"What… what the hell happened to me?!"
Chen Mo grabbed at his frizzy hair in front of the mirror, utterly devastated. His fluffy, exploded hairstyle looked as if it had been struck by lightning, nothing like his neat, sharp short hair before. He wet it down and pressed it repeatedly, but every strand stood stiff and stubborn.
After nearly half an hour of struggling, Chen Mo gave up. He threw on a faded jacket, pulled a wide-brimmed cap low to hide his ridiculous hair, rubbed his slightly sore arms, and walked out of the bathroom.
Strangely, even though he had stayed up all night playing the game, he felt no trace of sleepiness. Instead, his body felt light, his limbs brimming with endless energy. Even the back and leg pain from delivering takeout had vanished completely.
"Could the game be so realistic that it wipes out tiredness too?" Chen Mo touched his arm, puzzled.
He threw a quick punch. It cut through the air with a faint whoosh — far faster and stronger than he had ever been. But he chalked it up to an unusually good rest and thought nothing more of it. After a quick wash, he hurried to the delivery station.
As soon as he stepped inside, loud chaos hit him. The station manager stood with hands on hips, directing sorting. Several deliverymen milled around a pile of scattered packages, panic-stricken. A cardboard box full of fragile goods had been smashed open; glass shards mixed with debris covered the floor.
"What happened?" Chen Mo asked instinctively.
"What else? Xiao Li backed up without looking and knocked over the shelf!" an older deliveryman sighed. "This shipment was urgent. If it's broken, the whole station has to pay for it."
The young man named Xiao Li stood pale and helpless. Just as the manager was about to explode, a fully loaded electric tricycle skidded and barreled straight toward a little girl nearby!
The girl froze in terror, too scared to even cry.
Onlookers gasped, too slow to react.
In that split second, Chen Mo moved.
No one saw how he did it. One blink, and Chen Mo was already carrying the girl to safety, his speed leaving only a blur.
The tricycle slammed into the wall with a deafening crash.
The whole station fell silent. Everyone stared at Chen Mo as if he were a monster.
"You… you just…" The manager stammered in shock.
Chen Mo himself was stunned. It had been pure instinct, faster than his own mind could process. He scratched his head, handed the girl back to her parent, and mumbled an excuse: "Must be from not sleeping well. Faster reflexes, I guess."
No one believed him, but the scene had been too incredible to explain. The manager, still shaken, eyed Chen Mo strangely and made a snap decision: "Chen Mo, there's an urgent package this afternoon. It has to reach the downtown office building in an hour. Traffic's a nightmare; cars can't move. You take the e-bike. Make sure it's on time!"
"Got it." Chen Mo nodded.
Unbeknownst to him, in an unmarked black sedan around the corner, two plainclothed men were watching the station. On their tablet, a line glowed: Target: Chen Mo. Reaction speed far beyond average. Abnormal physical ability. Marked for observation.
"Another entry for the Dragon Team. This kid's interesting," one muttered.
By afternoon, the sun blazed. Downtown streets were gridlocked; cars stretched in an endless line, barely moving an inch.
Chen Mo sat on his yellow delivery e-bike, staring at the traffic and sighing. Time was running out. Anxious, he twisted the throttle — and unconsciously used the movement he'd practiced in the game. Low center of gravity, precise balance. The e-bike weaved nimbly through the tiniest gaps.
He rode at blistering speed, turning the e-bike into something like a motorcycle. The yellow frame flashed through traffic like a bolt of lightning.
Drivers and pedestrians only caught a yellow blur. They pulled out phones, filming in shock.
"Holy shit! What was that? An e-bike that fast?!"
"Yellow lightning! That's a road legend!"
"Insane! He's riding like it's a race track!"
In just twenty minutes, Chen Mo delivered the urgent package right on time. The recipient stared at him, breathless but punctual, stunned: "Kid, how did you get here so fast? A car would take an hour!"
"Was in a hurry. Rode quick," Chen Mo smiled and left.
He had no idea his wild ride had been filmed. The video "Street Yellow Lightning" blew up on local social media, hitting trending within minutes.
Chen Mo cruised back to the station on his e-bike. A tuft of his exploded hair peeked out under his cap. He still didn't realize his body had quietly transformed.
And he had no idea — many pairs of eyes were already quietly watching him.