Chen Zhi Got the Car

Chen Zhi was currently facing the most grueling challenge since his rebirth.

The massive cardboard box sitting in front of him, stamped with the words "Luxury Top-Spec Dual-Drive," looked like an impregnable fortress.

He clutched a pair of children's safety scissors in his hand. He had been scraping the blunt blades against the thick tape for ages, but it hadn't left so much as a scratch.

"Oh, my sweet boy, do you want Mommy to help?"

Zhang Guifang sat cross-legged on the sofa, a handful of sunflower seeds in her grasp, cracking them open as she enjoyed the show.

"No!"

Chen Zhi refused in a milky, childish voice. Though he sounded like a toddler, his tone carried an undeniable, stubborn resolve.

When a man buys a car, he has to pick it up himself and peel off the protective film himself.

It was all about the ritual.

Tossing aside the useless plastic scissors, Chen Zhi decided to resort to the most primal weapon of all.

He went straight in with his teeth.

Riiip.

The tape snapped instantly.

Chen Zhi spat a couple of times to get the plastic taste out of his mouth, feeling a surge of secret satisfaction.

This little red electric sports car was his childhood dream—well, his childhood dream from his previous life, to be exact.

Back in his past life, a kid in his neighborhood had one and would honk the horn in his face every single day.

When he grew up and wanted to buy a real sports car, one look at his bank balance told him he could only afford a toy model to scratch the itch.

The greatest tragedy in life is being forever haunted by the unattainable desires of one's youth.

Buying what you wanted at three when you're eighteen is just too late!

But this life was different.

Chen Zhi glanced back at the empty Walmart gift card sleeve sitting on the TV stand.

Who would have thought that the measly one-thousand-yuan gift card provided by his scam of a system would actually help him fulfill his dream?

It happened the day Zhang Guifang took him to Walmart to buy diapers.

They happened to catch the supermarket's anniversary celebration, where spending 88 yuan earned you a lucky draw ticket.

The grand prize was this children's electric sports car, valued at two thousand eight hundred yuan.

Zhang Guifang had originally just wanted to win a bag of laundry detergent.

Chen Zhi panicked immediately.

He thrashed around wildly in the shopping cart, pointing at the massive red prize on the stage and squealing like a stuck pig.

Unable to calm him down, Zhang Guifang had no choice but to carry him over to try their luck.

The moment Chen Zhi reached his tiny hand into the raffle box, he felt as if the gears of destiny had begun to turn.

A red ball.

The grand prize.

The entire supermarket erupted. The host screamed into the microphone, sounding more excited than if someone had just won five million dollars.

Zhang Guifang smiled so wide her teeth nearly flew out. She hugged and kissed Chen Zhi repeatedly, showering her son with praises and calling him a reincarnated lucky star.

Since Chen Zhi had won it with his own two hands, combined with the precociousness and territorial nature he had displayed over the past three years...

...he successfully defended the car, preventing Zhang Guifang from giving it away to some distant relative's kid.

And so it remained, until today.

His third birthday.

The three-year wait was over.

The seal was lifted.

Chen Zhi took a deep breath, grabbed the edges of the cardboard box with both hands, and pulled outward with all the strength his little body could muster.

Riiip!

A massive tear ripped open the box.

A dazzling flash of Ferrari red greeted his eyes.

Leather seats (though it was actually faux leather), run-flat tires (which were really just solid plastic), and a center console equipped with Bluetooth connectivity.

Just as Chen Zhi was gearing up for the next phase of unboxing, an urgent knocking echoed from the front door.

Knock, knock, knock!

A moment later, a soft, sugary-sweet voice drifted through the door.

"Zhizhi! Zhizhi!"

Chen Zhi's hands froze.

Trouble had arrived.

Zhang Guifang dusted the sunflower seed shells off her hands and got up to answer the door.

"Oh, if it isn't Wanwan! Come in, come in, are you here to play with Zhizhi?"

The moment the door opened, a tiny figure shot into the room like a little cannonball.

Lin Wanwan.

At three years old, Lin Wanwan had already grown into her looks.

Today, she was wearing a puffy pink dress. Her hair was tied up into a little bun, accessorized with two adorably sparkly hair clips.

Her skin was as white as fresh milk, her big eyes were watery and bright, and her eyelashes were so long they could practically stir up a breeze.

If she walked down the street, she would absolutely have a hundred percent head-turning rate—the quintessential "makes you want to have a daughter" type of cute.

But Chen Zhi was long immune to all of this.

"Zhizhi!"

The second Lin Wanwan entered the room, she zeroed in on Chen Zhi, who was currently sprawled on the floor.

She let out a cheer and scurried over, her little legs pattering against the floor.

Chen Zhi didn't even look up, continuing his battle with the styrofoam inside the box.

As long as I ignore her, she'll get bored and wander off.

That was one of the Three Golden Rules for Dealing with a Childhood Sweetheart that Chen Zhi had devised.

However, he had clearly underestimated Lin Wanwan's perseverance.

"Zhizhi, whatcha doin'?"

Lin Wanwan crouched beside Chen Zhi, resting her chin in her tiny hands. She tilted her head, staring at him with a face full of curiosity.

