Chapter 7
The spring rain lasted for three days, and the prolonged dampness made people feel damp and moldy as well.
Finally, the weather cleared up. In a black sedan driving on the highway, the man in the passenger seat, who was wearing a wallet, suddenly spoke up: "It's too difficult for three people to share one car. We're either running out of gas or food. We need to find a way to get another car."
"I'll do whatever you say," said the big man sitting in the back row, crammed together with a pile of supplies.
“Me too,” echoed the man in the white shirt driving the car.
The man with the wallet stroked his chin: "Who among you thinks you're a good driver and confident you can force someone's car to stop without causing too much damage?"
The big guy shrank his neck and fell silent.
The man in the white shirt gave a wry smile: "Brother, you know I've only had my driver's license for a year and two months..."
The wallet-wearing customer clicked his tongue.
Yes, he knew very well that he was the one who had taken the longest to get his driver's license here.
But after he received the money, he was quite self-aware. He had never even touched a car before, so he encouraged his childhood friend to take the test.
Unexpectedly, my childhood friend in the white shirt was good at studying, but even less useful when it came to getting his driver's license. He passed on his first try, while my friend could only brag about the first and fourth parts of the test; the other two parts were extremely difficult for him.
How difficult was it? I took the driving test (Part 2) four times and Part 3 eight times!
If it weren't for his good relationship with the coach, he might not have known the truth.
The man in the white shirt initially tried to keep it a secret from him, but once he got his driver's license, he started bragging about his driving skills. He also rented a car from a rental shop and invited the two of them out for a drive.
He had originally intended to mock him, but upon seeing the car, he became so excited that he forgot and even received a promise to drive it in his place.
The three of them were bragging and driving along smoothly without any traffic jams. The more they drove, the more confident they became. Taking advantage of the free highway during the holiday, they boldly drove onto the highway, and then... they couldn't get off.
The man in the white shirt was thinking that the three of them had practiced their driving skills on this road for over a year. They were good at escaping, but it was already difficult to discuss how to force someone to stop without causing a rollover. Now they were suggesting that they try to keep both cars intact, which was asking too much of them.
How could the wallet-wearing customer who asked that question not know?
But he was suffering inside.
Three grown men squeezed into one car. They barely made it through a year, and there are countless years to come. If things don't change, when will they ever have a good life?
I can't count on my buddy; in the end, I can only rely on myself.
The man in the wallet waved his hand: "Forget it, you get down. I'll practice more, maybe I can make it."
Without a word, the man in the white shirt immediately stopped and changed seats, smiling obsequiously: "Big brother, you're awesome, no explanation needed. We two brothers are counting on you to improve our lives."
Upon hearing this, the wallet-wielding customer angrily slammed on the gas pedal. The engine roared, but the car remained motionless.
The man in the white shirt awkwardly whispered a reminder: "Handbrake, handbrake."
The wallet-wearing customer, his ears red, calmly released the handbrake, silently recited the mantra to check that nothing had been missed, and smoothly started the car after a few back and forths of clutch, accelerator, and gear shifts.
The seatbelt buckle tapped lightly against the side of the car, making a soft, muffled sound that was masked by the tire noise and only noticed by the tall man in the back seat.
He clung tightly to a box of mineral water bottles filled with rainwater beside him, his heart pounding, and he dared not utter a word.
The wallet-wearing passenger drove for an hour, and his ankles started to go numb.
After driving for two hours, my lower back started to ache.
After driving for three hours, my eyes felt glazed over.
After driving for four hours, I suddenly saw a white car ahead, and my eyes lit up: "Here comes the fat sheep!"
The man in the white shirt gripped the roof railing tightly with his right hand, his face pale: "Brother, dear brother, how about we practice again next time?"
The big guy pressed his feet firmly against the seat in front of him, quickly checked his seatbelt, and after confirming it was in good condition, whispered, "Fasten your seatbelt first, seatbelt!"
Hearing the man in the wallet's words, the one in the white shirt was provoked by two of them. He didn't notice the big man's barely audible buzzing. His mind was preoccupied with his thoughts, and all his caution vanished, replaced by excitement: "Next time, next time, tell me, how many next times have there been already? There's no time like the present, let's do it today!"
After saying that, he slammed on the gas pedal—
The black car, lacking power, struggled to close the distance between the two vehicles.
When Fang Xiaoyu first noticed the black car behind her, she honked her horn to remind the other driver to keep a safe distance.
Later, realizing that the unlicensed taxi was ignoring the other vehicle, I changed lanes and slowed down, trying to let it pass first.
Unexpectedly, the black car followed closely behind and also changed lanes.
She changed cars again, but this time the black car didn't change; it drove directly to the right and paralleled the white car.
High-speed, long-term parallel operation is dangerous.
The man with the wallet was aware of this and was quite nervous. As they drove side by side, he subconsciously eased off the accelerator and quickly fell behind by a car length.
But he quickly caught up, only to misjudge the situation and overtake another car.
Seeing that she couldn't shake them off for the time being, Fang Xiaoyu lowered the car window a little and politely asked, "Is there something you need?"
The man with the wallet stammered nervously, "Robbery! Robbery!"
A man in a white shirt leaned over, his pale, thin face, the kind that looks like someone who sits in an office all day, trying to look fierce in line with his words.
Fang Xiaoyu: "..."
Without saying a word, she immediately sped up.
Even unlicensed taxis are speeding up.
