"I know."

Ji Xinshui nodded.

As a drug expert, he was naturally aware of such matters:

"Lethal injection involves three injections. The first is a common anesthetic with no lethal effect. The second is a muscle relaxant, causing muscle relaxation and gradual respiratory arrest. The third is the primary lethal agent, usually potassium chloride, an overdose of which can easily kill a person."

At this point, Ji Xinshui suddenly understood.

His expression became somewhat resistant and puzzled:

"You... you mean for me to accept the death penalty?"

Lin Xian nodded:

"Just like today, I've arranged everything for you. When the lethal injection is administered, we'll replace the second and third injections with saline solution. That way, you'll only fall into a deep sleep from the first anesthetic injection. A prearranged forensic doctor will issue a death certificate, and after that... we'll transport your 'body' out legitimately."

"Thus, you'll die legally, witnessed by the whole world; but you can be resurrected in the Genius Club and the long river of history."

This was Lin Xian's plan.

He wanted Ji Xinshui to voluntarily accept the death penalty.

And his bargaining chip... was this unique, more-real-than-real Genius Club invitation.

He was betting on Ji Xinshui's desire and obsession.

If Ji Xinshui were a rational person, his plan would likely fail. Ji Xinshui would weigh the risks and wouldn't dare to trust him on the matter of the death penalty, wouldn't easily take the risk.

But...

If Ji Xinshui was a person driven by desire, obsession, and madness, a person willing to disown his relatives, kill his beloved student, use his subordinates as cannon fodder, and wantonly trample on the lives of others...

Lin Xian believed...

This kind of person would probably take the bait.

They say people die for wealth and birds die for food. Driven by sufficient profit, capitalists are even willing to risk their lives.

How much more so is the Genius Club to Ji Xinshui?

This was Lin Xian's gamble today.

Before him...

Ji Xinshui was clearly hesitant.

His face was uncertain, and he said softly:

"I'm going to be released without charge in a dozen hours... Maybe then, I can arrange a more solemn, more dignified fake death."

Lin Xian's expression didn't change at all, and he didn't try to persuade him any further.

He didn't know if Ji Xinshui was hesitant, suspicious, or if he didn't care about faking death, but cared more about whether the death was dignified and solemn.

But in any case, he couldn't stay here any longer.

The more he said, the more mistakes he would make.

It was time for him to leave.

"Ji Xinshui, this is an exam."

Lin Xian placed his right index and middle fingers on the invitation, pulling it back towards himself:

"Of course, you can choose whether to participate or not. But for us... we prefer to have a trustworthy partner."

Lin Xian stood up, picked up the invitation, and deliberately showed the Genius Club emblem to Ji Xinshui:

"Goodbye, Ji Xinshui."

Lin Xian put the invitation in the file bag and walked towards the door of the interrogation room:

"I'll be waiting for you at the Genius Club."

*Bang.*

The thick door of the interrogation room closed.

...

*Hoo.*

Lin Xian breathed a sigh of relief.

He finally managed to bluff his way through.

Whether this gamble would succeed depended on whether Ji Xinshui could overcome his own desires.

Walking down the corridor, Lin Xian returned to the interrogation monitoring room.

The staff, Chu Shanhe, and Police Officer Liu immediately surrounded him:

"How was it?"

"Any progress?"

"What did he say? Did he change his mind?"

Lin Xian smiled and shook his head, pointing to the dark monitoring screen:

"Turn on all the monitors inside, let's see what he does next."

The staff member turned his head and manipulated the keyboard, and the camera in Ji Xinshui's monitoring room was turned on again.

Lin Xian leaned in to observe.

He found that Ji Xinshui was now closing his eyes, his face solemn, as if facing a formidable enemy.

His heart must be very confused right now.

On the one hand, this Genius Club invitation had a very strong attraction for him.

The Genius Club was so mysterious and hidden that it was already remarkable to have investigated a name and its existence.

Not to mention, Lin Xian's invitation had a stamped logo, which greatly increased the credibility of the invitation.

And judging from Ji Xinshui's performance just now.

He didn't seem to suspect that this Genius Club invitation was fake at all.

Perhaps... the reason he was so sure was because he had seen a real invitation, or knew what a real invitation looked like.

Thinking about it like this...

Ji Xinshui really knew a lot about the Genius Club, and his information was obviously above his own.

If his gamble really won, it would indeed have a certain element of luck.

*Tick.*

*Tick.*

*Tick.*

The entire monitoring room was silent, and the second hand of the clock hanging on the wall moved and stopped, making the only sound in the room.

Lin Xian's eyes were fixed on the monitoring screen, staring at Ji Xinshui tied to the iron chair on the screen.

Time... passed like years, and another three hours passed.

Ji Xinshui had been frowning and thinking like this, without any other movement.

Lin Xian was the same, sitting here, watching Ji Xinshui quietly.

What would he choose?

Would he stay for another 10 hours, be released without charge, and give up the opportunity to receive an invitation to the Genius Club?

Or would he, for the sake of this invitation, believe Lin Xian's "last exam," abandon his life, status, and reputation, and pledge his loyalty to the Genius Club?

Lin Xian didn't know what Ji Xinshui would choose.

