Apocalyptic Wasteland Simulator

Chapter 171 - 166: Racing! On the Road
Chen Pingchuan gave up the driver’s seat, reclined the rear seat, and took a leisurely nap. Whether Liu Haofeng was tired was not his concern. Whether Liu Haofeng would make a move on him while he slept was even less of a concern. The Parasite Seed’s influence on a Blood Puppet’s soul was slow, but if the puppet ever attempted to harm its host, its own body’s instincts would naturally intervene.”Ugh... ah...”

Chen Pingchuan slowly woke up and gave a deep, satisfying stretch. After four hours of refreshing sleep, he felt invigorated and revitalized, as if the gloom that had long haunted him was swept away in an instant.

Ever since leaving the Spring City Mine, a pervasive sense of crisis had shadowed him, but now, that feeling had suddenly vanished. Chen Pingchuan didn’t know the exact reason. He only remembered having an inexplicable intuition ever since being nuked in the last simulation—a feeling that a pair of eyes was watching him from the darkness. That feeling was persistent and unnerving, like spikes on his back, something he could never shake off. It was one of the reasons his mood had become so irritable.

Another reason gave Chen Pingchuan an even bigger headache. Whenever he recalled the bloody and frenzied scene in the cafeteria, the image of himself slaughtering indiscriminately like an out-of-control beast, he couldn’t help but shudder.

I’m almost certain that my current, abnormally keen senses and my attitude of seeing people as ants are both influenced by my divine self. In other words, the divine self from the simulations has begun to gradually erode my real-world self, altering my behavior. While I enjoy the convenience of my increased power, my humanity is constantly fading. If this continues, I’m afraid I’ll completely turn into another divine self.

So, spending a million simulation points wasn’t a waste. If I didn’t patch the simulator’s loopholes, I might have gradually lost myself in the world of the soul.

Awakened from his slumber, Chen Pingchuan seemed to have reverted to that sunny, handsome youth. With a considerate smile, he called out to Liu Haofeng.

”Xiaoliu, you come lie down for a while. I’ll drive the rest of the way.”

”Brother Chen, you’re awake! No, no, it’s fine. I’m not tired yet. I can keep driving,” Liu Haofeng said, forcing himself to sound alert as he hurriedly replied, afraid of displeasing Chen Pingchuan.

”What are you talking about? We’re family now. After what happened last night, nobody got a good night’s sleep. How could you not be tired? Go on, get some sleep.”

Not wanting Liu Haofeng to refuse his kindness again, Chen Pingchuan added in a tone that brooked no argument, ”That’s an order!”

Liu Haofeng grimaced. He was too embarrassed and too afraid to call out Chen Pingchuan’s shameless hypocrisy, so he could only complain inwardly.

This morning when you were sound asleep, you didn’t care if I was tired. Now that you’ve had your rest, you’re suddenly so concerned about me. But oh well, it’s good enough just to stay alive. What more could I ask for?

At this thought, Liu Haofeng plastered a smile on his face and said, ”Then I’ll rest for a bit. You can take the wheel, Brother Chen.”

”Boss, this combat vehicle is really advanced. I don’t know where Li Laoqi dug it up, but it’s amazing. It can be put into fully autonomous driving mode. As long as you set the destination in the navigation, no human input is needed for the entire journey.”

Eager to get his hands on his new toy, Chen Pingchuan had no intention of listening to Liu Haofeng’s advice. He waved his hand impatiently.

”Go get some sleep. Listen, *I* have over twenty years of driving experience. Who needs autonomous driving?”

”Men have to be brave enough to collide,” Chen Pingchuan added, in such a good mood that he actually made a rare joke.

Unable to argue, Liu Haofeng had no choice but to give up the driver’s seat. In truth, just moments ago while Chen Pingchuan was asleep, Liu Haofeng had entertained the thought of resistance. But when he thought about Chen Pingchuan’s bizarre and unfathomable methods, he ultimately couldn’t muster the courage to try and turn the tables. The pressure from Chen Pingchuan was simply too immense, draining him of any will to fight back. For now, he could only take things one step at a time.

The moment Chen Pingchuan sat in the driver’s seat, a wondrous feeling he had never experienced in his two lifetimes surged through him. It was true that in his previous life, he had relied almost exclusively on the subway. It was a cheap and low-cost way to travel, with no real flaws aside from being a bit draining during rush hour. And he wasn’t lying when he claimed to have twenty years of driving experience; that memory simply dated back to when he was four years old, operating bumper cars at an amusement park.

”Huh? Where’s the steering wheel?”

Hearing Chen Pingchuan’s question, Liu Haofeng, who was just about to doze off, had to open his eyes again. ”Activate manual driving mode,” he said cautiously.

Chen Pingchuan felt a bit awkward, like a country bumpkin who had never seen the world. But it couldn’t be helped. He had spent the last few years knocking about the outer districts, places where you would never find such high-tech gadgets.

Just then, his thoughts were interrupted. A steering wheel slowly rose from the console below the vehicle’s front windshield, positioned perfectly within his reach. The moment his hands gripped the wheel, a stimulating, electric-like sensation shot through his entire body.

And soon, Chen Pingchuan figured out the trick to this high-tech equipment.

So you just have to talk to it!

”Remove maximum speed limit,” Chen Pingchuan commanded.

The vehicle’s onboard AI system received the command and replied with a voice prompt, ”Maximum speed limit removed successfully!”

Having confirmed his suspicion, Chen Pingchuan grew even more excited and issued another command.

”Engage maximum horsepower.”

”Maximum horsepower engaged.”

The next second, the metal combat vehicle shot forward like an arrow released from a bow, leaving a dazzling trail of light in its wake. The intense force threw him back into his seat, causing Liu Haofeng, who was just about to fall asleep, to jolt. Without even opening his eyes, he could guess that his new boss was up to some madcap shenanigans again.

No wonder those rich playboys in my previous life loved to race. This is truly thrilling!

The powerful G-force and the sensation of the surrounding scenery flying backward past his vision were absolutely exhilarating!

”AWESOME!” Chen Pingchuan shouted with glee, completely swept away by the ultimate thrill.

「On a road a hundred kilometers away from Chen Pingchuan’s location」

Two heavily-armed men stood idly by the roadside, staring with boredom at the empty highway ahead. One man was burly, his muscles straining against his combat suit. His face was covered in scars, and his short, stiff hair stood on end, adding to his ferocious aura.