She changed lanes and slowed down.
The unlicensed taxis also changed lanes and slowed down.
It sometimes appears in front, sometimes behind, and occasionally the front of the car tilts as if trying to get closer, only to turn back in alarm.
Fang Xiaoyu: ...
She couldn't drive any further, so she simply stopped the car.
The driver of the black car didn't expect her to stop so suddenly, and drove another twenty meters before hitting the brakes.
At this point, the wallet-wearing customer seemed to have a sudden realization and deliberately turned around when parking, blocking the white car.
Fang Xiaoyu didn't get out of the car. She already had a plan in mind, but she just wanted to hear what other surprising things the other party could say.
The man in the wallet nodded, and the man in the white shirt and the tall man understood and got off the bus.
Perhaps because they realized that the driver was a woman, neither of them carried a weapon.
It was the man in the leather jacket who spoke first: "Leave the car, and the supplies...you can take half of the supplies, we won't hurt anyone."
With one hand on the steering wheel, he exuded an aura of authority, making him appear taller than 1.8 meters.
Fang Xiaoyu wanted to laugh: "Really?"
"We keep our word," the man in the white shirt added politely. "We're all civilized people, so let's avoid violence if we can avoid it."
The big guy flexed his fist: "Don't force us to use force."
Fang Xiaoyu sighed softly, took out a bottle of rainwater that hadn't been boiled yet, and unscrewed it under the bewildered gazes of the three people. She poured the water out of the car window with the bottle opening facing outwards, and at the same time began to slowly reverse the car.
The man with the wallet laughed, slumping over the steering wheel: "Hahaha, is she stupid? How far can she go?"
The man in the white shirt looked at him with pity: "He probably hasn't been here long and doesn't know the situation."
The big guy nodded in agreement: "Just wait."
Sure enough, before Fang Xiaoyu had even finished pouring a bottle of water, a familiar sight appeared, and the car and its occupants reappeared in front of the three of them.
The three of them burst into laughter, with the man in the leather jacket laughing the loudest.
The man with the wallet raised an eyebrow: "They're back now, hurry up, we just need the car."
The man in the white shirt looked at the marks on the ground and suddenly sensed something was wrong. He wanted to stop her: "Wait..."
Fang Xiaoyu smiled at them, then suddenly drove up to the three of them, startling the two standing outside so much that they jumped and scattered. The man in the leather jacket almost stepped on the gas and reversed to avoid them.
As soon as the black car started turning, she quickly turned around, drove to the spot where the watermark had stopped, raised her eyebrows, and shouted, "The car is right here, come and get it."
Seeing that the female driver had no dangerous weapons on her, the wallet-wielding man was secretly pleased. He took her fright as a prank, and shifted the car back to neutral. He said to his two brothers, "Go and drive the car over here. Oh, and while you're at it, help her unload her things from the car. Consider it a thank you for her cooperation. We should be gentlemen."
The man in the white shirt rubbed his forehead and said, "Forget it, bro, let's go. We can't get this car anymore."
The big guy was bewildered, unsure of who to listen to: "Huh?"
The wallet-wearing customer raised an eyebrow, about to question it, but then suddenly realized, and then couldn't believe it, insisting on trying it out.
Sure enough, he flashed back to his brother's side about twenty meters away from the white car.
The big guy belatedly realized: "Ah!"
Fang Xiaoyu blinked: "Are you planning to waste your time here with me, or let me leave?"
The man in the wallet was so polite he wanted to jump up and down: "What a cunning woman! If only I had known, I should have stood behind the car first and not given her a chance to escape."
At that moment, he forgot that the entire highway had more than one lane.
The man in the white shirt advised, "Forget it, bro. She's all alone. Without a vehicle, how long can she protect the supplies, and how far can she go? If we rob her, she'll just be waiting to die. Let's find another target."
The big guy chimed in, "You're right, let's change it."
The wallet-wearing customer was already having second thoughts, and Fang Xiaoyu, upon hearing the conversation, instantly dropped his provocative expression. He took it as the other party giving in, and with his brother's persuasion, he felt confident that he could get down the stairs. He pointed in her direction with his finger and finally said, "I'll let you go today because you're a woman."
In this situation, Xiaoyu will only go along with things and will not get carried away just because she has the upper hand temporarily.
She said loudly and sincerely, "Thank you so much, brother! Thank you all! Good people will surely be rewarded!"
After saying that, he turned the steering wheel, switched to the side lane, and sped away.
The wallet-wearing man stared at the rear of the white car, feeling something was off. He began to reflect: "...Next time we rush ahead, should we do what others do and throw some glass or nails to puncture their tires first?"
After considering the possibility, the man in the white shirt said with a sigh, "Brother, if you drive too fast and cause someone's tire to blow out, it could be fatal if you're unlucky."
The wallet-wearing passenger also recalled the watermelon juice scene he had witnessed along the way: "...Never mind, we're all afraid of blood."
"Yeah, everyone's dizzy." The big guy chuckled sheepishly. "If there's not enough food in the future, I can eat less. I can hold my hunger."
"Come on, do you think I'll be short of food?" The man in the wallet chuckled and said to the man in the white shirt, "You drive, my back pain is acting up, I need to rest."
The man in the white shirt smiled and nodded, then switched seats with him and sat back in the driver's seat. After everyone was settled, he smoothly turned the car around and drove in the direction Fang Xiaoyu had left.
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