Chapter 33: You Are the True Genius

All clues point to Mars.

As it currently stands, it is the source of almost everything.

"Fire descends from the heavens, the red planet beckons from the other shore."

Could this phrase mean that Mars is humanity's final sanctuary? Or does it imply that the technology required for humanity to survive the apocalypse lies on the red planet?

Based on the clues gathered so far, the latter seems more likely. Furthermore, if one assumes the latter as a premise, all the information collected thus far can be woven into a logically consistent story.

Xu Jin's father, Xu Qianlin, served as the chief engineer for the Mars exploration program and spearheaded the launch of the Zhurong rover. Subsequently, in 2025, the Zhurong rover discovered remnants of room-temperature superconductors on Mars. At the same time, a group represented by Xu Qianlin uncovered further clues on the planet, eventually leading to the establishment of the Planetary Reincarnation Organization.

As a materials scientist, Xu Jin followed in his father's footsteps to Mars in pursuit of these room-temperature superconductors. After bringing the critical materials back to Earth, human technology entered a period of rapid development, giving rise to equipment such as aerial maglev light rails, which diverged from existing technological paths.

While continuing their exploration, the organization gradually uncovered signs of an impending apocalypse, transitioning from a scientific research body into a clandestine group suppressed for "spreading doomsday rhetoric." Finally, driven by unknown motives, Xu Jin launched an extreme operation and began his flight.

It seems logical, doesn't it?

However, to understand the specifics, one crucial question must be verified: what exactly is the reason Xu Jin needs to go to Mars?

That is something that can only be clarified when meeting him tomorrow. Of course, before that, the matter of the materials must be settled with him.

After bidding farewell to Jiang Xingye, Lin Xu returned home and opened his computer to check the pending tasks sent by the company. Just as Jiang Xingye had mentioned, the implementation test went smoothly, with almost nothing requiring modification. He adjusted the code slightly according to the test feedback, then collapsed onto his bed and fell fast asleep.

The digits on the wristband had returned to zero.

This time, he did not enter another world...

...

Early the next morning, Lin Xu woke up naturally. Upon opening his eyes, he submitted his field check-in on the computer, which Jiang Xingye approved instantly. Afterward, he called a luxury car as usual and headed straight for Jinling University.

He had arranged to meet Xu Jin at 10:00 AM at a coffee shop near the university gate. Upon arriving, he intended to call Xu Jin to see if he had arrived, but when he looked up, he saw him already sitting in a corner.

"Morning." Lin Xu walked over.

"Let's find a private room; it's not very convenient to talk here."

"No, we'll talk right here." Xu Jin shook his head.

Lin Xu paused for a moment. He glanced at the table in front of Xu Jin and noticed it was noticeably brighter than the other tables in the shop. Good grief, did he wipe it himself? He’s even moonlighting as a waiter in a coffee shop now...

"Fine then, let's talk here."

Lin Xu sat down opposite Xu Jin and pulled out the prepared documents from his backpack, placing them on the table.

"As I mentioned before, I know you are researching M46X and PEEK materials. I happen to have a document here regarding a low-cost industrial production method for these two materials. If you need it, I can hand this over to you. But the condition is that we must cooperate. We will share the patent rights for this material in portions as agreed upon in a contract. I require 80%, and you will hold 20%. Do you agree?"

In reality, Lin Xu's bottom line for the patent share was 67%; proposing 80% was merely to provide Xu Jin with room for negotiation. According to current corporate equity standards, only by holding over 67% can one achieve absolute control, otherwise, one risks being vetoed by the second-largest shareholder. Since current patent law does not provide a legal framework for "shared portions," it must be secured through supplemental contracts or corporate shareholding systems. Therefore, Lin Xu had to pre-agree on the shares. In case their cooperation eventually took the form of a company, conflicts over equity distribution could be avoided in advance.

To his surprise, Xu Jin did not hesitate for a second and immediately agreed.

"Fine. I don't even need the shares, but I want to participate in the R&D. I want to see these materials—can I see them now?"

Xu Jin’s tone was urgent. Lin Xu calmly took out additional documents from his backpack and said, "Sign the non-disclosure agreement first, then we’ll talk."

Xu Jin took the agreement, grabbed a pen, and signed it, then pressed his thumbprint onto the document as requested by Lin Xu. He seemed to have forgotten his germaphobia for the moment. Once the formalities were complete, he impatiently flipped open the materials Lin Xu had brought.

Seeing his state, it was clear no further conversation would happen until he finished reading. Lin Xu settled in and ordered two coffees. He had expected Xu Jin wouldn't drink it, but to his surprise, once the coffee arrived, Xu Jin downed it in one gulp. The ice cubes in the cup crunched loudly as he chewed them. Lin Xu was momentarily reminded of an advertisement he had seen: *Suffering from sensitive teeth? Use XXX toothpaste.*

After waiting quietly for an hour, Xu Jin finally finished the document. He neatly reorganized the scattered papers, looked up at Lin Xu, and said solemnly:

"Thank you! You are a true genius! Thank you for being willing to bring me along!"

"Then what do you need me to do? I’ll do anything!"

"...There's no need to put it quite like..." Lin Xu swallowed the sarcastic remark that was on the tip of his tongue. The person opposite him was not Jiang Xingye!

Clearing his throat, he said, "As you can see, this material is a very rare achievement, but for various reasons, I cannot complete the entire research as an individual. That is why I need to cooperate with you. You have the resources for process development, right? What you need to do is utilize those resources to perfect the process and formally enter industrial production. Once that is complete, you and I will apply for the patent as co-owners, then set the shares through a contract and have it notarized. At that point, we can share the benefits brought by the patent."

"That’s fine, but what about Sky Vault Technology? You said you would send me to Mars! You said I could build spaceships!"

"I want to go to Mars! I have to go to Mars!"

Xu Jin's tone became more frantic, and his expression grew anxious and restless. These were symptoms of his obsessive-compulsive tendencies flaring up. It was clear that the terms Lin Xu proposed were not what he truly desired, to the point that his mental state was becoming agitated.

He only wanted to go to Mars!

Lin Xu raised a hand.

"Calm down, calm down."

"Rest assured, you will go to Mars. But before that, you must give me an answer."

Lin Xu paused, looked directly into Xu Jin's eyes, and asked sternly:

"Why do you have to go to Mars? What exactly do you mean by the 'Zhurong' you keep mentioning?"