Genius Club

“Kitty cat? Wow, it’s so cute!” Lin Xian’s colleague exclaimed as she admired the simple sketch he had drawn. Her excitement was palpable.

“Lin Xian, why haven’t you shown this fantastic design to Sister Juan?”

“What???” Lin Xian was taken aback.

The room’s focus instantly shifted to them, especially the design department colleagues, whose eyes widened with anticipation.

“What? Let me see!” Quick footsteps approached as Li Juan hurried over, her usual calm demeanor replaced by thinly veiled anxiety.

Though Director Zhao remained silent, her stern expression conveyed her displeasure.

Snap!

Li Juan snatched the draft from Lin Xian’s hands. Her expression softened as she examined the sketch, her breath steadying, and the initial fury in her eyes dying down.

“You… this is…” Li Juan struggled to find the right words. “This… I think it’s quite good!”

The room fell silent, shocked by Li Juan’s sudden praise, given her reputation for being notoriously critical.

She walked over and placed the draft in front of Director Zhao. “Director Zhao, take a look. This is Lin Xian’s design for our new brand.”

As she laid the draft down, everyone craned their necks to get a better look. The sketch depicted a cartoon cat’s head, simple yet expressive. Despite being just a drawing in black pen, the cat’s personality seemed to leap off the page.

“Wow, Lin Xian’s design has a unique charm and delicacy.”

“I think it’s even cuter than Hello Kitty. Kitty is too prim and doesn’t have a mouth, but Lin Xian’s cat has a youthful, vibrant vibe.”

“Young, girlish, ageless, energetic… it perfectly matches our new brand’s essence! Lin Xian, why didn’t you show us this sooner?”

“A good brand image must be simple but recognizable, and easy to spread. Lin Xian’s cat rivals icons like Kitty, Mickey Mouse, and Doraemon.”

The room erupted into enthusiastic discussions, praising the design. Li Juan breathed a sigh of relief and looked expectantly at Director Zhao.

Zhao Ying Jun, founder of MX Company, had built a reputation for her sharp business acumen. Now, she considered the sketch thoughtfully.

“Not bad,” she finally said.

“Right, Director Zhao! See, we do have real talent here!” Li Juan beamed, seizing the moment to highlight Lin Xian’s creativity. “Lin Xian is our secret weapon, our ace!”

Zhao Ying Jun then turned to Lin Xian, curiosity in her gaze. “How did you come up with this design? What inspired it?”

“I dreamt it,” Lin Xian replied honestly.

Li Juan sighed, exasperated by his simplicity, while some colleagues chuckled.

Zhao Ying Jun, however, smiled approvingly. “What we think about during the day often comes to us in dreams. Many great inventions were conceived this way. Dmitri Mendeleev dreamt up the Periodic Table; Einstein conceptualized the theory of relativity. But without hard work and prior knowledge, dreams alone aren’t enough.”

The room applauded Lin Xian, who felt slightly overwhelmed by the praise.

“However,” Zhao Ying Jun added as the applause faded, examining the cat sketch again, “a head alone isn’t enough. We need a full-body image for branding purposes—limbs, clothes, everything.”

She placed the sketch down, fixing her gaze on Lin Xian. “Can you complete the cat’s body and outfit?”

Realizing the challenge, the room’s mood shifted from celebration to anticipation, all eyes on Lin Xian.

He took a sip of tea, thinking. The mask Big Cat Face wore only showed the cat’s head; the body was still a mystery.

“No problem,” Lin Xian replied confidently, putting down his tea cup. “The design drafts are at home; I’ll bring them tomorrow.”

That evening, as he prepared for bed, Lin Xian checked the time—9:01 PM. Yesterday’s dream had clarified everything—

It began with Big Cat Face and a female password expert planning a bank heist. They used masks as a code; Big Cat Face wore a cat mask, and the expert an Ultraman mask. By chance, Lin Xian had picked up an Ultraman mask, leading Big Cat Face to mistakenly involve him in the heist.

“So tonight, if I wear the Ultraman mask again, Big Cat Face will surely appear.”

He closed the windows to keep out the cold and added an extra blanket. Setting his alarm, he placed his phone on the bedside table and turned off the light.

“Time to sleep.”

A hot summer breeze stirred as he woke, carrying the fresh scent of green leaves. Lin Xian opened his eyes to find himself in a brightly lit square filled with playing children.

“Hehe, catch me! Catch me!”

“Take this! Ultraman slide tackle!”

“I want candied hawthorn! Waaaah!”

“I don’t want to go home! I want to play more!”

“Mommy, I want to ride a bike!”

Lin Xian glanced up at the electronic billboard displaying the time:

[August 28, 2624]

[21:37:17]

[21:37:18]

[21:37:19]

[21:37:20]