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?

call the

points to the side of the building and

takes out his phone and waves

don’t understand

young man presses the edge of his monocle and

couldn’t drive through, and the distance to walk here was a little far, so I rented a

wait a minute

said so and I’m not in a rush.

immediately puts away his phone and

a white car drives over and stops in

can board it now.” The car window

to open the car door, I

on the

walk to the back to look at the car plate when the

“I have two cars.

but I bound my account to the other

my phone is

he calls

that the number displayed isn’t a problem, and considering how I’ve encountered similar situations before, I’m relieved.

daylight in a bustling city.

and verifications undertaken

a monocle looks ahead

“Want a cigarette?”

smoking banned?” I

it.” The thin driver

I instinctively shake

the steering wheel with one hand, not really

that you don’t smoke. I don’t smoke either. Smoking causes one to have

why do you have

uses his empty hand to touch the monocle on his right

friends you need to meet despite you being unwilling to

“That’s true.” I nod.

Wu from the company next door. Although he smokes, his appearance is definitely not ghastly. However, there’s no need to say it out loud.

at the obviously expensive cigarettes, and

with a smile. “Is my performance

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

I can’t

doesn’t bar me from making a living from ridesharing. It allows me to experience a completely different life from my past, and being able

case, but I think you occasionally only take a few ride orders and are

the rearview mirror again, and