Chapter 79: Delighted with a New Car

“How can there be such coincidences in the world? How is it that there are gourds on both the left and the right?”
“Not only are there two gourds on the same shelf, but both are placed right at the edge.”
“Isn’t this making things difficult for me, Chang Yu? Which one should I take? What if I choose the wrong one…?”
With confusion weighing heavily on his mind, he walked over to the large gourd on the far right of the third row, hesitantly grasped it in his hand, and gave it a good shake.
A dull thudding sounded from inside, just like before.
Clearly, this gourd was also filled with medicine.
Now Chang Yu was truly at a loss.
He held a gourd in each hand, lifting them up before his eyes. He examined them closely, comparing them back and forth, hoping to distinguish with his own eyes which one contained the medicine he sought.
But the result was disappointing…
The two gourds weren’t just identical in shape; even the colors were nearly indistinguishable.
Judging by intuition alone, Chang Yu could not tell which was real and which was not.
He let out a heavy sigh, lamenting the unpredictability of life and the whims of fate.
“If only Master were still here, he’d surely know which gourd had the medicine I need.”
Gazing gloomily at the two gourds in his hands, he felt that Fatty Wang’s fate, which had just started to turn for the better, now seemed to be veering into rocky territory again.
Just then, a familiar ripple swept over him—a powerful force enveloped Chang Yu, pulling him away.
His time here was up; in the next moment, he would be dragged back to the real world.
“I’m about to leave—I have to choose now.” He stared at the two large gourds in his hands, torn by indecision, his chronic inability to choose flaring up.
“Forget it, enough thinking.”
“Children make choices—adults take it all!”
“At worst, I’ll just let Wang try both. One of them is bound to be right…”
At this thought, a relieved smile appeared on Chang Yu’s face.
After all, it was Old Wang who’d be testing the medicine. What did it have to do with Chang Yu?
When he opened his eyes again, it was already the next morning.
The first thing he did upon waking was not to brush his teeth or wash his face, but to lift the covers and look underneath.
Sure enough, there were two shiny large gourds under his blanket. For a moment, joy filled him.
“It seems my guess was correct.” Chang Yu was delighted, as if he had swallowed honey.
As long as he carried what he wanted when leaving the dream, he could bring it back to reality.
“This ability is amazing,” he muttered. “If I ever need money, I’ll just bring back a couple of gold bars from my dreams. Wouldn’t that be fantastic?”
“Two gold bars a night, four in two days, twenty in ten, so in a hundred days, two hundred days… in a year? That’s seven hundred thirty gold bars!”
“Just thinking about it, I can almost see wads of cash waving at me. I’ll be the richest man in H City!”
“Fatty Wang, the king of landlords? Zhao Dasheng, the national entrepreneur? They’ll all have to step aside. I’ll be the new tycoon of H City!”
Imagining himself one day filling his entire house with gold bars, Chang Yu could almost see his dream home with river views and a private helipad beckoning to him.
If I’m the wealthiest, is it too much to ask for a riverside mansion?
After soaring through the world of fantasy for a while, Chang Yu picked up the two large gourds from under his covers, cradling them with intense focus.
He pulled the stopper from one of the gourds, and a strong medicinal fragrance wafted out, filling the room.
Tipping the mouth of the gourd into his palm, a round, glossy pill slid smoothly into his hand.
It was a plump pill, deep red with a hint of black, about the size of a regular tablet.
“This is good stuff.” Just inhaling its scent invigorated Chang Yu and cleared his mind.

