Doomsday Wonderland Vol. 11: Modern World [Complete]

1329: One Car, One Person on the Road

Hongyan's Snack Bar was in an old neighborhood; its sign was invisible from the street outside.

Operating a restaurant in such a location meant business was undoubtedly bleak. Apart from the young office workers living in the shared apartments in the neighborhood, the only regular customers were a few buddies who often came by. As long as they didn't go far, they usually came for lunch around noon, resulting in a line of unattended taxis parked at the neighborhood entrance.

Guan Hailian joined this taxi company late. In fact, he didn't know Chen Hongyan's husband, who died in a car accident. Due to past relations, he wouldn't assist the deceased brother's family. He often came here for lunch with the other drivers because he needed to make a few friends to blend in with ordinary people and appear more sociable and normal.

"After waiting for more than ten minutes, the woman refused to get out of the car, insisting she was looking for something and would definitely pay," Chang Fan said, putting down his chopsticks. He looked both annoyed and frustrated, his dark face furrowed with wrinkles. "I even checked her bag. There was nothing but a piece of bloody gum. I recognized my bad luck then and said forget it and let her go."

"What can you do when you encounter such people?" Wang Si, a short man with a crew cut, said, then greeted Chen Hongyan in the kitchen with a nod. "Sister-in-law, are you feeling better now?"

In this day and age, who still had a crew cut? Guan Hailian once made such a joke when he saw many photos and felt this line could be used humorously. He risked commenting on Wang Si's new hairstyle like this.

The effect was quite good. Everyone had laughed; some even said, "Yeah, crew cuts are so outdated," or "Can't tell, Old Guan is quite fashionable." Guan Hailian felt that to blend into this ordinary world and not be noticed as different, they mainly relied on these little details, accumulating the impression that 'Old Guan is just an ordinary guy.'

Speaking of which, Guan Hailian wasn't his real name either. His real name was Guan Dihai Feng, but there were no such names in this world, let alone being allowed to register such strange and culturally inappropriate names when obtaining citizenship. So, he changed it to Guan Hailian.

He could not do anything about his appearance; fortunately, he also had black hair and eyes. Gaining a little weight and making his face a bit rounder would obscure his slightly deeper facial features, making him pass for a local.

"I remember today is Old Guan's birthday," Chen Hongyan said with a smile as she came out holding a tray. "I made a few extra dishes, and this meal is on me."

Guan Hailian was taken aback. His birthday couldn't be converted into the date of this world, so he was not sensitive to the random date on his ID card. He had forgotten about this fake birthday. Suddenly embarrassed, he declined, "No need, no need. It's my birthday, so I'll treat everyone."

Chen Hongyan didn't insist on arguing with him; she set the tray down and went to get some drinks. When she was calm and silent like this, she had made up her mind, and no one could persuade her. Guan Hailian looked at her and remembered that her lemonade supply in the fridge was running low. He would have to bring in a crate before he left.

Although he had mentally noted it down, he still forgot when it was time to leave—probably because he insisted on paying. Guan Hailian put the money down and practically fled the store, leaving Chen Hongyan and her lemonade behind.

After nodding goodbye to the other drivers, he entered his car and drove onto the main road. After twenty years of uncertain life in the doomsday universe, he had finally settled down here, which was luck beyond his wildest dreams. His native world was completely different from this world; even the translator from Twelve Worlds had to slowly master the language. But because of this vast difference, he became more vigilant and cautious, which helped him better integrate into society.