Chapter 9: Crap, I Have Crossed That Line!

Chapter 9: Crap, I Have Crossed That Line!

After my morning issues were taken care of, I found my sister back at her desk working.

"What's up, brother?" she asked, looking up from a thick stack of folders. "Is there some kind of problem?"

Mary was currently going through case files on unsolved crimes. I offered her a quick smile and explained my plans for the afternoon.

"I have an 11 am reservation at the DMV to get my license, so I need the keys to the sedan to take the test," I said. "Then I'm going to work on the car and change the fluids. Finally, I'll pick you up right when you get off work. Is that alright with you?"

"No, I will—"

She was clearly about to tell me she would just go with me, but she stopped herself when she caught the look in my eyes. It was a look telling her that if she didn't let me spread my wings a little bit, she might end up pushing me away completely. She reluctantly reached into her pocket, handed me the key, and gave me a warning.

"You better be safe, or I will literally kill you."

"Sister, you're the absolute best," I laughed, taking the key. "Now let me get busy. Your poor car desperately needs some love after its abusive master torments it every single day, ha-ha!"

Mary rolled her eyes, crumpled up a piece of scrap paper into a ball, and threw it right at my face.

"Beat it, you little prick!" she yelled playfully, making the other detectives in the room burst out laughing.

A few minutes later, I climbed into the left driver's seat and sat behind the wheel, letting my mind wander for a moment.

I had never really noticed how strange the differences between the two Earths were until recently. For example, my past Earth had a population ratio of men to women that was roughly one to one. When I passed away in that life, monogamy was the legal norm and polygamy was incredibly rare. That is fucking strange to think about now, right?

But on this Earth, the ratio of men to women is completely skewed at one to two. Plus, polygamy is the absolute norm here. I can't believe no one in society has ever questioned why the birth ratio is the way it is.

I guess it just comes down to a lion's pride mentality. The man functions as the center of the family unit, while the women take a highly active role in the workforce when they aren't giving birth. Yeah, here on my Earth, women are definitely not seen as subservient to men like they often were in my past life.

For instance, in the police force and the military, two out of every three soldiers or officers are women. The same exact metric goes for multi-billion-dollar business tycoons and the noble family heads. Gender boundaries tend to only be a practical concern when it comes to childbirth.

Even at home, it is completely normal for me to cook dinner, and no one sees it as a woman's job at all. Even my sister being the absolute head of our two-person family is seen as a totally normal dynamic.

What about marriage rules and last names? Well, men and women can freely keep or exchange the last names of their spouses. Mary's mother, for example, could have kept her late husband's last name, but she chose to take my father's last name when they got married.

Men will also readily take the last names of wives who hold immense corporate power. Take that ice cube Linda Lang, for instance. If any regular man marries her, they will never make her change her last name, mostly because her noble family will never allow their lineage name to be abandoned.

And when children are born, they can take the name of either the mother or the father based entirely on what the parents choose.

Another interesting fact about marriage here is that a man can marry any number of wives, but each wife must be designated with a specific rank. For example, the Ning sisters are already contractually set to be wives number two and three, leaving the number one spot completely vacant. This is strictly to ensure clear inheritance rights, meaning the children of the first wife always get priority. But if no primary first wife is chosen, then by default, the second wife is considered the head.

Nichole was completely pissed because if Scott doesn't marry Linda and makes that random maid his first wife instead, her own future children will be totally shafted. Yeah, I can completely understand her anger now.

The last major rule of my world's polygamy is that no two men can ever be a part of the same marriage circle or group. So once Scott officially marries Linda, the maid, and the Ning twins, no other man can ever marry into that specific family circle. It is exactly like the lion's pride I talked about, where there is only ever one male allowed in the pack.

I slid the key into the ignition, fastened my seatbelt, and felt my new skill surge. It felt like the car was practically talking to me, telling me the absolute best way to handle it. And I am pretty sure the engine was praying that my sister wouldn't shift it to death anymore.

This car was a ten-year-old BMW sedan. It was fascinating that despite both worlds being entirely different in geography, history, and ethnicity, we still shared so many weird similarities when it came to cars, restaurants, and businesses.

Like, both worlds have Google, and there are standard Ford trucks from North America. BMW was a strict German car brand in my past world, but here, it's a corporate brand native to the Azure State. This past life is seriously messing with my sense of history, sigh.

I pulled out onto the asphalt, driving on the right side of the road, which was identical to the traffic rules in the United States from my old life. Oddly enough, all countries in my current world drive on the right side, so the memories telling me that other countries used to use the left side felt completely novel.

I stopped at a local gas station to fill up, using one of the prepaid gift cards I had legally gifted to myself from Scott to top off the tank. All of the cards I swiped from his wallet totaled up to about $10,000, so I wouldn't have to worry about cash for a while.