Mainly, he didn't understand Ji Xinshui as a person.

What kind of life did he have?

What kind of experiences did he have?

What kind of obsessions and reasons did he have to gamble his life on?

He didn't understand.

But in this world, for many people, there are many things that are more important than life.

For example, Zheng Chenghao, whose younger sister suffered from congenital heart disease and whose parents were beaten to death before his eyes.

For example, Li Qiqi, who hoped to see a meteor shower and just wanted to make a wish for Liu Feng.

For example, Zhou Duanyun, who was full of lies, just wanted to change his fate against the heavens, but insisted on sending his mother a goodnight message every day.

Or Li Ningning, who risked death to steal books;

Or CC, who was willing to accompany him to sneak into the New East Sea City alone;

Li Cheng, who was a hero for the country and the people, and Big-Faced Cat, who didn't hesitate to kill with red eyes to avenge his daughter...

In this world...

There are too many people who have reasons to fight even at the cost of their lives.

So, what about himself?

Lin Xian began to analyze himself.

For himself... was there anything he was willing to do even at the cost of his life?

Lin Xian thought about it for a while.

He found that there wasn't.

There really wasn't.

The current him didn't think anything was more important than life.

But...

What about later?

What about the future?

"People are always changing."

He remembered what he said to Zhao Yingjun.

"Lin Xian, you must do what you like, do what you are willing to persevere in, and do something not to prove anything to others, but something you are willing to bet your life on."

He also remembered what Zhao Yingjun said to him.

In the future... would there be such a thing that he would be willing to risk his life for?

Suddenly.

On the monitoring screen of Ji Xinshui's detention room.

The old man who had been looking down for a long time finally raised his head and looked at the camera.

Everyone in the monitoring room held their breath in an instant!

"Let the interrogators in."

On the screen, Ji Xinshui's eyes were firm, and a sincere smile appeared on his face:

"I have something to confess."

...

At this time.

Ji Xinshui in the interrogation room had obviously made up his mind.

He had never feared death.

Never.

He was already 86 years old, and no one of that age truly fears death.

What's more...

If it weren't for Copernicus, he would have died at the age of 56.

At the age of 56, he was still just an ordinary researcher at the East Sea University Research Institute.

He was born in an era of war, and as a child, he followed his parents on a black boat to seek refuge abroad.

Subsequently, his parents died early, and he studied alone in poverty for half his life. Finally, he returned to China with a dream, but he was frustrated and suffered from exclusion in the research institute.

He was not good at interacting with people, didn't know how to be flexible, didn't understand worldly wisdom, was regarded as a heterodox by his colleagues, and was often verbally abused.

When he was 56 years old, standing on the roof, preparing to jump down and end this nightmarish life, he met Copernicus.

Copernicus from the Genius Club showed him a glimpse of the invitation that could be seen through a lifetime.

His life changed from then on.

Copernicus was omnipotent and had great powers.

Soon, with Copernicus's casual help, he invented a heavyweight patent, secured the position of dean of the East Sea University Research Institute, and commanded countless multinational giants, becoming richer than a country.

But he still loved the position of dean of the East Sea University Research Institute the most.

Even though he had inexhaustible money and was famous all over the world.

He still loved sitting in his office as dean, drinking tea, watching the students on campus, and looking at the high-rise building he had almost jumped off of.

Ji Xinshui, at the age of 56, did die under that high-rise building.

But Ji Xinshui, at the age of 56, who yearned for the Genius Club, was also born on the roof at that moment.

If it weren't for later parting ways with his beloved student Xu Yun, wanting to force him to change his mind, give up the hibernation pod research, and return to his side... he would definitely not have resigned from the position of dean of the research institute that he loved most in his heart.

When Copernicus told him one day to kill Xu Yun.

He was in pain.

But at the same time, he couldn't do anything about it.

His life was given by Copernicus, his life was the charity of the Genius Club, and his greatest wish in carrying out Copernicus's orders was to be able to obtain an invitation to the Genius Club like Copernicus...

In fact, when Xu Yun was alive, he secretly went to see Xu Yiyi many times.

He deliberately arranged Zheng Xiangyue's ward next to Xu Yiyi's.

But after Xu Yun passed away...

He never went there again.

He knew that since he had embarked on this path leading to the Genius Club, to the sun, to the ultimate power, he must accept everything and be prepared to give up everything at any time.

And now was the moment for him to give up everything, disappear from reality, and become a piece of history.

Die, and be resurrected.

This was

The last exam of the Genius Club.

Ji Xinshui, at the age of 86, would "die" on the execution platform.

But Ji Xinshui, at the age of 86, would be reborn in the Genius Club.

He had already thought about everything after joining, he wanted to become the same person as Copernicus, standing beside Copernicus, overlooking the entire world.

He had no fear of death, let alone a fake death that fooled the world.

The hesitation just now was just hoping that he could die in a more dignified manner, be buried thickly by the world, and be praised for the legend he left in the medical field.

But perhaps...

Willingly giving up these things, becoming a more pure existence in the long river of human history, was the key to this last exam.

At the moment he realized this.

Ji Xinshui seemed to see the light shining from before his eyes!

Copernicus stood in the light and applauded for him:

"Welcome, to the Genius Club!"