Xiao Daidzhao

Growing up with eccentric materialistic parents who left him in the care of his grandfather for a job overseas, Zhang Heng had learned to adapt and be unfettered by the oddities and challenges in life. But he would soon learn the baffling truth about the world he thought he knew when one day at midnight time froze and he found himself in a world so quiet and still it was deafening. That night, he discovered that he had 24 hours more than everybody else and thus, marked the beginning of his adventures. The mysteries surrounding his newfound ability only deepened when a strange old man claimed to have given Zhang Heng that ‘gift of time’ and recruited the young man to participate in a cryptic ‘life-changing’ game on his behalf. Little did Zhang Heng know that accepting those terms meant embroiling himself in many versions of reality and exposing himself to the hidden secrets of the world—a decision he could never undo.

48 Hours a Day

Zhang Heng tagged along with Little Boy to the nearby Carrefour, where they bought blankets, pillows, a rinse cup, underwear, socks, and razors. Little Boy also picked out a bottle of cologne for him, but Zhang Heng waved it off, indicating to her that he had no need for that sort of thing. When he passed by the knife rack, however, he stopped and picked up a pocket knife.

Its handle was made of rosewood with a brass end. Sporting a stainless-steel blade, it felt sturdy and durable. More importantly, it was only 11cm long—compact enough for traveling. With Zhang Heng's level 3 knife fighting skills, it would make a perfect melee weapon.

"Do you want it?" Little Boy asked.

Zhang Heng looked at the price tag that read €35. "It's a little pricey," he hesitated, "I can choose another one."

"Never mind, just take this one. It'll just be deducted from your salary."

Middleman