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MidReal Story
The Secret of Time
Scenario:幼年丧父，母亲重病，妹妹读高中，刚毕业就被生活和债务压得喘不气的林峰发现一家神秘当铺，能用 “时间” 兑换任何欲望（如财富、天赋）。
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Lin Feng
He is a recent graduate struggling with family debt and the illness of his mother. He is resilient, burdened, and determined. Lin Feng found solace in a mysterious pawnshop where he met Gu Rong. He sold five years from his future to pay his mother's medical bills. Lin Feng now attends university under a pseudonym, hoping to repay his family while grappling with the consequences of his choices and the mysterious Gu Rong's influence.
Gu Rong
He is an enigmatic figure at the pawnshop. He is mysterious, authoritative, and perceptive. Gu Rong meets Lin Feng when he buys the time from him. Despite their first encounter being confrontational, he later helps Lin Feng by warning him about overextending time and offering him a place to stay when Lin Feng's circumstances become dire. His true identity and motivations remain ambiguous throughout their interactions.
Mei Mei
She is Lin Feng's younger sister. She is caring, responsible, and headstrong. Mei Mei takes on significant household duties while their mother is ill, attending to Lin Feng's responsibilities despite his reluctance. She struggles with the fact that Lin Feng sold his future to help their mother and navigates their complex familial dynamics. Her relationship with Lin Feng is challenging yet supportive as she tries to understand his sacrifices.
I was an orphan when I was very young.
My mother was ill and bedridden for a long time.
She was in and out of the hospital all the time.
My sister, Mei Mei, was in high school.
I had to work and take care of her at the same time.
It was really hard for me.
After graduating from technical school, I didn’t have any money, so I didn’t attend university.
Instead, I went to work immediately.
But my mother's medical bills were piling up.
I didn't know what to do.
One day, I saw a strange pawnshop.
I had never seen it before, even though it was right next to my apartment building.
Out of curiosity, I walked in.
The man behind the counter asked me what I wanted to pawn.
I told him that I didn't have anything of value to pawn.
He smiled and said, "You don’t have anything? That’s impossible. Everyone has something of value. At least you have your time."
"What do you mean?"
I asked him.
"You can sell your time here," he answered.
"If you want money or talent, you can get it by selling your time."
"This is a new concept for me," I said.
I stood there frozen at the counter, staring at the man.
He was old and had a wrinkled face.
The dim light from the antique lamps cast long shadows across the dusty shelves.
My hands gripped the edge of the wooden counter tightly.
The shopkeeper, whose name was Gu Rong, pulled out an ancient ledger and began calculating with a brass abacus.
The clicking beads echoed through the silent shop.
"If you sell five years of your time, you can get enough money to pay for your mother's medical bills and your sister's high school tuition," he said.
My throat tightened as I processed his words.
"What happens if I sell my time?"
I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
Gu Rong looked up from his calculations and slid a contract across the counter.
"You'll age five years instantly, but your life will be five years shorter," he explained, his voice calm and steady.
"Five years less to live?" I repeated, trying to grasp the enormity of the decision.
"Yes, but think of what you could gain in return," Gu Rong replied, his eyes glinting with a mix of sympathy and persuasion.
I stared at the contract on the antique wooden desk.
My hands trembled as I read each clause, detailing how five years would be stripped from my life.
The shop's dim lighting cast long shadows across the yellowed paper.
Gu Rong stood silently beside me, his presence both reassuring and threatening.
I thought of mother lying in her hospital bed, of Mei Mei's worn-out shoes and outdated textbooks.
The pen felt heavy in my hand.
Each breath became more difficult as I hovered the tip over the signature line.
My chest tightened when I realized these could be my last moments as a twenty-two-year-old.
With a deep breath, I signed my name, sealing a future I could no longer predict.
After signing, I watch Gu Rong open a weathered cabinet behind the counter.
The hinges creak in the silence of the shop.
He retrieves a palm-sized hourglass, its brass frame intricately carved with symbols I don't recognize.
The sand inside isn't ordinary; it sparkles like crushed diamonds, shifting and swirling even though the hourglass remains still.
I catch a glimpse of my reflection in the glass—the face of a young woman, uncertain about her future.
Gu Rong holds the hourglass carefully, as if it weighs more than it appears.
He extends it toward me, his expression grave.
"Once you take this, the transaction is complete," Gu Rong said, his voice echoing softly in the quiet room.
I hesitated, my fingers hovering over the hourglass.
"What if I change my mind?" I asked, desperation creeping into my voice.
Gu Rong's gaze remained steady.
"Once you touch it, there's no turning back," he said.
