The man nodded before packing the necessary materials .

I handed the book to him and he stashed it in his bag as well .

We found a coffee place nearby and spent an hour relaying the events to him .

He did not interrupt us once but he did maintain a skeptical expression throughout our narration .

It wasn't really surprising since few would believe in the supernatural .

When it was done, I finally asked for his name .

"Li Xia," he answered, still suspicious .

"I told you so much because I need your help, Li Xia," I said .

"I understand what you're saying, but is there really such a thing in this world?" he asked .

"We can test it on a few rats now if you'd like," I offered, fis.h.i.+ng out the watch .

"I've seen it . This has been opened up?"

Dahai and I nodded at the same time .

"There are figures in there, no? The watch did belong to my grandfather but it looks very different now . You also talked about members in Pang family appearing in the watch and that you've tested it on rats . If all these are true, I'll see all these people and animals in it, right?"

Dahai and I exchanged glances and he nodded .

"That will work," I agreed .

"There's no need to get someone else . I can do it," Li Xia proposed .

"You can?"

"Shouldn't be hard with a tool," he said before taking it out from his bag .

"Is that your grandfather's?" I asked .

"Yeah . He likes this watch very much and has fiddled with it a few times when I was around . I did not notice the patterns, however . "

He began opening the watch, and we immediately knew that we've found the right a.s.sistant .

He handed the cover to us once managed to successfully open it .  

He then picked the back up and inspected it closely . There were indeed a few tiny dots .

Li Xia handed me an eyepiece and after verifying it, I told him, "What you need to confirm our words is inside . "

He quickly took the eyepiece and put it on . "This black figure is my grandfather . "

"We have a rough knowledge of how this watch works now; it will kill everyone in a particular photograph," I explained .

"If that's true, my grandfather had sabotaged himself . But why is the leader still alive, then?" Li Xia wondered .

"Please a.s.semble it back," I requested as I handed him the watch cover .

He nodded and proceeded to fix it quietly .

"Where were we?" he asked upon finis.h.i.+ng .

"Why the leader is fine," Dahai reminded .

"We don't know, which is exactly why we're telling you this . We have to unravel the secret together . I'm sure you wanna know where this watch came from?" I asked before taking the watch back .

Li Xia resisted . "This belongs to my grandfather, right?" 

"But your granny had exchanged it with one of my dolls so according to the market rule, this is mine . "

Li Xia nodded . "It's the first time I'm hearing about the ghost market, too . I wonder how Granny found about about it . Plus, your dolls are fake but this watch is real . "

"No returns . Rules are rules . I did not lie to her . She insisted on the exchange," I said .

Li Xia finally gave up the watch .

"How do we proceed from here?" he asked .

"There are two ways," I responded .

"Which are?"

"The first is for us to discover the secret of the watch directly," I started .

"It's a prize of war . "

"Your grandfather mentioned it in his diary and we know that it was made in 1463 . Pocket watches only came into existence in 1462 so this should be Swiss-made as well, but you said earlier that Swiss wasn't involved in WWII," I summarized .

"My grandfather fought in 1937, which is about 400 years apart from 1463 . It would be difficult to gain information, but there's no doubt that the Swiss have always been a neutral country . All through WWI and WWII and even up until today . "

"If that's the case, we'll need to change our train of thought . Your grandfather wrote that the watch had been seized from the j.a.panese . Which countries did j.a.pan go against in WWII?" I asked .

"Quite a few if you're talking about WWII . Practically all nations since j.a.pan wanted to expand its tiny territory . There's China, America, United Kingdom, former Soviet Union, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Myanmar, Vietnam, India… oh and Korea," Li Xia listed .

"Wait, wait . I can't remember all of those," Dahai exclaimed, wide-eyed .

"j.a.pan was strong and they had the ability to stir fights . They won many battles . "

"So the watch probably belongs to one of those nations?" I reasoned .

"Perhaps not, considering that it was so chaotic during that period . It's really hard to say, and even as a neutral country, Switzerland did have its battles . "

"What do you mean?" Dahai asked .

"They resisted Germany . It was really messy as well so anything could've happened in between . "

"So we can't find the watch's origin from here either?" I questioned .

"It's too challenging," Li Xia replied .

"One way left, then . "

"What is it?"

