Chapter 37: Stuck on the Second Driving Test

Containment Facility C03.

Inside one of the containment chambers sat an orange taxi. The Doctor circled the vehicle several times before turning his gaze toward the driver, who was hiding behind Lu Xiao.

"What are its properties?"

The man in the lab coat, wearing a monocle, radiated an aura that made the driver feel a sense of dread. Lu Xiao reached out and yanked the driver from behind him.

"The Doctor is asking you a question! It’s very rude not to answer him!"

The driver nodded frantically. "Sir... I don't really know how to describe its properties either!" He then repeated the same story he had told Lu Xiao and the others.

After hearing the account, the Doctor adjusted his monocle. "It was driven out from the Dark Prison?" This detail caught his attention as an anomaly. As the chief official of Containment Facility C03, the Doctor knew very well that for creatures within the Dark Prison to reach the mortal realm, they almost exclusively had to pass through a "Gate." The duty of the Jailers was to guard these Gates and prevent the aberrant entities of the Dark Prison from crossing over. Every containment facility stood watch over one such Gate.

An assistant stepped forward to provide the Doctor with a set of data. "Doctor! Over the last decade, the number of anomalies appearing in the mortal realm has been increasing exponentially every year!" He handed his tablet to the Doctor. The Doctor took the device and studied it carefully for a moment before returning it.

"S292," the Doctor said, turning to Lu Xiao, "did you only recently appear near the Gate?"

Lu Xiao shook his head. "Not at all! My range of movement within the Dark Prison is quite fixed. Before you found me, I hadn't seen any other human beings! And I had never seen that glowing Gate either."

The Doctor nodded and instructed his assistant, "Bring in a D-Class."

Soon, a D-Class personnel member wearing a yellow vest and a blindfold was escorted in by two specialized Jailer soldiers. The Doctor looked at the driver. "How did you feed this vehicle before?" He deliberately chose the word "feed."

The driver looked at Lu Xiao, as if seeking permission. Lu Xiao grinned. "Do as the Doctor says!"

The driver nodded hurriedly and walked to the back of the car, opening the trunk. Lu Xiao and the Doctor followed. With a dull thud, the trunk popped open.

Lu Xiao looked inside. Other than a hideous, gaping maw, there was nothing else.

"Push the D-Class in," the Doctor said calmly.

The two soldiers shoved the unfortunate D-Class toward the vehicle. Though blindfolded, the man’s innate, primal terror caused him to struggle violently. Moments later, a bone-chilling crunching sound filled the room, accompanied by a thunderous, engine-like roar. The exhaust note sounded remarkably like a high-performance American V8.

Lu Xiao stroked his chin. "A taxi with a sound like that... it brings a fitting analogy to mind: Lu Bu riding a dog."

The driver added timidly from the side, "Actually... it can change its appearance at will."

Lu Xiao became instantly interested. "Show us!"

The car body rippled as its form began to shift. Within moments, the taxi transformed into a brand-new Aima electric scooter. On the back seat of the scooter, a hideous mouth continued to snap open and shut.

Lu Xiao’s lips twitched violently. "You chose to turn it into *this*?"

The driver replied, trembling, "These are the only two vehicles I ever drove while I was alive!"

"You total failure! No wonder your beautiful wife is still in touch with her ex!"

The Doctor adjusted his monocle. "How is it operated?"

"Sit in the driver's seat and visualize the desired form in your mind," the driver replied immediately. "You must include every detail."

At that moment, Dante, who had been silent until now, rubbed his hands together. "Everyone! I have a dream! I've always wanted to experience driving a luxury car!" He looked at the Doctor, aggrieved. "Doctor, our wages as Jailers are so low I can barely afford cigarettes anymore! Could you perhaps report this to the superiors?"

The Doctor’s temple throbbed. He swore at Dante. "Bullshit! The pay for Jailers has been the same for years! Can't you reflect on your own shortcomings?"

...

Dante straddled the electric scooter. In an instant, the vehicle began to writhe, dissolving into a mass of flesh that engulfed him. Before long, the mass expanded into a giant sphere of flesh seven meters in diameter. Then, it began to reshape: four wheels first, then the chassis, and finally, the outline of a vehicle. Metallic luster began to manifest. In less than two minutes, the electric scooter had transformed into an imposing Raptor pickup truck.

Dante gripped the steering wheel and slammed his foot on the gas. The engine roared wildly, and a wave of heat surged through the room. Dante shouted in excitement, "Hahahaha! American V8! To hell with environmentalism!"

Lu Xiao pointed at the laughing Dante. "See! If you had a car like this, your beautiful wife would delete her ex's contact info overnight!" The driver wore an expression of newfound enlightenment.

"Doctor! Can I take it out for a spin?" Dante shouted excitedly.

The Doctor adjusted his monocle and climbed into the back seat. Seeing the Doctor board, Lu Xiao opened the passenger door and hopped in as well.

...

On the streets of Shanghai, the eye-catching pickup truck sat at a red light. Dante revved the engine occasionally, the roar drawing stares from every passerby.

"Holy crap! What kind of car is that? Never seen it before!"

"What a badass pickup! Pickup trucks are truly the romance of men!"

"If my husband had a car like this, I wouldn't still be talking to my broke ex!"

Sitting next to the Doctor, the driver heard the pedestrians' comments, and tears welled up in his eyes.

Dante, wearing a pair of flamboyant sunglasses with a cigarette dangling from his mouth, declared, "This is amazing! I have no regrets in this life!"

Lu Xiao, watching from the side, felt his own hands itch. "Ahem! Doctor, may I take a turn driving?"

The Doctor’s calm voice came from the back seat. "Go ahead."

Dante reluctantly swapped seats with Lu Xiao. The interior was incredibly spacious, allowing them to switch places without leaving the vehicle.

"Hey buddy! Do you have a driver's license?" Dante asked, suddenly struck by a serious concern.

Lu Xiao thought about it for a moment. "Hmm! I never passed the test. I think I got stuck on the second stage!"

As he spoke, the red light turned green.