The Evolution of Genius: Every Night, I Get Smarter!

In the morning, just before Olivia left, she shared with me that she’s facing issues at school due to the plane incident, and they’re considering the possibility of her getting expelled.

This could potentially create a problem for me as well, but I assured her that I would do my best to find a solution.

I mean, if The Lord is going to use me as some sort of cosmic errand runner, he should at least get the details right.

So, I’ve planned to have a little chat with him next time we meet and kindly ask him to take care of this.

I had a morning flight scheduled to return to Germany, so I asked Olivia if she wanted to join me. Unfortunately, she mentioned that she had to head back to university. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

I quickly gathered my belongings and headed for the airport, where, fortunately, I wasn’t stopped this time.

However, there were quite a few people asking me why I was arrested, both at the Boston airport and when I finally arrived in Germany. It seems like the word had gotten around.

Mr. Reymond took care of the paperwork while I was unavailable, and the exact location for the fusion engine to be built has now been chosen. It wasn’t too far from Frankfurt, so that’s where I landed.

The airport was huge, but my navigation skills were sharper than that. I quickly found my way to where my driver was waiting for me.

I have heard that Lydia has already moved to Germany, and she was supposed to meet me at the construction site.

I arrived after an hour’s ride. As I stepped out of the car, I could see that the work was clearly underway, excavators digging the foundations, concrete mixers churning out the building material, and cranes lifting steel structures into place.

As I got out of the car, Lydia, who stood not far away, quickly ran up to me., "Max! Hey!", she waved my way.

"Hello. How is it going?"

"I will tell you everything, but first, I need to say that you look really presentable."

"Ah, thank you, I bought myself a new suit on the way here.", I said as I patted my suit jacket.

Lydia had a smirk on her face, "You shouldn’t have worn it if you wanted to see the construction from up close..."

I smiled, "From what I can see from here, I think Mr. Reynold has hired talented engineers. It’s only the fundaments. Bring me back when it’s the vacuum vessel or when you will start injecting the plasma with energy. For now, I’m more interested in the teams that will oversee the research. "

She looked at me with a confident expression, "Well, then. You’re looking at one!"

"Yes. I know, but what about the Physics team? Can I talk to them?", I asked.

"Sure. You see that building?" Lydia said, pointing to a block of flats around 800 meters away.

The landscape, once filled with trees and buildings, had been cleared and prepared for construction.

"For now, that’s where some of the scientists live, and it’s also our planning hub. I think Professor Eleanor Hayes is here today, so you can discuss things with her," she explained.

"Alright. Then get in the car; I’m not trekking there on foot in this suit."

As we drove up to the block, I spotted a dude in a green sweater chilling with a smoke at the entrance. Catching a glimpse of me, he swiftly ditched the cigarette like I was his father or something.

"Welcome, welcome!" he exclaimed, the urgency in his tone betraying a touch of nervous excitement.

I came up closer to the entrance. The man extended his hand. "Professor Sullivan, I presume? I’m Tom, part of the maintenance team here. A pleasure to have you with us," he greeted.

I clasped his hand in a firm shake and offered a genuine smile. "Thanks, Tom. I appreciate the hard work you and your team put in around here."

Tom nodded.

Lydia walking behind me interrupted, "Tom, Is Professor Hayes here?"

Tom nodded enthusiastically, "Yes, yes, she’s inside."

As we entered, I caught a glimpse of Tom glancing at our backs. He retrieved another cigarette from his pack and flicked his lighter open.

The floor, not exactly fancy but definitely better than expected, gave off a cozy feel. The lobby had this chill vibe, and in a reasonably sized comfort room, a couple of people wearing casual clothes were clearly speaking about some technicalities.

In the mix of voices, a middle-aged woman caught my eye, probably in her 50s. Her brown hair, reached down to her shoulders. She seemed to be the one leading the conversation.

"Is that woman Professor Hayes?", I asked Lydia.

"Yep, she’s a fantastic physicist. You should definitely get to know her. They’re so deep in it; they didn’t even notice someone walked in," she replied.

As we approached the group, they finally snapped out of their conversation and turned to us. It was clear they recognized me, but Lydia took the lead in introductions.

"Hey, people! This is Professor Sullivan", Lydia announced with a casual grin.

The woman with the timeless brown hair extended her hand, "Pleasure to finally meet you in person, Sir Maximillian. I’m Professor Eleanor Hayes. Welcome!"

"You can just call me Max," I replied. I then turned to the three men sitting around. "You too, everyone. I hope I can get to know your names."

We chatted for a while, delving into matters related to the project. They brought out the construction papers, and after a quick glance, they asked me if it looked good.

I was genuinely pleased with what I saw; they were clearly aligning with the vision I had for this.

There were a few adjustments that, at first, felt like changes, but upon reflection, I recognized they were necessary tweaks, likely due to my limited experience in construction.

Professor Hayes, leaning back with a satisfied nod, spoke up, "Well, I’m pleased to see we’re on the same page here. How about we continue this discussion over dinner? You’re all welcome to my place."

Surprised, I raised an eyebrow. "You’ve already moved houses?"

She chuckled. "Oh, yes. I have some family in the real estate business. Buying and selling properties is their thing, so it wasn’t too much of a problem. We moved in just yesterday with my daughter."

I exchanged glances with the other physicists and Lydia.

"Sounds great. I’m in," I said, a sentiment echoed by the others.

"Perfect! It’s settled then. We can discuss the project further over a good meal, and get to know each other better." Professor Hayes concluded with a warm smile.

We all piled into our cars, following Professor Hayes as she led the way to her home. When we arrived, we realized the driveway had limited space, so we parked our vehicles around the neighborhood.

Right after we entered the house, Mrs. Hayes called for her daughter and instructed us to leave our jackets in the wardrobe. I removed my suit jacket as she raised her voice, yelling audibly, "Veronica!"

A few moments later, the daughter, a girl around 20 with brown hair, a slim waist, and an athletic build, descended the stairs in casual training clothes. "Oh! Good evening," she greeted us with a smile.

Mrs. Hayes, still addressing her daughter, asked if she wanted anything, to which she replied, "Pizza." Mrs. Hayes sighed, agreeing, and then turned to us.

"Anyone opposed to Chinese food?" she asked. I answered, "No objections here."

Not long after, we settled around the table in the living room, each of us with a cup of coffee. Dr. Reynolds, a personable physicist, posed a question.

"Max, after joining this project, I did some digging into your career, and I’m baffled by how you achieved so much in just half a year. I’ve been immersed in the matter-antimatter sphere for years, struggling to come up with a breakthrough without much success."

I chuckled, trying to downplay the situation. "Well, you know, sometimes it’s a mix of luck and the right timing. I feel like just intelligence isn’t enough." I avoided delving into the specifics, fully aware that if Dr. Reynolds knew about my recent studies, it could leave him astounded or, worse, paralyzed.

Professor Hayes interjected, a warm smile on her face. "Now, Max, don’t let Benjamin fool you. He’s being far too humble. His theories in the matter-antimatter sphere have gained wide acknowledgment." She gave Dr. Reynolds a nod of affirmation, and he, though modest, couldn’t hide a subtle grin.

A while later, the Chinese food arrived, filling the room with steam. We continued the conversation over dinner.

Another member of the team turned to me. "Max, what do you think about Quantum Gravity? Any ideas?"

I took a thoughtful sip of my drink and I leaned forward. "There is no quantum gravity, just because quantum theory has successfully explained every other force of nature. This does not mean it can explain gravity. I hope we can take that step beyond quantum at some point."

I glanced around the table. "Thoughts?"