Slowly escorted by two police officers into the room, I immediately recognize the background music: Back In Black by AC/DC, one of Iron Man’s favourite songs.
Exactly as I requested.
I think in my head, with a satisfied smile on my face.
I stop in front of a Futura Height Adjustable Drafting Table and a Brno Flat Bar Chair and look around. There is a tiny window enclosed by a grid on the wall, and an Achille Castiglioni arco lamp sitting at the corner of this narrow and airtight room.
Exactly as I requested.
“Sit down and write, as you wished,” said a policeman with a cold and impatient tone.
The other policeman unlocks my handcuffs gently and pulls out the chair for me to sit.
I give him a subtle smile to say thanks and notice his eyes full of pity.
I hate this fake compassion.
I’m a hero, not a loser.
“Ge Yunliang, as you requested, here are a set of furniture, a pack of cigarettes, a cheeseburger combo, a Lego Minifigure, a ballpoint pen and five pieces of paper. The Party follows the spirit of humanitarianism and grants your last wish of writing a story before your death penalty. You have one hour to use this room, and please adhere to the rules as below…” The cold policeman begins to read the official paper, which to me, is full of bullshit.
What could I do rather than follow the rule? Could it be possible to escape this room from that tiny and high window? Could it be possible to attack these two policemen with a pen? Nevertheless, my final wish is to write my own story. How could I waste the last chance to achieve this goal?
I sometimes nod to indicate that I'm listening, but my mind often drifts away to relive my brief yet eventful life. I can't help but feel compelled to write down the story that has haunted me day and night since I turned myself into the police.
“Can you confirm you understand the agreement and sign your name here, Ge Yunliang!” The cold police officer shouts at me and thumps the table in front of me.
“Yes, Sir!” I reply back and sign my signature, feeling ridiculous to go through this nonsense paperwork.
“You may start to write now, Mr Ge,” the friendly policeman reminds me and pushes the start button on the timer.
“Di-da-di-da……”
I pick up the pen and write down the story of a taxi driver.
I was a taxi driver.
I had worked at the largest taxi company in this city for two years before the autopilot cars took over the market.
Throughout my childhood, I only enjoyed one sport (if you could call it a sport), trampoline jumping. Only in this activity could I imagine I was a superhero from Marvel and DC, flying without wings and jumping out from the crowd.
I enjoyed flipping, bouncing and performing air tricks on the trampoline until one day I fell off onto the ground.
I lost consciousness immediately.
When I woke up from a severe chest contusion, I found out I was surrounded by many people with masks in white suits. They told me I would be alright, so I felt safe to go back to the infinite darkness.
In dreams, I saw Pepper implanted a device in my chest, and I became the second generation of Iron Man.
“I am Iron Man” was the first sentence I spoke when I came back to reality.
My parents ignored my words and told me that I was in a coma for seven days. Doctors asked me to stay in the hospital for another ten days, which meant I would celebrate my ten-year-old birthday here.
As a Chinese saying goes, those who have survived a severe crisis can expect blessings in the days to come. Yes, it was right. I got my longtime longing birthday gifts from my parents, a Giant Iron Man Garage Kit and an Iron Man Lego Minifigure.
I did feel blessed.
Ever since I was released from the hospital, I carried the Minifigure with me all the time. It served as a reminder of my dream and a mascot of my life.
When my classmates shared their future plans to be a scientist, an online influencer, a doctor or a president, I told them I would like to be Iron Man. They laughed at my dream, the same way I mocked their boring choices.
I knew I was special because I shared the same experience as Tony Stark.
My parents and teachers saw me as a smart and well-behaved student, but I believed they were a bit naive. I found it simple to earn social recognition by excelling in academics. This was the only way they would pay less attention to my other interests, such as indulging in Iron Man comics and movies.
At the age of seventeen, I received an acceptance letter from a prestigious university in my city, where I pursued a degree in Mechanical Engineering and Automation. It felt like I was moving one step closer to becoming an Iron Man. Nevertheless, life was brimming with unexpected twists that often took paths we hadn't anticipated.
After graduating from university with excellent grades, I faced rejection from numerous companies. They often cited my lack of engineering experience as the reason. It was a frustrating catch-22: how could I gain experience if no one would give me a chance as a recent graduate?
Even when I did manage to secure an interview, I often struggled to perform well. According to their feedback, I wasn't considered a team player. But if you think about it, have you ever seen Iron Man function as a team player? The last time he worked in a team, it didn't end well for him.
