Chapter Three: Knocked Away

Most players, driven by the enticing reward of one hundred million, eagerly sped forward in their vehicles.

Liang Yi glanced at her small tricycle and ultimately decided not to compete with them for the road. She gently pressed the accelerator and moved forward slowly.

Naturally, the fastest were the off-road vehicles, Hummers, and sports cars, followed by various motorcycles, buses, and coaches. Bicycles, tricycles, and balance scooters sought opportunities to slip through narrow gaps.

[Player Liang Yi, please engage actively in the game.]

The game assistant noticed Liang Yi’s slow movement and couldn’t help but prompt her.

“I know, I know,” Liang Yi replied perfunctorily, without increasing her speed.

What was the rush? This wasn’t a race to reincarnation.

Besides, a third of the vehicles behind her hadn’t even started yet.

Moreover, by moving slowly, she avoided attracting unnecessary trouble.

But Liang Yi’s hopes for a smooth journey were soon dashed.

A tall Land Rover sat idling at the starting line. After the driver flicked a finished cigarette butt out the window, he suddenly gunned the engine with malicious intent, producing a harsh roar.

Before Liang Yi could even turn in curiosity, the vehicle sped forward.

The driver deliberately brushed past Liang Yi’s tricycle, the impact so strong it flipped both rider and vehicle over.

When Liang Yi realized what was happening, it was already too late to avoid it. She gripped the handlebars tightly, struggling to keep her body steady.

Crash!

The tricycle slid across the asphalt for five or six meters before coming to a stop.

If not for the thick black mist beside the road acting like a barrier, firmly shielding both her and the vehicle, Liang Yi might not have survived.

Vehicles that had been moving slowly now accelerated aggressively, clearly unwilling to get involved.

Liang Yi struggled to climb out of the tricycle, her arms and legs scraped and bleeding, her left ear and side of her face battered.

The pain was intense, and she gasped sharply.

Gripping the vehicle, she fought back tears and looked ahead.

The offending car was stopped not far away.

The driver had rolled down the window, half his body leaning out with a smug grin.

Then he waved his hand tauntingly.

It was clearly a provocation.

Liang Yi refused to be intimidated and raised her injured left hand, flipping him the middle finger.

The man’s triumphant expression vanished instantly. Judging by his posture, he seemed ready to get out and teach her a lesson.

More bicycles and tricycles gradually gathered behind.

Honking horns and curses filled the air. The man could only mouth the words “just wait” with resentment before retreating back into his vehicle and starting the engine.

[Game assistant, how do you handle this kind of situation?]

Liang Yi asked angrily in her mind.

[Illegal collisions and traffic violations—don’t you intervene?]

[Sorry, the game does not prohibit hitting others.]

[However, since this is a road survival game, perhaps obeying traffic rules is important. I will promptly report this to headquarters.]

[Thank you, player, for your feedback.]

Liang Yi waited a little longer, hoping her report might earn some reward.

But the game assistant fell silent again.

Tch! Stingy thing!

By the time Liang Yi climbed out of her tricycle, even the cyclists had ridden some distance away.

Click—click—

As she struggled to lift the tricycle, the sound of wheels rolling on the asphalt suddenly reached her ears.

“Need some help?”

Turning around, she saw a young man in his twenties with long hair parted in the middle.

He wore a simple hoodie and jeans, giving off a quiet and gentle vibe.

He stood about 1.78 meters tall, and the vehicle he rode was the small balance scooter Liang Yi had seen earlier.

Because the scooter was too small, his long legs pushed against the ground for momentum.

When the wheels finally moved, he rested his legs on the front.

The scooter slid forward a bit and stopped again.

Liang Yi knew that with her current strength, she couldn’t lift the tricycle by herself.

“All right, thanks,” she said.

After Liang Yi agreed, the man stood up and began helping her.

Together, they managed to lift the tricycle.

The man was friendly and rubbed the dust off his hands before introducing himself.

“Hi, I’m Jian Wu.”

“Before I inexplicably entered this game, I had just passed the civil service exam.”

[Player Liang Yi, remember, you cannot trust anyone in this game.]

The game assistant pulled up the initial game instructions, wondering if its brevity had caused players to misunderstand.

[Player Liang Yi, you can review the rules in the game section.]

[I know.]

[But since he means well, I see no reason to refuse.]

Liang Yi gave a brief, indifferent reply to Jian Wu and extended her hand to shake, without revealing her own name.

“The game said at the start not to share our names. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Oh, right, I forgot,” Jian Wu said, patting his head in realization.

He then glanced at Liang Yi’s injured hand and suggested, “The game mentioned you can find treasure chests on the road.”

“If we work together, two people can find more chests.”

“Maybe we’ll find a medkit to help with your wounds.”

His reasoning was sound, and since she had already refused once, Liang Yi worried that continued rejection might provoke him to act out behind her back.

So she agreed.

Jian Wu then proposed that Liang Yi ride his tricycle while he held on and followed.

Liang Yi hesitated briefly, suspecting all of his actions might have been aimed at getting her to pull the scooter.

There was a thoughtful three-meter rope tied to the front of the balance scooter. They secured the vehicle together, and Liang Yi resumed driving.

“Slow down, slow down!” Jian Wu shouted from behind.

“I’m going to fall off.”

Liang Yi repeatedly reduced her speed.

After about a hundred meters, seeing the situation ahead, she slammed on the brakes.

The tricycle stopped abruptly, and Jian Wu, sitting on the balance scooter, was thrown forward by inertia.

Crash!

“Ah!”

Jian Wu clutched his nose, which was bleeding, his forehead reddened from the impact.

“Why did you stop suddenly? My nose…”

“I haven’t eaten in hours, and now I’m bleeding. How am I supposed to recover?”

“You owe me…”

Jian Wu grumbled as he got off the scooter, checked the vehicle, and reassured himself it was unharmed.

After all, the mechanical voice had emphasized that the vehicle was very important.

Taking a few steps forward, Jian Wu wanted Liang Yi to take responsibility.

But upon seeing what lay ahead, he also widened his eyes in surprise.

“This… how are we supposed to get through here?”

In front of them sprawled at least twenty different paths.

From country lanes to asphalt roads and cobblestone streets, every kind of route was there.

The scenery shifted to match the changing routes.

Liang Yi and Jian Wu, both lagging players, noticed that each path had a fair number of players.

Of course, most had chosen the asphalt road, which was easier for vehicles to traverse.