Chapter 91: Machine Soul
Yu Sheng realized at once that his earlier guess had been too optimistic.
Yes, Irene was small and didn’t take up much room. But the instant all of them squeezed into the car, it became obvious that space was still a problem. In truth, it was less about how many people they had and more about the size of the car itself. Just thinking about how Xu Jiali, who was nearly two meters tall, managed to wedge himself behind the steering wheel made it seem all the more astonishing.
How on earth could a man that large choose such a tiny car?
Yu Sheng and Foxy were pressed close together in the cramped back seat. Meanwhile, the front passenger seat was completely taken over by two large cardboard boxes, piled so high that there wasn’t even a corner of seat left open. At last, the engine started up with a shaky rattle. After they finally bumped and rolled their way out of the neighborhood, Yu Sheng couldn’t keep quiet any longer. He leaned forward and asked Xu Jiali, who was driving, “Is this your side job? You know, after work?”
“Yep,” replied Xu Jiali with easy cheer. “When I’m not traveling on assignments, I’ve got loads of free time. I like driving around the city, so I thought, why not make a bit of extra money while I’m at it?”
Yu Sheng’s face twisted oddly. He eyed the little, rumbling car, then looked again at the huge man hunched over the steering wheel. This was a senior agent of the Special Affairs Bureau, and here he was, driving a nearly ancient ride-hailing car after hours. Did the people at the Special Affairs Bureau have it that tough?
The more he thought about it, the more something seemed off. Still, Yu Sheng was too polite to pry directly, so he swallowed down his questions. A prickle of uneasy doubt rose inside him. Luckily, someone else in the car had fewer qualms about asking what was on her mind. Around friends, the little doll never bothered to “act normal.”
Irene’s eyes shone brightly as she wriggled free from Foxy’s embrace. Then, leaning forward between the two front seats, she peered at Xu Jiali with keen interest. Her voice glimmered with its usual lively tone as she said, “Your car’s got a lot of… character, doesn’t it? Don’t they pay you well at the Special Affairs Bureau?”
Xu Jiali let out a light laugh, shaking his head. “Oh, they pay just fine,” he said. “But this car has sentimental value. It’s the first one I bought after I got my job. Even back then, it was secondhand. It’s been with me all these years, and I just can’t bear to replace it.”