Chapter 154.1: Storm Roadshow (2)
Bang!
Just a second before, Shen Xiu had come to a stop, his eyes fixed on the traffic light ahead that was in the final countdown.
The next second, a loud bang sounded from behind, followed by the car jolting from the impact.
Shen Xiu: “……”
Including this time, he had only driven three times since graduating from driving school. Always cautious and meticulous behind the wheel, Shen Xiu never expected that while simply waiting at a red light, he’d experience the infamous “rear-end collision” scenario.
The very first thought that flashed through Shen Xiu’s mind after being hit was—thank goodness I didn’t rear-end someone else. All things considered, this meant there was nothing wrong with his driving!
He glanced at the time, and just then the countdown on the traffic light reached zero—the cars ahead could now proceed.
Shen Xiu pulled the car over and came to a complete stop.
Seeing that the car could no longer continue—at least not for now—the system cheerfully said to Shen Xiu:
[The car’s wrecked! Time to head back to Yulin Banxia and swap it out for another one!]
There were so many cars on basement level B2—red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet…
Every color you could imagine!
The system just couldn’t understand—Shen Xiu clearly said he liked those cars when he bought them. Their aesthetics even matched its taste.
Yet now, he only ever drove this pitch-black one. Truly, a man’s heart is like a needle at the bottom of the sea—impossible to predict!
Sure, this black one was the most expensive…
But that still didn’t change the fact that it was as black as coal! Wouldn’t it be better to drive something bright and colorful? A flashy sports car with vivid hues?
System: [Not gonna lie, any car in B2, take your pick—I’ll treat you!]
Shen Xiu had once said that the Chinese language was vast and profound, and the phrase “I’ll treat you” had many layers of meaning.
The system wasn’t wrong—it all depended on how Shen Xiu interpreted it.
Upon hearing that, Shen Xiu replied quietly and meaningfully: “…As I thought, they’re all yours, huh?”
He thought to himself, aside from a being like the system—one with powers that transcended the very dimensions of their world—who else would actually leave car keys in a box on top of the car?
But since the system hadn’t said anything about it, Shen Xiu pretended not to know.
However—just thinking about the cars down on level B2 made Shen Xiu subconsciously lean back, his brows slightly furrowed.
Seeing Shen Xiu hesitate because of the colors, the system unleashed a final killer move:
[Don’t tell me… you’re planning to go back on your word? Said you’d drive yourself, and now you’re going to take a cab or ask the production team to come pick you up instead?]
Without even a second of hesitation, Shen Xiu made his decision with resolve:
“I’ll go back and drive a different car!”
He refused to go back on his word or let the production crew see him being inconsistent!
“System, thank you!”
System: [No need!]
—Because really, there was no need!
The driver who had rear-ended Shen Xiu’s car took one look at the vehicle he’d hit and immediately turned pale, nearly passing out on the spot. His hands trembled on the steering wheel as he muttered under his breath:
“I’m… I’m finished…”
The passenger in the car hadn’t expected that a simple taxi ride would lead them to witness a cab rear-end one of the world’s most elite luxury cars.
Fearing for their own involvement, the passenger nervously reminded the shaking taxi driver:
“Uh… maybe stop the car and call the police first.”
“…Okay.”
The driver took a deep, long breath, forcing himself to suppress the panic churning in his gut. He didn’t dare touch the steering wheel or the brake too carelessly, terrified he might accidentally hit the gas instead of the brake and make things even worse.
The car door opened, and the passenger paid the fare and got out.
The taxi driver hurried to the trunk, pulling out safety equipment and placing it in front and behind the accident site, warning passing vehicles that there had been a collision—anything to prevent a secondary rear-end crash.
Before leaving in another car, the passenger glanced at the distance between their former taxi and the sleek black luxury car up ahead—then silently broke into a cold sweat on the driver’s behalf.
Forget the driver—even if it were him, the next time he saw that car, he’d make sure to stay at least five hundred meters away to feel safe.
Not wanting to delay the roadshow, Shen Xiu just wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible. The first thing he did was call the insurance company and the traffic police.
Just as he finished making the calls, he caught a glimpse of movement near the driver’s side window from the corner of his eye. Shen Xiu instinctively lowered the window.
From the outside, the windows were tinted and one couldn’t see in, but sitting inside, Shen Xiu could clearly see what was going on outside.
As the window slowly rolled down, the driver got a good look at the man sitting in the car—handsome but stern-faced, exuding an intense and intimidating aura. The driver swallowed nervously.
“H-hello…”
His mind buzzing, the driver only realized after he spoke that he’d stuttered. Embarrassed, he looked sheepishly at Shen Xiu.
Shen Xiu put his phone away. “Hello.”
This was Shen Xiu’s first time dealing with a situation like this, and without any prior experience, he couldn’t help feeling a little nervous himself.
After the greeting, he suddenly realized—it felt kind of wrong to be sitting in the car talking to someone who was standing outside.
So Shen Xiu picked up his phone, opened the driver’s side door, and got out of the car.
The moment the driver saw Shen Xiu stepping out, he instinctively took two steps back.
And then, seeing the tall and powerfully built man standing before him, the driver: “…”
He knew the guy in the car was tall—but not this tall!
Now face-to-face with Shen Xiu, the driver—already anxious to begin with—was practically paralyzed with nerves.
