48 Hours a Day

“Oh sorry, I thought of something when I just stood here.” “What is it?”

“Did you know that the jelly is made of pigskin?”

“Hmm.”

“You see it right? How did anybody not see it before? Humans consider this intelligent species as food, consuming their flesh, skin, and even their bones. It is as if they exist solely to be eaten. No one seems to think of this as a cruel act. Everyone I’ve met thinks that this is the way the world works.” The college student curiously poked the jelly in the pot with his finger. “Interesting. So, such is the civilization I’ll be facing.”

“Trust me. I’ve seen our civilization commit deeds that are way worse,” Zhang Heng said. “Eating jelly is definitely not among the top ten.’ “If that’s the case, does that mean that a species of higher intelligence can decide the fate of a lower one without asking for its consent? In other words, if a species is on a higher level than a human, they must be allowed to eat humans too.”

“I do not think so.”

“Why? Humans have been doing the same thing to pigs.”

“Because I don’t want to be a piece of jelly?” replied Zhang Heng with a raise of an eyebrow. “Hahaha!”

The college student laughed again when he heard Zhang Heng’s reply. This time Zhang Heng could finally hear his laughter. It sounded a bit screechy, like chalk scratching a blackboard. After he was done laughing, he said to Zhang Heng, “You are the most interesting person that I ever met.”

“It sounds like you haven’t met a lot of people.”

The college student nodded and pointed at his head, “I had a problem here before. I have been staying at home for a very long time.”

“You don’t look too good right now. Don’t you need a few more courses of medicine to recover completely?”

“I will take my medicine when I go back later. But first, I’ll have to deliver this skin jelly to Aunt Wang.”

After the college students finished speaking, they started to move again.

The distance between the two gradually got closer and closer. When Zhang Heng realized that he was two steps away from the college student, he tilted his body slightly.

“Thank you,” the college student gave a sincere thanks.

“You’re welcome.”

“I’m not that bright, but I like to deal with bright people. I hope you can always be this smart.”

“If you are not that smart, it’s better that you give a little less of your false suggestions to anyone in the future,” replied Zhang Heng in kind.

After that, the two spoke no further, with one heading upstairs and the other in the other direction.

Zhang Heng walked out of the gate and looked back at the building behind him.

He knew that what happened tonight was not a coincidence. Although the student used the excuse of delivering jelly to Aunt Wang, Zhang Heng knew that the creature was actually waiting for him.

Maybe it was because the real student could bear it no more and told had the creature everything about himself. Or perhaps the conversation with Zhang Heng at the convenience store had raised its suspicions.

Noticing how the creature had deliberately looked for Zhang Heng at night, the creature must have attempted to use the same method he used on the real student. Knowing that Zhang Heng could not expose them, he deliberately created a terrifying atmosphere, hoping to drive fear into Zhang Heng’s heart and driving him mad. However, they obviously underestimated Zhang Heng’s mental state. Let alone the fact that Zhang Heng was saner than the ordinary person, his mental state was robust and had been greatly fortified, considering the unfathomable things he witnessed during the numerous quests he had participated in. That level of intimidation was no better than opening a can of herring. When he saw the college student standing in the dark, Zhang Heng’s breathing didn’t change, slow and calm as before. Moreover, this encounter verified his previous inferences. Although he hadn’t figured out the nuances of these creatures, the one thing that could confirm, was that they couldn’t take someone’s form whenever they desired to. In other words, even if those things started to grow suspicious of him, as long as they were not prepared to take his form; he would be safe for the time being.

ere

However, the state of relative security would not last forever. The next step would depend if those things were prepared to take on Zhang Heng’s form, or if he managed to uncover any useful clues.

Zhang Heng did not stay there any longer. He quickly returned home, waited for his grandfather to fall asleep, took his car key, and drove back to the river where the three children were drowned.

However, after a night of searching, nothing was found.

This time, Zhang Heng focused his search on the bridge pier where the college student hid that night. He rolled pebbles away and dug the ground and despite all that, all he found was beer bottles, plastic bags, leather shoes, and other garbage.

After another futile effort, Zhang Heng headed home, taking a two-hour nap before going out again to check on the surveillance cameras of the nearby shops. This time he finally found something useful.

A few shops’ cameras actually captured the red Honda Fit of the student’s family at midnight. However, these cameras installed outside the shops were angled toward the entrances they guarded. To know where the student family went that night, Zhang Heng had to combine all the clips.

He spent a good half of the day rummaging through surveillance clips from two different streets to confirm where the Honda Fit was heading to. Then, Bai Qing sent him a text, saying that she and her friend had arrived at Wanda Shopping Mall, and she wanted to know Zhang Heng’s whereabouts.

Sending her a reply that would get there as soon as possible, Zhang Heng hurried to the bus station and took a bus to Wanda Mall.

He saw Bai Qing upon arriving on the first floor of the mall. She was in a grey T-shirt with a pair of denim shorts and a pair of white sneakers, lugging around a canvas bag on her back. She was standing in front of a KFC restaurant, staring at the mall entrance.

She seemed to be looking all over the place, but since it was a Sunday and the mall was packed, she failed to spot Zhang Heng.

It was not until Zhang Heng quickly walked to her side that Bai Qing reacted with her eyes open wide. “Hey! When did you arrive?!”

“I just got here. How about you?”

“It’s been a while.”

“Where is your... friend?”

Zhang Heng remembered Bai Qing saying that she’d come to the mall to watch a movie with her friend. However, she was alone now.

“Don’t talk about it. We just went to collect the movie tickets, and I told her that I have to pass you the workbook. I had no idea where she went. Then, she sent me a text to meet up when the movie starts,” complained Bai Qing.

“When does your movie start?”

“There is still an hour and a half left. We were supposed to go shopping first.”

“Have you eaten? If you haven’t eaten, I’ll get you a burger...”

Zhang Heng pointed at the KFC beside him. But before he could say anything more, he suddenly remembered that he had spent every dime of the week’s pocket money.