"Hold on tight, we're taking off."
Piper tapped a button with her hand—her foot still casually resting on the steering wheel. The truck lurched forward with a roar.
The surge of acceleration pushed hard against them.
Piper was long used to the feeling. She sat steady and unfazed, even letting out a yawn. "If you're feeling dizzy, try looking out the window. The scenery helps."
She glanced over at Sam Li, surprised to see him completely unaffected by the force, calm and composed as if nothing happened.
"Thanks for the tip," Sam Li said lightly.
Piper grinned. "Hang on. I'm about to go even faster."
She hit another button.
Immediately, the truck roared louder as its horsepower surged. Outside, the landscape blurred into streaks.
On the empty road, Piper raced forward at full throttle.
"Too bad Boss and Lucy aren't here. If they were leading on bikes, the sight alone would've blown your mind."
Bored while driving, Piper brought up a new topic. "Mr. Sam Li, have you ever been to Sixth Street?"
Sam Li nodded. "Frequently."
"Then you must know the Awoo Newsstand, right? I randomly bought a scratch card there and hit 6,666 Dennies."
She paused, feigning nonchalance. "What should I even spend it on... Mr. Sam Li, have you tried scratch cards?"
Sam Li nodded again. "Just got one two days ago. Won 18,888 Dennies."
"What? There's a prize that big?" Piper was stunned.
"They've always had them," Sam Li replied.
Piper sighed. "Whatever, I'm not that into scratch cards anyway."
Sam Li: "..."
Another tsundere girl, huh.
The truck sped through a wide, empty stretch of road. Up ahead, a few figures loomed, some holding weapons.
Sam Li noticed Piper wasn't slowing down. "There's a roadblock ahead."
"Relax. Just some bandits. I'll smash right through. Watch me: I come, I see, I ram."
Instead of braking, Piper pressed another button.
The truck exploded forward like it had rocket boosters, charging straight into the blockade.
Boom!
The barricade shattered. A few bandits were launched into the air.
The truck barreled through the wreckage, even lifting off the ground for over twenty meters before slamming back down onto the road.
Piper didn't spare a glance at the chaos behind. She just kept going.
Through it all, her lazy, sleepy face didn't change. "I come, I see, I ram."
Sam Li was silent. "…"
She really rammed them.
Piper chuckled. "Don't be too shocked. This is the outer ring. You'll get used to it after a few runs."
Then she pointed ahead. "See that? That's the Old Capital Metro. Used to be a transport hub between Old Eridu and New Eridu. But ever since the Hollow took over, the New Eridu authorities just abandoned the whole area."
Her feet were still on the steering wheel, hands behind her head as she leaned back and yawned—like she could doze off at any second.
Good thing Sam Li wasn't the panicking type. A regular city dweller would've been screaming by now.
Just then, Piper spotted something ahead. She quickly dropped her feet, grabbed the wheel, and frowned.
"Uh-oh. Trouble ahead."
Sam Li turned to look.
An abandoned bus stretched across the road. A dog's head emblem was painted on its side.
Sam Li said dryly, "You come, you see, you ram."
Piper scratched her head. "Shame Boss and Lucy aren't here. If they were, I'd smash right through."
As they neared the bus, Piper had to brake, stopping just short of it. After a moment of thought, she put on a fierce scowl.
"Black Dog, what's the big idea? Since when did the Black Dog Gang get bold enough to stop the Sons of Calydon?"
Piper shed her lazy look and stared sharply at the black-clad bandits ahead.
One of them snapped back, instantly agitated. "I'm the Dog King, leader of the Dog King Gang! I'll stop whoever I damn well please. You think I'd back down just 'cause you're some brat? Even if your boss were here, you'd still be paying the toll! Hand over the Dennies, or we take your truck!"
He pulled a gun from his coat.
Behind him, more than ten thugs emerged, wielding machetes and rusty hammers, their posture hostile.
Piper yawned. "Should've brought Lucy."
Sam Li asked calmly, "Need a hand?"
Piper rubbed her eyes, trying to wake up. "Would appreciate it. Leave the small fry to me. You handle that mutt."
The Dog King, noticing them whispering, fired a shot into the air. "Have you decided? I'm not wasting time. Pay 10,000 Dennies or we take the truck!"
Piper shook her head. "No need to rush. Give me a sec—I'll grab the Dennies."
She gave Sam Li a subtle signal, then climbed back into the cab.
When she re-emerged, she wasn't holding money.
She was carrying a giant axe—almost as tall as she was.
The Dog King exploded. "Where's the Dennies, girl? You're alone! Be smart and fork over the 10,000. If this turns into a fight, don't blame me when the bullets start flying!"
Clearly, the Dog King still feared the name of the Sons of Calydon. If he could get money, he'd rather not fight.
But Piper didn't care in the slightest. "Sorry, couldn't find any Dennies. Just this axe. If you're gonna block me, then I'll chop my way through."
I come.
I chop.
I chop them flying.
Piper took a deep breath and readied her stance.
The Dog King was furious.
He was the leader of a whole gang, and she didn't even take him seriously on his own turf.
"She's alone—tie her up, take the truck, and demand ransom from the Sons of Calydon! We're not letting her go for less than 100,000 Dennies!"