When you’re slightly tipsy, how can you refuse a chat with a talkative taxi driver? I vaguely remember the last time was in Hong Kong. I had left a Bob Dylan concert early, otherwise I wouldn’t have made it to the Mount Davis Youth Hostel before its reception closed. The old driver asked, bewildered, why I chose to stay on the mountain. “It’s cheap there.” “It’s about the same in the city, there are hotels everywhere. Factoring in this taxi fare, it’s not worth it.” Indeed, the taxi fare that night was more expensive than a night at the youth hostel. ...

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. ...

The Wuhan Meteorological Observatory upgraded its high-temperature warning to a red alert, with some streets reaching over 41°C (106°F). Lin Song felt like a frog being boiled in water; after being cooked for so long, he had learned to swim in it. On days when the sun beat down, Lin Song would go out wearing a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, and a hat, after smearing a layer of sunscreen on his face and the back of his neck. He kept a bottle of sunscreen spray in his car year-round—a waterproof, sport-type spray that felt greasy on his arms and reflected the sunlight. ...

Lin Song was often criticized for not doing housework. “Sigh, when it comes to anything, you just can’t rely on others.” “Tonight, you’re making your own dinner.” “Believe it or not, I’ll spill the coffee in your cup! All you know how to do every day is make coffee for yourself.” When Lin Song was little, the leftovers on the table had to be covered with gauze food covers to keep the flies away. The now-extinct fly swatter was once a must-have in every home; almost everyone had one. ...

Even in the sweltering heat of midsummer, there can be cool mornings. The early-rising sun was blocked by the tall buildings to the east. In the community’s courtyard, a through-draft blew from north to south, wandering between the apartment buildings and the small woods. Though it was long past his usual breakfast time, Lin Song wasn’t hungry at all. All told, sixteen hours had passed since last night’s dinner. Perhaps due to the heat, he still had no appetite. ...

Lin Song believes he is the most ill-tempered man in all of Hankou. But living in Wuhan, what can you do? The winter is cold enough to freeze your scalp; the summer is hot enough to agitate you from the inside out. As for flying into these nameless rages, Lin Song feels it’s completely beyond his control. He remembers Wu Meili once telling him: “I’m not the kind of person who is nice to others for no reason. You are good to me first, and then I will be good to you. If you want me to be good to you first, there’s no way.” ...

In 2023, a 45-year-old Brazilian businessman named Hugo Farias set a Guinness World Record by completing 366 marathons in a row. Yes, he did it on purpose—one more than the 365 days in a year. “I gave up a stable career to pursue a completely unknown goal,” he said. From the news, it’s clear that Hugo is a successful businessman. But in Lin Song’s view, successful businessmen don’t pursue completely unknown goals. As the saying goes, “Success comes from preparation; failure comes from lack thereof.” ...

Just three hours ago, Christian Horner resigned from his position as Team Principal and CEO of the Oracle Red Bull Racing team, effective immediately, exiting the F1 team. Twenty years, 405 races, 141 championship titles—eight drivers’ championships, six constructors’ championships. He was the longest-serving team principal in Red Bull’s history. An era has completely ended. Last year, Verstappen secured the drivers’ championship for Red Bull, but the constructors’ title was snatched by McLaren. The Thai and Austrian sides of Red Bull have been in constant dispute over control of the F1 team. ...

You think it’s customer loyalty, but in reality, everyone is just fleecing you. The printer rattles off orders from Ele.me, and the ice machine is completely empty. To keep up with the pace of the iced water promotion, the only option is to buy another thirty liters of ice cubes from Meituan. In this fiery July, as JD.com joins the slaughterhouse of food delivery platforms, iced water truly flows like a river. ...

Lin Song had absolutely no intention of going out. Even in the morning, the coolest part of the day, the glaring sunlight outside his curtains made him feel an invisible wave of heat. Summer is like that. You never feel hungry. Even if your empty stomach rumbles, you have no desire to eat. A couple of sips of water make you feel better. But not wanting to eat is just an illusion created by the sweltering heat. Lin Song rationally reminded himself that it was almost noon, and the task of combining two meals into one still needed to be done. ...