48 Hours a Day

In the following few days, Zhang Heng didn’t reencounter anymore weird events, and Jia Jia didn’t look for him again either. However, an unfamiliar WeChat account added him as a friend. The unknown person then sent him an address with a side note, ‘Contact me if you change your mind.’ Zhang Heng had been actually doubting the identity of Jia Jia of the checkpoint for a long time. Judging by her conversations with the uncle in beach pants, it was pretty obvious the two weren’t superior and subordinate, nor were they in a cooperative relationship. On the contrary, Jia Jia appeared to be the dominant one.

Besides, the things that the beach pants uncle said vaguely revealed some clues that Jia Jia wasn’t actually human. ‘Jia Jia’ needed to find a partner every 20 years, and when he called her succubus that day, her true identity was thus confirmed.

Succubus, in Latin, meant lustful temptation. Originally derived from Greek mythology, legends about these demons were well documented in Sumerian mythology and Hispanic myths. These demons often appeared in dreams of men, absorbing their essence. Their wings, tail, and horns were signature characteristics of the type.

However, in modern stories, succubus didn’t merely appear in dreams. Their range of activities had become broader, and their imagery was more varied. At the same time, they often worked part-time at a particular place.

In addition to her fantastic charm, Jia Jia seemed to possess other abilities as well. Discounting the mysterious Einstein from the Apollo Program, she was the first person to figure out the relationship between Zhang Heng and the weird man in the Tang suit. Based on what she said about taste, she seemed to know the true identity of the peculiar man.

Unfortunately, Zhang Heng could get no clear answers from her. Although Jia Jia had been ridiculing the beach pants uncle, she still seemed to harbor a considerable degree of fear toward the gaming committee. She only offered Zhang Heng so many benefits because of her insatiable desire to reproduce.

Seeing how she dismissed beach pants uncle, it seemed impossible to keep talking about this matter with her. However, Zhang Heng also knew that if he didn’t offer himself to her, he wouldn’t be able to make her tell him everything. For now, though, he had no plan for doing so.

Putting aside the history of the succubus (no matter how cute it looked, it still couldn’t conceal the fact that it was some kind of demon,) and if what Jia Jia said were truethat copulating would not bring Zhang Heng any harm, Zhang Heng never had a habit of using his body as a bargaining chip. After adding her on WeChat, he tossed his cellphone aside.

For the rest of the holiday, data collection aside, Zhang Heng continued to familiarize himself with the Infinite Building Block, hoping to be able to assemble the things he needed in a much faster time.

Grandpa, on the other hand, bought dinner ingredients from the supermarket. When he opened the door, he got a shock seeing an orange kitten lying on the floor.

“A stray cat in the yard?”

“No. It belongs to my friend. I’m planning to return it later.” Zhang Heng picked up the tiny orange cat, still scratching its ears with his hind legs.

“Come back early for some fried noodles tonight.”

“Okay.”

“Oh and, are things packed?” Grandpa asked while changing slippers.

“It’s almost done, only toiletries and power cords left,” Zhang Heng said. The little orange cat in his hand yawned, seeming unwilling to be held. Although it had started kicking and struggling, Zhang Heng did not dare to put it on the ground. He had it tested before; a cat transformed by an Infinite Building Block was no different than an ordinary cat. To put it in other words, it was completely uncontrollable. If the cat was in a room, it could be captured no matter where it went. Once it got outside the house, though, the cat could wander in the vast, vast world. If it disappeared, it would not be fun if the cat transformed back to Lego bricks and picked it up by someone.

Nonetheless, Zhang Heng had confirmed through this experiment that he had no way to control his creations. If unnecessary, he figured it was better not to use the Infinite Building Block to assemble living things, especially those that could run fast.

“Don’t forget to put it away tomorrow morning,” Grandpa said. “Get up early; I’ll drive you to the train station.”

“Uh, I can just get a taxi.”

“No, I want to see you off. Anyway, I have to go out to the flower and bird markets in the morning, and it’s no trouble for me to stop by the train station.”

“Okay.”

Zhang Heng opened the door with one hand and cat in the other.

The little orange feline had been thinking about wandering around the outside world for a long time, and the moment the door opened, it was instantly attracted by what it saw outside. However, Zhang Heng firmly held the back of its neck and didn’t let go. They then came to a place with fewer people. Zhang Heng waited a while, looked at the time on his watch, and put the little orange cat on the ground.

The cat was ridiculously energetic, like a dragon entering the sea, or a tiger rushing down a mountain. It spread its four legs and started to run like there was no tomorrow. Unfortunately, as soon as it landed on the ground with its front legs, it retransformed into its original state-a lifelike Lego kitten.

Zhang Heng first removed the Infinite Building Block from its abdomen, then dismantled the Lego cat and put the pile of bricks into his bag.

It was a quiet night, and he made use of the last hour he had here to take some pictures. They were mainly landscape photos of his junior high school and elementary school. On the way, he encountered two internet-addicted teenagers who were poised to rob passing victims. Broke and penniless, they did it to feed their internet gaming habit. Zhang Heng confiscated their clothes and threw their knives into the river two kilometers away from them.

After that, he went on visiting other spots, including a playground he liked most when he was still a child. It was demolished early last year, and in its place was a five-star hotel that was still under construction. An empty skating ring lay beside the plot.

Zhang Heng also took the time to inspect the grandpa’s old Volkswagen, replacing a few old parts to make sure it was safe to drive. He finally returned home an hour earlier and opened grandpa’s house’s door. He sat by the bed for a while, looking at his sleeping grandfather until the hour hand pointed at twelve again. He then got up and returned to his room.

Early the next morning, Zhang Heng carried his bag and went back to school again. His grandpa drove him to the station, watched him pick up the ticket, and passing through the security check. After confirming that he did not miss anything, the elderly man turned around and left.

As opposed to when he arrived, there were no more accidents on the train on the way back. This time, Zhang Heng was surrounded by students that were ready to return to school. The atmosphere in the carriage was harmonious. No one approached him as well, thankfully. So, Zhang Heng continued to read his “Finnish Grammar,” eventually falling asleep until the train reached the terminal.