Taxi Driver:Intro

Lu Siyan returned to the party, the earlier amusement he felt at the dramatic scene in the garden replaced by a renewed sense of unease. He felt like he was caught in a whirlwind of strange coincidences and bizarre encounters. He found Wei and Zhang, who were now engaged in a heated debate about the merits of different karaoke songs.

"Hey guys," Lu Siyan said. "I'm going to head out. It's getting late."

"Leaving already?" Wei asked, his voice slightly slurred. "But the party's just getting started!"

"Yeah, but I'm… tired," Lu Siyan said. "And I have… things to do." He didn't want to elaborate. He didn't want to explain the strange feeling that was nagging at him.

"Things to do?" Zhang repeated, raising an eyebrow. "At this hour?"

"Yeah," Lu Siyan said vaguely. "Important things."

"Probably going to cash in his lottery ticket," the AI whispered. "Or maybe he's going on a secret mission to save the world from… evil squirrels?"

Lu Siyan ignored the AI. He said goodbye to his friends and started to leave. As he reached the doorway, he saw them.

Mr. Gao and the woman from the garden. They were walking together, their faces close, their expressions… intimate. The woman was smiling, her eyes sparkling. Mr. Gao looked… captivated.

Lu Siyan stopped, a wave of confusion washing over him. What was going on? Was this some kind of… elaborate game? Was everyone in on it except him?

"Ooh, looks like someone's got a new power couple to obsess over," the AI whispered. "Maybe they're secretly vampires! Or werewolves! Or… accountants who moonlight as superheroes!"

Lu Siyan just shook his head and walked out, the image of Mr. Gao and the woman burned into his mind. He stepped out onto the street, the cool night air a welcome contrast to the stuffy atmosphere of the party.

As he did, a sudden burst of light illuminated the sky. Fireworks. They exploded in a riot of colors, painting the night with fleeting bursts of brilliance. It was a beautiful display, but Lu Siyan barely noticed. His mind was still on Mr. Gao and the woman, on the strange events of the day, on the… something… that was happening around him.

He decided to take a taxi home. He hailed a cab, and it pulled over to the curb. He opened the door and climbed in, only to freeze.

The driver was… Lin Mei.

Or rather, the woman who had introduced herself as Lin Mei. She was wearing a different outfit, her hair was styled differently, but it was unmistakably her.

"Uh…" Lu Siyan stammered. "You're… driving a taxi?"

"Just trying to make ends meet," she said, her voice flat, devoid of the earlier warmth or intensity. She glanced at him in the rearview mirror, her expression unreadable.

"But… you're a software developer," Lu Siyan said.

"That's my day job," she replied. "This is my… side hustle."

"Right," Lu Siyan said, his mind reeling. "But… earlier… in car… you were talking about Mr. Gao…"

"Just networking," she said, her voice clipped. "He's an important man. It's good to… know people."

"Networking?" Lu Siyan repeated, his skepticism growing.

"Yeah," she said. "You know how it is. Gotta climb that corporate ladder."

"Climb it by… driving a taxi?" the AI whispered. "That's a new one."

Lu Siyan decided to cut to the chase. "Look," he said, "earlier… at the car… you… you changed. Your face… it was different. And then you… disappeared."

The woman's expression remained unchanged. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said.

"Don't play dumb," Lu Siyan said, his voice rising. "I saw you. You… you peeled off your face. Like a mask."

The woman sighed. "Look," she said, "it's been a long night. I'm tired. Can we just… get to your destination?"

"No," Lu Siyan said. "I want answers."

"Answers to what?" she asked.

"Answers to… everything," Lu Siyan said. "Who are you? What's going on? Why are you… messing with me?"

The woman sighed again. "Look," she said, "I'm just a taxi driver. I was picking up a… handsome man who works at a big company. Like you."

"Like me?" Lu Siyan repeated.

"Yeah," she said. "A software engineer. Someone told me you were… important. That you could… help me."

"Help you with what?" Lu Siyan asked.

"With… my career," she said vaguely. "I'm trying to… get ahead."

"Get ahead by… driving a taxi and peeling off your face?" the AI whispered. "That's an… interesting career strategy."

Lu Siyan ignored the AI. "So you… you thought I was someone else?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said. "I… I got some information from a… software engineer passenger. I… I thought you were him."

"But… how did you know my name?" Lu Siyan asked.

"I… I heard it at the… car accident," she said, her voice barely a whisper. "You were there. You… you were helping someone."

"The car accident?" Lu Siyan repeated, his mind racing. "You mean… the one in front of office?"

"Yes," she said. "I… I was there. I heard your name."

"So you… you've been following me?" Lu Siyan asked.

"I… I was just trying to… get your attention," she said. "I needed to… talk to you."

"Talk to me about what?" Lu Siyan asked.

"About… my future," she said. "About… my dreams."

"Her dreams of… world domination?" the AI whispered. "Or maybe just… a slightly less creepy taxi?"

Lu Siyan just shook his head. He didn't believe her. He didn't trust her. But he also didn't have any other answers. He was trapped in a web of lies and half-truths, and he didn't know how to get out.

"Fine," he said finally. "Take me home."

The woman nodded and started the car. As they drove, Lu Siyan couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched, that he was being manipulated. He had a feeling that he was about to learn a lot more about this mysterious woman. And he had a feeling that it wasn't going to be pleasant.