On the twenty-eighth floor, several men were taking drugs. He glanced at them with disdain. "You're on your own!"
On the thirty-fifth floor, he ducked his head. Just as he pulled the window open, it was so coincidental that it nearly caught his hand. He almost fell and was so scared he broke into a cold sweat, sobering up a bit.
Fortunately, the person didn't look down and walked back. He, however, looked down, his stomach clenched, feeling quite frightened. "Over a hundred meters high, how could I have been so reckless as to jump up here? Now that I have to go down, my calves are trembling! There are still four more floors, I might as well just grit my teeth and jump up again!"
He was sure that the balcony window was open to air out the dampness in the house; otherwise, he would have had to break the window.
On the thirty-seventh floor, he clung to the balcony railing and peeked inside, amused. Inside, an old man, over seventy but still looking middle-aged, was kneeling on the ground, pulling his own ears. His wife stood before him, scolding him, while he repeatedly promised never to look at other women again.
Old Zhang Tou put on a brave face outside, but his wife was gentle and soft-spoken. He never expected that at home, the roles were completely reversed.
While amused, Bai Qiandao felt a sense of melancholy. In today's society with its high divorce rate, it was remarkable that this couple had lived together for decades. Seeing the contrast between their public and private personas, he realized it was the tolerance and respect for each other's feelings that had sustained their marriage until now.
Nowadays, not only is it difficult for commoners to have children, but the divorce rate is also high, and many people remain single. The Tuzang Dynasty government doesn't pay enough attention to this, and it has become a malignant tumor developing in a vicious cycle.
With billions of people on Tuzang Star, this is why the government decision-makers are not worried. The birth rates of the few in the upper class and the middle-class families (one percent) are the focus of their attention. They believe these elites, who have received a good education, make significant contributions to the imperial government. Of course, ants also need to exist; they have great utility value. This is the sentiment of some in the upper class, not all. Sound laws and prolonged peace allow commoners to live relatively stable lives. No matter how difficult life is, there are some welfare benefits to ensure basic sustenance. It's impossible to starve to death, a fact determined by the unique and powerful nature of the five planets.
Bai Qiandao's direct elders have all passed away, so he has no worries about providing for them. If it weren't for subsidizing his sister and supporting Huang Ru's material needs, he, working three jobs, could have saved some money.
Living isn't particularly difficult; the key is the difference in living standards. The poor have their ways of living, and the rich live better, at least their material lives are enviable.
Returning to his home on the thirty-ninth floor, his legs felt a bit weak, not from a fear of heights, but because it was his first time doing such a thing without any safety measures, naturally instilling some fear in his heart.
A while later, lying in bed, he felt re-energized. Stimulated by the residual alcohol, his mind raced, contemplating his future. Becoming a Mystic Master and roaming around to slay demons and monsters was his first choice.
Another moment passed, and he realized that doing so wouldn't earn him any money, and the system would likely confiscate it. He became worried and dejected. Was he destined to never live a wealthy life?
Thus, he drifted off to sleep, only to be woken by a voice.
"Level 2 Mission: Do not reveal your true identity. Work as a driver for the Mai Family for two months. The characteristic is the overbearing type. Failure to comply with the characteristic requirements and complete the mission will result in a deduction of three thousand points. Completing the mission will be rewarded with two hundred points. You must arrive at 111 Lanli Street by 11:00 AM. Failure to comply will result in a deduction of one thousand points."
Bai Qiandao heard the strange, inexplicable, and abrupt voice, mumbled, and turned over sleepily, intending to continue sleeping.
The sound of "clang, clang, clang..." continued, like an alarm bell in his mind, striking his soul.
"Damn it, can't a guy get some sleep?" Bai Qiandao suddenly sat up and asked angrily, "What do you want?"
"Mission failure-death." Six large characters floated in the air, especially the word "death," which was enormous, occupying half the bedroom space and emitting a chilling, decaying color. Did it have to be like this?
Fine! Bai Qiandao compromised. The feeling of life being worse than death was still fresh in his memory. No matter how sleepy he was, he couldn't risk his life!
He quickly got dressed, his consciousness becoming clearer. He realized the seriousness of the situation. This system was probably not joking. If he didn't reach 111 Lanli Street as soon as possible, he wouldn't even have points to be deducted, and he would truly die.
So that's how missions worked. It was truly life-threatening. He glanced at the time; it was already ten o'clock. He sighed.
He ran madly towards the nearest Cloud Car station. Passersby on the road looked at him in astonishment as he zipped past like a gust of wind. Who could run so fast? He disappeared in a flash. Could he be a Spiritual Power User?
By the time he got on the Cloud Car, it was already 10:30 AM. Could he make it on time?
Then he thought of another problem. Today's Flying Cars are all intelligent and self-driving. Isn't the profession of a driver obsolete by a hundred years? Does anyone still need a driver?
He had heard of Lanli Street; it was very famous, located in the east, known as the Imperial Capital's number one street. The residents there were either rich or noble.