"Your grandfather's former battle mates - the people in the photograph . If the watch worked on all members of the Pang family, why is the leader in the photograph still alive and well?"

The man nodded before packing the necessary materials . I handed the book to him and he stashed it in his bag as well . We found a coffee place nearby and spent an hour relaying the events to him . He did not interrupt us once but he did maintain a skeptical expression throughout our narration . It wasn 39 t really surprising since few would believe in the supernatural . When it was done, I finally asked for his name . Li Xia, he answered, still suspicious . I told you so much because I need your help, Li Xia, I said . I understand what you 39 re saying, but is there really such a thing in this world he asked . We can test it on a few rats now if you 39 d like, I offered, fis.h.i.+ng out the watch . I 39 ve seen it . This has been opened up Dahai and I nodded at the same time . There are figures in there, no The watch did belong to my grandfather but it looks very different now . You also talked about members in Pang family appearing in the watch and that you 39 ve tested it on rats . If all these are true, I 39 ll see all these people and animals in it, right Dahai and I exchanged glances and he nodded . That will work, I agreed . There 39 s no need to get someone else . I can do it, Li Xia proposed . You can Shouldn 39 t be hard with a tool, he said before taking it out from his bag . Is that your grandfather 39 s I asked . Yeah . He likes this watch very much and has fiddled with it a few times when I was around . I did not notice the patterns, however . He began opening the watch, and we immediately knew that we 39 ve found the right a.s.sistant . He handed the cover to us once managed to successfully open it . He then picked the back up and inspected it closely . There were indeed a few tiny dots . Li Xia handed me an eyepiece and after verifying it, I told him, What you need to confirm our words is inside . He quickly took the eyepiece and put it on . This black figure is my grandfather . We have a rough knowledge of how this watch works now it will kill everyone in a particular photograph, I explained . If that 39 s true, my grandfather had sabotaged himself . But why is the leader still alive, then Li Xia wondered . Please a.s.semble it back, I requested as I handed him the watch cover . He nodded and proceeded to fix it quietly . Where were we he asked upon finis.h.i.+ng . Why the leader is fine, Dahai reminded . We don 39 t know, which is exactly why we 39 re telling you this . We have to unravel the secret together . I 39 m sure you wanna know where this watch came from I asked before taking the watch back . Li Xia resisted . This belongs to my grandfather, right But your granny had exchanged it with one of my dolls so according to the market rule, this is mine . Li Xia nodded . It 39 s the first time I 39 m hearing about the ghost market, too . I wonder how Granny found about about it . Plus, your dolls are fake but this watch is real . No returns . Rules are rules . I did not lie to her . She insisted on the exchange, I said . Li Xia finally gave up the watch . How do we proceed from here he asked . There are two ways, I responded . Which are The first is for us to discover the secret of the watch directly, I started . It 39 s a prize of war . Your grandfather mentioned it in his diary and we know that it was made in 1463 . Pocket watches only came into existence in 1462 so this should be Swiss made as well, but you said earlier that Swiss wasn 39 t involved in WWII, I summarized . My grandfather fought in 1937, which is about 400 years apart from 1463 . It would be difficult to gain information, but there 39 s no doubt that the Swiss have always been a neutral country . All through WWI and WWII and even up until today . If that 39 s the case, we 39 ll need to change our train of thought . Your grandfather wrote that the watch had been seized from the j.a.panese . Which countries did j.a.pan go against in WWII I asked . Quite a few if you 39 re talking about WWII . Practically all nations since j.a.pan wanted to expand its tiny territory . There 39 s China, America, United Kingdom, former Soviet Union, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Myanmar, Vietnam, India oh and Korea, Li Xia listed . Wait, wait . I can 39 t remember all of those, Dahai exclaimed, wide eyed . j.a.pan was strong and they had the ability to stir fights . They won many battles . So the watch probably belongs to one of those nations I reasoned . Perhaps not, considering that it was so chaotic during that period . It 39 s really hard to say, and even as a neutral country, Switzerland did have its battles . What do you mean Dahai asked . They resisted Germany . It was really messy as well so anything could 39 ve happened in between . So we can 39 t find the watch 39 s origin from here either I questioned . It 39 s too challenging, Li Xia replied . One way left, then . What is it Your grandfather 39 s former battle mates the people in the photograph . If the watch worked on all members of the Pang family, why is the leader in the photograph still alive and well