I stayed at my parent’s place as an unemployed adult under tremendous social and peer pressure. Sometimes, I felt like I didn’t belong to this universe but the Marvel’s universe where I could unleash my potential to save this world.
Over time, it became increasingly clear to me that my dream of becoming the next Iron Man or landing an engineering job might never come to fruition. This realization led me into a state of depression. My parents, however, offered unwavering support and insisted that there was always a path forward. They were correct. I eventually found employment as a taxi driver, a profession that I had never once imagined Iron Man would pursue.
It all began with my uncle's career shift during the global digital revolution. He lost his job as a bank cashier and joined the largest private taxi company in our city. Several years ago, an influenza pandemic prompted people to favour taxis over public transportation. This led to a proliferation of taxi companies in the market, akin to a bubble that eventually burst.
In the end, one company came to dominate the market, which happened to have discreet ties to the current mayor's family. As for why I knew this information, it was common knowledge, yet nobody dared to question it. People were primarily concerned with saving money on their rides, and as long as that was achieved, other matters took a backseat.
My uncle introduced me to the taxi company with a bribe of money. “Fortunately“, I secured the position, marking my first job after a period of unemployment. Gradually, I became accustomed to the taxi driver's lifestyle after a few months of shuttling passengers around. The job afforded me flexible hours, and occasionally working from home (of course without payment). Sometimes, I socialized with my colleagues, sharing stories about the passengers we encountered.
While most of our work was done independently, we maintained a group chat with fellow drivers in our neighbourhood to exchange information. I found contentment in my current routine, which involved the straightforward task of transporting people from one location to another, day in and day out.
There was a passenger from overseas with a strange accent who tipped me with hundreds of dollars. There was a passenger who was homeless and asked me to drop him off wherever allowed him to sleep on the street. The oldest passenger was a guy in his nineties who was unwell and had to go to hospital by himself because his partner and children all died. The youngest passenger was a baby girl who needed to be transferred weekly between their divorced parents because they didn’t want to see each other.
In a city where everyone had interesting stories to share, I felt like the odd one out. My life revolved around a small taxi and an even smaller studio apartment. I had come to accept that this would be my life forever. But then, life had a big surprise in store for me.
The city's biennial election ushered in a new mayor, who wasted no time in rolling out a revolutionary public transportation model—driverless autopilot cars to replace the traditional taxis. Unbeknownst to many, the new mayor was a secret shareholder in this driverless car company.
Initially, people were sceptical about these driverless cars. However, the city council's efforts, including lower pricing and a safety campaign, gradually swayed public opinion. More and more folks began to favour this innovative mode of transportation.
I decided to give it a try and hopped into one of these self-driving cars. It was love at first sight. The comfortable seats and immersive surround sound audio are delivered precisely as advertised, creating a cinematic experience. It was hard to imagine this not becoming incredibly popular.
The annual taxi drivers meeting was held at the largest stadium in my city. It used to be packed with cheerful people, drinking, dancing and getting awards from the former mayor to honour our contribution to the development of this city.
However, there were only hundreds of people attending the meeting this year. Most of the drivers had already been laid off, including my uncle.
I sat with people from my chat group and noticed Song in her absent mind.
“What’s up, sister Song,” I asked. She was a single mum of my parent’s age and had a son a few years younger than me.
“I’m afraid I will be fired soon,” said Song, wearing a distressed look. “I’m in my fifties and know nothing about technology. How can I survive if I lose this job.”
I felt sorry for her. My uncle was precisely the same. He wasn’t able to catch up with the rapid development of technology. Most people from his generation had been considered as the “leftover generation”.
No job. No skill. No money.
How could they live in this world?
“My son is the breath of my life,” Song continued and began to lose control of her emotions. “If I lost this job, how can I support him to study overseas?”
While watching Song weeping in front of me, I was out of my wits. I thought about her, about my uncle, about people who lost their jobs. Suddenly, there was a spark rekindled in my heart. You know, it’s moments like these when I realize what a superhero I am.
I left the annual meeting clutching a handful of awards, but they held little meaning for me. Reflecting on my early days as a taxi driver, I had initially assumed the job would be a breeze.
I mean, what's so challenging about driving, especially with GPS guidance at your fingertips? However, I soon found myself facing challenges from all directions. I vividly recalled a time when I took a detour to bypass traffic and save my passenger time, only to receive a one-star rating and a complaint about taking the long route.
Then there was the incident where I assisted a severely intoxicated passenger out of the car because she could barely walk, only to be accused of sexual harassment. Most of the time, I hurriedly devoured meals between rides and held in my urge to use the restroom while driving, leading to stomach ulcers and urethritis.