He had come prepared with a whole apology in his head, but now, standing in front of this man, he was so nervous he could barely remember any of it.
Especially with Shen Xiu’s expression completely blank, lips pressed in a tight line, silently staring at him… The driver’s scalp tingled, and even his breathing felt suffocating.
Shen Xiu: “……”
Two strangers staring at each other face-to-face was already awkward enough—but now, the stranger in front of him was also the one who had rear-ended his car. The awkwardness doubled.
So… what exactly was he supposed to say at this moment?
Countless conversation starters ran through Shen Xiu’s mind, over and over. In the end, he realized that the best option might just be—to let the other person speak first.
After a long stretch of anxious silence, the driver finally recovered and apologized:
“S-sorry! It’s all my fault. I already called the police. I’ve caused you trouble, I… I’m really sorry.”
If this had been an ordinary car, settling privately might’ve been the fastest solution. But this was a top-tier luxury vehicle—the driver didn’t even dare mention private settlement.
When he got out earlier, he’d taken a look at the point of impact. He knew full well—even if the owner didn’t take advantage or ask for an inflated price, a standard repair quote alone was something he could hardly afford.
Especially with this man standing a few steps away, radiating an unapproachable chill—it was clear he was not someone easy to deal with.
After listening to the driver’s apology, Shen Xiu followed up naturally, “I also called the police.”
Just as Shen Xiu finished speaking, a traffic officer pulled up to the scene on a motorbike. He stepped off and asked the two of them,
“Were you the ones who made the call?”
Both Shen Xiu and the driver were only too eager to break eye contact with each other. They immediately turned toward the officer and answered—almost at the same time.
Shen Xiu: “Yes.”
Driver: “Yes yes, it was us…”
Although the rear-end had happened near a traffic light, the sky had already darkened by now. The dim lighting and lack of foot traffic meant that, aside from the passing cars, there weren’t many pedestrians at the crosswalk.
So fortunately, there were no onlookers.
Still, despite that, Shen Xiu couldn’t help feeling tense as he faced the traffic officer.
While the officer was circling the scene to inspect the incident, the insurance representative also arrived on site in a hurry.
Manager Wu from the insurance company got out of the car, jogging over with his beer belly bouncing slightly as he half-ran toward Shen Xiu.
Even before he arrived, his voice rang out: “Mr. Shen, hello, hello—I’m here! I’m here!”
“Apologies for the wait!”
Standing in front of Shen Xiu, Manager Wu—fully aware that Shen Xiu disliked being touched, and noting the man’s expressionless face—didn’t attempt a handshake. He simply greeted him verbally with enthusiasm.
Seeing someone from the insurance company arrive, Shen Xiu finally felt some of the tension in his body ease.
“Hello, Manager Wu. I’ll leave this matter in your hands,” Shen Xiu said.
When calling Manager Wu earlier, Shen Xiu had been worried that he might stumble over his words when speaking face-to-face.
So, he’d already explained the situation on the phone—that he needed to leave early and was entrusting the rear-end accident to the insurance company to handle.
Upon hearing Shen Xiu’s polite words now, Manager Wu immediately replied:
“Oh, Mr. Shen, please—this is our job! There’s no such thing as trouble at all. You’re being far too courteous!”
Though Manager Wu was usually smooth and adept at navigating social situations, facing Shen Xiu made even him uncomfortable. The pressure was real. He wanted to politely suggest that Shen Xiu leave first but was too afraid it might come across as trying to chase him away. So, he could only keep making small talk, not daring to say a word about departure.
Luckily, Shen Xiu took the initiative:
“I still have something to do, so I’ll head out first.”
Before Manager Wu could even respond, Shen Xiu added, “If anything comes up, give me a call.”
Manager Wu nodded quickly, “Of course, of course—take care, Mr. Shen!”
“Mm. Goodbye.”
“Goodbye, Mr. Shen!”
To Shen Xiu, that “goodbye” from Manager Wu marked the successful conclusion of the entire social interaction. He didn’t dare linger even one second longer—he raised his hand to hail a taxi.
Once inside, Shen Xiu gave the driver the destination he’d already decided on the moment the rear-end happened:
“To Yulin Banxia, please. Thank you.”
The driver who had rear-ended Shen Xiu watched him leave and, just like Manager Wu, let out a deep mental sigh of relief—as if the very air suddenly had oxygen again.
Now that the pressure was gone, the driver returned to his chatty, sociable self, striding over to Manager Wu with a cigarette in hand:
“Hello, Manager Wu, hello…”
—
Meanwhile, Shen Xiu returned to Yulin Banxia and headed straight down to level B2 once again.
Now that he knew all the cars belonged to the system, he didn’t hesitate for even a second as he walked right past the rows of flashy red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet-colored sports cars. With complete precision, he opened the door of a sleek, matte premium gray car.
System: [……]
As expected of Shen Xiu. The most expensive car was gone, so what did he pick? The second most expensive one. And the price difference between the two? Less than a million!
But that wasn’t the main point. The real kicker was—whether it was the black one earlier or this gray one now—these were the only two cars in the entire garage that the system had never complimented as “pretty” or “handsome”!
System: [……]
What, is it a crime to call a car good-looking? It just liked complimenting the others—what’s wrong with that?
It seriously suspected that Shen Xiu was doing this to spite it—but it had no proof!