This must be the elixir refined by Master Hao’er in his medicinal cauldron.
He tipped the pill back into the gourd, then picked up the second one and pulled out its stopper.
A root-like object tumbled out, resembling a slender sweet potato.
“What’s this?” Chang Yu rolled the piece in his hands, unable to guess its origin.
It was dry, rough, and far from smooth—its texture was like old tree bark, coarse to the touch.
Honestly, even the sweet potatoes sold on the street looked better than this.
“Since it’s in the dispensary, it must be some kind of rare medicinal herb,” Chang Yu concluded.
With a look of distaste, he stuffed the root back into the gourd. Perhaps it was just his imagination, but as he did, he thought he saw a faint yellow light flash across the root.
He came to himself, widened his eyes, and peered into the mouth of the gourd, searching for that glow, but inside was only pitch-black darkness.
“Maybe I was mistaken. When have tree roots ever glowed?” he thought.
He set the two gourds on his bedside table and put the matter out of his mind.
After all, expecting a tree root to glow was even less likely than a sow climbing a tree.
After a simple wash, Chang Yu strolled downstairs to a nearby breakfast stall.
The familiar stall, the familiar soy milk and fried dough sticks, the familiar old man running the place.
“I recognize you! You’re the distinguished gentleman from last time.”
The old man greeted Chang Yu with lively enthusiasm, making him a little embarrassed.
“Oh, you remember me?” Chang Yu was actually quite pleased.
It was like a celebrity being recognized by a fan on the street—warmth and a sense of presence flooded his heart!
“Of course, of course. Last time you ordered three tea eggs!” the old man said with a hearty laugh. “What, no tea eggs today?”
“No, not today.” Chang Yu waved his hands. “You know, life is about thrift.”
“If I had tea eggs every day, that would be too extravagant. No amount of money could keep up with that.”
“You’re quite the joker,” the old man replied, unconvinced. “Who ever went broke from eating tea eggs?”
“You’re a regular now, so how about this—I’ll treat you to a tea egg today, free of charge!”
With that, he scooped a piping hot tea egg from the rice cooker, set it on a plate, and placed it on Chang Yu’s table.
“Oh, I can’t possibly accept!”
Chang Yu uttered polite refusals, but his hand was much more honest—he grabbed the tea egg and happily dug in.
He was eating with relish when a black sedan suddenly pulled up by the street. A stocky, well-built man stepped out.
“Good morning, Chief!” The man walked over to Chang Yu and, without another word, snapped off a crisp, standard military salute.
The old man behind the breakfast stall was stunned, thinking he must have misheard.
“Did I hear that right? That fellow just called the young man… chief, was it?”
The man’s salute was so precise—he was obviously a soldier.
And for a soldier to address someone as chief… that’s someone high up indeed!
“Could it be that this young fellow wasn’t joking—he really is someone important?” Watching the soldier’s raised salute, the old man’s mind was racing.
If that was the case, he’d better treat these two with utmost respect, the old man thought.
“Oh, Xiao Li, is it? Come, sit and have some breakfast,” Chang Yu said without even looking up.
Perhaps Xiao Li really hadn’t eaten yet, or perhaps after spending some time together he realized Chang Yu wasn’t hard to get along with, but Xiao Li did sit down across from him and called for the old man to bring him a hot breakfast.
As he ate, he handed Chang Yu a small parcel wrapped in a plastic bag.
“This is the driver’s license you earned yesterday, Chief. I just picked it up from the bureau for you.”
Opening the bag, Chang Yu was indeed surprised.

Inside was a little booklet in dark blue and black, with the words “Motor Vehicle Driver’s License” printed on it.
Opening the cover, all his personal information and a passport photo were recorded inside.
“That was quick,” Chang Yu remarked. “I remember the driving school said it usually takes a week or two to get your license.”
“To get it in just one day—this speed, this efficiency… I never even dreamed of it before.”
“As an investigator with the bureau, you’re entitled to certain privileges,” Xiao Li replied calmly.
“Our Disaster Investigation Bureau has broad authority—anything to do with documents goes through the green channel.”
“What others have to wait ages to get approved, we can get done quickly.”
As he spoke, a proud smile crept onto Xiao Li’s lips.
Working at the Disaster Investigation Bureau made him feel proud.
“The bureau really does treat me well,” Chang Yu said sincerely.
To help him get his license, they’d arranged a dedicated course, a personal instructor, and even a special car for practice and a fast track through the process. If that’s not preferential treatment, what is?
“Oh, and now that you have your license, the bureau has assigned you a car,” Xiao Li said, sipping his soy milk.
“In fact, I’m here today not just to deliver your license, but also to bring you your new car.”
He gestured toward the curb. “It’s the black sedan I drove over—parked right by the road. You must have seen it.”
“Just like the one Director Katerina used before, your car’s armored and has a modified engine.”
“It’s not just faster than other cars—it can even withstand direct fire from an AK-47.”
With that, Xiao Li pulled a set of car keys from his pocket and handed them to Chang Yu. “From now on, it’s yours.”
“I’m one of the car-owning crowd now?” As he accepted the keys, Chang Yu felt a wave of uncertainty.
No matter how good something is, if it comes too easily, it can feel unreal.
He felt as if he were still in a dream, not in the real world.
There was a time when Chang Yu envied those who sped through the streets in their own cars.
He’d secretly dreamed of owning one himself.
With a car, commuting would be easy.
Not to mention running errands, shopping, or even road trips.
But he never had the money—he could only, like so many struggling young people, squeeze onto crowded buses.
Now, the car he’d always wanted was parked right outside. Any time he wished, he could pick up the keys and go for a drive.
“Chief, want to take your new car for a spin?” Xiao Li suggested, bubbling with excitement.
He seemed even more thrilled than Chang Yu, as if he’d been the one given the car.
“Sure!” Chang Yu saw no reason to refuse. He’d be driving sooner or later anyway.
If Xiao Li wasn’t afraid to ride with him, what did he, a freshly licensed driver, have to fear?
“By the way, I’ve never asked—what model is it?” Chang Yu tilted his head and asked.
“Volkswagen Magotan,” Xiao Li answered without hesitation. “But it’s been modified—its performance is much better than the original.”
“A Magotan, huh.” Chang Yu enthusiastically looked up the price on his phone.
The cheapest was over two hundred thousand yuan—not exactly cheap.
A month ago, even if he’d saved for ten years without spending a cent, he couldn’t have afforded it.
And that was just the list price, not counting the bureau’s modifications.
With those, the total cost must be several times higher.