Chapter 2 (1/2)

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

He ran seven laps around the field—2,800 meters.

After that, he showered in the public bathroom, changed into a clean white T-s.h.i.+rt and a pair of jeans, enjoyed his breakfast at a leisurely pace in the canteen and then finally walked to the library with the book ‘Xiao Shan Wanhua Mirror’ he had finished reading.

Like the morning run, reading was also one of Zhang Heng’s routine which he kept at the speed of one book per week.

But unlike the run, reading brought him many pleasures. It was more like a pastime for him—one that he had always enjoyed.

As a matter of fact, if it were not for the limitation of time, he would be reading more than just one book every week.

After he returned the book at the service desk, Zhang Heng pulled out the phone in his pocket and opened an applet called Random Number Generator. With the setting adjusted to eight digits, he eagerly rolled the virtual dice.

Admittedly, it was not without ground that people thought that this guy was a genius.

The regular person would never have thought to use this dice-rolling method to choose a book to read.

But there was merit or perhaps eccentricity to Zhang Heng’s reading style. Perhaps it was because he had gone through too many books since he was child, Zhang Heng could read any kind of books. From world-famous works to Dragon Proud Sky*¹, Xiaobai Wen²*, and even the Perfect Man from Jin Jiang, Zhang Heng would soak them up like a sponge. And he got worse after that. He would still complete vapid books like Compendium of Medical Herbs and Scientific Swine Raising Handbook.

To avoid the trouble of having to select a book and to experience the pure joy of having chanced upon a good book, he developed a normal distribution applet to help him pick his weekly reading material.

It was such a pity that the appeal for campus research grant had fallen through, where he lacked the funding to market his invention.

Zhang Heng concluded it was because the capital market lacked vision.

…

Using the last two digits of the randomly generated number as a guide, Zhang Heng found himself in the management section.

Although not literature like the last time, he considered it to be quite a stroke of luck. At least it was much better than the ‘Bill of Quant.i.tates for Water Drainage, Heating, and Gas Engineering’ he got last month.

Stretching out a finger, Zhang Heng pulled out the t.i.tle for this week—Adam Smith’s ‘The Wealth of Nations’.

This was going to be a very pleasant afternoon.

Zhang Heng found himself a seat by the window and began to engross himself in the book.

Some of you might be scoffing right now. Really? He’s not going to fuss over that recently turned-faerie watch of his?

Well, as evident by Zhang Heng’s att.i.tude, he really could not care less about it.

Addressing the issue proactively was the appropriate response, but only if it was within your capability. But in the face of a supernatural phenomenon like this, where there is a lack of information, perhaps not doing anything about it is the better option. Have you not seen those cla.s.sic horror films where the ghosts touch the person and the person would die? The actors or actresses had to pack their bags and go home since they were no longer part of the horror film.

On the contrary, you have to pretend that it did not exist at all, keeping a cool and composed mind, and keep moving. Who knows, it might just be a frightening but harmless haunted house tour.

Which is exactly why, many a times, staying calm and collected is the most important thing.

Right now, Zhang Heng was exactly that. No one would be able to tell that this guy had just experienced paranormal encounter; he missed cla.s.s and use the time to go for a morning run, spent a whole afternoon poring over ‘The Wealth of Nations’, and then attended his elective Critical Thinking cla.s.s. Come night, he even honored his promise to his roommates and went to the restaurant opposite for barbeque skewers¹ and ended the evening watching American TV-series back in their dorm.

At eleven-thirty, it was lights-off in the dormitory.

Zhang Heng’s laptop had another three to four hours of battery life but he did not want to disturb his roommate’s sleep, so he powered it down.

There was still another half an hour before the day ended, and while other people’s watch hand had circled twice, Zhang Heng’s familiar yet alien a.n.a.log was only about to complete one cycle.

Was anything going to happen? He did not know.

All he could do was wait.

Earphones plugged into the MP3 and into his ears, Zhang Heng spent the last thirty minutes of the day waiting quietly on his bed.

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