CHAPTER 1580: CHAPTER 1632: THE ILLEGAL TAXI INCIDENT

Li Yifei was homesick, but he didn’t rush to leave early in the morning. He still accompanied Old Master Su to the hospital to visit an old war buddy. The old man not only woke up, but when the two arrived, he was standing in front of the window, gazing out in a daze.

Even Old Master Su hadn’t expected that, after Li Yifei’s treatment, his old friend would recover like this. Although he knew his friend only had a few days to live, living with such vigor was much better than lying in a hospital bed full of tubes, relying on those machines to stay alive.

Old Master Su seemed excited and held his old friend’s hand. The old man learned that it was Su’s grandson-in-law who used miraculous medical skills to wake him up and forcibly prolong his life, and he came over to express his gratitude.

Li Yifei quickly said there was no need, but the old man was insistent, saying, "Dying calmly is far better than dying in confusion, so I must thank you. Also, Old Su, I used to envy you for having a good granddaughter, but now I’m even more envious that you have a good grandson-in-law. Haha."

The old man spoke with vigor, unlike someone whose body was failing and most of his organs were exhausted. However, it was the two strands of Innate Vital Energy sustaining this life force.

Of course, it didn’t mean the old man would die immediately without Innate Vital Energy; his vitality had not been completely cut off. Otherwise, no matter how strong Li Yifei was, he couldn’t defy the heavens and change fate.

After a few humble words, Li Yifei bid farewell to the two elders. Old Master Su nodded and said, "Go, let Little Sunx take you. Come back and stay for a few days when you have time."

"Grandpa, I will," Li Yifei nodded.

Leaving the hospital, Li Yifei headed straight for the airport. He didn’t ask Old Master Su’s driver to take him as the car might still be needed here.

Standing by the roadside, Li Yifei saw a taxi with an open spot and waved it down. The car pulled over, and Li Yifei got in.

It’s well known that the Capital City has traffic jams, and not only is it congested, but taxis are also very hard to catch. Having a car stop, Li Yifei didn’t think much and sat in.

The driver was chatting and BS-ing with someone on the radio the whole time. Li Yifei frowned. While this could alleviate the drivers’ boredom, it could be really noisy and annoying for passengers, especially with the vulgar talk on the radio.

Chatting while driving also makes it easy to lose focus. Wouldn’t this lead to more accidents? Li Yifei wondered.

After driving about three kilometers, Li Yifei inadvertently glanced at the meter and suddenly noticed the numbers were off. With a starting price of thirteen yuan, it shouldn’t cost thirty yuan now, as they hadn’t even gone three kilometers.

Li Yifei furrowed his brows and glanced at the driver, who was still ranting foul words on the radio with one hand on the wheel, appearing very familiar. Li Yifei quietly observed.

After driving another five hundred meters or so, Li Yifei saw the meter jump three times, each time over two yuan. There was no work permit on the front passenger seat, and Li Yifei understood. He had encountered a black car, and an extremely rogue one at that. The meter had been tampered with.

At this rate of fare increase, reaching the airport would cost at least five hundred yuan.

Li Yifei sneered and said, "Stop the car."

The driver seemed not to hear clearly, turned off the intercom, and asked, "What?"

Li Yifei repeated, "Stop the car."

The driver, as if hearing a joke, replied without turning his head, "I say, brother, don’t tease me. Do you know where we are? We’re just about to get on the overpass, and you want me to stop? Aren’t you afraid of getting hit? I’m more afraid of being fined. Do you know how crazy these traffic cops are? See, there’s a row of cameras ahead. If I stop, I’ll be caught, and a few hundred yuan will be gone."

Before Li Yifei could speak, the driver continued, "Aren’t you going to the airport?"

Li Yifei calmly said, "Not anymore."

It was just as traffic was backing up. The driver slammed on the brakes and glared back at Li Yifei, saying, "I say, I’ve already got on the overpass heading to the airport, and now you’re telling me you’re not going to the airport? What do you mean by this?"

Li Yifei wasn’t really angry, but the driver was starting to lose his temper. Li Yifei couldn’t help but smile, glanced at the meter that had jumped over two yuan again, and said, "Do I really need to point it out? What is this car? Not even four kilometers, and you’re charging me over thirty yuan. Do you think I can still sit in this car?"

The black car driver was unhappy upon hearing this, banged on the steering wheel, raised his brows, and said, "What do you mean? What’s wrong with my car? Didn’t you see the meter? I’m a legitimate taxi driver. Don’t you know it’s expensive to take a taxi in the Capital City? This whole way was traffic jammed and that’s chargeable."

"That’s why I’m not taking it; I can’t afford it!" Li Yifei replied bluntly.

