The Chairman Takes a Ride-hail

Wearing my ride-hailing uniform, faded to a pale white and still smelling faintly of disinfectant that just won't fade, I sat in the driver's seat, my finger scrolling through the order app's screen. Most of the rides popping up were short city trips—nothing tempting. My finger hovered over the screen. Just as I was about to exit the app and take a break, the phone screen dimmed—and suddenly the sharp roll of suitcase wheels shattered the early morning calm. With a bang, the back door was yanked open, and a strong blast of rose perfume flooded the car, making me instinctively wrinkle my nose. I glanced up at the rearview mirror. Outside the car stood a woman in a sequined designer dress, her perfectly made-up face full of impatience, clutching a lipstick with its cap off. "Hurry up! J City Airport, we have to get there in twenty minutes!" she shouted as she shoved a silver suitcase into the trunk. The suitcase wheels scraped harshly against the trunk edge. "I'm in a rush! If I miss my flight, can you afford to pay for it?" I looked away and tapped the steering wheel with my fingers. "Under normal traffic, it takes forty minutes to get from downtown to the airport. It's rush hour now, and the elevated road will definitely be jammed. There's no way we'll make it in twenty minutes." "Enough with the fuss!" The woman slid into the back seat, casually setting the makeup mirror on her lap and hurriedly applying lipstick, her lip lines shaky and uneven. "Just drive faster. Run red lights, take the emergency lane—I'll take the blame! If we get fined, I'll cover it, and I'll throw in an extra two hundred!" I didn't argue anymore, just quietly pressed the accelerator. The car merged into the heavy morning rush hour traffic, the engine humming deeply. In the rearview mirror, the woman had already put down the lipstick and was holding her phone up for a selfie, murmuring, "Who really understands, everyone? Early morning rush to the airport, and the ride-hailing driver's dragging his feet—but luckily, my vibe's strong enough..." As she spoke, she adjusted her angle, trying to capture the perfect side profile.