Lord of the Mysteries

After finding the project team and gaining an understanding of the situation, I spend quite a bit of time organizing the information. I also leave the company at three in the afternoon, preparing myself to head towards the city’s police station to visit the staff in charge.

After leaving my company’s building, I take out my phone, open my ride-sharing app, and submit my destination.

Since it’s not the evening rush hour, I get a driver in just a few seconds.

He’s in the vicinity, one minute… I glance at the notification and am very pleased that I don’t need to wait too long.

One minute passes quickly, but as I look left and right, I don’t see the license plate that I remember.

Suspecting that I’ve misremembered, I hurriedly unlock my phone to confirm the situation.

At this moment, I heard the chiming of a bicycle bell.

Uh… I subconsciously look up and see a green-orange bicycle.

Sitting on the bicycle is a young man wearing a dark baseball cap and a thin black coat.

Ring! Ring! Ring!

The bicycle stops in front of me as the man extends his right foot to support the bicycle against the ground.

His forehead is wide and his face is thin. His short black hair is slightly curled, and his eyes are darker than an ordinary person’s—close to pure black.

His biggest characteristic was that, like a cosplayer, he wore a crystal monocle on his right eye.

Holding the bicycle’s handle with one hand, the man adjusts his monocle with the other. He smiles at me and says, “You were the one who requested a ride?”

…

I did, but I requested a car, not a bicycle…

I open my mouth, unsure if I should answer.

At that moment, I even underwent existential questions: Who I am. Where am I? Where am I going?

“You’re going to the police station, right?” The young man with the monocle didn’t care that I didn’t respond as he asked with a smile.

…No way? Is there really an option for getting a bicycle? And I selected it somehow? I slowly nod.

At this moment, there are only two clear thoughts in my mind:

Should I take a photo or video to post on my Moments?

the customer service

monocle points to the side of the building and says, “Wait another minute, my car

he takes out

don’t understand what’s

edge of his monocle and

something in the nearby alley just now. I couldn’t drive through, and the distance to walk here was a

sorry, please wait a

said so and I’m

and

drives over and stops

car window rolls down, revealing the face

as I’m about to open the car door, I suddenly

on the

the car plate

“I have two cars.

car today, but I bound my account

my phone

that, he

how I’ve encountered similar situations before, I’m relieved. I open the car

in a bustling city.

verifications undertaken by

I get into the car, the driver with a monocle looks ahead as he picks up a cigarette box and hands it

“Want a cigarette?”

smoking banned?”

mind it.” The thin driver smiles through

I instinctively

with one hand, not

you don’t smoke. I don’t smoke

you have cigarettes…” I follow

the driver uses his empty hand to touch the monocle on his right

be some friends you need to meet despite you being unwilling to

“That’s true.” I nod.

next door. Although he smokes, his appearance is definitely not ghastly. However, there’s no need to say it out loud. I’m not someone who gets into debates with others in a

a rideshare driver.” I glance at the obviously expensive cigarettes, and glance around the

with a smile.

look like you make a living from ridesharing. You look like you come from

way, I can’t

from my past, and being able to see all kinds of unique people is

nod and casually say, “That may be the case, but I think

to investigate.” The driver looks at the rearview mirror