A Taxi driver's Day

Lu Siyan, his voice still shaky from the events at the betting den, dialed Su Luqi's number. He needed to hear a familiar voice, to find some sense of normalcy in the chaos.

"Hello?" Su Luqi answered, her voice calm and composed, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

"Su Luqi," Lu Siyan said, his voice laced with relief. "Are you alright? There was… there was this huge explosion, and the bank…"

"Explosion?" Su Luqi asked, her voice feigning surprise. "I haven't heard anything about that. I'm just finishing up a fare."

"But… but it was everywhere!" Lu Siyan exclaimed. "The whole city is in chaos!"

"Well, I've been busy," Su Luqi said, her voice dismissive. "Maybe I'll turn on the news later. Anyway, I have to go. I'm almost at my destination."

She ended the call, leaving Lu Siyan feeling even more confused and unsettled.

The Aftermath:

The city was in a state of disarray. Emergency services worked tirelessly to restore power and control the damage. News channels broadcasted continuous coverage of the explosions and the bank heist, speculating about the cause and the perpetrators.

Reporter Sarah, her face grim, stood amidst the debris, interviewing bewildered citizens. "It was like an earthquake," one woman said, her voice trembling. "Everything just started shaking, and then the lights went out."

"I saw people running everywhere," a man added, his voice hoarse. "It was like something out of a movie."

At Jian's apartment, Lu Suying watched the news coverage, her expression thoughtful. She was concerned about Lu Siyan and Jian, but her mind was focused on the bigger picture. "Who could have done this?" she murmured, her voice laced with intrigue. "And why?"

Paras Headquarters:

Inside the Paras headquarters, a red siren wailed, signaling an emergency. The room was filled with tension as agents gathered around a holographic display, analyzing the data from the incident.

"The power grid was completely compromised," one agent reported. "The bank's security systems were neutralized. And the seismic activity… it was artificial."

"Someone wanted that money," another agent said, his voice grim. "And they were willing to go to extreme lengths to get it."

"There's a connection to the political party," a senior agent stated, his voice low. "They're putting pressure on us to back off. They don't want us interfering."

"But this is a major security breach," Lin Yue protested, her voice laced with frustration. "We can't just ignore it."

"We have to be careful," the senior agent said, his voice firm. "We can't afford to make any mistakes."

The agents exchanged uneasy glances. They knew they were walking a tightrope, caught between their duty and the powerful forces that were trying to control them.

****

After teleporting amid jump from sky high, Su Luqi materialized inside her modified taxi, parked in a secluded alleyway. The interior was a high-tech command center, with holographic displays showing real-time feeds from surveillance cameras scattered throughout the city. She monitored the chaos unfolding around her, her expression neutral.

A moment later, a frantic figure dashed into the taxi, slamming the door shut and every high tech thing disappeared. It was a well-known female celebrity, her face pale and her hair disheveled.

"Drive!" she exclaimed, her voice trembling. "Just drive! Get me out of here!"

"Destination?" Su Luqi asked, her voice calm and professional.

"Anywhere!" the celebrity said, her voice laced with panic. "Just away from this… this madness!"

"Very well," Su Luqi said, engaging the taxi's autopilot.

As they drove, the celebrity stared out the window, her eyes wide with fear. "It was like… like the end of the world," she murmured, her voice barely audible. "I've never seen anything like it."

"Indeed," Su Luqi said, her eyes fixed on the road. "It was quite… disruptive."

She navigated the taxi through the chaotic streets, dodging stalled vehicles and panicked pedestrians. Everywhere they went, they saw the same scene of disarray – broken windows, overturned cars, and crowds of bewildered people.

Su Luqi's expression remained unchanged, her eyes cool and detached. She observed the chaos with the same clinical detachment she would use to analyze a traffic pattern.

After some time, while stopped at a red light, a small girl, no more than five years old, approached the taxi. Her eyes were wide with fear, and tears streamed down her face.

"Excuse me," she said, her voice trembling. "Can you help me find my mommy and daddy?"

Su Luqi paused, her eyes scanning the crowd. "Of course," she said, her voice surprisingly gentle.

She activated the taxi's external speakers and began to broadcast a message, describing the little girl and asking for her parents to come forward. After a few tense minutes, a frantic couple rushed towards the taxi, their faces filled with relief.

"Mommy! Daddy!" the little girl cried, running into their arms.

Su Luqi watched the reunion with a detached expression. "They were quite relieved," she said to the celebrity, her voice neutral. "The girl was quite cute."

Inside, however, she felt nothing. It was just another transaction, another problem solved.

The celebrity, having witnessed the reunion, seemed to relax slightly. "You know," she said, her voice softer now, "I've never met a taxi driver like you. You're so… calm."

"It's a job," Su Luqi said, her eyes fixed on the road. "Like any other."

"But you seem… different," the celebrity persisted. "Like you've seen things… things that most people haven't."

Su Luqi's expression remained unchanged. "I've seen a lot of things," she said, her voice flat. "But that's just part of the job."

She continued to drive, her eyes scanning the streets, her mind focused on the next destination, the next fare. She was a taxi driver, and she had a job to do. Even in the midst of chaos, she remained calm, efficient, and utterly detached.

****

The celebrity, Meilin, had calmed down considerably during the taxi ride. She was a famous actress, known for her "Mary Sue" roles, as mentioned by the bodyguards earlier. She had initially panicked during the explosions, but Su Luqi's calm demeanor had a soothing effect.

As Su Luqi drove, Meilin's phone rang. It was her manager, his voice frantic.

"Meilin! Meilin! Are you alright? Where are you? The news is saying the whole city is falling apart!"

"I'm fine, David," Meilin said, her voice steady. "I'm in a taxi, on my way home."

"A taxi?" David exclaimed. "Are you crazy? You should be in a secure location! I'm sending a car for you right now!"

"I'm fine, David," Meilin repeated, her voice firm. "The driver is very capable. I'll be home soon."

"Meilin, please," David pleaded. "Just… just be careful. I don't want anything to happen to you."

"I know, David," Meilin said, her voice softening. "I'll be fine. I promise."

She ended the call, sighing softly. "Managers," she said to Su Luqi, rolling her eyes. "They're so overprotective."

"It's their job," Su Luqi said, her eyes fixed on the road.

"Yeah, I guess," Meilin said, her voice thoughtful. "But sometimes… sometimes I just wish they'd let me live my life."

She paused, then looked at Su Luqi, a curious expression on her face. "You know," she said, "you're really good at this. Driving, I mean. You're so calm, so focused."

"It's a skill," Su Luqi said, her voice neutral. "Like any other."

"No, it's more than that," Meilin insisted. "You have a… a presence. You're like… a force of nature."

Su Luqi remained silent, her expression unchanged.

"Okay, maybe not a force of nature," Meilin said, chuckling softly. "But you're definitely… impressive. You should be a stunt driver or something."

Su Luqi glanced at Meilin in the rearview mirror, a faint smile playing on her lips. "Perhaps," she said, her voice laced with amusement. "Or perhaps I'm exactly where I need to be."

Meilin, sensing that she had pushed the conversation far enough, leaned back in her seat. "Well," she said, her voice lighter, "I'm glad you were my driver today. You made a crazy situation… a little less crazy."

"My pleasure," Su Luqi said, her voice polite. "Now, where to?"

Meilin gave her address, and Su Luqi navigated the taxi towards her destination, her mind already moving on to the next fare, the next task. She was a taxi driver, and she had a job to do. And she did it with a quiet efficiency that was both impressive and slightly unsettling.