity hadn’t left the solar system, it was clear that Elon’s plan was destined to fail.”

Lin Xian listened, pondering the Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Dreamscapes.

In those dreamscapes, following the Great Catastrophe of 2400, humanity embarked on a Mars colonization plan led by Elon Musk.

Except for the Seventh Dreamscape, where it was an impostor, the first two dreamscapes involved the real Elon Musk.

Einstein’s answer was correct, but it didn’t reveal the cause of humanity’s extinction.

If Lin Xian asked Einstein directly about the white light on August 29th, 2624, would he answer?

But asking something so specific would reveal too much about his ability to dream of the future.

Anyway, before the next meeting, he’d have a proper talk with Elon, maybe coordinate their questions and use the overlap in answers to uncover why humanity had no future.

“So,” Lin Xian said, spreading his hands, “do I understand correctly that after all these meetings over the years, you still don’t know the reason behind humanity’s lack of a future?”

“Copernicus must know,” Da Vinci said. “Since I joined the Genius Club, Copernicus has been the only member who never asked such a question. Clearly, he knows the truth.”

“He was also the first member to join. At the time, there were no restrictions on what he could ask.”

“Haven’t you noticed? Most of the questions we ask that Einstein refuses to answer are related to other members. When Copernicus was the only member, he had no such limitations. As long as his question didn’t involve Einstein or the club itself, he received answers.”

Lin Xian nodded. He had thought of this during his first meeting. Copernicus must know the most about the truth.

Even Newton, who joined as the second member, would have his questions about humanity’s future rejected if that future involved another member’s success.

“It’s tough,” Lin Xian thought. He couldn’t let that white light at 00:42 remain an unsolved mystery. There had to be a way to phrase the question to “trick” the truth out of Einstein.

“You’re truly a good person, Rhine,” Da Vinci said, looking at Lin Xian with a smile. “I’m really glad that the last member to join the Genius Club is someone like you.”

“All right, we’ve talked a lot about my plans. Now it’s time for me to fulfill my promise and tell you what you want to know.”

Lin Xian sat up straight, ready to listen.

“Last year, around this time,” Da Vinci began, “Turing asked a question very similar to yours. He asked, ‘If one were to create a persistent computer virus capable of killing all overly powerful AIs in the current network, who would be able to accomplish this task?’

As expected, Lin Xian felt his heart lift.

Find the person who made this virus, and maybe he could reverse-engineer it, eliminate the virus, and free the super AI, VV, to make himself even stronger.

But then, Lin Xian felt his heart sink halfway through that hope. He realized something crucial, something important—something that could lead to despair.

“How did Einstein answer?” he asked, feeling deflated.

“‘Cheng Qian,\'” Da Vinci replied. “Einstein gave this Chinese name, but he added a time frame—a very distant one.”

She continued, “This Cheng Qian, a boy from X Country, won’t be born until 2482.”