7:00 PM.
The Green Mountain Asylum, ever striving to keep up with the times, had a strict policy: at the director's behest, all patients were to gather in the lounge to watch the evening news.
There had been some who argued against this, claiming it could easily lead to conflict.
Besides, how could psychiatric patients possibly understand the news? If they could, they wouldn't be psychiatric patients in the first place.
But Director Hess had overruled all objections. Watching the 7 PM news was mandatory. In his own words: "So what if they are psychiatric patients? They still have the right to know what's happening in the country they live in."
The Lounge.
A familiar voice emanated from the television screen.
Every patient tilted their head up, their eyes glued to the screen.
The bright, cheerful face of the short-haired female anchor appeared.
"Look, everyone, my wife is on!"
"That's my daughter! I raised her on my own blood, sweat, and tears."
"I challenged her to a duel by the lake under the full moon, but she never showed up. Coward."
Walter leaned over to Leo. "Do you know her?"
Leo answered calmly, "I do."
"Who is she?" Walter asked.
"My girlfriend."
After that, Walter and Leo fell silent.
After a long pause, Walter nodded with grave sincerity. "I believe you."
Female Anchor: "Good evening, viewers!"
"Today is Saturday, February 29th. Welcome to…"
Walter rolled up his sleeve, looking puzzled. His billion-dollar Rolex clearly showed the date as March 7th, not February 29th.
He stood up and walked over to a young man wearing thick glasses, clapping him on the shoulder.
"Hey! I just bought this watch from you, but the time doesn't match what's on TV. Take a look, is there something wrong with it?"
"Let me see."
The bespectacled young man pulled a magnifying glass from his pocket and peered at Walter's wrist.
"Ah, my mistake. I'll adjust it for you right now. Don't worry, you are a VIP customer who bought a billion-dollar Rolex. Any issues, and I will fix them for you free of charge."
He then held up a finger, licked it, and rubbed it vigorously on Walter's wrist. Then, he took out a pen and wrote '29' on the skin.
"There, all fixed."
Walter shook his wrist and examined it closely, then nodded in satisfaction. "Not bad. This really is a good watch."
The news continued on the TV.
Since the female anchor was no longer on screen, the patients grew restless, many of them getting up to go to bed.
Leo, however, remained seated, his head tilted up, watching intently.
[ The Level-7 Abyssal entity on Mount Crestfall has been slain by our nation's experts. The body is being transported to a special research facility for dissection, in the hopes of discovering its weaknesses and developing effective countermeasures. ]
[ In other news, Mount Mao High School, one of the nation's most prestigious high schools, is now holding nationwide admissions. Anyone under the age of 20 may apply at their local municipal office. ]
Leo and Walter returned to Ward 666. The two of them lay on their respective beds, staring up at the snow-white ceiling.
"I think I've been scammed," Walter said.
"What's wrong?" Leo asked.
"I think the watch I bought is a fake. It's always malfunctioning. He cheated me out of several billion. I'm so upset, but I can't beat him up, so I just have to endure it. Boo-hoo… I'm so sad," Walter sobbed.
"Do you have any soy milk? I want some soy milk," Leo said.
"Yes, I'll get it for you."
Walter opened the drawer of his bedside table and pulled a carton of soy milk from a cardboard box. "Here, Sprite."
"Coke."
Gulp. Gulp.
Outside, it was quiet, save for the occasional honk of a distant car.
The two lay on their beds, silently drinking their soy milk.
Gradually, the sound of snoring filled the room.
On the wall at the end of the corridor hung a clock.
23:59.
Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.
The second hand swept forward.
Ding!
00:00.
February 29th was over.
March 1st had arrived.
[ Otherworld Scenario officially opened. ]
[ Target selected: Chen Yang, the one hundred and ninety-ninth descendant of the founder of the "Hundred Refinements of the Heavenly Forge." ]
[ Mission: Help Chen Yang become someone that no one in school dares to bully. ]
[ Physical Strength Transference: One hundred percent. ]
[ Enter the world! ]
Morning.
Leo's eyes snapped open. He lay quietly in bed, the surroundings unfamiliar. He looked to his left, then to his right. The design was nothing like the asylum.
The blankets smelled fresh, and the room was filled with a pleasant fragrance.
He threw off the covers and went to the mirror.
His reflection was that of a different person. He had short hair, a slightly pale complexion, and was wearing a pair of feminine, pink cartoon-print pajamas.
"Is he crazy? Why would he wear pajamas like this?"
Leo stared at his reflection for a moment.
A voice called from outside.
"Yang Yang, time to get up! Have some breakfast and get ready for school."
A flood of memories entered Leo's mind.
Chen Yang, an eleventh-grade student, nicknamed "Sissy."
Leo took off the pajamas and changed into a neatly folded school uniform. He opened the door, went to the bathroom to wash his face, and then made his way to the dining room. There, he saw a middle-aged woman bustling about, carrying a steaming bowl of congee to the table.
"Yang Yang, what are you looking at? Hurry up and eat. You need to get to school soon. This afternoon, your father is going to the school to talk to your teachers. Those classmates of yours are just awful. My Yang Yang is so cute and kind, how could they bully you? It makes me so angry."
"But you're a young man now, you can't always let people bully you. You have to learn to fight back, you understand?" the woman chattered on.
Leo sat at the table, looking at the congee in front of him. He didn't touch it. Instead, he picked up a carton of milk, opened it, and poured it into the congee, stirring it together.
"Soy milk congee."
A smile appeared on his face. He liked soy milk, too.
Leo picked up the bowl and drank it down in big gulps. Everyone said he was mentally ill, but he knew he wasn't. They were the ones who were crazy. But he didn't want to argue with them.
He was in an Otherworld now. He had to complete the mission to return.
But what was the mission?
And how would he know when it was complete?
He didn't understand.
Whatever.
Better not to think about it.
Soon, Leo finished his congee, took some money, and, following the memories in his head, headed for the door to go to school. He was about to put on his shoes when the woman saw him and rushed over, dropping what she was doing.
"Yang Yang, let Mommy do that. Today, Mommy will tie a beautiful butterfly knot for you. All the girls will definitely love my Yang Yang."
"There, Yang Yang, look! Isn't it pretty?"
The woman—Chen Yang's mother—looked at him with an expectant expression, as if waiting for praise.
Leo looked at her, then down at the intricate butterfly knot on his shoe. For a moment, he was lost in thought. Finally, he nodded silently.
"It's pretty."
The woman beamed and kissed him on the cheek. "I knew it! My Yang Yang absolutely loves it. You always loved butterfly knots when you were little."
"Now, hurry off to school."
"Be careful on your way."