The other party was obviously silenced for a moment, then loudly replied, "Don’t want to sit? Fine, once we get off the overpass, go wherever you want, but up here, you won’t get off."

Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Okay."

By rights, Li Yifei didn’t need to get into a spat with someone like this over something like this, but the other person’s attitude really irked him. So Li Yifei decided not to obediently pay the fare and switch cars to the airport.

Sitting in the back, Li Yifei didn’t speak again, but the black car driver kept holding the walkie-talkie, muttering incessantly, even letting slip, thinking it was a big deal, who knew it was just a cheapskate.

Li Yifei picked up his phone and canceled the previously booked flight ticket; he wasn’t going to let this matter go today until it was resolved.

Driving a black car was something Li Yifei usually didn’t care about; sometimes legit taxis were also quite frustrating. But it was illegal after all, without various licenses, or operating qualifications, and safety was a big concern. And those who rip off customers like today were truly disgusting.

More than ten minutes later, the car got off the overpass, and the fare had jumped to over sixty, nearly seventy.

Li Yifei had just checked the fare; from where he got on to the airport, it should be at most around 150. But now they’ve just started, and the fare already jumped to seventy, more than a third.

The black car driver stopped the car by the roadside with an abrupt brake, seemingly on purpose to make Li Yifei hit himself, but Li Yifei sat steadily, thwarting the driver’s intentions.

When the car stopped, the black car driver coldly tossed a sentence over, "Seventy-one, I’ll make it seventy, pay up."

Li Yifei glanced at the meter, and as the black car driver spoke, it jumped another two yuan. He directly grabbed his computer, opened the car door, and was about to get out.

The black car driver immediately became anxious, realizing the other side clearly intended to cause trouble. He didn’t hurry to chase after Li Yifei because there were still two suitcases in the trunk, so Yifei wouldn’t run far. Grabbing the walkie-talkie from the car, the black car driver reported his location, saying someone was refusing to pay the fare and trying to make a move on him. Instantly, there was a barrage of curses over the radio, and someone said they were close and would be there soon.

Li Yifei got out, stood with his arms crossed at the rear of the car, waiting for the black car driver to get out.

"Fuck you, are you seriously thinking about not paying?" The black car driver slammed the car door shut and walked briskly towards Li Yifei, swearing filthily as he approached.

The other was fierce, but why would Li Yifei be afraid, including hearing the other call for backup, he heard it all and coldly said, "Black car is fine, but black money is too much. You’ve cursed me twice; apologize now, and I won’t wreck your business."

Upon hearing this, the other sneered, tilted his head, and said, "Did I hear you right? Just you, wreck my business? A foreigner, what are you pretending for? If you don’t pay, don’t think you’ll leave standing today."

"Seems like you’re not planning to stay in this line of work." Before Li Yifei’s words had barely fallen, the other reached out a hand, trying to grab his clothes.

This black car driver had concerns of his own; he was initially trying to stall for time, waiting for his peers to arrive. When they outnumbered him, then it wouldn’t just be about the fare. With so many people intimidating him, this foreigner wouldn’t get away without coughing up a thousand yuan.

That’s the rule, because it happened many times before to out-of-town tourists being fleeced. Some, like Li Yifei, also tried to make a fuss, only for a bunch of black cars to show up, with drivers jumping out. Sometimes without lifting a finger, the other side would back down, and if there was an occasional altercation, it was the victim’s misfortune to pay up and leave beaten and dejected.

As for the money paid, everyone would get together, have a meal, sing a song, have some fun, maybe even make some friends, so why not.

So, the black car driver didn’t take Li Yifei seriously at all. The only reason he hadn’t immediately laid hands on him was because Li Yifei was tall and strong, which made him wary of trying and coming off the worst.

Who would have thought Li Yifei would also speak so bluntly, stimulating the black car driver, thinking he could seize the initiative on the battlefield, so he reached out to Li Yifei.

"Smack!" Li Yifei raised his hand and slapped across, the black car driver didn’t even have time to react, he just felt a dizzying blur and a sharp pain across his face, as he was knocked flying.

A clear red handprint emerged on the black car driver’s face as he lay dazed on the ground for two to three seconds, then suddenly let out a shout, like an angry little chick, jumping up and rushing at Li Yifei, cursing, "You dare hit me, I’m gonna kill you!"

Black cars have their own survival rules, although there is a lot of control, under the sun, there’s always a shadow, and such people still manage to exist, even continuing to exist. But someone like this black car driver hadn’t suffered this kind of loss in recent months, getting slapped, immediately turning aggressive, pouncing over to hit Li Yifei back.

Unfortunately, he was completely mistaken.

Facing the black car driver charging again, Li Yifei this time raised his leg, kicked out, hitting directly at the guy’s abdomen. The black car driver was kicked flying again, his body crashed into the trunk, making a loud bang.