Chapter 39: Collision

Inside the taxi, the driver turned to ask Su Bai, “Sir, what should we do now? When we were on the main road earlier, I followed them, and they probably didn’t notice anything. But now they’re about to turn onto a side road. If I keep following for a while, it’ll be fine, but if I stick with them too long, it’ll be obvious I’m tailing them.”

Su Bai’s face was cold, his words concise. “Keep following,” he commanded.

But the driver was already wavering. He liked money, but valued his life more. At first, he thought it was just an ordinary tail job. Now, things seemed far from simple.

“Sir, can you tell me what you’re doing? Why are you following that car? Is there any danger involved? Let’s be clear—I won’t do anything illegal.”

Su Bai didn’t waste words. “Send me your payment code. I’ll give you fifty thousand more. Keep following. Then, when we hit the side road, overtake the car ahead and force it to stop. Consider the fifty thousand your repair fee. After you block them, drive away—you’ll be out of it.”

Fifty thousand. Hearing Su Bai offer such a generous price, the taxi driver couldn’t help but swallow hard. That was enough to drive non-stop for two months. Yet he hesitated. “Sir, you still need to tell me what you’re really up to. Otherwise, no matter how much you offer, I can’t go along.”

Su Bai knew that without an explanation, the driver wouldn’t listen. He pulled out his phone and brought up his chat history with Yang Mengke. Determined, he thought: if the driver still refused, he’d have to take the car by force.

“My sister is in their car. See for yourself,” he said, handing the phone over.

The driver glanced at the screen and saw two beautiful girls had been kidnapped, and the car ahead was the culprit. As a veteran, rage surged within him. In broad daylight—outrageous!

“Brother, you should have told me sooner. I’ll follow the car. Keep your money.”

He slammed on the gas, sending a powerful surge through the vehicle, and the taxi shot forward.

“Brother, looks like they’re prepared for trouble! Here’s what we’ll do: under the driver’s seat, there are two steel rods, thumb-thick. Take them out. When I force them to stop, I’ll get out with you. It’s been more than ten years since I’ve stretched my muscles—today, I’ll go wild with you!”

Su Bai was stunned. Driving a taxi with steel rods on board, always ready for a fight? Sensing Su Bai’s surprise, the driver smiled, “No choice. Out on the road, you meet all kinds. You need something for protection. Other tools are restricted, but these aren’t—they’re handy!”

Su Bai took one and saw the grip was wrapped in layers of cloth—a clear sign it was meant for self-defense.

The taxi surged forward, trying to overtake the black van ahead. The vehicle in front seemed to sense trouble and swerved, blocking their way. Several times, the taxi tried to get past, only to be cut off.

Staring at the black van directly ahead, Su Bai calculated his chances if he got out to force them to stop.

[System prompt: Tracking function available. The system will calculate a plan for blocking the target vehicle.]

Su Bai immediately told the driver, “Brother, let me take the wheel. If the car gets wrecked, I’ll buy you a new one.”

The driver glanced at Su Bai. “I know what you’re aiming for. But this taxi isn’t suited for a head-on collision. It’s not about the car—I know life is at stake. If we crash, our car might be totaled and unusable, while theirs could still run. Then we’d lose our means of pursuit and have no way to keep up. At the very least, as long as we follow, we maintain some control.”

Even so, Su Bai feared for what might happen if things dragged on. If those in the van lost control, the two girls could be in real danger, and he’d have no regrets left. He knew all too well the allure Yang Mengke and Liu Ruotong held for men.

Su Bai shook his head, insisting on driving himself. The taxi driver saw his determination and understood. He didn’t argue further and got out to let Su Bai take the wheel, gripping the steel rod tightly.

[The vehicle ahead is traveling at 78 km/h; current vehicle speed is 65 km/h.]

[There’s a tree on the right side up ahead. The host must accelerate as the target vehicle approaches the tree, closing in on the right rear side and letting the tree block their view. The host must reach 110 km/h in the shortest time. Accelerate now to 80 km/h, then as their vision is blocked, floor it.]

Without hesitation, Su Bai followed the system’s instructions, accelerating to about 80. As the target vehicle neared the tree, Su Bai stomped the pedal to the floor, releasing and pressing again.

Speed climbed—85, 90, 100, 110.

[Turn left, 45 degrees.]

When only three meters from the target vehicle, Su Bai swung left sharply, as the system prompted.

[Reverse turn, accelerate!]

Just as the taxi was about to plunge into the ditch beside the road, Su Bai whipped the wheel back, and at 120 km/h, shot past the van, driving side by side.

The black van only heard a sudden roar. When they spotted the taxi again, it was already neck and neck. They tried to accelerate past, but it was too late—the taxi had matched their speed.

[When the taxi’s front is half a meter ahead, begin slowing down and gently bump the target vehicle.]

Su Bai started nudging the van, bit by bit.

[The target vehicle is slowing—70, 60, 50, 45 km/h.]

With the system’s guidance, Su Bai didn’t need further prompts. He spun the wheel, and the taxi slid sideways, blocking the van completely.

The driver gave Su Bai a thumbs-up. “Brother, your driving is incredible!”

With that, both men grabbed their steel rods and got out.

Su Bai stopped the driver. “Brother, stay behind and cover me. I’ll handle this.”

The driver understood—Su Bai was worried about his safety. He started to protest, but seeing Su Bai’s determined gaze, he nodded in agreement, ready to step in if anything urgent happened.