"That makes sense."

"Then can I say something?"

"Go ahead. I'm listening."

"I don't want this fare anymore. My beloved car's rear end has been hit more than a dozen times. Just fixing the bumper and repainting it will cost at least tens of thousands of yuan, but after the platform's cut, I'll only make a little more than ten yuan from this job. It's a huge loss."

Big Wave was both annoyed and amused. At a time like this, he wasn't worried about getting shot, but about his car repairs. What a weirdo.

"Don't worry," she said. "After this is over, I'll compensate you a hundredfold for your losses. I can even get you a better BMW, as long as you get me to my destination."

With that promise, this might not be a loss, Xia Liang thought. Besides, the rear bumper is almost scrap metal anyway.

「.....」

The 38th Iron Rooster Film Festival was being held on Victory Avenue.

It was a convergence of the hottest stars, including major international celebrities, and the area was swarming with a massive gathering of fans. The red carpet event was in full swing, a grand spectacle with flashing cameras and helicopters.

Putian was the hottest young idol from Stick Country. Not only was his career thriving, but his family background was formidable. He was the sole son of a director at South Bang Country's Big Star Company and had been invited to the film festival, an event he was quite reluctant to attend. However, a public relations fiasco a few years ago over exploding Great Star smartphones had cost their company the vast and dynamic market of Dragon Country. So, even though he didn't want to be there, he had to force a professional smile and walk the red carpet for the sake of his company's interests.

If I'm going to walk, I've got to be the center of attention!

"Good morning to all our viewers," the anchorwoman reported with a professional smile. "We're here at the grand opening of the 38th Iron Rooster Film Festival. What you're seeing now is South Bang Country's heartthrob, Putian, whose recent film, *The Kind Sister-in-Law*, topped the box office. For the fans who could make it here, this must be a dream come true. Of course, those who can't be here can tune into our channel for a live stream of the entire event."

In the modern era of booming social media, it wasn't just traditional outlets covering the event. Independent content creators were also chasing the hype for clout. Various streaming platforms were broadcasting live, many from the tops of buildings along the route. Their commentary, however, was far less formal than the official TV stations.

"Thanks for the 'rocket,' bros! Two more 'planes' and I'll drop some inside info."

"That other platform is shameless. They want two 'planes' for a little scoop? Give me one, and I'll spill."

"Forget the 'planes'! Here's the scoop for free: I heard Putian from Goryeo Country was recently diagnosed with kidney failure and saw countless famous doctors to no avail..."

Just as the various streamers were dishing out gossip, the urgent wail of sirens cut through the air. This wasn't the sound of just two or three police cars; it was at least twenty or more.

"Damn! What's going on?"

"Did something happen?"

"No way. Dragon Country's security for events like this is practically fail-proof."

"Look! At the intersection on Victory Avenue!"

"Binoculars! Give me the binoculars!"

"My God! Did you see that? It's a BMW! It just blasted through the roadblock like a streak of black lightning!"

"Are those gunshots? Are they filming a martial arts movie?"

"That's called a shootout, you moron! But I didn't hear anything about a surprise feature. Did the organizers add it last minute?"

Amidst the streamers' exclamations, the viewer counts in their live channels exploded. The fans had never seen this kind of excitement. My God, a Didi car was blowing past layers of security and heading straight for the red carpet. Chasing it were three Audis, the two sides exchanging frequent gunfire. Farther behind, more than twenty police cars were in hot pursuit.

It was an incredible sight.

At major events like the film festival, roads were always blocked to prevent overzealous fans from causing trouble.

A minute earlier, Xia Liang hadn't slowed down when he saw the roadblock. In his eyes, there was still a sliver of a gap.

The gutter!

The black BMW grazed the barricade as its right wheels dipped into the gutter, allowing it to slip past the roadblock with the narrowest of margins.

"Nice driving!" Big Wave exclaimed, her tone full of genuine admiration. The young driver looked so unassuming; she hadn't expected him to be so decisive. "Were you a professional driver?"

