"Hey kid, what've you been up to? What's your score estimate?"
The next morning, Chen Wan's call interrupted Li Mu's rush out the door. "Just messing around," he replied casually. "Around 625."
"Bullshit."
"Scout's honor."
"English?"
"140-ish."
"Pfft. No way." Chen Wan's skepticism dripped with playful sarcasm. Li Mu could almost see her nose crinkling.
"Don't believe me? Fine. Gotta go—"
"Wait!" Her tone shifted to honeyed pleading. "Come to the provincial capital with me. I need to drive, but… I'm scared alone."
Li Mu hesitated. The provincial capital was a four-hour drive on winding 2001 roads. Yet the memory of her swerving into him flashed vividly.
"Train tickets are sold out," she pressed. "Please?"
He caved.
9:30 AM
At Big Spider Café, Li Mu snatched the borrowed HP CD burner from Er Bin. Twenty minutes later, Stone Age Overlord's code burned onto three discs—insurance against digital rot.
"All set?" Chen Wan revved her father's Audi A6, Nike-clad legs glinting in the sun.
Li Mu buckled up. "Ever heard of turn signals?"
"Rude!" She smacked his arm, peeling onto the highway.
Beijing, 11:00 AM
Sun Peng's ashtray overflowed. Thirty download counters now blazed 300,000+. His 20th QQ request to NoMercy vanished unanswered.
"Find the uploader's IP," Jia Bei hissed. "Bribe the forum admins. Now."
A programmer hesitated. "That's…"
"Illegal? We're already dead!"
Highway to Jinling
Wind whipped through open windows as Chen Wan hummed to Backstreet Boys. Li Mu eyed her grip on the wheel—white-knuckled but steady.
"Why Jinling?" he shouted over the roar.
"Family stuff." Her smile tightened. "Boring adult things."
The lie hung between them, fragile as the cassette tape's warble.