Did You Destroy the World Today?
Chapter 33: You Are the Genius

All the clues pointed to Mars.  

From the current situation, it seemed that place was almost the source of everything.  

Heavenly fire descended, Mars across the shore.  

Did this phrase mean that Mars was humanity’s ultimate refuge?  

Or was it that on Mars, there existed technology that could help humans survive the Apocalypse smoothly?  

Judging from the clues gathered so far, it seemed more like the latter.  

Moreover, if the latter was taken as a premise, then all the information in hand could be woven into a logically complete story.  

Xu Jin’s father, Xu Qianlin, as the chief engineer of the Mars exploration project, led the launch of the Zhurong rover.  

Subsequently, in 2025, the Zhurong rover discovered residual room temperature superconductors on Mars.  

At the same time, this group of people, represented by Xu Qianlin, found more clues on Mars, ultimately promoting the establishment of the Planetary Reincarnation organization.  

As a materials science expert, Xu Jin followed in his father’s footsteps to Mars in pursuit of these room temperature superconductors.  

After bringing back key materials from Mars, human technology rapidly advanced, giving birth to equipment like the airborne magnetic levitation light rail, which differed from existing technology routes.  

During continued exploration, this organization gradually discovered signs of the Apocalypse and shifted from being a scientific research group to a secretive organization suppressed for "spreading doomsday rhetoric."  

Eventually, for reasons unknown, Xu Jin launched an extreme action and went into hiding.  

It seemed reasonable?  

But there was still one critical question that needed verification.  

That was: what exactly was Xu Jin’s reason for going to Mars?  

This question could only be clarified when meeting him tomorrow.  

Of course, before that, I had to discuss the material issue with him clearly.  

After bidding farewell to Jiang Xingye, Lin Xu returned home and glanced at the to-do list sent from the company on his computer.  

Just as Jiang Xingye had said, this implementation test went very smoothly, with almost no major revisions needed.  

He made slight code adjustments based on the feedback, then lay down on the bed and immediately fell asleep.  

The numbers on the bracelet had reset to zero.  

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

......  

The next morning, Lin Xu woke up naturally.  

After opening his eyes, he clocked in for fieldwork on his computer; Jiang Xingye still approved instantly.  

Then, as usual, he ordered a luxury car and headed straight to Jinling University.  

He had arranged to meet Xu Jin at 10 a.m. at a coffee shop in front of Jinling University.  

When he arrived, he wanted to call Xu Jin to ask if he was there, but when he looked up, Xu Jin was already sitting in a corner.  

"Morning."  

Lin Xu walked over.  

"Let’s find a private room. It’s not convenient to talk here."  

"No, right here."  

Xu Jin shook his head.  

Lin Xu was momentarily stunned. He glanced at the table in front of Xu Jin and realized it was shinier than the others in the café.  

Wow, personally wiped it, huh?  

He might as well be working here as a barista...  

"Alright then, let’s talk here."  

Lin Xu sat opposite Xu Jin, took out the documents he had prepared from his backpack, and placed them on the table.  

"It’s still what I talked to you about before. I know you’re researching M46X and PEEK materials."  

"I happen to have a document here about the low-cost industrial production methods of these two materials."  

"If you need it, I can give you this material."  

"But the premise is, we have to cooperate."  

"The patent rights for this material, we’ll share according to contract agreement."  

"I’m asking for 80% of the share, you get 20%. Do you agree?"  

In fact, Lin Xu’s bottom line for the patent share was 67%. Proposing 80% was just giving Xu Jin room to bargain.  

Because according to company stock division, only with more than 67% of shares can absolute control be achieved; otherwise, the second-largest shareholder could veto decisions.  

And under current patent law, joint ownership of patents has no legal support; it relies on extra contracts or corporate shareholding to secure it.  

So Lin Xu had to agree on the shares in advance.  

In case their cooperation later operated through a corporate form, conflicts over share division could be avoided in advance.  

What surprised him was that Xu Jin agreed immediately without hesitation.  

"I don’t even care about the shares. I just want to participate in the R&D."  

"I want to see the material. Can I look now?"  

Xu Jin’s tone was somewhat urgent. Lin Xu calmly took out another document from his backpack and said:  

"Sign the confidentiality agreement first, then we talk."  

Xu Jin took the agreement, grabbed a pen, and signed it quickly. Then, as Lin Xu requested, he pressed his fingerprint on the agreement.  

At this moment, he seemed less fastidious. After completing these actions, he eagerly flipped through the materials Lin Xu brought.  

Judging by his expression, there was no way to discuss anything until he finished reading.  

So Lin Xu sat down comfortably and ordered two cups of coffee.  

He originally thought Xu Jin wouldn’t drink coffee, but unexpectedly, Xu Jin downed his cup in one gulp when it arrived.  

The ice cubes in the cup clinked as he bit them. Lin Xu’s mind involuntarily recalled an old commercial.  

Sensitive teeth? Use XXX toothpaste.  

They quietly waited for an hour before Xu Jin finally finished reading the documents.  

Then, he neatly organized the messy papers, looked up at Lin Xu, and solemnly said:  

"Thank you!"  

"You are the real genius!"  

"Thank you for willing to bring me along!"  

"So, what do you need me to do?"  

"I can do anything!"  

"...You don’t have to say it like that..."  

Lin Xu swallowed the teasing words he almost said.  

This wasn’t Jiang Xingye on the other side!  

He cleared his throat and spoke:  

"As you saw, this material is a very rare achievement, but for various reasons, I can’t complete the entire research as an individual."  

"So, I need to cooperate with you."  

"You have the resources for process R&D, right?"  

"What you need to do is use those resources to thoroughly perfect the process and officially enter industrial production."  

"After completing all that, you and I will apply for the patent as joint patentees, then arrange patent shares by contract and notarize it at the notary office."  

"Then, we can share the benefits from the patent."  

"But what about Tianqiong Technology? You said you would send me to Mars. You said I could build a spaceship!"  

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

Xu Jin’s tone became more urgent, and his expression anxious and uneasy.  

This was a symptom of his OCD about to flare.  

Obviously, what Lin Xu said were not the things he truly wanted, causing his mental state to be triggered.  

He only wanted to go to Mars!  

Lin Xu raised his hand.  

"Quiet, quiet."  

"Don’t worry, you will definitely go to Mars."  

"But before that, you must tell me the answer."  

Lin Xu paused, looked straight into Xu Jin’s eyes, and solemnly asked:  

"Why do you want to go to Mars?"  

"What exactly do you mean by Zhurong?"