Piaoxiang City, as the Imperial Capital, had distinct class divisions. The east was the residential area for the rich and powerful, while the west and north were commoner districts, and the south was the residential area for the middle class. This was just a conceptual division; there were commoners everywhere. The upper class needed people to serve them nearby, and there would be commoners living around luxury homes, but their lives were relatively better than those in the west and north.
The imperial palace was located in the very center. Both Cloud Cars and Flying Cars had to detour around it. Trespassing would result in a fine for minor offenses, imprisonment for serious ones, and even execution for the gravest. Although the imperial authority of the Tuzang Dynasty had been significantly weakened, it was not to be desecrated or insulted, at least in the eyes of the imperial citizens, it remained a spiritual symbol.
He got off the Cloud Ladder near Lanli Street and was dazzled by the rows of luxury homes built with gold, crystal, jade, and other materials. Compared to the drab buildings in the commoner districts, this place was like another world.
Lan Danyan's Red Dust Pavilion was located in the bustling commercial district, but this was the true gathering place of the upper class. He could only glimpse the shadows of tall buildings.
Lakes were everywhere, surrounded by deep forests and accompanied by flowers and plants. Luxurious residences were embedded within, adorning the landscape. If it weren't for the many Flying Cars flying overhead, blocking too much sunlight, it would truly be a beautiful scene.
This did not prevent the people in each mansion from basking in the sun. The law stipulated that Flying Cars must not fly over residential areas without the owner's permission and must stay at least one mile away. The self-driving systems had already planned flight paths and had dedicated airspace, forming aerial routes. There was no need to worry about accidentally flying over; current intelligent technology was very mature and rarely made mistakes.
It was Bai Qiandao's first time on Lanli Street. Looking at the widely spaced mansions, he was dumbfounded. There were only ten minutes left until 11:00 AM. How could he possibly reach number 111?
With no other option, he determined his direction and started running again, as fast as a galloping horse, but still not as fast as a Flying Car flying at normal speed.
After running for three minutes like this, a Flying Car closely followed him. He looked up, wondering what they wanted, then looked down and continued to run with all his might.
"Hey, are you a Spiritual Power User?" a young man's face appeared as the window of the Flying Car opened, asking curiously.
"Don't talk to me, I don't have time," Bai Qiandao replied impatiently, his footsteps not stopping.
"If you're in a hurry, I can give you a ride," the young man said.
Bai Qiandao stopped abruptly, nodded quickly, and waved at him.
The Flying Car stopped beside him, opened its door, and he sprang inside, shouting, "I need to get to number 111, quickly..."
"You're going to my house?" the young man asked in surprise.
"Ah? Your house..." Bai Qiandao also looked at him in surprise. Was he a descendant of the renowned Mai Family?
"Yes! Who are you looking for?" the young man asked again.
"Fly faster! I must arrive by eleven o'clock." Bai Qiandao glanced at his Thousand-Mile Communicator; it was already 10:55 AM. It would be too late if he was any slower.
The Flying Car took off. The young man said, "You're a bit strange. Trespassing on Mai Family territory, even Spiritual Power Users are not allowed."
"I understand, I... I'm here to be your driver," Bai Qiandao said, hesitating and guessing the situation.
"A driver? Haha... Are you kidding me?" the young man asked, surprised and unable to help but laugh.
"No... no, I'm really here to be a driver," Bai Qiandao said, steeling himself.
"That's a profession that hasn't existed for a hundred years. Does this Flying Car need a driver?"
Bai Qiandao looked at the electronic panel in front of him. Although there was a manual steering wheel, the car was operating itself, with laser detection. The young man sat comfortably inside, with no need for manual control.
"I... stop talking nonsense, I am indeed here to be a driver, and you must... let me do it." speechless, Bai Qiandao remembered the overbearing type and forced himself to act that way, feeling nervous with sweaty palms.
The young man was taken aback and managed a smile. "Okay! I'll ask when we get back, but... do you know? We have a Spiritual Power User in my family. If you plan to do anything bad, you'll have to get past him first. The police aren't fools either."
How could Bai Qiandao not know? The Mai Family was a famous business family on Tuzang Star, a top-tier existence in high society. They might very well hire Spiritual Power Users at great expense. Moreover, although Spiritual Power Users were personally powerful, they still had to abide by the law. Not to mention the deterrence of the powerful military, even the special police armed with laser guns could likely kill them on the spot.
In this era of advanced technology, individual strength was hard-pressed to contend with a powerful armed force, unless one cultivated to the Qiao Ti Realm to fight against an army of ten thousand. Even a strong cultivator in the Xuan Cheng Realm couldn't stand against the military power of a planet; countless laser cannons could certainly destroy the physical body of such a powerful cultivator.
Furthermore, Xuan Cheng realm cultivators were too rare. At least Bai Qiandao didn't know if any existed; perhaps they only existed in legends.
"Ahem, I can only tell you that I have no ill intentions. I'm just here to be a driver... to serve you," Bai Qiandao's tone weakened.