I took a deep breath and wrapped my fingers around the hourglass.
The moment my skin made contact with it, a strange sensation surged through me.
The hourglass pulsed against my palm, emitting an unnatural heat that seeped into my skin.
It felt as if it were alive, its warmth spreading up my arm and coursing through my veins.
My reflection in the brass frame of the hourglass showed subtle changes—lines forming around my eyes, my jaw becoming slightly harder, and the color of my hair shifting imperceptibly.
The physical sensation intensified, like a fever rushing through me.
I stumbled backward, catching myself on the wooden counter to prevent falling.
Waves of dizziness washed over me, making it hard to focus on anything but the overwhelming sensation coursing through my body. Gu Rong remained still, watching intently as I experienced five years passing in mere seconds.
The burning sensation intensified until I felt like I was being consumed by it.
And then, as quickly as it started, everything stopped.
I stood there, gasping for breath, trying to make sense of what had just happened.
The room seemed to spin around me before coming into focus again.
When I finally looked down at my hands, they were trembling but appeared unchanged—yet somehow different.
I felt the weight of five years settle into my bones, irrevocably altering the course of my life.
Still gripping the counter for support, I forced myself to look directly at Gu Rong.
The shop's dim lighting cast shadows across his face, making it difficult to read his expression.
He moved with deliberate slowness, arranging stacks of cash on the desk in front of him.
The money represented the price of my lost years, a tangible reminder of the deal we had just made.
My throat felt dry, making it hard to speak.
"What happens now?" I managed to whisper, my voice barely carrying across the cramped space between us.
Gu Rong paused in his counting, his weathered hands hovering over the stacks of cash.
The silence stretched uncomfortably as he studied me—taking in the changes that had occurred in those fleeting moments.
"You live the life you've chosen," Gu Rong finally replied, his voice calm yet unyielding.
"And if I regret it?" I asked, my voice trembling with the weight of uncertainty.
"Regret is a luxury you can no longer afford," he said, returning to his task without another glance.
I gather the stacks of bills with trembling fingers, carefully placing them into my worn backpack.
I try to avoid Gu Rong's piercing gaze as I do so, but I can feel his eyes on me the entire time.
The money feels both liberating and suffocating at the same time.
Once I've gathered all of it, I stand up from the counter.
My joints crack slightly—a new sensation that makes me wince.
I adjust my posture, trying to get used to this older body.
The floorboards creak under my feet as I walk to the shop's entrance.
My hand pauses on the brass doorknob, and I take one last look at the dimly lit interior, at Gu Rong's impassive face.
Then, with a deep breath, I pull the door open.
The heavy shop door clicks shut behind me with a resounding thud.
I stand on the dark sidewalk, the weight of the backpack filled with cash pulling on my shoulders.
My legs feel stiff and unfamiliar as I take tentative steps, testing this aged body.
Above me, a streetlight flickers to life, casting an eerie glow over the deserted street.
As I pass by a storefront window, I catch a glimpse of my reflection.
It's still me, but my face is harder now, with subtle creases etched into my skin.
I pull out my phone from my pocket and check the time—11:47 PM.
Visiting hours at the hospital ended hours ago, but I have to see Mom.
Adjusting the backpack strap on my shoulder, I start walking toward the bus stop.
I hurry along the empty streets, my new body protesting with each step.
The bus arrives late, and I'm forced to stand in the cold for twenty minutes, watching as people pass by on the opposite side of the street.
When the bus finally pulls up, I climb the steps and find a seat near the back.
As I settle in, I catch my reflection in the window.
The fluorescent lights above reveal more changes—deeper creases around my mouth, a few gray hairs at my temples.
I look away, unable to bear the sight any longer.
The bus rumbles down the street, stopping occasionally to let passengers on and off.
I stare out the window, watching as buildings and houses blur together.
My watch reads 11:40 PM when I get off at the hospital stop.
The night guard recognizes me from my frequent visits but does a double-take at my altered appearance.
"Mr. Chen?" he asks hesitantly.
I mumble an excuse about being tired and rush past him, heading straight for the elevator.
I push open the heavy hospital door, moving as quietly as possible to avoid waking Mom.
The room is dimly lit, with only a sliver of light coming from the hallway.
I can make out her small form under the white sheets, her chest rising and falling with each steady breath.
The medical machines beep softly in the darkness.
My new body creaks as I lower myself into the plastic chair beside her bed.
The money in my backpack feels like it weighs a ton.
I lean close to her sleeping face, taking in the familiar lines around her eyes.
They're mirrored on my own face now, a reminder of what I've done.
"Everything will be okay now," I whisper, my aged voice catching in my throat.
"I found a way to help."