It was thanks to people like my uncle and Song from our chat group, who generously shared their experiences and solutions, and even looked out for me, that I managed to overcome these obstacles and become a competent driver. Now, it was my turn to give back. I needed to devise a comprehensive plan to do just that.
In a few weeks, I called Song to meet in private and told her my whole plan. She was in shock, shaking her head in refusal.
“I heard you are on furlough with a 50% pay cut at the moment. I believe it’s the company’s strategy to force you to leave the work,” I tried to persuade Song to participate in my plan. “Think about your son, sister Song. If you’d like to send him overseas, my plan is the quickest way to get the money.”
Song burst into tears the minute she heard about her son, the spoiled one who was eager to escape the country and go overseas to study.
“Ge, your plan sounds so crazy,” Song said to me. “I’m not worried about myself, but… but you. Are you sure you want to do that? You are still young and have a bright future waiting for you. Are you 100% sure?”
“Take it easy, sister Song,” I comforted her with a calm voice. “I have calculated every consequence, and I’m willing to pay the full price.”
I reached out my hand into my pocket and touched the Iron Man Minifigure. Yes, I’m a hero. Suffering and sacrifice are the seeds of an extraordinary life.
“All right, let’s do it.” Song looked at me with determination.
After meeting with Song, I decided to meet with the former mayor in person. I was well aware of his objectives, and I recognized the necessity of utilizing his resources for my own plans. After several meetings, we shook hands, but I was aware that he had been quietly investigating me ever since I initially shared my intentions with him.
The majority of my time was spent in a cramped space apartment, meticulously crafting the plan. My only companion during this solitary process was the Iron Man toy figure my parents had gifted me when I turned ten. Its bright, inquisitive eyes seemed to peer into a promising future.
I didn't need numerous simultaneous incursions; a single one would be adequate, carried out with precision at the correct time and in the appropriate place.
I indulged myself in working and skipped meals and sleep. I even forgot what day it was until I looked at it on my phone. It would seem that happiness is something to do with simplicity, and that it is the ability to extract pleasure from the simplest things.
It was an incredibly joyous period in my life when I transformed my plan into a tangible reality. At last, I could put to good use the technological and engineering skills I had invested years of time and thousands of dollars in at university.
Typically, I avoided watching or reading the news because I found most of it to be cluttered with clickbait headlines and the never-ending rhetoric of politicians.
However, on May 29th, I took the time to thoroughly peruse nearly all of the local news. I felt a sense of satisfaction with how they portrayed my story, especially in the context of an election year.
- WOMEN MURDERED BY A DRIVERLESS CAR, ROLLING OVER HER BODY AGAIN AND AGAIN
- DRIVERLESS CARS ARE A SCAM AND NEED TO DIE
- FATAL AUTOPILOT CAR MURDER CASE PROMPTS CALL FOR TIGHTER OVERSIGHT
- CITY COUNCIL MUST PROCEED WITH CAUTION ON DRIVERLESS CARS BILL
- ATTENTION! COULD A HACKER CRASH YOUR CAR? ARE YOU THE NEXT?
I turned myself in and confessed my deliberate murder because there was no reason to hide: I wanted my name on the news. And my dream came true.
In a few months, the former mayor won the election. There were rarely any driverless cars on the road. Song’s son claimed his mother’s life insurance. My uncle went back to drive the taxi again. I was sentenced to death.
I put down the pen, looking at the timer: 58'49'.
People will remember my name as the FIRST human being who conducted a driverless car murder.
I tear all my writings into pieces and throw them into the air, howling with laughter.
Two police officers push my head onto the table immediately and slap the cuffs on me.
In their mind, I am a heartless murderer. They are afraid of me.
I look at you with a smile.
As long as you know the truth…
That’s enough.
Thanks for your website link. You have left no stone unturned, it is a comprehensive site indeed.
Once I read your experiences, I will understand your reasons for your adventures, this may motivate me, to do something similar bot not a scale like yours. I live in Melbourne, Australia, and would like to explore more of my own country first before visiting China. As they say life is full of experiences and you only have to show interest and reach out with an open mind -- and write about it !
Thanks again.
Hi Camellia,
Well done ! I liked this very much, highly original, but profoundly disturbing and clever too.
Thanks for posting. It is fascinating to surmise why you chose to live in Portugal, is there is no beautiful landscapes Zhongguo ? I am studying Mandarin and would like to do some landscape photography there one day. Wo xihuan xuexi Zhongguo wen !
Keep writing as you are very interesting writer to read :)