Chapter 77

Stepping on the gas and diving into the spatial tunnel, there was no need for a steering wheel here, so Zhao Mai fiddled with his phone, finally figuring out how to use the ride-hailing app. It turned out that under "About This App," there was a hidden user manual. At the beginning, it mentioned one sentence: to receive a cross-dimensional ride request, the driver, the car, and the phone must all be together; missing any one of them would be useless.

Destiny Coins were the most important prop for driving, or fuel, or tax—basically, they all meant the same thing. The generation of Destiny Coins seemed to be related to the stability of the spatial world and the complexity of its rules, but the manual didn't specify how. In any case, the tolls for different worlds varied, which the old angel had once told Zhao Mai.

Since it was a taxi, the fare could be adjusted based on the actual situation. Things like waiting fees, spatial turbulence (rain or snow) surcharges, and war environment insurance could all increase the driver's income. But the most important thing Zhao Mai discovered was the "empty return" rule.

If it was a one-way trip, the passenger had to pay double the distance in Destiny Coins. Since the coins would be consumed during the crossing, the driver wouldn't receive any coins, so the driver couldn't lose money on the return trip. If it took five coins to reach a world, would the driver have to pay five coins out of pocket to return?

"Old Angel, you tricked me! You didn't tell me such an important thing!" He finished browsing the FAQ and put the phone aside, focusing on driving. After passing through the starry tunnel, the car gave a slight jolt, and when he looked up, he found himself back on the airport expressway.

On the busy expressway, no one seemed to notice the sudden appearance of the private car, which might also be a magical effect? The long-distance bus behind him honked, dissatisfied with Zhao Mai's speed of 100 kilometers per hour. Since he was now back on a flat road, it didn't make sense to drive slowly.

After a few overtakes, Zhao Mai quickly regained his familiar feeling. He opened the map app on his phone and chose to adjust the time using satellite. After a while, he confirmed that the time flow rate on both sides indeed had a 30:1 difference.

No one had called him for over two days, except for a caring and dutiful telecommunications company that sent a consolation text and a reminder about the remaining data for the month. In a daze, Zhao Mai felt a sense of unreality, as if he had never left, and the Ash Lake, Nibo Town, and the Interspace Community were just a daydream.

"Woof woof!" The reserve grain in the backseat barked, bounding to the front seat and squatting on the chair, sticking out its tongue at Zhao Mai. It wasn't a dream; Zhao Mai was sure it was an extraordinary adventure.

The car didn't exit the expressway but took a turn. Zhao Mai wasn't in a hurry to go home; he planned to go directly to his parents' house to deliver the disease-removing potion.

After driving for over six hours, Zhao Mai didn't feel tired at all, possibly because of his eagerness to return or because the natural primal force had strengthened his physical condition. He stopped once at a gas station to fill up the tank. After returning to the real world, his car started consuming fuel again, and he could clearly feel the bumps on the road. While refueling, Zhao Mai pressed hard on the hood but couldn't budge it. Maybe it was still indestructible, but he didn't dare to test it by crashing into something to see if it would be damaged.

"Mom, are you at home?" Zhao Mai called, trying to keep his excited voice steady: "I have a couple of days off and came to visit. I'll be home soon."

"You're coming home soon? Why didn't you tell us earlier so I could prepare some good food for you!" Mom said with a surprised and scolding tone. "You're so grown up and still have no plan. Don't go anywhere; come straight home. Your dad will be back soon, and I'll go buy some vegetables. Tonight, tell your brother and sister not to go to evening classes; they should come home for dinner!"

"Oh, right, Mom, I'm not alone; I brought a dog."

"Girl?" Mom paused strangely for a moment, then hurriedly said, "Got it, got it, don't worry about it, just come back quickly! You're a grown-up, bird language..."

After a long, nagging conversation, Mom hung up the phone.

Zhao Mai took a deep breath, rubbed his nose, and tried not to cry. He turned his head and shouted to the reserve grain, "Dog, we'll have good food tonight!"

The reserve grain went wild in the car, wagging its tongue and splashing saliva everywhere.

When he arrived downstairs, he found a secluded spot to park the car, grabbed his backpack, and led the dog home. This place still felt familiar; before he went out to explore, it was his fortress, his paradise. He threw his sandals (his shoes were lost when he fell into the water) to the side and walked in barefoot. Suddenly, he felt something was off; his attire was far from normal.

Wearing leather armor, a hemp pants, and a belt with a circle of bullets... Fortunately, these bullets were so large and obviously fake that the gas station attendant didn't call the police (or a mental health professional). He quickly went downstairs, removed the dangerous items, and returned home to find his old clothes and take a shower.

The reserve grain didn't escape this ordeal. After a few struggles, the puppy resigned itself to Zhao Mai's scrubbing. After about half an hour, both of them were clean and fresh.

The keys jingled outside, and the door opened. Dad coughed loudly, stomped his feet, and changed into slippers. Zhao Mai rushed over and hugged him tightly, releasing all his worries, thoughts, and love. Dad's face was a bit pale, and he patted his son with a fist, gently pushing him away. Then he peered into the house and turned back, puzzled, "Your mom said you brought a girlfriend. Where is she?"

"What girlfriend? I don't know anything about that." Zhao Mai was completely confused. "I didn't come alone; a friend gave me a dog, and I didn't want to leave it at home, so I brought it along. A Liang, come and see Dad!"

The reserve grain obediently ran out from the inner room, sat on the ground, and stuck out its tongue, wagging its tail like a pile driver. Dad seemed to like small animals and immediately squatted down to pet it with his big hand. "Why does it call me Dad? Is it your generation?"

Uh, it's just a way to show affection, but the generation thing can't be taken seriously, right? The reserve grain could be considered a brother, but Zhao Mai wouldn't admit to being in the same generation as a dog. Seeing his father and A Liang playing happily, Zhao Mai took the opportunity to go back to the room, took out the disease-removing potion from his backpack, and handed it to his father. "Dad, this is a special remedy I sought out. Try it and see how it feels."

"Your mom told you?" Dad scratched his face with his index finger, a habit Zhao Mai had inherited. "I told her not to tell you, so you wouldn't worry. You all have your own lives, and your mom and I can handle my issues."

"Hey, I didn't come here to be criticized. Dad, just drink it. If your son isn't filial, you'll really be heartbroken, right?"

"Brat!" Dad took the bottle, examined it, and sniffed it after opening the cap. "Where did you get this unbranded product? It smells like the fake qigong water from back then. I told you, don't mess with these scams. If you want to treat a disease, see a doctor."

"I admit it's not from a doctor; it's from a pharmacist... But that's not the point. Just treat it like qigong water; it won't hurt, so drink it."

"Surprisingly, it smells okay." Dad tilted his head back and drank the potion in one go.

...

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