Friday afternoon was utterly exhausting. The client’s warehouse closed at five, so there was no time to deliver the prepped goods. After a quick discussion with the client, they agreed to a Saturday morning delivery. One final confirmation: yes, the client’s warehouse accepts deliveries on Saturdays.
Coming out of the underground garage, Lin Song slipped on his sunglasses while waiting at a red light to make a U-turn.
The barrier for the U-turn lane extended nearly to the middle of the intersection. Why not make it shorter? It was only after turning the car and climbing onto the ramp that he understood: if the barrier wasn’t extended, cars turning too early might hit the ramp’s guardrail.
At eight o’clock on a Saturday morning, there was still a queue of cars on the elevated highway heading into the city. What kind of people wake up so early on a weekend? They didn’t look like they were rushing to work.
Though the highway wasn’t empty, traffic was moving much faster than on a weekday. These people rushing down the road were all harboring grand dreams.
The most active contestants in the stream of traffic were the BBAs (BMW, Benz, Audi).
When people from Wuhan drive, even the slowest ones—even those with the yellow and red “New Driver” sticker—refuse to be looked down upon in the slow lane. A Mercedes seized the empty slowest lane and sped along. Don’t even think about catching it; with the pedal to the metal, the Mercedes E450 was like a bluefin tuna on a low-key patrol under the morning sun.
He always thought a BMW 750 wasn’t the type for an early morning hustle, yet here it was, joining the fray on this weekend morning commute. An Audi A5 S, not to be outdone, weaved through every gap to push forward.
Let up for just a moment, and they vanished completely. The leading contestants had already rushed off to their bright futures.
An Aion, driving at the speed limit, was unscrupulously blocking a Zeekr 001 in the fast lane. When a gap opened on the right, after a mere five-second hesitation, the Zeekr made a flying leap, swerving to overtake.
The calm and composed Peugeot 508 would only ever change lanes to overtake when it was absolutely safe. It would tailgate the car in front, confirm the target lane was clear, ensure no one from the slow lane intended to cut in, flick on its turn signal, and floor it to pass.
A light olive-green Xiaomi SU7, its right turn signal blinking continuously, spotted a gap in the fast lane and swerved sharply to the left. You absolute moron.
Lin Song muttered to himself that if he drove on the highway long enough, he could surely catch up to the Tesla that had passed him. The harsh reality is, there is never enough time; an exit can appear at any moment. As he needed to turn into the Donghu Tunnel, his vow to catch the Tesla instantly evaporated.
Ride-hailing cars are incompetent contestants. They follow no rules. No one knows if they want to go fast or slow.
It can be stated with certainty: what you can never catch is a motorcycle on the highway.
This should have been a leisurely breakfast time, yet they chose to continue their hurried rush on the road.
Trying to drive fast is exhausting. It’s not about being late for anything; it’s the pure desire to just go a little faster. Being trapped by a bunch of snails is often infuriating.
Slow drivers, when they are on the road, don’t consider what might happen. What’s it like to be stuck behind a turtle? Once they get into a lane, they stay in it all the way to their destination. Their eyes are fixed only on the road ahead. Checking mirrors to the left, right, and rear? That’s something you do when you overtake. People who drive slow don’t need to do that. Thus, ambling along the road with righteous conviction is the most natural thing in the world.
If you happen to be driving slowly in the middle lane, with cars constantly overtaking on both sides, all you’ll ever see is the neon glow of taillights.
The bizarre thing was, in the Donghu Tunnel, he had been following two “snails.” Just as they neared the exit, the snail in front of him moved into the left lane, and then, the snail even further ahead moved into the right. In an instant, the lane opened up into the empty distance. If not now, when? He floored the accelerator, burst out of the tunnel, and was met by a face full of sunshine.
A Cadillac XT5 had a Route 66 plaque on its rear. On the upper left corner of its window was a sticker that read “Grand Ambition.” The song of the same name had apparently surpassed Jay Chou’s record for single-track plays.
That Cantonese fella’s accent, singing about “fortune from all directions” and “grand ambition”—listening once is enough, no more.
Why pray to the God of Wealth? It’s nothing more than asking a deity for riches beyond your own capabilities. You and I are both struggling to get by. When you’re done with your work, you fall into bed; when I’m done, I light a stick of incense for the God of Wealth. So tell me, who deserves to get rich, you or me? Most likely, the one who desires wealth will be the one to attain it.
A beautiful woman was going to the dentist. Parking in the garage, what was the meaning of parking with the left side of her car right up against the wall? How was she supposed to get out? His concern was obviously unnecessary. The woman pulled her car in nose-first, leaving its rear end sticking out of the parking space. That way, opening the door and getting out was very convenient. Besides, the spot was in a corner of the garage, not in anyone’s way.
A young, chubby guy was treating a delicate-looking young lady to breakfast. Hot Dry Noodles, cold-brew jasmine tea, and fried dough twists. The breakfast shop’s delivery orders were exploding again.