Chen Le stared at his phone screen with a sour face. The delivery app notification was still glowing, showing the last customer's comment.
[ The drink tasted weird, not fresh. The boba was awful… ]
His hands tightened on the scooter's handlebars. "The hell, you think I made the drink? I just deliver it, dumbass." His voice slipped out between gritted teeth, but of course, no one heard except himself and the scooter idling quietly under him.
He looked again at the rating that had dropped by one star. For others it might be nothing, but for a rider, one star could mean less income. "Soaked in the rain, roasted in the sun, and still I get blamed. Damn customers."
Before he could curse more, a new notification popped up. Another order. The drop-off was pretty far, but the pay was slightly higher than usual. Chen Le took a deep breath and tapped Accept.
"Alright then. Work again. Scooter, don't you dare break down on me." He patted the fuel tank like an old friend.
The streets were crowded that night, but the city lights kept everything bright. Chen Le flicked on his signal, swerved into the right lane, and prepared to speed off toward the drop-off.
But before he could even merge at the intersection, a deafening horn blasted behind him.
"BRAAAAK—!"
Something slammed into him hard from the back. His body flew forward, the scooter wobbled, and—worst of all—he landed right in the middle of the crossroads. As he struggled to get up from the asphalt, headlights from the left blinded him.
One second later—
"DUUUGHH!"
The second hit struck. His body flung through the air, the world spun, voices shouting became faint. In his fading thoughts, Chen Le only managed one line before he consciusness fade away.
"Damn… why's my life like this?"
Chen Le jolted awake. When his consciousness returned, he was no longer on the city streets. His eyes opened to a pale ceiling, tall and endless, rows of white lights stretching like a government office—but far too big.
Noise filled the room. People sitting, standing, pacing anxiously, all with confused faces. It looked like a hospital waiting room—except gigantic.
"Queue number sixty-nine. Chen Le, Delivery Rider."
A heavy voice boomed from the loudspeaker.
"Hah?!" Chen Le blurted. His hand was already holding a crumpled slip of paper marked with the number 69.
He looked down—still in his full-face helmet, delivery jacket, even gloves. "What the hell? Am I dead or what?"
Heavy footsteps approached. A staff member in a neat uniform, huge white wings on his back, loomed over him with a clipboard. "Chen Le?"
Chen Le could only nod.
"Please follow me. SR Earth No.01."
"SR… what?" Before he could argue, a hand pressed his shoulder, guiding him down a long corridor.
Golden-handled wooden doors opened by themselves. Inside was not a heavenly throne room, but a regular office: desk, chair, filing shelves. The difference? The clerk behind the desk had a glowing white halo floating above his head.
"Welcome, Mr. Chen Le." The voice was polite, as if this was just routine paperwork. "It's been a while since a lower-middle-class human came here. Usually, you people… just die completely."
Chen Le froze. "Lower-middle-class… what?!"
"Please sit." The clerk smiled faintly. "Your queue slip?"
Awkwardly, Chen Le handed it over. The clerk pinned the number onto a spike stand on the desk. Only two other slips were there—surprisingly empty for such a massive room.
"Alright then." He slid a brown folder across the desk. "Please open it."
Chen Le's hands trembled as he flipped it open. The bold letters made his heart sink:
Multi-vehicle collision victim. Status: Coma.
Chen Le's eyes widened.
The clerk leaned back, opened a drawer, and pulled out two thick papers with official stamps.
"Because you're in a coma, you're not fully dead. That means you get a rare option. Please choose." He placed both papers on the table.
Chen Le gulped. "What is this, applying for an ID card?"
The clerk pointed to the first sheet. "Contract A. You'll live in Paradise Garden, a temporary recreation world, until your physical body wakes up. However, upon awakening… all memories are erased. You'll continue life as if nothing happened."
Chen Le skimmed it. Neat clauses, fine print everywhere: No access to mortal world without permit, all pleasures non-refundable, memories automatically wiped.
"Hmm… like an all-you-can-eat vacation but you end up with amnesia. Great." He snorted.
The clerk pointed to the second sheet. "Contract B. You keep working. As a Delivery Rider for other worlds. Your task: deliver across dimensions, collect Karma Points. These points can be exchanged for good fortune once you wake up in the real world."
Chen Le grabbed it. The clauses were even worse: All struggles erased from memory. No safety guarantee during assignments. Complaints not accepted.
"What the—?! It literally says 'complaints not accepted'?! Are you kidding me?!"
"Standard contract," the clerk replied flatly.
Chen Le stared at the two sheets. Temporary heaven with no memory, or slave-labor couriering packages for goblins just for some luck.
He squeezed his helmet, clicking his tongue. "Damn… if I pick the vacation, when I wake up, modern problems are still waiting. Rent, debts, customer complaints… So what's the point?"
The clerk only waited, pen ready in hand.
Chen Le sighed heavily, then jabbed at Contract B. "Fine. Work. At least I'll have some good fortune carried over. Besides… delivery's been my life from the start."
The clerk nodded, relieved. "Choice confirmed. Welcome back to work, Mr. Chen Le."
In the next instant, the paper glowed, and the world around Chen Le began to spin.
The burning contract light that seared his eyes suddenly went out. A cold wind slapped Chen Le's face. When he opened his eyes, his body was already standing in front of a strange building. A restaurant… if you could even call it that.
The wooden sign above the door was cracked, the lanterns were dim, and the air reeked of blood mixed with some unknown spice. From the windows, eerie shadows moved—silhouettes of things that were definitely not human.
"Holy crap…" Chen Le swallowed hard. "What kind of restaurant is this? Looks like a horror movie set."
The front door creaked open. Out stepped a tall, burly figure with the head of a crocodile, jaws filled with sharp teeth. Its thick arms carried a huge wooden crate as if it weighed nothing.
Chen Le instinctively shuffled half a step back. "The hell—crocodile on two legs?!"
The creature dropped the crate in front of him, narrowed its eyes, then chuckled. "Hahaha! Well, that's rare. This time the Delivery Rider looks kinda cute. Usually, the ones sent here look rough or terrifying. You're more like… a lost little human."
Chen Le froze, still in his helmet, delivery jacket wrinkled. "Cute… me?!"
Suddenly, a cold voice echoed straight into his head as a glowing hologram appeared before his eyes:
[ Order Accepted ]
[ Pickup Complete ]
[ Destination: Darkfang Swamp Outpost ]
[ Customer: Demon King Crocolandoda ]
The wooden crate trembled slightly, and then the cargo trunk of Chen Le's battered scooter popped open on its own—expanding unnaturally, as if it had some hidden extra space. The crate was sucked inside with a perfect click.
Chen Le gawked. "What the hell… my ride's got supernatural features?!"
The crocodile creature grinned, fangs glinting. "Enjoy the trip, Rider. Don't be late. He doesn't like waiting."
Chen Le stared at his scooter, then at the dark road stretching ahead. He swallowed hard. "Uh… is my scooter even strong enough for this?"