The feel of driving with this master-level skill was incredible. It felt like I had been professionally racing for around fifty years. My shifting was completely smooth and timed so perfectly that you could barely even feel the car change gears.

I easily identified about a dozen maintenance flaws that I would have to fix on this sad vehicle later this afternoon.

As soon as I get my physical license, I'm heading straight to the auto parts store to buy all the tools I need to use my auto mechanics skill to its full potential.

A little while later, I parked at the DMV and went to wait in a miserable line to get my road test started. Yeah, it seems that no matter what universe you are in, the lines at the DMV are absolutely terrible, sigh.

Skipping past the boring parts where I completely amazed my driving instructor, I was finally granted my official driver's license. But since I had the knowledge, I also took the higher-class commercial tests, meaning if the day ever came, I could legally drive large semi-trucks, along with a motorcycle endorsement.

My final stop after grabbing a quick bite of fast food from a local Subway was a massive Auto-Mart down the street.

I used almost $1,000 of Scott's gift cards to buy a complete set of tools, mechanical gear, fresh fluids, spark plugs, new tires, and performance upgrades.

On my way back to the apartment to start the maintenance work, a broadcast caught my attention on the car radio.

[ This is Kate Kong's brand new debut cover of the classic English song, Can't Help Falling In Love! She has been rising rapidly for two years as the hottest movie star in the industry, and now we finally get to see her music career launch. I love you, Kong! Good luck, and now hear it here first! ]

A moment later, Kate's version of the old classic filtered through the speakers, and she honestly sounded fantastic.

I have had an idle crush on her for a while now, mostly due to her starring role in a teen vampire movie that is the absolute best. The Vampire I Fell For. It was aimed right at the late teenage crowd, focusing on a young vampire princess trying to mix into normal human high school society, and it was incredibly hot.

Miss Kong was a stunning young woman with pure white hair, striking red eyes, and a seriously impressive chest, cough. That's obviously not the main reason I like her, but it definitely doesn't hurt when I need a good mental image in the shower.

Sadly, her track ended, and my thoughts finally left the rising star as I pulled into our complex lot.

I was getting off the highway to head toward my neighborhood when I noticed an impressive sight.

On the side of the road was a brand-new model BMW 7 series luxury car with four doors and a sleek black paint job. Its back passenger tire had a total flat, but what really caught my eye was the most beautiful woman I had seen in both of my lives.

She was easily as tall as me at five foot ten with her high heels on. Her long, dark purple hair blew slightly in the ocean breeze, and I could see the absolute frustration on her face as she argued with someone on the phone. She wore a sharp pair of glasses, and her purple eyes looked stern and focused, giving her the vibe of a sexy librarian or a high-end secretary. But looking at her premium car, I would guess she was a CEO instead.

I pulled over right in front of her car, and no, it wasn't just because of her large F-cups, he-he. I got out of my seat and made my way over to where she was standing. She looked completely upset, crossing one arm tightly under her chest while still talking into her headset.

"Someone is coming, I will call you back," she said in a deep, commanding voice.

She ended her call and looked at me with an expression of pure weariness. I just offered a friendly nod and pointed down at her flat tire.

"Hello, I am Rick Lee," I introduced myself. "Do you need your tire changed? If you want, I can do it real fast for you."

The cautious woman looked me up and down, clearly weighing her options before she nodded in reluctance.

"I am late for a very important meeting," she explained, her voice tight. "And I am not good with cars at all. Here are the keys, everything should be in the back."

I took the offered keys and headed straight to the trunk to grab the necessary gear, pulling out the jack and the spare tire tools that came standard with the vehicle. My automotive skill gave me an intuitive knowledge of the inner workings of all known cars up to the moment I received those memories.

Any brand-new cars hitting the market after that point would have to be learned manually, just like any other mechanic would have to do. The system must have scanned the world at the exact moment of implanting those memories, tailoring the data perfectly to my current Earth.

The purple-haired woman raised her eyebrows in total shock at the sheer speed of my work. It probably felt like she was watching a professional pit crew at a racing track. In no time at all, I already had the flat tire stowed safely in the trunk so she could get it repaired later.

I slammed the trunk shut, handed her back the keys, and gave a quick wave as I turned to walk back to my car.

"Mr. Lee, wait! Take this tip for helping me out!" she yelled after me, reaching for her purse.

I just shook my head and kept moving. "No need. Just get to your meeting on time. Goodbye."

The woman looked like she wanted to properly introduce herself to the kind young man who had just saved her afternoon, but seeing me just walk away like that, she remembered her looming interview panel and quickly climbed into her car to drive off.

A little while later, I made it back home and began the hour-long process of thoroughly fixing my sister's abused car. I drained the old fluids, put in fresh oil, and even gave the exterior a full wash and detailing. By the time I was finished, her white car actually looked white again. I headed back up to the apartment, put away my tools, and took a quick shower to change into clean clothes. It was right around the time my sister would be wrapping up her shift, so I grabbed the keys again and headed out to pick her up.

