Gu Mian folded his hands. "First, I'm not so 'ideal savior'..."
He paused a mont before adding, "If you insist on giving a title, you could drop the adjective."
The driver chuckled quietly and said nothing.
The taxi sped up a little, reaching an intersection where it stopped, waiting for the light to turn green.
The light for going straight was green, but the driver didn't proceed. Instead, he pulled into the left-turn lane and stopped.
"Secondly," Gu Mian continued, "I don't really pick and choose my patients. I believe everyone deserves a chance to be saved..."
"Huh?" Hearing this, the driver twitched slightly.
"I'm not squeamish. If I've already chosen a path, I'll go down it without reluctance. Even if they're considered wicked and villainous, I'd still accept them. Because I'm a doctor."
The car slowly started moving again, heading forward.
The driver was still smiling. "It sounds like we have a lot in common." This text is hosted at Novᴇl_Fire(.)net
Gu Mian continued, "In fact, not long ago, I actually saved a few people who could be considered 'evil.'"
"Like twenty-eight mischievous students. Just hearing the word 'students,' you might not think they could be bad people, but they were quite evil—smothering their younger brother, pushing their grandfather down the stairs, and even collectively murdering a female classmate..."
The driver's eyebrows rose, but he didn't interrupt.
"But I didn't hold it against them. Eventually, I was the one who saved those children. I provided them with both physical and psychological treatnt."
"Then there was a woman who constantly blad others, felt the world owed her, and refused to admit her own mistakes. She even killed several innocent people and set her own factory on fire, causing considerable damage."
"I didn't believe she was beyond saving. I found this patient and, in the end, I saved her."
The driver, who had been listening with interest, now furrowed his brow slightly.
"Actually, I've saved quite a few patients, most of whom people would call 'villains.'"
"A doctor, in my own profession, colluded with rich people—let's just call them rich people for now."
"He colluded with these rich people to hide the miners' true dical reports. This led to countless deaths because their treatnt was delayed, while he himself made a fortune."
"Think about how many lives were on his hands. Yet, I didn't give up on him. Instead, I helped him achieve his lifelong dream."
"There are many other patients like that, but this is what I do as a doctor. There's no need to list them all just to brag," Gu Mian said, his tone righteous.
The driver's brow was deeply furrowed by now. His usual warm smile had been replaced by a frown, an expression Gu Mian rarely saw on him.
After driving a little farther, he finally spoke. "As a doctor, you seem to have experienced quite a lot."
"To be honest," Gu Mian laughed, "I'm actually surprised the brakes on this car haven't failed."
The driver's brow relaxed. He didn't quite understand why Gu Mian would say such a thing, but he didn't dwell on it.
They were a little over ten minutes from the Rong'an Residential Area, and the car was still going straight.
Gu Mian continued, "I've indeed experienced a lot in these twenty years. Sotis, people consider a pervert. I don't know why, but when I interact with those patients, other people always give strange looks."
The driver laughed again. "A pervert? The patients you deal with are indeed quite perverse. But if you were to encounter an even more terrifying pervert right now, would you be scared?"
Another intersection was not far ahead.
The taxi drove on for another ten seconds or so, then stopped in the left-turn lane.
Gu Mian made a dismissive sound. "Why would I be? I'm used to it. Besides, no matter how perverse soone is, they never end up actually harming . So, I'm not afraid."
The driver looked intrigued. "Really? You're sure you wouldn't be scared, no matter what?"
"Absolutely sure," Gu Mian replied, chuckling.
The driver arched an eyebrow, a sowhat excited expression on his face, as if he had thought of sothing delightful.
Two seconds later, the driver turned the steering wheel and veered left.
Gu Mian glanced at the map. The car was off course.
"I've really enjoyed talking with you. It's just a bit of a sha..." the driver said as he turned the wheel.
"A sha about what?" Gu Mian asked.
The driver shook his head. "Nothing. It's just been a long ti since I t soone as interesting as you. The last ti was years ago; that feels like a very long ti ago now."
The taxi drove on, heading into the darkness ahead. Gu Mian noticed they were getting farther and farther from the Rong'an Residential Area.
After they had been driving on this road for about five minutes, the driver spoke again, sounding as if he had finally finished composing his story. "You know, I've picked up many interesting people in the past. Later, I scattered them throughout this city."
He used the word 'scattered'—a dangerous and malicious-sounding term. It was terrifying just to hear it.
Without giving Gu Mian a chance to interject, he continued, "The first interesting person I encountered was a female university student."
"She had a boyfriend. Of course, she didn't tell this directly. I overheard it when she got into the car; she was on the phone, apparently arguing with him."
"They were arguing heatedly. Her boyfriend's voice was so loud that even though the girl was in the back seat, I could still hear her boyfriend's voice coming from the phone's receiver."
"It was the usual stuff—'cheating,' 'the other woman,' things like that. Out of concern, I asked her about it."
"Then I learned her boyfriend was a 'serial cheater' who was often involved with other won. And each ti, this university student would use every trick she knew to win her boyfriend back."
"She believed her boyfriend loved her, and only her. She thought his dallying with other won was rely to get her attention."
"Out of goodwill, I advised her it would be best to stay away from that kind of man."
"But for so reason, so girls just like that scumbag type of guy. She didn't take my advice and instead told I shouldn't ddle in other people's business."
"She insisted her boyfriend loved her; it was just that other people couldn't see it."
"Hahaha, isn't that laughable? I don't like such self-righteous people. Actually, I'm a bit twisted myself; I derive the most pleasure from exposing people's old wounds..."
"Oh, right."
At this, the driver glanced via the rearview mirror at the small flyer in Gu Mian's hand.
The 'Missing Persons' section was very prominent; even in the mirror, it was perfectly clear.
A sowhat malevolent chuckle sounded. "Her na is Lin Rongrong."
Gu Mian looked up.
The driver's face was reflected in the rearview mirror directly in front of Gu Mian. Gu Mian saw that he was now staring intently at him with an exaggerated smile. The muscles on his face were contorted by the unnatural grin, and his eyes had narrowed into slits, almost disappearing with mirth.
He looked like a viper gazing at a frog.
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