Chapter 34: An Unlicensed Drive to the Rift

A week later, with time having flown by swiftly.

“Although I truly want to trust you, still…” Qin Jinxuan turned her head, her gaze falling upon Cheng Lan, who was seated in the driver’s seat, meticulously adjusting both the height of the seat and the angle of the rearview mirror. “Do you even have a driver’s license?”

“I haven’t had the chance to get one yet, why do you ask?” Cheng Lan lowered his head, scrolling through his phone to consult the car’s operating instructions.

“What if the traffic police pull us over then?” she asked, her voice laced with worry.

“Don’t worry,” Cheng Lan remarked, fastening his seatbelt as he spoke, “it’s a low-probability event. Do you really think traffic police are so idle, with nothing to do all day but check the license of every single car?”

“You’re just giving me this car? It’s worth a million yuan.” He glanced at the young woman beside him, still finding it somewhat hard to believe.

Following Cheng Lan’s request, Qin Jinxuan had donned thick black sweatpants and a hoodie. Her high ponytail was tied neatly, and a pair of dark sunglasses rested on her face. In the backseat, Lidoa was similarly dressed, her silver-white hair tucked beneath her cap as she sat quietly.

Upon hearing Cheng Lan’s words, the young woman let out a soft chuckle, turning her head to face him. “That’s right. Not only did I give you the car, but now I even have to come along and cook for you at my own expense.”

Ultimately, Cheng Lan acceded to Qin Jinxuan’s request.

The World Rift they were heading to this time was quite distant, necessitating travel by car.

Cheng Lan had initially considered taking a taxi or public transport, however…

He glanced down at the enormous 2.2-meter long katana resting on the center console, shaking his head in resignation.

If they called a ride-sharing service, the katana might not even fit inside the vehicle. As for public transport, carrying such a massive katana on his back would undoubtedly draw far too much attention.

Were it not for the fact that he wouldn’t be able to purchase his own car for several more months, he would have preferred to buy a cheaper vehicle and drive there himself, thus avoiding any sense of obligation.

‘Considering the million-yuan SUV beneath him, Cheng Lan’s emotions were a tangled mess: ‘This is likely its first time on the road, and it might very well be its last.”

“Are you sure about this? There’s a high probability we’ll have to drive the car into the Rift this time, and it might not make it back out.” Cheng Lan cautioned one last time.

“Just drive, drive!” Qin Jinxuan waved her hand dismissively. “Worst case, I’ll just buy another one, won’t I? Besides, there’s more than just this one car in the garage.”

Gazing at the array of luxury cars parked around them, Cheng Lan thought, ‘Since you’ve put it that way, what more can I say? Let’s go!’

He made a show of stomping hard on the accelerator. Seeing this, Qin Jinxuan, sitting beside him, quickly grabbed the door handle, fearing she might be flung from the seat.

Yet, the car merely started slowly, smoothly exiting the underground garage of Qin Jinxuan’s villa complex.

“Is there really any need to be so scared?” Cheng Lan asked, one hand on the steering wheel, the other sliding the sunglasses perched on his head down his nose. “I told you, I’m an old hand at this.”

“I thought… when you said ‘old hand,’ you meant the kind who races cars in movies…” Qin Jinxuan mumbled softly, her hand still not daring to fully let go.

“My dear lady, if I actually drove like that, wouldn’t I be asking for death?” Cheng Lan cast a helpless glance her way. “They wouldn’t even need to check my license; the charge of reckless driving alone would be enough to land me in serious trouble.”

“Cheng Lan, where is the Rift we’re heading to this time?” Qin Jinxuan decisively changed the subject, pointedly ignoring Cheng Lan’s ‘unlicensed driving.’

“Over by the New Port Bridge.”

“On the bridge itself?”

“Precisely.” Cheng Lan nodded.

“Why does it feel like our city has so many Rifts?” The young woman furrowed her brows. “I recall you mentioning that Rift appearances are supposed to be low-probability events now, aren’t they?”

“They truly are low-probability events,” Cheng Lan affirmed with a nod, his tone subtly nuanced. “The first Rift you entered, you stumbled upon due to your own bad luck; the last one I took you to was because of my misfortune in my previous life; and this one we’re heading to? This one is simply our city’s bad luck. As for any other Rifts, I’m not entirely sure of their exact locations.”

“Huh? What does that have to do with New Port City?” Qin Jinxuan turned to him, her face etched with surprise.

“Out of all the cities across the nation, it had to be our New Port City that ‘happily’ welcomed a Rift right in the middle of a major road.” “Fortunately, it appeared during lunchtime, when traffic wasn’t too heavy, otherwise the repercussions would have been far more dire.”

“And what happened in the end with that incident…?”

“Subsequently, the police were dispatched to cordon off the entire bridge, after which the military was mobilized to the Rift for a rescue operation.” “In the end, over thirty people went missing, and only two were successfully rescued.” “The small team that entered for the rescue mission also suffered heavy casualties.”

“Then, later, when we…” Her gaze, tinged with a hint of unease, drifted towards Cheng Lan.

“Remember this—” Cheng Lan’s expression instantly turned exceptionally solemn. “Inside a Rift, your own life is always paramount. If you can ensure your safety and still lend a hand to someone, then do so. As for those who are determined to court death, let them; don’t interfere.”

“And on a related note, never trust anyone too easily inside a Rift. Some people you’ve helped might just stab you in the back the very next second. Remember, there are no laws to restrain such actions within a Rift.” he added, emphasizing his point.

A sudden silence descended upon the car, the atmosphere growing slightly heavy.

“Alright, I understand.” The young woman nodded slowly and solemnly.

“Cheng Lan, if Rifts are so dangerous, why are you still so insistent on exploring them?” She looked at Cheng Lan, her face etched with bewilderment.

“There are two main reasons. After we explored the Mech World last week, did you notice your physical abilities had improved?”

Qin Jinxuan nodded.

“That’s the first reason. No matter how you look at it, the Etheric Energy within the Rifts is far more abundant than on Blue Star.” “There, even if you simply lay around doing nothing, your strength will naturally increase.” “Not to mention, last time you spent half a day fighting in there, not only gaining practical combat experience but also boosting your abilities—how great is that?”

“As for the second reason…” Cheng Lan freed a hand and lightly flicked the tsuba (TL Note: The handguard of a Japanese sword) of the large katana resting on the center console, producing a crisp ‘ding’ sound.

“This is the second reason. Those two worlds contain many valuable things that Blue Star simply doesn’t have.” As he spoke, a hint of greed unconsciously flickered in Cheng Lan’s eyes.

“I just don’t know if we’re heading to the Beast World or the Mech World this time.” He shook his head, a touch of regret in his voice.

“Huh? Didn’t the news reports from your previous life mention it?”

“No.” Cheng Lan shook his head. “Back then, news about the Rifts was strictly controlled; it was only much later that the restrictions gradually eased.”

Before long, the vehicle approached the vicinity of the New Port Bridge.

At that moment, they were leisurely following behind a public bus.

“Oh, right, do you know the exact time the Rift appeared?” Qin Jinxuan asked.

“How could I possibly remember the exact time so clearly? I only recall it being around this period.” “If worst comes to worst, we’ll just drive circles around the bridge.”

However, no sooner had he finished speaking than the public bus, which had been driving normally ahead of them, suddenly vanished from sight as if wiped away from existence!

Cheng Lan’s pupils contracted sharply, and with a swift reaction, he slammed on the brakes and sharply swerved the steering wheel to the left. In that fleeting moment of transition, the vehicle narrowly avoided colliding with the abruptly halted bus.