"You could say I did it part-time," Xia Liang replied, gripping the steering wheel tightly. I really did know a lot of things in my past life.

Seeing their roadblock had been completely bypassed, the traffic police scrambled into their cars to give chase, urgently calling for backup. A high-speed chase and a gunfight in broad daylight on the main avenue? What are they, if not terrorists? The road ahead was packed with innocent civilians, including many high-profile celebrities. If anything went wrong, the entire New City Traffic Corps would be in deep trouble.

"To the four vehicles ahead, you have entered a restricted area! Stop immediately for inspection! Stop immediately for inspection!"

"To the vehicles ahead..."

The sudden incident was being broadcast live to a captivated audience. The fans in the live stream chats were going wild. A scandal this juicy was a once-in-a-century event.

"That Didi is so fast! That BMW is insane!"

"I bow to this god-tier driver!"

"What a move! He's driving that old BMW like it's a Bugatti!"

"What the hell is going on? Even if this is a surprise stunt, isn't it a bit over the top?"

"Holy shit! The BMW is driving onto the red carpet!"

The spectators on-site couldn't believe their luck. They scrambled to pull out their phones, snapping photos and videos to post on social media. All eyes were on the BMW as it sped on, sparks flying from its undercarriage. No one was paying any attention to Putian, who was supposed to be the main attraction.

His face was thunderous, as if he had swallowed a pound of flies.

"What the hell are the organizers doing!" he roared. "Are they trying to disrespect me? Even if this is a publicity stunt, couldn't they have waited until after I was off the red carpet?"

Unfortunately for him, his angry shouts were completely drowned out by the screaming sirens. Besides, at a time like this, who cared about his red carpet walk?

The event organizers were equally baffled. They had no idea what was happening. At first, they suspected a rival event, the Chrysanthemum Film Awards, was trying to sabotage them. It was only after calling the police that they learned this was a fucking real gunfight.

The reporters got the news, too. To them, breaking news was the top priority. With all their equipment on hand, it would be a professional failure not to capture real-time footage before the area was completely cordoned off. Instantly, reporters yelled for their drivers to follow the chase. Those with helicopters instructed their pilots to stick to the cars from above at all costs.

In that moment, Xia Liang became the target of a city-wide pursuit.

"I told you this film festival would be trouble. Too many people, too many eyes."

"This is the fastest way to Qingyun City Hospital, and nothing is going to stop me. One more thing... could you please remove your hand?"

"Sorry," Big Wave said coolly. "My hand slipped when I was shifting gears."

Xia Liang glanced in the rearview mirror. "What do they want from you, anyway? Logically, with this much of a commotion, even professional assassins would have given up the chase by now. But it looks like those guys back there won't stop until they catch you."

"I'd advise you not to ask. You won't gain anything, and it will only put you in more danger."

Big Wave checked the single magazine she had left, considering her next move.

Meanwhile, Xia Liang kept his hands firmly on the wheel. The casual conversation didn't affect his superb driving. Victory Avenue was wide, but with the red carpet setup and the huge crowds lining both sides, the slightest mistake would send them plowing into the masses. Fortunately, the cars behind them had stopped shooting, probably because they were out of bullets.

"Speed up! They're going to ram us!" she suddenly shouted.

What?

In the rearview mirror, the several Audis were starting a do-or-die maneuver, preparing to accelerate and force the BMW to a stop.

"I just filled up the tank yesterday," Xia Liang sighed, but he had no choice but to floor it.

The speedometer needle climbed past 200 km/h once again.

「.....」

The Qingyun City Traffic Corps was now in a state of total mobilization. The Special Response Team had also been fully deployed. Everyone was armed and ready, determined to contain the situation before any lives were lost.

From the helicopter view above, countless vehicles could be seen converging on the black BMW. There were motorcycle police, Special Response Team units, news vans, and even bold spectators who weren't afraid of trouble.

"No way," Xia Liang said, noticing a trail of fresh red blood flowing from Big Wave's tight leather pants down to her delicate foot. "Don't tell me you're on your period or something?"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.