“Slow down.
Slow down.
I can’t take it anymore.
Ah…” “Help…
ah…
slow down.” A wealthy woman with blonde curls and a heavy fur coat sat in the back of the car.
Her hands tightly gripped the back of the driver’s seat.
A massive emerald ring glittered on her right hand.
In the driver’s seat, a young man stared calmly at the sharp ninety-degree turn three hundred feet ahead.
“Driver, slow down.
There’s a sharp turn ahead.” The woman’s eyes were filled with terror.
Cold sweat beaded on her forehead.
The young man kept his right foot firmly planted on the gas pedal.
Only two hundred feet remained until the curve.
He showed absolutely no sign of braking.
The vehicle’s speed on this narrow concrete road had already surged to sixty miles per hour.
The corner was rapidly approaching.
A hundred feet.
Fifty feet…
thirty feet.
In a flash, the young man released the gas, stomped the clutch, and slammed the brakes to the floor.
With one massive, fluid sweep of his left hand, he locked the steering wheel entirely to the left.
The modified yellow Dodge Charger shifted its center of gravity forward.
The two rear tires instantly lost traction, kicking out in a wild slide.
Under the intense friction, plumes of white smoke erupted from the rear wheels.
Just as the chassis was about to straighten out, the young man released the brakes, downshifted, and slammed the gas pedal back to the floor.
In that exact fraction of a second, he whipped the steering wheel in the opposite direction.
The drifting cab snapped into place.
Like a hunting cheetah, it rocketed out of the curve and blasted down the straightaway.
It was a flawless drift.
Smooth as flowing water.
“Stop…
stop the car.
I can’t take it anymore, stop.” Tires screeched as the vehicle quickly came to a halt.
The wealthy woman in the back slammed her face against the seat in front of her.
She didn’t even have time to rub her bruised cheek.
She staggered out of the door and bolted onto the side of the road.
The moment she hit the curb, she bent over and began to heave.
She threw up continuously for three minutes.
Finally, she pulled a tissue from a bright red bag plastered with LV logos and wiped her mouth.
Furious, she marched over to the driver’s window and glared at his name tag.
“So your name is Liam Vance.
I am going to report you.” Liam’s expression remained perfectly calm.
He glanced at the clock on the center console.
It read 11:14.
“When you got into this car at eleven o’clock, you were fifteen miles from the airport.
Your flight’s boarding gate closes at 11:25.
Given the traffic, taking the airport shuttle would have taken thirty minutes.
The subway would take twenty-five minutes.
The public bus would take forty minutes.
Taking my car only took you ten minutes.” He looked at her flatly.
“You just spent three minutes throwing up, and another minute talking to me.
Ma’am, you still have eleven minutes until boarding closes.
I have perfectly fulfilled your service request.” The wealthy woman swallowed her impending barrage of insults.
Liam’s logic was so clear and airtight that it completely choked off her temper.
She pulled out her phone and scanned the QR code to pay the fare.
A mechanical voice rang out from his dashboard.
“Venmo received: 50 Dollars.” “Seeing as you’re so handsome and you actually got me to the airport on time through the backroads, I paid you fifty for the fare.
That is more than generous.” “Ma’am, the starting fare for two miles is ten dollars,” Liam replied.
“Every mile after that is two dollars, with a fifty percent out-of-zone surcharge for trips over ten miles.
The fifteen-mile trip costs thirty-nine dollars.
You tipped eleven dollars.
However, you started eating sunflower seeds the moment you got in and threw the shells all over my car.
A cleaning fee is thirty dollars.
By my calculations, you still owe me nineteen dollars.” He paused, his eyes narrowing slightly.
“Furthermore, when you got in, you promised a hundred-dollar cash bonus if I got you here on time.
You have not kept your promise.” The woman froze.
A look of complete bewilderment washed over her face.
“I said I would tip a hundred, but now I changed my mind.
Is that a crime?” “It’s not.
That is your freedom,” Liam said lightly, looking entirely unfazed.
“You are such an interesting little handsome guy.
This is the first time I’ve met someone like you.
Take this paper.
