Chapter 4: Stranger

The afterimages of neon lights dragged out blurred streams of light on the car windows; the night deepened, like thick ink.

There was no moon this night.

Ding Mo drove along the deserted road. He didn't know if it was an illusion, but he felt the surroundings growing quieter and the lights of shop fronts increasingly sparse. Before he knew it, only a few scattered sign lights remained along the long street, flickering uncertainly in the darkness.

Furthermore, he discovered that he had been driving on this road for so long, yet he hadn't encountered a single car.

Besides that, he discovered a Gas Station along the way, which should be the one mentioned in the Handbook. However, although it was brightly lit inside and there were silhouettes of people, he couldn't see a single car there either.

"Perhaps it's a coincidence..." Ding Mo took a cigarette from his person and began to smoke.

In truth, he didn't like smoking, but perhaps because the Identity he was playing was a "driver who loves to smoke," the rate at which his "Threshold" dropped actually slowed down after he smoked.

If he could maintain the current trend, it wouldn't be difficult to hold out until 3:00.

What he feared was...

Ding Mo's gaze suddenly caught a figure on the side of the road—he was waving!

A customer had arrived!

Ding Mo took a deep breath. Perhaps it was only for an instant, or perhaps a century had passed, but he finally gritted his teeth, turned the steering wheel, and slowly pulled the car over.

The taxi stopped at the side of the road.

What met his eyes was a strange man.

A few seconds later, the car door opened, and this passenger sat down next to Ding Mo. Seeing this, Ding Mo thought for a moment and said:

"Hello, we suggest you sit in the back row..."

"No need, this is fine." The strange man refused directly.

"..." Ding Mo had no choice but to start the meter and pull away after asking for the destination.

Miraculously, unlike before, once he knew the destination, the route "came to mind"—he guessed this was exactly the same reason he had suddenly learned how to drive.

Vroom! The car started, and the wind of the dark night whistled as it slapped against the car windows.

Inside the dim car, Ding Mo used the corner of his eye to carefully size up this man, aided by the dim streetlights that flashed by from time to time.

The man wore a simple white T-shirt and black trousers, with a well-proportioned build. But what made Ding Mo most concerned was his completely unfamiliar face—

From his nose to his chin, every single feature was unsettlingly unfamiliar. This face bore no resemblance to anyone Ding Mo had ever seen, as if it did not belong to this world.

However, this strange man was extremely well-behaved after getting into the car. He sat quietly in the passenger seat, his gaze fixed straight ahead. It even made Ding Mo feel that he was more concerned about the road conditions than he himself was.

"This guy is mostly likely not normal." A strange feeling rose in Ding Mo's heart, but he did not probe further.

If this guy stayed well-behaved, that was exactly what he wanted!

... Time passed rapidly.

After driving for quite a while, Ding Mo estimated that he would reach the destination in another ten minutes.

But just at this moment, a strange thing happened inside the car.

Ding Mo turned his head, looking in surprise at the strange man whose hands had begun to make odd movements.

Sitting in the passenger seat, he looked ahead, holding his hands a few inches in front of his chest; his palms seemed to be pressing against something invisible, shifting and shaking from time to time.

What was this guy doing? Ding Mo was left with his brows locked in a frown by this eerie scene, but he dared not ask.

Driver's Handbook Rule No. 4:

If during the journey the passenger bleeds, is injured, disappears without the car door opening, or if other abnormalities occur, do not stop the car, do not panic, ignore it and continue driving until you reach the destination, and turn off the taxi meter after arriving.

This "Driver's Handbook" was given by that police officer; it shouldn't harm him.

Ding Mo turned his head back, wanting to pretend he hadn't seen it, but the strange man's movements did not stop, which made him feel uneasy the whole time.

This movement... it seemed somewhat familiar?

At this moment, Ding Mo suddenly discovered that the data on his retina had actually begun to change violently!

【Threshold: 52%】 → 【Threshold: 51%】 → 【Threshold: 50%】 →...

His Threshold began to drop at an extremely fast speed! It would drop by 3%~5% almost every minute!

What was going on! Cold sweat couldn't help but trickle down Ding Mo.

Was it because of that person's movements? What on earth was he doing?!

Ding Mo couldn't help but turn his head to look at the passenger seat again... but this look made his soul flee in terror!

He saw that the strange man had somehow changed into a blue uniform—it was the driver's uniform, exactly the same as his own.

And that face... Ding Mo looked at the face he saw in the mirror every day, the one most familiar to him, and only felt a chill like a venomous snake slithering up his spine.

It was clearly his own face!

Although it was only 60% or 70% similar and hadn't reached 100% replication.

But this strange man had actually turned into his likeness! And his movements... Ding Mo suddenly realized something and looked down at the steering wheel.

The man next to him actually made the same movement at this moment! He also looked down at the "something" between his own hands!

"This!!" Ding Mo finally understood.

So, that eerie movement was imitating Ding Mo gripping the steering wheel!

He was imitating Ding Mo's movements!

No, he was imitating Ding Mo! Including his clothing, face, movements, and demeanor!

If this continued, he was going to become the second Ding Mo in the world. And it was already almost done, except for the build and that face.

But he was still changing constantly; the thickness of the bones, the color of the skin, the shape of the chin... he estimated that in a few minutes, he would completely finish the "imitation"!

At the same time, Ding Mo's Threshold was also plummeting:

【Threshold: 47%】 → 【Threshold: 41%】,

【Threshold: 42%】 → 【Threshold: 34%】,

It soon broke through the 40% mark!

Ding Mo felt his vision growing increasingly dim; even with one lapse in attention, his field of vision began to sway, and strange hallucinations appeared once again—his perception was beginning to have problems again.

Damn it! Ding Mo began to think rapidly in his mind:

"Take action to stop him?

"No, not to mention I am still driving, the rules state I cannot stop. Besides, as the 'driver', how can I attack a passenger?

"Ugh..."

Threshold → 30%!

The Threshold is getting lower and lower; I won't be able to hold on much longer.

"In that case." Ding Mo suddenly gritted his teeth and slammed on the accelerator!

Vroom, vroom, vroom—! The roar of the motor instantly intensified, like a giant beast howling!

On the road, the taxi suddenly surged forward as if out of control.

Speeding, safety, or anything else—Ding Mo could no longer care about such things; he only hoped to reach the destination quickly.

Because the strange man beside him... no, the "self" beside him was already getting closer and closer to completion!

... 60% similar, 70% similar, 80% similar; there was still some distance to the destination. But when Ding Mo looked at the "self" beside him, although there were still differences, Ding Mo could no longer identify exactly where they were!

Threshold → 25%!

The destination had not yet been reached.

At this moment, Ding Mo suddenly had a thought:

The man beside him was named "Ding Mo", a 22-year-old male, fond of deduction, and formerly a convenience store cashier.

And himself, he was not Ding Mo... Ding Mo was shocked with horror!

"No! I am not Ding Mo, then who am I?

No... I am Ding Mo!

No... he is the real Ding Mo...

If he is Ding Mo, then who am I?

A look of confusion appeared on Ding Mo's face.

I am... who?

Threshold → 20%

... Damn it! Ding Mo no longer knew why he was here or what he was doing, but his remaining sanity still told him—he had to act immediately!

Right now!

Ding Mo gritted his teeth, suddenly released the accelerator, and slammed his foot directly onto the brake! He also floored the clutch!