For as long as he could remember, the thing that bugged Lin Xian most about his dream…was the year—August 28th, 2624.
That was over 600 years ahead of his real-world time in 2022.
And yet, life in the dream and the level of technology?Practically identical to the present day.
Absolutely ridiculous!
Six hundred years and not a single leap in human progress?Come on.
He had tried to find answers—checked libraries, surfed the web inside the dream.But everything about history was vague: lottery numbers, major global events, political changes—nothing had clear descriptions.
The library records only covered very recent history, and even those read like cheap pulp fiction.
They didn't explain a thing.
"Maybe... it's because your imagination just isn't good enough?"
He once discussed this with a close friend,and that was the friend's theory:
"Dreams are ultimately creations of the brain, built from your imagination."
"So you'll never dream of anything beyond what you already know."
"If your mind can't envision what the world will look like in 600 years, of course it won't show up in your dreams. Maybe if you watched more sci-fi movies, it'd help."
Lin Xian found that explanation pretty convincing.
But even after watching hundreds of sci-fi films, his dream world never changed.
Eventually, after having too much fun in the dream, he accepted the illogical setup:
"A dream is fiction by nature—so the more unrealistic, the more realistic."
…
He'd met Bigface Cat at around 10:00 PM yesterday.
Time to act.
Lin Xian walked toward two boys wrestling in the plaza.
"Ultraman flying kick!""Ultraman elbow strike!"
The two got more hyped as they played, running further away—eventually, their mask even fell off without them noticing.
"Key item acquired: Ultraman mask. Check~"
Lin Xian picked it up and put it on.
Whistle!Whistle! Whistle!
Two sharp whistles.
Before he could react, a thick arm yanked him along.
"There you are, bro!This whole plaza's full of kids in Ultraman masks—took me forever to find you!"
In front of him—a familiar cartoon cat mask.And that all-too-familiar face full of saggy meat.
"Come on! Car's over there. My guy already went ahead to the bank."
"Wait, Face Bro."
Lin Xian stopped him."I have a question."
"Shoot."
"That cartoon cat on your mask—what's its name?"
"This one?"
Bigface Cat pointed at the squished mask on his face.
"This is Coco Cat, man. You don't recognize it? Super popular."
"For someone your age, you sure keep up."
"My daughter loved this cat. Bought a bunch of the plushies back in the day."
"Alright then."
Lin Xian shook off his hand and turned toward a nearby toy store.
"I forgot something. You go wait in the car."
Smack!
A chubby hand clamped down on his shoulder.
"You've seen me before?"
"Nope. First time."
"Then why'd you call me Face Bro?"Bigface Cat stared him down.
…
…
A hot summer breeze blew through,and for a moment, it felt like time itself had stopped.
Neither said a word.
Children's laughter rang nearby as they ran past—but here, the plaza felt isolated from the world.
Bigface Cat's hand reached slowly toward his waist...
Lin Xian turned back slowly.
Ultraman faced off with Coco Cat.
"You really want to know?"
"I do."
...
...
"Because your face… is just way too big."
"Huh?"
Bigface Cat frowned. His Coco Cat mask crumpled from the expression.
Lin Xian peeled the hand off his shoulder.
"I'm sorry, but that giant face of yours is hard to ignore.If it bothers you, I can call you something else."
"HAHAHAHA!"
Bigface Cat burst out laughing.
"You got it right!Everyone calls me Bigface Cat anyway—'Face Bro' is just fine!"
"Go grab your stuff—we're on a schedule!"
Lin Xian waved and stepped into the toy store.
This Bigface Cat…
He thought the guy was just some reckless thug,but turns out, the guy was quite perceptive.
"Hello."
Lin Xian walked to the front counter.
"I'd like to buy a Coco Cat plush."
"Sure, sir. Right over here."The clerk led him to a shelf full of Coco Cats—dozens of them, stacked neatly.
So Bigface Cat was telling the truth—this thing really was popular.
Lin Xian picked up a standard version and carefully examined it.He studied the cat's structure, proportions, limbs, clothes…
Better to memorize the details now.Once he woke up at 00:42, he could sketch everything from memory.
He had to admit—Coco Cat was adorably well-designed, rivaling Hello Kitty in every way.
He circled around, scanning it from all angles.
Technically, in the design world, this might count as plagiarism...
But—can you plagiarize your own dream?
"This is all from my imagination anyway, right? I'm the original creator."
He examined it thoroughly.
"Hey! What are you doing over there!"
A roar.
Bigface Cat stormed over, furious,grabbed Lin Xian, and dragged him out.
"You got no concept of time, bro?! Hurry up already!"
Smack!
As they passed the cashier, Bigface Cat slapped down a golden 1000-dollar bill.
"Keep the change!"
His van was parked right outside.
Lin Xian, Coco Cat plush in hand, was shoved into the vehicle.
VROOOOM—
Bigface Cat slammed the gas, grumbling as he eyed the toy in Lin Xian's lap.
"You plan on cracking the vault with that thing? Are you fuc—"
"It's for your daughter."
Lin Xian gently placed the plush in front of the steering wheel.
"…."
Bigface Cat fell silent.
The fury on his face froze.The curse hanging on his lips went limp.
A few seconds later...
The rage faded.His mouth closed.
He swallowed hard.Kept his eyes on the road.
Drove in silence.
…
Not a word the entire way.
Lin Xian didn't know why the usually loud, rowdy Bigface Cat had suddenly gone so quiet.
So quiet, it felt unfamiliar.
In the van, the only sounds were the ticking of the turn signal,and the occasional glance Bigface Cat stole at the plush in the rearview mirror.
The mask strap was starting to dig into Lin Xian's scalp.He loosened it slightly.
At the intersection, the red light began to flash.
"…Thank you."
Bigface Cat spoke in a low, gravelly voice.
He pulled a cigarette from the box, lit it.
"…It's been years… since I last bought a Coco Cat toy."
Smoke drifted through the air.
"She grew up, huh?"Lin Xian asked casually, resting his cheek on his hand.
"She died."
Bigface Cat bit the cigarette, exhaled a thick cloud.
"She's been gone a long time. She was only six."
"Was it an accident?"
"No."
He stepped on the brake.
"She was murdered."
"Who the hell kills a six-year-o—"
"Bro."
Bigface Cat cut him off and pointed at the bank across the street.
"We're here. Time to get to work."
Click!
He slid a magazine into his gun and chambered a round.Then adjusted the mask on his face.
"Let's go, bro!"
"When we're done with this job,I'll finally have what I need to take revenge for my daughter!"
"Work first. We'll talk later!"
With a grin, he clapped Lin Xian on the shoulder and jumped out of the van, heading toward the bank.
"..."
Lin Xian stayed seated, watching Bigface Cat's large frame stumble away.
Beside him, the Coco Cat plush sat quietly.Lin Xian recalled the scene from yesterday's dream:
"That vault room was filled with safes… but not a single dollar, Face Bro…"
(End of Chapter)