Dawn, on the third day.
The first rays of morning sun crept through the automatically parting curtains, illuminating the vast bedroom. Lin Yi squinted, habitually reaching out to find his phone on the rickety bedside table. But his hand met only empty space. He opened his eyes wide.
What greeted him was not the peeling ceiling of his cramped rented apartment, but an architectural masterpiece of wood and plaster, with an exquisite recessed lighting system. He was lying in an unbelievably comfortable king-sized bed in the master bedroom of the Cloud Villa. The surreal feeling from the previous day came rushing back. He hadn't been dreaming. It was all real.
He got out of bed, his bare feet feeling the cool touch of the oak floor. He walked towards the glass wall, and with the press of a button, the entire awakening landscape of Zhonghai City unfolded before him. From this vantage point, the skyscrapers looked like toy models, the bustling streams of traffic like diligent ants. This feeling of standing above everything was truly addictive.
After showering in a bathroom larger than his old apartment's living room, Lin Yi stood before a massive walk-in closet. Inside, the System had already prepared a range of designer clothes in every style, all fitting him perfectly. He chose a simple but high-quality casual outfit, then went downstairs. He didn't feel hungry, but he brewed a cup of coffee from the automatic machine and stood on the balcony to drink it, enjoying the absolute silence and freedom.
Looking down at the city, he suddenly thought of his rented room. That place held his entire past—his poor student years, his early ambitious days at work, and his recent, bitter failure. Now, he had a new life, a new reality. He couldn't keep living a double life. It was time to say goodbye to the past.
He put down his coffee cup, picked up the villa's black metal card and the car keys. Today, he wouldn't start work right away. He had something more important to take care of first.
The Koenigsegg One:1 silently departed from the mountain villa, heading towards the old, crowded neighborhood on the other side of the city. The appearance of a multi-million dollar monster in a dilapidated residential area, where the alleys were barely wide enough for a small car, created an utterly absurd scene. Everyone on the street stopped, their eyes wide with astonishment. The neighbors who usually gave Lin Yi a cursory nod now stared at him as if he were an alien who had just landed.
In the VIP hospital room, Liang Ruoxin had already finished processing a series of work emails. The wound still ached, but it couldn't stop her brain from working. She was growing impatient.
The door opened and An Ning entered, her beautiful face showing clear signs of fatigue and some confusion.
"Well? Have you found him?" Liang Ruoxin asked immediately, forgoing any pleasantries.
An Ning took a breath and bowed her head to report. "Chairman Liang, we've run into some problems. Regarding the car, my team has confirmed that a black Koenigsegg One:1 appeared on the route from the company to the hospital. But its license plate doesn't exist in any registry. It's like a ghost car. We've contacted supercar dealerships and major car clubs; no one knows of its existence."
Liang Ruoxin frowned. "A ghost car?"
"Yes. And about the man named Lin Yi," An Ning continued, her voice hesitant. "We hacked into Didi's internal database. There are no drivers named Lin Yi who own such a car. Your trip history on the app has also been mysteriously wiped, leaving only a basic payment transaction with no details. It seems someone deliberately erased all traces."
Silence filled the room. Liang Ruoxin wasn't angry; on the contrary, a spark of even stronger interest flashed in her eyes. This was getting more and more complicated. This wasn't some rich kid trying to get attention. This person had the means to operate like a ghost, to cover his tracks perfectly.
"What about visual evidence?"
"We have a few clips from security cameras, but because of the car's speed, the image of the driver is very blurry. The clearest shot we have is of him carrying you out of the company lobby, but his back was mostly turned to the camera. We only have a partial profile of his build and face," An Ning said, handing a tablet to Liang Ruoxin.
On the screen was the image of a young man, tall and well-proportioned. Though it was only a side view, one could make out his firm features and an unusual calmness. It was that very calmness that had saved her life.
"Keep looking," Liang Ruoxin commanded, her voice as cold as ice. "Forget the official channels. Hire the best private investigators. Analyze his build, his posture. Have people monitor underground car forums, private auctions. No matter who he is, he can't have completely vanished. I want to know everything about this man, Lin Yi."
Lin Yi stood in his rented room of less than twenty square meters. The familiar musty smell and stifling air now felt unbearable. He looked around at the old objects, each telling a story of his previous, difficult life.
He didn't have much to pack. He threw a few old clothes into a garbage bag, keeping only a worn-out book and a single framed photo of his family. They were the only things that still connected him to his past.
Just as he was about to leave, the door was thrown open violently. His fat landlord stormed in, his face a furious scowl.
"Lin Yi! Where do you think you're sneaking off to? You haven't paid this month's rent! I told you, if you don't pay today, you can pack your things and get out!" he shouted, spittle flying from his mouth.
Lin Yi looked at the landlord, a man he had always had to be deferential to. But now, thanks to "Calm Mind," he felt no fear or anger. He only found the man pitiful.
"Mr. Zhang, I wasn't planning on running," he said calmly. "I came to pay the rent and terminate the lease."
"Terminate the lease? Where would you get the money to pay?" the man scoffed.
Lin Yi said nothing more. He pulled a thick wad of fresh cash from his pocket, counted out the overdue rent plus an extra month's penalty for breaking the contract, and placed it on the table. "This is all of it. As of today, I'm moving out."
The landlord was stunned into silence, his eyes glued to the stack of money on the table. He couldn't believe this dirt-poor kid could pull out such a large sum.
"I'll be going now," Lin Yi said. "Thank you for renting the place to me. It's just... a little too small."
With that, he picked up his single bag and walked out the door. The landlord, still dazed, rushed after him into the hallway, about to say something more. But the words he intended to say got stuck in his throat.
He saw Lin Yi walk down the stairs, step out into the alley, and coolly open the door of a car he had only ever seen in magazines. A supercar that looked like a spaceship.
The landlord's glasses slid down to the tip of his nose. His mouth hung agape, wide enough to fit an egg. He rubbed his eyes, and then rubbed them again, but the car didn't disappear. It let out a soft growl and then glided away, leaving him petrified in the middle of the old hallway.
Driving out of the familiar neighborhood, Lin Yi felt a true sense of liberation. He had completely severed ties with his past. Now, he had no home to return to, except for that castle in the clouds.
He looked at the time. It was still early. His mission for the week was not yet complete. He opened the Didi app and switched his status to "Available." Instantly, a new ride request popped up.
Lin Yi smiled and pressed "Accept." His third day as a Didi driver was only just beginning.