48 Hours a Day

“You are saying that extraterrestrial life-forms came to the earth tens of millions of years ago and almost ruled the world?” Director Gao was surprised upon hearing Bai Qing’s confession.

“Yes.”

With gritted teeth, Bai Qing had finally blurted out everything to director Gao.

Director Gao frowned. “You do know what you’ve just said sounded like a novel or movie plot, right? It’s absurd. It’s fine if Lin Sisi and her friends believe in such a thing, but how old are you this year? I guess you are around 16, right? You’ll be an adult soon. Why would you believe such things?”

Bai Qing’s heart sank.

“You said that that thing replaced your mother and put your father in jail by framing him for her murder. I remember reading about it in the newspapers. That explains why such a thought would appear in your mind, you poor child. You wished your father was innocent. Understandably, a daughter would want her father to stay out of jail,” director Gao said, “But you are pinning your hopes on aliens. You are even telling me that these aliens will annihilate us all. Strictly speaking, you have violated the law.

Bai Qing opened her mouth, attempting to further explain herself.

“I…”

“You have just lost your mother, and you are about to lose your father. That’s why you’ve been so desperate to believe the absurd fantasy that your mind created. It is simply because of everything bad that’s been happening to you. Maybe the real bad guys made up these stories to deceive you. Their intentions must’ve been ill since the beginning and are perhaps taking advantage of your deepest desires to gain your trust.”

“No, I have photos and videos to prove my claims, but I can’t show them to you now,” Bai Qing valiantly defended Zhang Heng.

“Really? Did he show these videos and photos to anyone else besides you?”

“…”

Bai Qing was left speechless.

“And why didn’t you call the police?” the director went on. “I guess he must have told you that the police couldn’t be trusted too and that from now on, you can only trust each other. But you didn’t enter the factory with him that night. You have no idea what went on, right? With current technology, it’s really easy to fabricate photos and videos,” analyzed director Gao calmly. “He could’ve just walked into the factory, then walked out without really doing anything inside. When he came out, he could have shown you materials he prepared in advance.”

“How about the CT image? There is indeed a shadow in the fourth ventricle. I saw it too…” Bai Qing said, but her voice became smaller and smaller.

“You’ve realized, haven’t you?” said director Gao. “He’s been pumping you with second-hand information since the very beginning. Since photos and videos can be fabricated, he could’ve done the same to the CT image, right? Ask yourself if aliens invading our world sound really true, or there’s a better chance that he’s really just trying to deceive you?”

Bai Qing was all but dumbfounded.

“It seems you’ve already gotten your answer,” director Gao sighed. “This must be a very difficult period for you. I understand how you feel. When I learned that Lin Sisi and her two friends passed away, I did wish it wasn’t true. This is human nature. When we encounter insurmountable difficulties, we refuse to accept them. We simply bury our heads in the sand, like an ostrich.”

“I am not an ostrich. I just hope that whatever happened to me that night was only a bad dream. I just want my mom and dad to be home.”

Bai Qing started to cry.

“I know, the truth always hurts.” Director Gao patted Bai Qing’s shoulder and comforted her.

“Sorry.” Bai Qing wiped away the tears from her face. “Thank you for telling me all these things. I have interrupted your work. I’m so… so stupid. I should’ve thought of that.”

“It’s okay. This is growth that everyone has to endure,” director Gao paused. “You know, when I was a child, I too encountered something that saddened me. However, that incident actually prompted me to become an astronomer later. Although I have left the education sector for a few years now, I quickly realize how insignificant I am whenever I look up at the stars in the sky. Sooner or later, you’ll feel your troubles getting smaller and smaller. You can come to look for me whenever you want. I can teach you some astronomy.”

“You are really kind,” Bai Qing replied gratefully.

“Looking at you reminds me of my daughter. You both look different, but your temperaments are very similar,” replied director Gao while waiting for Bai Qing to walk out of the storeroom before turning off the lights and closing the door. “Unfortunately, she’s settled down in another country.”

“I’m nowhere like your daughter.”

“You have no idea the troubles she caused me when she was a child,” director Gao denoted. “She the main reason I got myself into the education sector. At that time, I desperately wanted to figure out what really went on in her little head.”

…

Director Gao then walked Bai Qing to the exit, watched her walk out of the Children’s Palace’s gate, smiled, and waved at her before returning upstairs. And Bai Qing smiled in return. Turning around, she walked to the street right beside her. At first, she maintained her usual pace, but after a while, she began walking faster and faster, her body trembling uncontrollably at the same time. In the end, she dashed toward the mobile phone repair shop two hundred meters away. And she asked a man that was playing with his mobile phone in the shop, “How much does it cost to replace a mobile phone’s screen?”

“It depends on the model. I need to see if it’s the internal or external screen that needs replacing.” The latter put down his mobile phone. It was rare that customers visited his shop as soon as he opened in the morning, and as he talked to Bai Qing, he observed her. Although she was a student, she seemed to have come from a rather wealthy family. Quickly, he assumed that she must know little about mobile phones, which meant deceiving and manipulating her would be a breeze.

Bai Qing handed the broken cell phone to the shop owner.

“Damn. This is a 6-plus.”

The boss took the phone and looked at it. “This is worse than I thought. The entire screen is broken. Did you throw the phone downstairs? Now the entire screen has to be replaced, and it will cost you eight hundred yuan.” Worrying that Bai Qing might think that he was overcharging, he added, “This is the official price. You can check it online if you’re not confident.

But to his surprise, Bai Qing did not even attempt to bargain with him. She just nodded and said, “Replace it. Do you have a phone that I can use here? Can I use it to make a call?”

“I don’t have a landline. You can use my mobile.”

Bai Qing snatched the phone from him, startling the unsuspecting owner. He might have just encountered someone worse than him. Would such a good-looking girl rob him? Fortunately for him, she did not run away. She was simply looking for a corner to use it.

Before she could make the call, however, she heard a voice calling from behind. “Oh, you are here!