Chapter 25: Chapter 25 Showdown
After finishing his remarks, Professor Xu Yun courteously asked Lin Xian to leave.
Lin Xian didn’t say much else. After urging Professor Xu Yun to take care of his health, he pushed the door open and left.
Through the crack of the door just before it closed, he caught a final glimpse inside.
Professor Xu Yun sat beside the hospital bed, holding Xu Yiyi’s dry and thin arm, telling her the amusing events of the week.
…
Early the next day.
Lin Xian reported to Zhao Yingjun’s office, recounting his meeting with Professor Xu Yun the day before and what the professor had said.
“Professor Xu Yun is… truly a bit more stubborn than we thought.”
Zhao Yingjun, supporting her chin, her eyebrows slightly furrowed:
“I think Professor Xu Yun’s concerns are somewhat overwrought. His points indeed have some merit, but not much.”
Lin Xian nodded:
“I tried to persuade Professor Xu Yun as well, but to no avail.”
“I think Professor Xu Yun has been under a lot of mental pressure these years; he probably finds it very difficult to trust others now, which might explain why his ideas are sometimes so inflexible.”
Zhao Yingjun closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled:
“Without experiencing another’s hardships, one should not urge them to be benevolent. Perhaps Professor Xu Yun has gone through a lot these years, things we couldn’t imagine, and has been hurt a lot, which is why he made such a decision.”
“But no matter what, his intention is to save his daughter. If we look at it from a long-term perspective, maybe Professor Xu Yun’s choice isn’t wrong.”
She looked up at Lin Xian, as if she had made a great decision:
“In that case, let’s abandon the idea of working with Professor Xu Yun’s plan and not bother them anymore in the future.”
Lin Xian nodded.
He thought the same.
If they couldn’t help Professor Xu Yun save his daughter then they might as well not add any more trouble for him.
“We’ll likely have to reconsider the flagship product for Rhein Brand.”
Zhao Yingjun furrowed her brow in thought:
“You can go back now, Lin Xian. Let’s put a period on Professor Xu Yun’s matter; you’ve worked hard during this time.”
“The production of the Rhein Cat dolls has already started on all fronts. The next step is to quickly create a 3D model of the Rhein Cat’s image, preparing for the subsequent launch of animations and mercials. Then, work on the voice, catchphrases, and personality traits as soon as possible.”
Lin Xian jotted down Zhao Yingjun’s instructions in his notebook, then left the office.
Bang!
The heavy, coded door closed.
Separating two worlds on either side.
Lin Xian stared at the coded door in front of him…
He had always been curious about what exactly was written on that invitation to the Genius Club.
But he had no opportunity nor a proper reason to inquire about it.
It was Zhao Yingjun’s personal matter, unrelated to their work, and asking too much would appear impolite and inappropriate. Moreover… the death of Big Face Cat’s father made Lin Xian feel it was better to be cautious.
This heavy coded door seemed like an insurmountable chasm between them.
…
In the past few days, Lin Xian had focused on the in-depth development of the Rhein Cat IP.
His team had two main tasks:
1. Create a 3D model of the Rhein Cat image, preparing for the subsequent launch of three-dimensional merchandise, animations, and advertisements.
2. Design more expressions, movements, outfits, and even catchphrases and lines for the Rhein Cat.
That toy store in the dream had countless Rhein Cat related toys, an endless source of material to draw from.
Moreover, that all-night convenience bookstore also harbored many “treasures.”
In the children’s section of the bookstore, there were many Rhein Cat albums, ics, collections of settings, picture books; all these materials provided Lin Xian with plenty of inspiration.
Unfortunately, after going through so much Rhein Cat material, Lin Xian found no mention of the creator. Instead, there were many different versions of stories about the origins and creative tales of Rhein Cat, with all kinds of narratives… It’s probably because the timespan of six centuries is simply too long, and many details have already turned into the dust of history, buried under the sands of time.
During this period, Lin Xian’s enthusiasm was high.
He also liked this adorable little cat, and creating and designing it was indeed a very fulfilling job.
Besides, with copyright earnings from the Rhein Cat on his side, if the toys were to sell well and the merchandise bees a hit, then Lin Xian’s ine would naturally soar.
So these past few nights, Lin Xian spent almost the entire time in toy shops and bookstores in his dreams.
He did not partake in Big Face Cat and CC’s story anymore.
Only when he entered the dream early could he see through the toy shop window Big Face Cat with CC getting into the van.
The slender Ultraman and the corpulent Rhein Cat walking together… it was hysterically funny.
No one would have thought that these two seemingly harmless cosplayers would be engaged in a life-or-death struggle in a bank warehouse shortly after.
“The world is truly wonderful.”
This was Lin Xian’s daily life these days, using busy work to cover up all sorts of wild thoughts.
He did not consider CC’s issues.
He did not investigate any clues about the Genius Club.
Nor did he think too much about whether his dreams were real or not.
Although Lin Xian was reluctant to admit it, he seemed to be deliberately avoiding something…
Avoid what?
Avoiding the truth? Or avoiding reality?
He himself couldn’t explain it clearly.
…
Early this morning was the much-anticipated World Cup final.
Argentina vs. France.
After having supper together, Lin Xian and Gao Yang headed to the betting shop to buy some football bets before going back to watch the match.
After the last two matches, Gao Yang directly pocketed seventy to eighty thousand yuan, arrogantly unstoppable!
He walked with swagger!
He carried the air of a princeling!
He could hardly recognize himself anymore.
“All in! Bet it all on Argentina to win!”
Gao Yang took out his phone and directly transferred 60,000 yuan to the betting shop owner.
“All in again?”
Lin Xian looked at Gao Yang, who proclaimed himself the gambling sage:
“Take it easy, brother. Who plays like this? Always going all in on a single bet.”
Gao Yang, thumping his chest, laughed heartily:
“What’s there to fear! Sometimes you just have to believe in metaphysics! Didn’t you clearly see in your dream that Argentina won the World Cup in the end?”
Lin Xian nodded, recalling the words written in the book in his dream:
“Yes, it said Argentina defeated France in the shootout…”
Bang!!!
Gao Yang slapped the betting machine, startling the ticket-printing owner into squealing like a pig!
Gao Yang’s voice trembled as he pointed to the owner:
“Hold up! Don’t rush to print the tickets!”
Then he quickly pulled Lin Xian outside the betting shop:
“What did you just say?”
“I said Argentina beats France in the penalty shootout to win the championship. Is there a problem?”
“Are you sure you said ‘penalty shootout’?” Gao Yang’s face was ashen.
“I’m sure!”
Lin Xian looked at Gao Yang, puzzled:
“I want to ask too, what exactly does ‘penalty shootout’ mean? I don’t understand football either.”
Gao Yang took a few deep breaths before finally calming his heart rate. Then, gasping for air, he clutched Lin Xian’s shoulder:
“Thank goodness… I was scared to death.”
“I was so close! My 60,000 yuan was about to go down the drain!”
User Comments
0 comments from readers