Until they saw a strikingly eye-catching pink garbage truck pull up to the stop and start picking up passengers, including a little kid, the crowd grew restless and eager to move.
Hundreds of vehicles were jammed together, unable to budge, all trying to merge into the leftmost lane...
Tempers flared among road-rage-prone drivers, and soon, curses and honking filled the air.
Then, the loudest cursing man suddenly exploded into a mist of blood along with his vehicle. The scene fell dead silent.
No one dared to speak or curse anymore... Everyone suddenly remembered—they were in a survival game, one where death could come at any moment.
Seeing so many people just now, they had almost forgotten and thought they were back in the pre-game world.
Now, they became surprisingly polite. No more cutting in line, no more road rage—none of that existed anymore.
"Build a civilized city, follow traffic rules, communicate politely"—suddenly, everyone was an expert at these principles.
Qi Xu watched the little passenger board with a stern face and immediately smiled, saying, "Buckle up, kiddo! Paw Patrol, let’s roll!"
It was a little boy, around five or six years old—the perfect age for cartoons.
Sure enough, the boy’s eyes lit up instantly, effortlessly matching the catchphrase: "No job’s too big, no pup’s too small! Paw Patrol, let’s roll! Hahaha, sis, you watch Paw Patrol too?"
Qi Xu nodded. "Of course! Who wouldn’t love such a great show? I’ve got the full set of Paw Patrol toy cars here—they’re yours now!"
The boy squealed with excitement, laughing loudly and spouting delightfully cheesy lines.
"Sis, sis, which pup’s your favorite?"
Qi Xu froze for a split second. How would I know? But she couldn’t say that.
"Of course, I love the coolest pup!"
The boy cheered, "Yes! Awesome, Chase is my favorite too!"
Qi Xu played along. "Chase is the best!"
The two chatted happily the whole ride. When it was time to get off, the boy gave Qi Xu a gift.
"Sis, this is for you—it’s Chase’s searchlight! You can attach it to your truck, and then, just like Chase, no matter how dark it gets, you’ll light up the night like it’s daytime!"
Qi Xu’s eyes sparkled. "Thank you so much! I love it~"
As the boy got off, his mom came over to pay the fare—three survival coins.
She even apologized, "My son’s so mischievous. He must’ve been a handful this whole trip. Thank you for putting up with him."
Qi Xu smiled and shook her head. "Not at all! We had a great time talking. He’s such a well-behaved, polite kid. You’ve raised him wonderfully—I hope my future kids turn out half as good."
The mom beamed like a flower and gave Qi Xu a 5-star rating, along with an extra survival coin as a tip.
Just then, Qi Xu received a system notification:
[Congratulations, Player Invincible Black Whirlwind, for successfully completing a ride. Would you like to end the dungeon challenge and return to the highway?]
Without hesitation, Qi Xu tapped "No."
[Understood. The platform will continue assigning you rides!]
It didn’t take long before Qi Xu matched with her second passenger—a stern-looking elderly man.
Three minutes later... Stern? More like the friendliest, most easygoing grandpa ever.
Qi Xu sighed deeply. "Sir, if I’m half as spry as you at your age, I’d be over the moon. You’ve gotta share your secret—no holding back now!"
The old man launched into a passionate lecture, and by the end, even he almost believed he was an expert on the subject.
Qi Xu didn’t even need to gift him reading glasses before receiving another 5-star rating. Honestly, old folks might be even easier to please than kids.
Qi Xu kept taking rides nonstop. Thanks to her silver tongue—knowing exactly what to say to each type of passenger—she completed eight rides in a row, all with 5-star ratings and an extra 12 survival coins in tips.
But on the ninth ride, she encountered a bald, middle-aged man who seemed to despise her truck.
"What kind of ride is this? Pink? Ugly as sin."
Qi Xu smiled, silently repeating professionalism three times in her head.
"Sir, would you like some water? I’ve got bottled water here."
"Some no-name brand? You expect me to drink this cheap swill? No thanks."
Qi Xu kept smiling, mentally chanting money doesn’t grow on trees three times.
The man complained nonstop the entire ride. Qi Xu maintained her smile, even actively listening to his "constructive criticism" after each gripe.
She even threw in some flattery: "Sir, you’ve got such refined taste! You’re so worldly, truly one in a million, a role model for the nation!"
Qi Xu cringed at her own sarcastic tone. No way this isn’t ending in a bad rating.
Finally, she tried to salvage things: "Got it, sir! I’ve noted all your feedback and will make improvements ASAP. Hope to serve you again after the upgrades!"
For the first time, the man cracked a smile. "Not bad, kid. At least you’ve got a good eye for talent. Keep at it—you’ll go far. Here’s something for your trouble."
Then, to her shock, he gave her a 5-star rating, tipped her 10 extra survival coins, and even threw in a gift.
Qi Xu was stunned. Maybe he wasn’t so bad after all. Everyone’s got a likable side... Had I known this would happen, I’d have been even nicer.
Then it hit her. Wait... did he not detect my sarcasm and actually take my compliments at face value?!
Holy crap. Qi Xu could only marvel. That’s next-level self-confidence. Dude’s obliviousness is off the charts.
She wanted to keep taking rides, but the dungeon’s time limit was up.
All players were teleported back to the highway.
[Congratulations on completing the 1-star dungeon "Take Me Home." You completed nine rides and earned: 29 survival coins (wage) + 33 survival coins (tips).]
[Obtained 4 special items:
Chase’s Searchlight: Turns darkness into daylight—no shadow can hide from its glow.
Grandpa’s Health Guide: Recite it passionately once to internalize its wisdom. Health +3.
Modern Wage Slave’s Emotional Grenade: "Toss it at enemies to stun them for 5 seconds!"
Bald Guy’s Talisman: Blocks one fatal attack from a monster when worn.]
Qi Xu gulped. She’d known this was a prime opportunity for loot, but she hadn’t expected this much. And the leaderboard rewards hadn’t even been distributed yet...