See if you’re interested.” The woman shoved a brightly colored, printed flyer through the driver’s window.
Six massive words were printed across the top: Wealthy Widow Seeks Surrogate for Child.
“Little handsome guy, you have a great face and a great body.
Driving a taxi is completely beneath you.
If you’re willing, I can pay you.
Five hundred a pop.
It pays a lot better than driving a cab.
My husband is dead, and I have more money than I could ever spend…” Liam sat in the car, watching the time on the dashboard.
He deliberately stayed silent.
11:18…
11:24…
11:25.
“Well, little handsome guy?
Are you interested in a lucrative offer or not?” Liam picked up the flyer and tossed it right back out the window.
“Please take your garbage with you.
Also, I am not a garbage collector.
Have some self-respect.” “You…
what do you mean?
Who are you calling garbage?” “Just a friendly reminder.
Your boarding gate just closed.” “What?” The woman panicked, her eyes going wide.
“You promised you wouldn’t make me late.
You…” She scrambled toward the airport terminal, screaming back at him.
“Liam.
I am…
I am going to report you.” “If you don’t keep your own promises, why do you expect others to keep theirs?” Liam muttered.
He slowly rolled up the tinted window.
With a calm expression, he put the car in gear.
The yellow taxi instantly shot forward, leaving a trail of rising dust in its wake.
…
Tires screeched as Liam pulled over to the side of the road.
He grabbed his red smartphone from the passenger seat and answered the call.
“Hello, Boss.” “Liam, what the hell is wrong with you?
You offended another customer.
The company just got another complaint about you.
How many times do I have to tell you?
This is a taxi.
Why do you insist on driving it like a race car?” The voice on the other end was practically spitting.
“Liam, are you even listening to me?
The woman who reported you is married to President Winston of the West Coast Auto Association.
Of all the people to offend, you pick her.
Do you have any idea that our little cab company cannot afford to cross him?” The boss took a ragged breath.
“Liam, you burned through three tires this month.
You’ve been reported five times.
You bring that cab back to me right now.
If you keep drifting like this, the car is going to be scrapped.
Liam, are you even listening?” Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
Liam hung up the phone.
He dialed a new number.
“Hello, this is the front desk of the West Coast Auto Association.
How may I help you?” “Transfer me to President Winston.
I have extremely urgent business with him.” …
“Hello.” “Is this President Winston?” “Yes, it is.
Who is calling?” “Did your wife rush to catch a flight to Miami today?” “Yes.
Who exactly are you?” “Was your wife wearing a black fur coat, purple cropped pants, and carrying a brown LV bag today?” “Yes, she was.
What do you want?
Who are you?” “I am only telling you this so you know that what I say next is the absolute truth.
Just a few moments ago, your wife handed me a flyer offering a massive payout for a surrogate child.
She told me you were dead and left her a fortune.” President Winston fell dead silent on the other end of the line for two full seconds.
“Do you have proof?” “I have a dashcam in my car.” “Then please send the video file to our association’s email.
Furthermore, I would appreciate it if you kept this completely private.” “Mr.
Winston, I think your wife might not have seen you in a very long time.
She can’t even tell if you are dead or alive.
If she keeps handing out these flyers, you’ll be the biggest cuckold on the West Coast.” Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
Liam hung up and tossed the phone onto the passenger seat.
He took a deep breath and leaned back against the headrest.
For a moment, memories surfaced.
Liam had transmigrated to this world when he was five years old.
Although the planet was nearly identical to Earth, his life had unfolded very differently.
He was eventually adopted by Arthur and Sarah Vance.
Arthur was an extreme sports enthusiast who lived for speed.
Underground racing, wingsuit flying, skiing, rock climbing—if it involved danger and adrenaline, he loved it.
Growing up under Arthur’s influence, Liam developed the same obsession with pushing limits and mastering difficult skills.
Two years ago, however, a racing accident left Arthur permanently paralyzed.
The family’s savings vanished beneath overwhelming medical expenses.
Unable to stand by and watch his parents struggle alone, Liam gave up his plans and joined Metro Cabs after leaving the military.
Since then, supporting his family had become his highest priority.