The Driver looked to be just over thirty, still among the ranks of the young, but his face was weathered from years of hard work, stubble messy, hair greasy and thinning, his eyes bloodshot, yet his exhaustion was mixed with a certain excitement.

　　A man and a woman in the back of the car had rented the vehicle at a rate of one thousand credits per day—a single day’s fare equaled half a month’s toil for an ordinary The Driver. Who knew how long it would be before such a lucrative deal came along again? It was certainly reason enough to be excited.

　　However, the two distinguished guests remained silent throughout the ride, making the atmosphere inside the car especially stifling. Fortunately, as a true native of Tianjing, The Driver was an expert at making conversation out of nothing. He turned on the radio to listen to the daily news, and had already performed a whole morning’s worth of monologue. The bottle of strong tea in front of the steering wheel was barely a third gone.

　　As for The Driver’s rambling, the man and woman in the back simply stayed silent. The woman seemed a bit impatient, but forced herself to endure it, until a news broadcast on the car radio caught her attention.

　　“Deputy Mayor Tan Qi recently visited the Tianjing High-Tech Park, inspecting several companies including YinXun, and held discussions with company representatives…”

　　The Driver snorted coldly, “These officials do nothing all day but go around currying favor. You never see them actually do anything useful.”

　　“Quiet!” the woman in the back frowned.

　　“All right, all right.” The Driver agreed with a smile, then casually turned the radio volume down to the lowest setting.

　　“I said be quiet!”

　　The young woman in the back was clearly displeased and kicked the front seat.

　　Thud!

　　The hovercar jolted violently, the front end dipping and nearly scraping the road.

　　The Driver turned around, his face filled with incredulous shock.

　　The young man glared fiercely at his companion, then explained with a pleasant smile, “My sister has practiced martial arts since childhood—her strength is not that of an ordinary person. We’ll compensate for any damage to the car at full price.”

　　The Driver immediately became interested. “So the young lady knows martial arts? Impressive skills! I always thought martial arts were just a scam, but this really opened my eyes! Hey, if you don’t mind me asking, what level would your skills be considered in the field? Is there some kind of ranking, like martial artist or apprentice…”

　　“Nothing special, there are plenty of people better than her.” The man brushed it off, then cut The Driver off before he could speak again, “Mr. Smith, turn left at the next intersection.”

　　The Driver smiled at that. “Heading to the Upper District? Sure, but next time you want to go there, it’s best to mention it in advance. Since last year, you need a pass to get through. If you’re not a local The Driver, you might not be able to make it.”

　　Tianjing is divided into Upper and Lower Districts. The Lower District is the old city, which, before humanity ventured into the stars, once served as the capital of Huaxia and housed over eighty million people. The Upper District, on the other hand, was built above the Lower District after the large-scale adoption of anti-gravity technology—a new city in the sky, connected to the old one below by countless sky ladders, greatly easing the pressure on the Lower District. Yet nowadays, as space colonization deepens, the population pressure on Huaxia’s home planet has lessened, and Tianjing’s Upper and Lower Districts have gradually become symbols of class. The high cost of living in the Upper District is enough to drive away most ordinary people.

　　Of course, for native Tianjing residents, none of this is a problem. Even if they can’t afford the Upper District’s high expenses and have to squeeze into the Lower District, their local status allows them to move freely between the two—though every crossing is recorded to maintain order in the Upper District.

　　The Driver drove the car up a sky ladder powered by anti-gravity, rising hundreds of meters into the air. The Upper District resembled the legendary hanging gardens of old, this costly sky island covered in meticulously maintained greenery, soothing to the soul.

　　“So, where would you two like to go next? The Upper District of Tianjing may not be as bustling as the Upper District of Pearl City, but there are still plenty of nice spots. If you’re not too familiar, I can recommend a few…”

　　“No need. Take us to Qingyun District.”

　　“Oh, Qingyun District?”

　　Qingyun District is where the upper class lives. In the Upper District, where every inch of land is precious, the independent villas and gardens there are the height of luxury.

　　Mr. Smith raised his eyebrows in surprise and excitement. “All right.”

　　The modest rental hovercar cruised quietly through the Upper District, with The DriverMr. Smith humming a little tune, completely at ease.

　　There isn’t a The Driver alive who doesn’t love smooth, unobstructed roads. Even an old model hovercar can reach impressive speeds here. Compared to the congestion and noise of the Lower District, the Upper District is like paradise.

　　After finishing his tune, Mr. Smith sighed, “If I could drive on these roads every day, I wouldn’t even want a spaceship. Funny thing is, I actually had a chance to pilot a spaceship back in the day, but I really didn’t care for it…”

　　“Shut up.”

　　The woman in the back seat finally lost patience with this The Driver’s crude ignorance. This country bumpkin had probably never left his home planet in his life. How could a mere Lower District dweller have the right to look down on those who travel the stars? If she’d known he was this noisy, she’d never have rented this car in the first place!

　　But as the car approached Qingyun District, the woman quickly reined in her anger, her gaze shifting to the cluster of villas.