Back at the hotel, Li Haochen sent a video call to Murong Yanran. They chatted briefly, not for too long. They were already like an old couple, so there wasn't much need for grand displays of affection; as long as they held each other in their hearts, that was enough.
After hanging up, Li Haochen began to rest and conserve his energy. He had an exam that afternoon.
He dozed off and before he knew it, it was three in the afternoon. After washing up, he went downstairs. About twenty people were already in the hotel lobby. Not everyone was scheduled for the exam that afternoon; half of them were scheduled for the next morning.
Li Haochen was the last to arrive, which clearly displeased Liang Zisi. He impatiently called out, "Get in the car quickly, the examiners are rushing us."
Li Haochen ignored him. He hadn't been late, so he slowly sauntered to his seat, making Liang Zisi stomp his feet in frustration. However, Liang Zisi didn't dare to do anything more. Li Haochen was tall, strong, and young. He probably wouldn't dare to curse aloud, so he just muttered a few words and complained.
Upon arriving at the testing ground, many people were already on the road undergoing assessment. Quite a few students who had already finished were standing by the roadside, some excited and eager, others dejected. The safety officers in charge of the assessment all had stern faces, as if everyone owed them millions. They were sharp-tongued if provoked, but of course, it depended on who they were dealing with. If they encountered someone like Li Haochen, tall and strong, they wouldn't dare to speak out, at most just maintaining a stern demeanor.
It was Liang Zisi's driving school's turn. Three consecutive students failed, leaving him with a darkened expression. One of them was the middle-aged woman who had sought his help yesterday. She was now staring at him unhappily, demanding an explanation. Liang Zisi had to talk extensively to pacify her.
Li Haochen saw Liang Zisi fiddling with his phone, likely returning money to the woman.
"Get in the car, prepare!"
It was Li Haochen's turn soon. After hearing the verbal instruction, he walked around the vehicle counter-clockwise, checking for any issues before approaching the driver's side door. He observed the traffic conditions in front and behind, confirmed it was safe, then opened the door and got in. After closing the door, he adjusted the seats, mirrors, fastened his seatbelt, and checked that the handbrake and gear lever were in the correct position. He then said, "Report to the examiner, vehicle inspection complete, everything is normal. Request to board."
Li Haochen's composure in the face of pressure caused a slight change in the agitated examiner. Although his face still looked stern, there was a subtle decrease in his coldness.
The examiner didn't speak, only nodding to indicate the start.
After Li Haochen completed the simulated lighting, the system issued another command: "Please start immediately after preparation is complete."
After starting smoothly, Li Haochen proceeded through a series of operations such as meeting oncoming traffic while driving straight, changing gears, changing lanes, and passing intersections. After about three minutes, he heard the examiner beside him say, "Pull over and park!"
Li Haochen operated in an orderly manner. Soon, the car stopped smoothly in the designated area. He pulled the handbrake, shifted to neutral, turned off the right turn signal, released the clutch, and released the brake in one fluid motion. The examiner beside him smiled, appearing very satisfied with Li Haochen's standardized operation.
"Congratulations!"
"Thank you, Examiner!"
Li Haochen got out of the assessment vehicle, gently closing the door, and made way for the next person.
Seeing Li Haochen return, many of the waiting students gathered around. "How did it go, brother?"
Even Liang Zisi, who was doing the statistics and arrangements, pricked up his ears.
"I passed."
Li Haochen didn't boast. He replied calmly with two words and walked to the side to wait. There were still a few who hadn't passed nearby, and he didn't want to rub salt in their wounds.
The assessment continued until past five in the afternoon. Out of 23 people, 7 did not pass. This proportion was quite high. Liang Zisi's face was extremely unpleasant. If this were to be publicized later, the driving school's reputation and business would suffer considerably. Thinking of this, his expression was understandable.
However, having been in this industry for so many years, he had seen worse. He quickly came up with a solution. Tonight's dinner was accompanied by good food, drinks, and cigarettes. After a few drinks, he was treating everyone like brothers, and even those who hadn't passed seemed much happier.
After dinner, a few people with ill intentions egged them on to go singing. As they persuaded, most of them joined in the cheers. Liang Zisi's heart ached as he agreed, realizing this trip had truly gone to waste.
Li Haochen didn't go. Singing? He didn't know them well. Why would he go join the fun? It was better to take a bus and go to the city center to wander around.
Half an hour later, he arrived at the city center. It was quite lively at night. As he passed by, looking out the bus window, he could tell that the city was developing well, although it was still a notch below Binhai.
"Huiyue City station..."
Li Haochen got off the bus. In front of him was an irregularly shaped four-story building with a very wide footprint. Outside was a super large plaza, with a musical fountain about ten square meters in the center. Combined with the colorful lights, it was particularly eye-catching in the night.
Li Haochen was no exception. He took a few selfies and sent them to Murong Yanran.
Perhaps she was busy. Seeing that he didn't get a reply within two or three minutes, he went inside.
The layout inside was very similar to Binhai Plaza. Perhaps because it was Friday, there were quite a few people tonight. Li Haochen wandered aimlessly, looking here and there. In truth, he didn't intend to buy anything tonight; he just didn't want to stay in the hotel.
As he walked, the crowd suddenly increased, and dynamic music could be heard from inside.
Approaching closer, he saw that it was packed shoulder to shoulder. Looking up, he realized it was a promotional event at a BYD Ocean Brothers specialty store.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the winning opportunities for our event are unprecedented! As long as you share this on your Moments and get 88 likes or more, you'll have a chance to enter the draw. The first prize is the Seal I have behind me, the second prize is a five-day, four-night romantic trip to Xiamen, and the third prize is..."
Under the host's impassioned speech, the onlookers who were just watching the spectacle erupted into excitement. A car worth over two hundred thousand yuan! What if they won...
At this moment, most people were holding their phones, asking for likes. Li Haochen just shook his head. These were just marketing gimmicks; winning a pack of tissues would be good. As he turned to leave, he found himself blocked by a sea of people behind him, unable to move forward or backward.
Judging by the situation, it would probably be at least an hour before he could get out.
"Alright, winning a pack of tissues would still count as having been here."
Since he had nothing else to do, Li Haochen posted on his Moments, "Seeking likes! Seeking likes!"
Li Haochen had good social connections. Within five minutes, he had met the requirement. He then replied to everyone uniformly, "Requirement met, thank you all!"
At this time, people were also gradually qualifying and walking up to the prize draw box with anticipation, reaching in. Without exception, everyone drew the consolation prize: a pack of Vinda tissues.