After a completely smooth trip while listening to that new Kate Kong cover on the radio again, I pulled up right to the front doors of the police station.

I stepped out of the vehicle and opened the passenger door for my sister, who was currently walking out of the building. Walking right beside her was a guy in his mid-twenties with styled black hair and red eyes, who was very obviously trying to flirt with her. I could tell from a mile away that Mary wasn't interested in him at all, since she had that classic look on her face of just wanting to escape.

The moment my sister saw me standing there with the car door held open, her face lit up with happiness at the perfect excuse to get away from the new officer. She gave me a wave, and I waved back.

"Goodbye, Officer Woo," Mary said quickly, stepping past him. "It was good to work with you. My brother is here, so I am off."

"Ah? Sure, I see," Officer Woo replied, his eyes narrowing slightly as he looked at me. "Well, I hope we work well together, Officer Lee. See you tomorrow."

My sister didn't even ask for the keys. She just jumped right into the passenger seat, slammed the door closed, and waited for me to get moving. I gave the pretty boy a friendly wave from across the roof of the car, though he looked incredibly scummy beneath his polished act. It was pretty obvious my sister couldn't stand him.

Once I climbed into the driver's seat and pulled away from the curb, I glanced over at her. "So, is that new guy crushing on my big sis, ha-ha?"

Mary pouted, crossing her arms and complaining about him the entire way home.

"Ugh, yes! That guy gives me the absolute creeps," she groaned, sinking back into the seat. "He seriously thinks his charming act can fool a detective, sigh. Plus, I have told everyone at the coworkers' desk that I don't date. The absolute worst part about him is that he keeps throwing out his clan's name to impress me every chance he gets. It's always, 'Oh, my Woo clan does this,' and 'My Woo clan has that too.'"

I let out a loud laugh, navigating through the traffic.

"Then if you want to make that creep give up on you, just tell him I am your secret boyfriend," I joked, tapping the steering wheel. "He'll be totally disgusted, ha-ha! Even if it's completely fake, I don't care what a guy like that thinks. I did pick you up from work today, so he might actually believe it. Plus, we live in a one-bedroom apartment together anyway, so just imagine what his mind will come up with, ha-ha!"

I was focused on the road, so I completely missed the sudden, deep blush that rushed across my sister's face, or the dangerous idea I had just handed her. She stared at my smiling profile while I drove, her mind swirling with some highly inappropriate thoughts. Yeah, in hindsight, I was an absolute fool for suggesting it, sigh.

"Then starting tomorrow, I will just confess to Woo that we are lovers," Mary said softly, her voice skipping a beat. "Is that really alright with you?"

"Sure, I don't care," I replied carelessly. "Plus, if he tries to investigate my background, he'll see I have never had an official girlfriend on the record, so it's completely believable. I will do anything to keep you safe from creeps, sis."

Mary let out a soft, nervous chuckle, her demeanor shifting. "So... what's for supper, lover? Ufufu."

"I am pretty sore from working on the car today," I said, thinking about my aching muscles. "Let's just pick up some pizza. Meat-Lovers or Deluxe?"

She flashed a playful, teasing smile, trying to mask her nerves with a joke. "Well, as a brand-new boyfriend and girlfriend, let's definitely do the Meat-Lovers, ha-ha!"

I smiled back at my sister, glad to see her in such a good mood. We stopped at a local pizzeria, picked up a massive pie, and had a lovely, relaxing night together. We sat in the living room, watching TV, eating pizza, and she even let me have a few beers.

Yeah, she was finally letting me drink a bit now that I was legally an adult. However, she made me drink incredibly slowly, looking over at me after each sip so we could figure out exactly what my physical limit was. We definitely didn't want me to start drinking recklessly. I stuck to just two bottles for the entire night, feeling a slight, warm tingle in my veins before deciding that was my safe limit for now.

"Rick, I am off to bed," Mary said, standing up from the couch and looking down at me. "And... thank you for loving me. Don't get into any more fights at school, alright? I can't lose you. You know that, right? You promised to never leave me, remember?"

Feeling a slight buzz from the beer, I offered a warm, lazy smile. "Even if I get married down the road, I would always have you live with me, Mary. You're all I have left. Goodnight, and sleep well."

"Goodnight, Rick."

Mary turned, walked straight into her bedroom, and shut the door behind her. The moment she was alone in the dark room, she pressed her hand firmly against her pounding chest, her face burning with a massive blush. She leaned back against the wood, letting out a long, trembling breath.

"Crap..." she muttered quietly to herself, her heart racing. "I have officially crossed that line, sigh."

Outside on the couch, completely oblivious to my sister's inner turmoil, I pulled out my laptop and booted it up, ready to resume my hacking and investigations for the night.