Tick-tock, tick-tock.
Ka-ka.
Ding.
Dong dong.
Ka-da, ka-da.
In the shop of the Hooke Brothers, the distinct sounds of clocks ticking intertwined with each other, echoing through the four walls of the store. The walls were covered with various clocks, most designed to measure time, such as old-fashioned mantel clocks, new pendulum clocks, clunky table clocks, and delicate pocket watches; the styles varied, dazzling to the eyes. A small portion were antique artworks, similar to the hourglasses used by Persian princes, sundials spun by witch rituals from the Shang Dynasty, cracked guibiao, and rusty armillary spheres. There were also some more unique items, such as evil-warding clocks carved with runes, astronomical clocks with star signs forming the dials, flower clocks that report time based on the blossom times of different plants, and so on, countless in variety.
Zheng Qing moved among the time measuring instruments, feeling anxious about his limited time.
