Chapter 22: Are You Here to Amuse Me?

Following the coordinates indicated on the in-game minimap, Chen Yun spent more than an hour before finally locating the driving school called “Learn Fast,” situated on the outskirts of the county.

“This world sure has some peculiar names. Eat Me Fast Instant Noodles, Wear Me Fast Clothes, and now there’s a Learn Fast Driving School. What a joke,” he muttered.

No sooner had he stepped into the driving school than a man who looked like an instructor approached him. “Hey there, are you here to learn to drive?”

“Yes, I am,” Chen Yun replied. “Is there any way I can learn quickly? The faster, the better. Money’s not an issue.”

“Learn quickly?” the instructor looked puzzled, then said, “Young man, no matter what you do, you have to be down-to-earth and take it step by step—especially with driving. If you only care about speed and don’t master the basics, you’re asking for trouble.”

“I understand that. But do you have anything like a skill book, something that lets you master driving instantly?” Chen Yun thought, since he could learn singing from a singing skill book, why not driving from a driving skill book?

“A skill book?” The instructor looked even more confused. He’d only ever heard of such things in games, never in real life.

Seeing the instructor’s perplexed expression, Chen Yun slapped his own forehead, suddenly remembering—this was reality, not a game! He quickly said, “I mean, do you have any instructional books on driving? I’ll pay top price.”

“Oh, you mean an introductory manual. Sure, we have those. If you sign up with us, we’ll give you one for free. But the manual mainly covers theory. It won’t help much; you’ll need a lot of practice if you really want to learn to drive.”

“Could you let me look at one first? I’ll decide whether to sign up after I read it, how about that?” Chen Yun was in no mood to suffer through driving lessons, especially in the blistering summer heat. The thought of sweating under the sun every day was unbearable.

“Alright, I’ll go get one for you. Wait here a moment,” the instructor agreed. It had been over a week since he’d had a new student, and he wasn’t about to let a potential customer slip away. If the guy wanted to take a look, so be it.

While the instructor went to fetch the book, Chen Yun found a shady spot and let his gaze wander to the practice area.

There were only a few training cars out there; the heat was simply too much. Not only the students, even the instructors were reluctant to come out. The peak hours for summer driving lessons were in the early morning and evening, when the temperature was at least bearable.

Back in the day, Chen Yun had gone through the same ordeal—up at four in the morning to practice until seven, then again from six to nine in the evening. He wasn’t alone, either; each car had at least eight students waiting their turn, so the actual time behind the wheel was minimal.

Soon, the instructor returned with the introductory manual. “Here you go. Take a look. But most of what’s in there can only be truly learned through practice. Reading won’t get you far.”

Chen Yun glanced at the book, which the system identified as a “Level 4 Driving Skill Book.” The system prompt rang in his mind: “Player Chen Yun has not obtained Level 1, 2, or 3 Driving Skill Books. This skill book cannot be used.”

He frowned and said to the instructor, “Do you have any other introductory driving books? I can’t learn from this one.”

“Can’t learn from it? Why not? This is the standard driving manual used throughout the empire. Don’t tell me you can’t read?” the instructor asked, baffled.

“No, that’s not what I mean. I was wondering if you have something even more basic, like an Introduction to Bicycle Riding?” Chen Yun ventured cautiously.

The instructor’s mouth twitched. Introduction to Bicycle Riding? He’d never heard of such a thing in his life. Was this kid just messing with him?

“Are you really here to learn to drive? If not, you’d better leave. I don’t have time for jokes. Introduction to Bicycle Riding, honestly…” the instructor said impatiently.

“Please don’t be upset, instructor. I’ve actually never ridden a bicycle in my life. I figured if I can’t even ride a bike, how could I possibly drive a car?” Chen Yun racked his brain for an excuse.

“You’ve never ridden a bicycle?” The instructor was genuinely surprised. He’d never met anyone like this—a man who couldn’t ride a bicycle yet dared to learn to drive. Where did this kid get his nerve?

“That’s right. My family was so poor we couldn’t afford a bike. I recently came into some money and wanted to buy a car, but I was afraid something might go wrong if I started learning to drive right away. So I came here to ask,” Chen Yun said, smiling apologetically.

“Oh, I see. Well, you’re not wrong—if you can’t ride a bike, learning to drive a car will be quite difficult. How about I teach you to ride a bicycle first? It’s easy; half an hour and you’ll be riding on your own,” the instructor said, his eyes lighting up as he spotted a bicycle leaning against the wall.

Chen Yun hesitated. By now, he was sure he could learn skills from books, but he wasn’t sure if being taught by someone would work too. “Alright, if it’s not too much trouble. But I’m not sure if I’ll be able to learn; I’m not very bright,” he said.

“Don’t worry. As long as you’re not an idiot, I can teach you,” the instructor replied, wheeling the bicycle over. “I’ll hold the bike; you get on.”

“Alright,” Chen Yun said, walking over to the bicycle. But the moment his hand touched the handlebars, a system prompt appeared: “Player Chen Yun has not obtained Level 1 Driving Skill. Unable to operate Level 1 mount: Bicycle.”

Damn! Chen Yun was stunned—he couldn’t even get on! What now?

“Instructor, I’m a little nervous. Maybe you could explain the theory first, so I know what to expect,” Chen Yun said, withdrawing his hand.

“Theory? You need theory to ride a bike? Just get on, I’ll hold you steady, a couple of laps and you’ll be—” The instructor stopped mid-sentence as Chen Yun pulled out two silver coins.

“Instructor, would you mind explaining the theory first? Please, take this as a token of my appreciation,” Chen Yun said, deciding to let money do the talking.

“Well… you’re right. No matter what you’re learning, theory is important. Alright, let me explain,” the instructor said, pocketing the coins. “Riding a bicycle is great exercise and environmentally friendly… Now, as for the technique: first, place one foot on the pedal, push off… That’s all there is to it. As long as you don’t give up and practice, you’ll definitely learn.”

A new system prompt appeared: “NPC Level 4 Driving Master Malanshan wishes to impart Level 1 Driving Skill to player Chen Yun. Accept?”

Chen Yun was overjoyed—so skills could be learned not only from books, but also by being taught.

“Yes!”

“To learn Level 1 Driving Skill, player must pay NPC Malanshan a learning fee of 100 copper coins…”