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

Until today, Zhang Heng had only two horse-riding experiences—colt he rode in the park when he was young. These colts were usually led by experienced staff and walked around the area at speed close to ten miles per hour.

In other words, this was the first time he chose a horse as a means of transportation. He was looking forward to the scene of riding a horse. From a safety point of view, Zhang Heng decided to do it step by step.

So he picked the shortest and thinnest brown horse with a hair loss problem. Compared to the other horses, it looked relatively docile. When approached, the steed showed no resistance, and as it lowered its head to eat, Zhang Heng walked to its side.

Lonesome Cowboy