Evening.
Seven o'clock.
At Qingshan Psychiatric Hospital, embracing the spirit of modernity, the director had instituted a peculiar tradition: every evening at seven, patients would gather in the common room to watch the evening news.
Once upon a time, this idea was fiercely contested.
Critics argued it was a recipe for conflict—how could the mentally ill possibly comprehend current events? If they understood the news, wouldn't that mean they weren't truly insane?
But in the end, Director Hao stood firm against all opposition.
In his words: "So what if they're mentally ill? They, too, have the right to know what is happening in the country they live in."
In the common room, the familiar voice of the evening news anchor drifted from the television.
Every patient sat upright, gazes transfixed, as though they were watching a sacred ritual.
On the screen appeared a cheerful female anchor with short hair and a brisk, radiant smile.
"There! My wife's on TV again," someone declared proudly.
"Nonsense. That's my daughter—I raised her with my own hands, changed every diaper and wiped every tear."
"We had agreed to duel by the lakeside under the full moon, but she didn't show. Coward."
Old Zhang turned to Lin Fan and asked, "You know her?"
Lin Fan answered with calm serenity, "Yes."
"Who is she?" Zhang pressed.
"My girlfriend."
The two men stared at each other in silence.
Then, after a moment of quiet contemplation, Old Zhang nodded solemnly. "I believe you."
"Good evening, everyone," the anchor said warmly. "Today is Saturday, February 29th. Welcome to tonight's broadcast…"
Zhang rolled up his sleeve, frowning at the date displayed on his million-dollar Rolex—it clearly read March 7th.
Something didn't add up.
He got up and walked over to a bespectacled man in the corner. Giving him a tap on the shoulder, he said, "Hey, I bought this watch from you. The date's wrong. Look—TV says February 29th."
"Let me see." The man retrieved a magnifying glass from his breast pocket, studied Zhang's wrist intently, and nodded. "Ah, it's just a little off. Don't worry, as a VIP client with a multi-million Rolex, you get lifetime maintenance for free."
With that, he licked his finger, rubbed it over the fake watch face, and scribbled "29" on it with a pen.
"There we go. Good as new."
Zhang squinted at it, then beamed with satisfaction. "Excellent craftsmanship. Truly a fine timepiece."
Meanwhile, the news continued.
Without the anchor appearing again, the room's order slowly began to unravel. One by one, the patients drifted off, mumbling about sleep.
But Lin Fan remained motionless, his gaze still locked on the screen.
[A Level-7 malevolent entity from Mount Tai has been successfully eliminated by national experts. The corpse has been returned to a classified research facility for dissection, in hopes of uncovering its weaknesses.]
[In other news, the prestigious Maoshan Academy has begun nationwide enrollment. All citizens under the age of twenty may apply through local branches.]
Back in Room 666, Lin Fan and Old Zhang lay side by side on their respective beds, staring up at the sterile white ceiling.
"…I think I've been conned," Zhang murmured.
"What's wrong?" asked Lin Fan.
"I think that watch I bought… it's a knockoff. It's been malfunctioning nonstop. I paid millions. I feel so cheated. But I can't beat him up. I can only endure it. Ugh… I'm devastated." He sniffled dramatically.
"Got any soy milk?" Lin Fan asked.
"Yeah, I'll get it for you." Zhang opened the cabinet beside the bed and took out a carton. "Here—Sprite."
"Coke."
Gulp gulp gulp…
Outside, the world was quiet. Occasionally, a car horn broke the silence.
The two men lay in their beds, peacefully sipping soy milk.
Gradually…
The sound of gentle snoring filled the room.
A clock hung at the end of the hallway.
11:59 PM.
Tick, tick, tick—
The second hand raced on.
Ding.
Midnight.
February 29th slipped quietly into the past.
March 1st arrived.
[Foreign World scenario: Initiating.]
[Target selected: Chen Yang, 199th-generation descendant of the creator of "The Tempered Body Method."]
[Objective: Help Chen Yang become a student no one dares to bully.]
[Transferring physique and power: 100%.]
[Commencing descent.]
Morning.
Lin Fan opened his eyes.
He lay quietly in bed, surrounded by unfamiliar walls.
He looked left, then right. Everything was different—this wasn't the asylum.
The sheets were soft and fragrant. The room smelled nice, too.
He threw off the covers and stepped toward the wardrobe mirror.
His reflection was someone else—a teenage boy with short hair, a youthful, delicate face still bruised in places, clad in a pink cartoon pajama set that screamed sentimental girl at heart.
"…He must be insane. Who in their right mind wears this?" Lin Fan muttered to himself.
From outside, a voice called warmly.
"Yangyang! Time to wake up, breakfast is ready! You'll be late for school!"
Suddenly, memories surged into his mind.
Chen Yang.
Senior student of Class 2, Grade 12.
Nickname: "Little Sissy."
Lin Fan changed out of the pajamas and into the neatly folded school uniform laid out for him. He opened the door, washed up, and headed to the dining room.
A middle-aged woman was bustling about, placing a steaming bowl of porridge on the table.
"Yangyang, what are you standing there for? Hurry up and eat. Your dad's going to speak to the teacher this afternoon. Those classmates of yours are awful! My sweet, adorable boy, so kind and gentle—how could they bear to bully you? I'm furious!"
"But remember, you're a man. You can't let people bully you forever. You need to learn to stand up for yourself, understand?"
She kept fussing.
Lin Fan sat down, gazed at the porridge in front of him without appetite, then picked up a carton of milk and poured it into the bowl.
"Soy milk porridge," he said with a smile.
He slurped it down happily. People called him crazy, but he knew better—he wasn't the insane one. They were.
Now, he had entered a foreign world.
He had to complete the mission before he could return.
But what exactly was the mission?
And how would he know when it was done?
He didn't know.
Didn't matter.
Better not to overthink it.
Soon, having finished breakfast, Lin Fan grabbed some money and, according to the memories in his head, got ready to go to school. Just as he was about to put on his shoes, the woman—Chen Yang's mother—hurried over.
"Let Mommy do it, sweetie. Today I'll tie your shoelaces into a beautiful little bow. I bet all the girls will love it!"
"All done! Look, Yangyang, do you like it?"
She stared at him with hopeful eyes, clearly craving approval.
Lin Fan looked at her, then down at the perfectly tied bow on his shoes. For a moment, he said nothing.
Then, he nodded solemnly.
"…It's pretty."
Beaming, she kissed him on the cheek.
"I knew it! Yangyang has always loved bows—ever since he was little."
"Go on now. Be safe on your way to school."