Chapter 111: Driving (Additional Update)

Clatter, clatter—

Ji Linmo awoke to violent shaking.

Accompanied by the stench of dirty socks in the air, he slowly opened his eyes, his vision gradually coming into focus. Before him hung a pendant inscribed with the words "Safe Journey," framed by a gray, dusty car window.

He was sitting in the front passenger seat of a sedan.

What is going on?!

Ji Linmo sat up, alert, but a soft chuckle beside him immediately interrupted his tension.

"Good morning, Mr. Ji. Did you sleep well?"

The familiar voice rang in his ears. Ji Linmo turned his head to see the young man in the driver's seat, lazily resting his hands on the steering wheel, squinting at him with a grin.

"Qin Feng..."

Ji Linmo’s tense body instantly relaxed. Though he was reluctant to admit it, having Qin Feng by his side at this moment did indeed provide him with a sense of security.

"Where is Liu Xiaoxiao?"

The youth gestured toward the back seat. Ji Linmo immediately turned to look and saw Liu Xiaoxiao curled up in the back, a tiny ball snoring softly, looking quite peaceful.

Clatter, clatter—

The sedan continued to jolt forward. This was not only due to the rugged road but also because the driver’s skills were far too amateurish.

"Did you cover me with this coat?"

After a brief silence, Ji Linmo pointed to the military-style overcoat draped over him and asked the youth.

"It’s an add-on service, Mr. Ji. No need to thank me for my thoughtfulness; just give me a five-star review~"

Hearing the youth’s flippant tone, Ji Linmo raised an eyebrow.

"I’m afraid I can’t give you a good review. The coat is rancid."

With that, Ji Linmo grabbed a corner of the coat and shook it in front of Qin Feng’s face. Instantly, the sour, pungent smell of dirty socks rushed straight into the youth’s nose.

"It seems my service was indeed lacking. Well then, Mr. Ji, how many stars do you intend to deduct?" Qin Feng chuckled, turning his head away to avoid the coat. "After all, you’ve been sleeping in this coat for quite a while; it must be quite a pungent experience."

Watching the youth’s smug expression, Ji Linmo let out a low laugh.

This little madman did it on purpose.

How childish...

"Deduct them all. Besides the coat, your skills as a driver are also terrible."

Ji Linmo reached out and tapped the dashboard. The speedometer currently showed over 40 km/h, with the engine revving at over 3,000 RPM. The car was a manual transmission; logically, at this speed, Qin Feng should have shifted into fourth gear. But clearly, the youth lacked such common sense and had been driving in first gear the entire time. The consequence of this mismatch between gear and speed was that the dilapidated sedan kept letting out a low, hoarse moan.

"What’s wrong, Mr. Ji? Is there a problem?"

Qin Feng clearly didn't grasp what Ji Linmo meant, wearing a rare expression of confusion. Seeing the youth’s puzzled look, Ji Linmo didn't say much more. After all, as a high school senior who had only just turned eighteen, he likely had never learned to drive. It was already a miracle that he had managed to drive this far without landing in a ditch.

"Qin Feng, put your hand on the gear shifter."

Ji Linmo tilted his chin, signaling the youth to place his hand on the lever. The next second, the man covered the youth’s large palm with his own and pulled it down firmly.

"Above 40 km/h, you need to shift to fourth gear. First, slow down the car, and I’ll walk you through it..."

The man guided Qin Feng’s hand with ease, shifting the sedan into fourth gear. He then raised his left hand and pressed it over Qin Feng’s hand on the steering wheel.

"Relax, Qin Feng. You’re doing fine, so there’s no need to constantly adjust the wheel. Come, look at me..."

As he spoke, Ji Linmo leaned his entire body toward Qin Feng, helping him hold the wheel and steer slightly to the right.

"See? Just like that..."

Warm breath escaped the man’s lips, brushing against Qin Feng’s ear. The youth turned his head to look at the man beside him. The man’s long, slender eyelashes were lowered, fluttering slightly like the wings of a butterfly.

"Qin Feng, are you listening?"

Ji Linmo tilted his head to look at Qin Feng. The moment the man’s ink-black eyes met Qin Feng’s, the youth unexpectedly became somewhat flustered.

"I’m listening, I’m listening... Don't worry, Mr. Ji, I won't let us crash and burn."

With that, Qin Feng immediately turned his face back to the road. Ji Linmo glanced at him, puzzled by his moment of distraction. Can one even space out while learning to drive? Was his explanation too boring?

"Anyway, since we have the opportunity, you can practice shifting gears. I’ll be watching from the side."

Noticing on the navigation that they were still some distance from the gymnasium, Ji Linmo relaxed and leaned back against the seat.

It was just past four in the morning. Normally, 5:30 AM was when players would wake up.

It seems the rancid coat truly deserved some credit, Ji Linmo thought to himself. Otherwise, he wouldn't have woken up so early.

In the silence, Qin Feng kept his eyes fixed on the road, focused on keeping the car in a straight line. Ji Linmo watched quietly from the side, occasionally reaching out to steady the steering wheel whenever the youth drifted. Both maintained a tacit silence. Inside the quiet car, aside from their breathing, the only sound was the "rustling" of the tires against the road.

As time passed, the ash-gray sky outside the window began to brighten bit by bit.

It was the sun.

The rising warm sun slowly emerged from the clouds, scattering golden light across the earth. The cold ground was draped in a golden hue, and this bizarre world, for a rare moment, became bright and clear.

"Mr. Ji, it’s a sunrise."

Qin Feng smiled happily at Ji Linmo, looking ahead.

"Mm, a sunrise."

Ji Linmo also curled the corners of his mouth. It was as if the deal between them and yesterday’s struggle had never existed.

[Current Day: Day 3]
[Remaining Players: 6]

Before long, the silence was broken by the system’s voice, and a notification bar popped up before Ji Linmo’s eyes. Immediately after, his pocket vibrated.

[You have one unread text message.]

Seeing the notification on his phone, the man unlocked it. Sure enough, it was a message from "Little Sister."

[Little Sister]
[Brother, are you okay? I hope you can see this message, as it proves you survived last night’s slaughter. Today will be a relatively easy day for you, but if possible, could you accept my uninvited request?]
[1. Please find the cause of my death.]
[2. Bury me.]

Ji Linmo stared at the message, his eyes darkening. The next second, a mission prompt appeared before him.