After lunch, Wu Yun played games with Gao Qiang and a few others at an internet cafe until nine o'clock. With something weighing on his mind, he turned down their invitation to pull an all-nighter and took a taxi straight home.
After a quick shower, Wu Yun kept his eyes glued to the time on his phone.
Although he believed in the system's power, Wu Yun felt he wouldn't be able to relax until he saw the lottery results with his own eyes.
Thursday, July 3, 2014, 9:30 PM.
The official lottery website updated right on time with the winning numbers for the current drawing, as well as the number of winning tickets.
Holding the lottery ticket, Wu Yun checked the numbers one by one.
"02, 05, 13, 19, 23, 29----10"
"MWAH~ MWAH~" Wu Yun held the ticket with both hands and gave it a couple of kisses, saying, "System, you really didn't lie to me!"
A 100x second-prize win. The total prize money was 62.5 million, and after the twenty percent personal income tax deduction, it came out to exactly 50 million.
Wu Yun very carefully put the ticket away in his chest pack, then glanced at it a couple more times, still feeling uneasy.
His mind buzzing with excitement, Wu Yun tossed and turned all night before he finally, groggily, drifted off to sleep.
***
"RING RING RING~~~~~~~~~~ RING RING RING~~~~~~~~~~ RING RING RING~~~~~~~~~~~" The iconic, undulating ringtone of an Apple phone jolted Wu Yun from his dream.
While sleeping, Wu Yun had a dream where his lottery ticket, just like in that scene from *Lost on Journey*, was blown away by a gust of wind, and he was anxiously chasing after it.
Thankfully, it was just a dream. Wu Yun wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, then opened his chest pack to check on the ticket again.
After breakfast, Wu Yun slung on his chest pack, carried the Chunghwas in a black plastic bag, and headed for the Chengnan Driving School office.
On the streets at eight in the morning, only the breakfast shops and some food stores were open. Most other storefronts, including the Chengnan Driving School, still had their roller shutters down.
From a distance, Wu Yun saw a Volkswagen Jetta trainer car parked in front of the office. The car door was open, and a middle-aged man in his forties was standing beside it, wolfing down a steamed bun.
Wu Yun walked closer. Seeing no one else in the car, he greeted the instructor, "Good morning, Coach! I'm Wu Yun."
With that, Wu Yun handed the black bag to Coach Wang. "Coach, I'll be in your care from now on!"
Coach Wang accepted it knowingly. When he caught a glimpse of Huaxia Red inside the bag, a smile touched his face. He spoke in a low voice, but his tone was booming: "Wu Yun, from now on, just come to me if there's anything you don't understand."
"Coach, that's not what I meant. I actually already know how to drive, I just don't have a license. So I was hoping you could help me schedule the tests as soon as possible. I want to get my license quickly," Wu Yun explained.
Coach Wang's brow furrowed, but then his expression softened. "Practice for a day first. Let me see your skills. If there are no problems, I'll schedule you for Subject One and Subject Two in seven days. But if your skills aren't up to par, don't even think about it. I'm responsible for your life."
"Okay, thank you, Coach."
"Wu Yun, how do you know how to drive?"
***
Just as the two were chatting, a black Mercedes-Benz S600L pulled up next to the trainer car. A door opened, revealing first a stylish sandal and a delicate, pale foot with painted toenails, and then a tall figure stepping out onto the ground.
"THUD!" With the soft sound of a closing door, Qi Fei was revealed, dressed in a T-shirt and shorts.
Even in such simple attire, nothing could diminish the captivating charm she exuded.
"Hello, Coach. I'm Qi Fei," came Qi Fei's gentle voice.
Coach Wang nodded at the very pretty young woman. His loud voice boomed, "Everyone's here, let's get in the car and go!" With that, he sat down in the passenger seat.
"Wu Yun, you drive. Let me see if your skills are as good as you say."
"Morning, Senior!" Wu Yun said, settling into the driver's seat and turning to greet Qi Fei in the back.
Then, Wu Yun skillfully adjusted the seat, side mirrors, and rearview mirror before buckling his seatbelt.
Watching this series of actions, Coach Wang couldn't help but nod in approval.
Wu Yun glanced at the left-side mirror, flipped on the left turn signal, and then pressed the clutch and shifted gears in one smooth motion.
The trainer car pulled away smoothly, merged into the lane, then picked up speed and disappeared around the corner.
"Coach, where are we heading?" Wu Yun asked as he drove.
"Head toward West Tuojiang Road. I'll give you directions when we get closer." Coach Wang was very pleased with Wu Yun's performance, even taking his right foot off the auxiliary brake.
As long as Wu Yun memorized the key points of the test, he'd have no problem passing Subject Three on the first try.
Sitting in the back, Qi Fei was rather impressed with this underclassman. While his driving skills couldn't compare to her family's chauffeur, it was clear he was an experienced driver.
When she first heard the coach tell Wu Yun to drive, even though he'd said he knew how, Qi Fei had still involuntarily curled her toes, her right hand gripping the door's armrest tightly.
The trainer car passed quickly through the traffic lights and, following Coach Wang's directions, soon entered the training grounds.
At this time, there were already two or three other trainer cars practicing on the course.
"Old Wang! Aren't you with new students? Why is an old student driving?" a tall, thin coach wearing a straw hat and sunglasses asked as he walked over.
"He *is* a new student. Just happened to know how to drive already. Let's talk later, I want to see how he does on the training course first!" Coach Wang replied, putting on his own sunglasses. "Wu Yun, do a lap first. Let me see if your current skill level is good enough to pass."
Wu Yun nodded and, following the course markings, drove onto the training circuit.
First up was the fixed-point stop on an incline. Wu Yun's performance was decent enough, with no major mistakes.
Next, during the incline start, he nearly made a mistake. As Wu Yun was letting out the clutch, the car almost stalled. He quickly hit the gas, and the trainer car shot forward.
He passed the S-curve on his first try, but on the single-plank bridge, he wasn't familiar with the car and the right wheel slipped off.
Finally, for the parallel parking and reverse parking into a bay, Wu Yun smoothly parked by feel.
After driving the car back to the starting point, Coach Wang commented, "Not bad. With this skill level, you just need to practice the details for a day, then get some more practice right before the test, and you'll pass with no problem."
Just then, the tall, thin coach walked over again and shouted, "Old Wang, you son of a gun, are you pulling my leg? How the hell is this a new student?"
Coach Wang rolled down the window and chuckled. "Just got lucky and found one who can already drive. I won't brag anymore; I'm taking him for another lap."
Next, Coach Wang took Wu Yun through another lap of the course, pointing out and explaining several specific reference points. This time, he passed everything smoothly.
"Drive over to the reverse parking bays, then get out and switch drivers." Following Coach Wang's command, Wu Yun drove to the designated spot, where he was promptly shooed out of the driver's seat.
***
Wu Yun sat in the back seat enjoying the air conditioning, watching a flustered Qi Fei fumble with the steering wheel and listening to Coach Wang's roars.
"Left, left, turn it all the way!"
…
"Hit the brake! Hit the brake!" "Which one is the brake?!"
…
"Why isn't it moving?! I'm stepping on the gas!" Listening to the engine revving at high speed, Coach Wang slapped his forehead in exasperation. "My dear lady! You have to put it in gear! Oh, for heaven's sake!"
Wu Yun couldn't hold back his smile. He took out his phone and started recording some of the highlights.
***