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

The security guard allowed Zhang Heng to enter the school without asking any questions.

Zhang Heng walked towards the gymnasium. When he went to the second floor and confirmed no one around him, Zhang Heng jumped into the teaching building through the window.

The school's students had all gone home a while ago, and not a single soul wandered the silent corridor.

Desks, chairs, blackboard, podium, and the wall could all be seen through the glass.

The news did not mention the children's names that drowned in the river to protect citizens' privacy. The reporters only mentioned only their surnames, but fortunately, it wasn't too hard for Zhang Heng to find their full names. Knowing their ages, it wasn't too difficult locating their classes either. After he arrived at the right floor, Zhang Heng checked the classrooms one by one through the glass.

Soon, he found an empty immaculate seat, one that had no books on it but a bunch of white lilies.

Reporter Xiao Song