Chen Zhi didn't say a word. He forcefully yanked a massive chunk of styrofoam off one of the wheels.

The styrofoam let out a harsh, ear-piercing squeak as it rubbed against the car.

Lin Wanwan didn't seem to mind the noise at all; in fact, she leaned in even closer.

"Zhizhi, what's this? Is it a big box?"

No duh.

Chen Zhi rolled his eyes inwardly.

"Zhizhi, are we gonna play hide-and-seek? Are you gonna hide in the box so I can find you?"

Clearly, Lin Wanwan's train of thought was on a completely different wavelength than Chen Zhi's.

She reached out a chubby, pale little finger and poked Chen Zhi's arm.

It was soft and warm.

Chen Zhi gave an impatient shrug, brushing her hand off.

"Stop messing around."

He squeezed the words out through his teeth, maintaining his cool and aloof facade.

Being rejected didn't upset Lin Wanwan in the slightest.

She seemed to have grown accustomed to Chen Zhi's attitude long ago.

In her tiny worldview, Zhizhi was just that cool.

He didn't like to talk, and he was always frowning like a little adult.

But Zhizhi would always cheer her up when she cried, and he would always pull her up when she fell down.

Because of that, Zhizhi was the best.

Lin Wanwan simply plopped down onto the floor. She stopped talking and just sat there quietly, watching Chen Zhi work.

Her big eyes sparkled with pure adoration.

Chen Zhi felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up under her intense gaze.

But his hands didn't stop moving.

Finally, the last piece of styrofoam was cleared away.

Every piece of protective film was peeled off.

The little red electric sports car was finally exposed to the open air in all its glory.

The streamlined body, the aggressive front grille, and that iconic prancing horse logo.

Under the glow of the living room's ceiling lights, the paint job reflected a mesmerizing gleam.

So cool.

Way too cool.

Chen Zhi couldn't resist reaching out to stroke the smooth hood. The cool, sleek texture sent a shiver of pure satisfaction down his spine.

Is this what it feels like to own a luxury car?

"Woooow—!"

A gasp of amazement shattered Chen Zhi's moment of self-indulgence.

Lin Wanwan had stood up at some point without him noticing.

Her mouth hung wide open, and her eyes were as round as saucers, staring fixedly at the little red car.

"A car! It's a big car!"

She clapped her hands in excitement, her chubby little cheeks flushing pink with thrill.

"It's so pwetty! Zhizhi, is this your car?"

Lin Wanwan walked a full circle around the vehicle. She wanted to touch it but didn't dare, looking as cautious as if she were admiring a priceless treasure.

Chen Zhi let out a huff through his nose, tilting his chin up at a perfect forty-five-degree angle.

"You bet it is."

He stood up and dusted off his hands.

It was time to show off his true skills.

Chen Zhi walked over to the TV cabinet and pulled open a drawer.

He rummaged around inside for a moment before pulling out a black object.

A pair of kids' sunglasses.

He had secretly bought them at the convenience store downstairs using the red envelope money he received during the New Year.

At five yuan a pair, they were incredibly plasticky.

But at the ripe old age of three, this was the absolute peak of fashion.

Chen Zhi unhurriedly slipped the sunglasses onto the bridge of his nose.

The world instantly went dark.

But his swagger instantly lit up the room.

He turned around and stuffed both hands into his pockets.

Looking at the completely mesmerized Lin Wanwan, he slightly narrowed his eyes behind the dark lenses.

"Hey."

Chen Zhi called out.

Lin Wanwan's head snapped up. As she looked at the sunglass-wearing Chen Zhi, the stars in her eyes were practically overflowing.

"Zhizhi... you're so cool..."

She muttered to herself, completely captivated by his getup.

Chen Zhi was very satisfied with this reaction.

He walked over to the car door and reached out to pull open the passenger side.

His movements were dashing, as smooth as flowing water.

He looked just like a domineering CEO from a romance drama coming to pick up his pampered little wife.

"Get in."

Chen Zhi spat out the two words, keeping it brief and to the point.

Lin Wanwan froze for a second, seemingly unable to process it.

"Can I... Can I really sit in it too?"

She pointed at herself, her tone filled with sheer, incredulous joy.

This was a brand-new toy car!

And Zhizhi was actually willing to let her sit in it!

Chen Zhi tapped impatiently on the car door.

"Forget it if you don't want to."

"I'm getting in! I'm getting in!"

Terrified that he might change his mind, Lin Wanwan lifted the hem of her skirt and scrambled into the passenger seat on all fours.

She sat down properly, resting both hands obediently on her knees with her back perfectly straight.

A silly smile that screamed "I am the happiest kid in the whole wide world" beamed across her face.

Chen Zhi walked around the front of the car and slid into the driver's seat.

He fastened his seatbelt.

And pressed the start button.

Vroom!

The built-in speaker let out a simulated engine roar.

Although it sounded more like a tractor starting up, to Chen Zhi's ears, it was the mighty roar of a V12 engine.

He gripped the steering wheel tightly and glanced sideways at the nervous yet thrilled Lin Wanwan beside him.

"Hold on tight."

Chen Zhi lowered his voice, speaking in what he thought was a deep, brooding tone, though it actually just sounded like an adorable baby voice.

"I'm taking you out to tear up the streets."