After a flight lasting a few minutes, Qin Yan and Little Liya finally arrived at the bustling metropolis from the original Dragon BallWest City.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Two streaks of white light flashed across the sky, and Qin Yan and Little Liya descended onto a busy street in West City.
West City occupied a vast territory, a sprawling expanse of land where countless skyscrapers stood like forests. An endless stream of unique vehicles wove through the city. Long, winding, special glass-enclosed circular traffic channels were built between the high-rises, through which car-like vehicles floated and sped. Their velocity was incredible, several times faster than any car driving on the ground.
With its advanced urban design, West City felt like a world from the future. Compared to other places on Earth, this metropolis felt modern while others felt ancient by thousands of years. The extreme disparity in technological civilization was stark; in remote areas, some groups still lived in primitive tribes.
In some small towns, electricity had not even been introduced, while others were only just getting it. Yet, the development in these advanced regions was ahead by hundreds, if not a thousand years, possessing technologies and capabilities that were simply inconceivable.
It was hard to say how such an epoch-making gap had formed. Sometimes, places only a few hundred miles apart developed as if they were two completely different worlds. Traveling from one to the other felt like a journey through time.
Various social systems still existed across the worldsome were kingdoms and empires, while others followed modern, advanced systems.
Such a complex world order led to many places being haunted by restless dark forces, with struggles and wars existing in unknown corners. This also fully illustrated the diversity of Earth's races and civilizations, with a myriad of cultures coexisting.
In the original Dragon Ball story, Earth had five major developed cities distributed across the north, south, east, west, and center. Although the Central Capital was described as the head of these five,
its scientific and technological development lagged significantly behind the other four. The other four metropolises were the most prosperous modern cities, their scale of development leading the rest of the world by at least a hundred yearsa gap so wide it was visible to the naked eye.
Looking at the bustling cityscape around him, Qin Yan couldn't help but feel impressed. Even on a galactic scale, this place would likely hold its own.
As for West City, its greatest claim to fame was undoubtedly Capsule Corporation, founded by Bulma's father, Dr. Briefs. Capsule Corporation had risen to power in just a few short years, but its fame had already swept the continent. Relying on the miraculous Hoi-Poi Capsules, the company had taken the world by storm; even the most remote areas knew the name.
In West City, the names of Capsule Corporation and Dr. Briefs were household words. You could stop any passerby on the street and they would know the exact location of the company headquarters.
The streets of West City were packed with horses and carriagesor rather, a modern equivalentand were incredibly lively. Qin Yan marveled at the prosperity. Neither in this life nor his previous one had he ever seen a city so advanced; it truly felt like stepping into a future world, leaving him deeply shaken.
"Brother Qin Yan! This place is so beautiful and bustling!"
Little Liya was curious about everything, her small, round head turning every which way. The magical vehicles and the countless unique architectural styles left her dazzled. Having lived on Planet Prodaranafac with him for years, she had never seen such a vibrant metropolis.
"Mhm."
Qin Yan replied with a calm tone, though truth be told, his own heart was fluttering slightly. Many of the inconceivable sights before him were quite a shock.
"Brother Qin Yan! Where are we going next?"
Little Liya looked up at him inquisitively. Surrounded by the dense crowd, she felt a bit lost.
"Hang on a second."
Qin Yan patted the little girl's head gently.
He walked to the edge of the road and reached out his small hand to hail a taxi. Immediately, a sleek, yellow hover-taxi sped over and came to a stop in front of them.
It had been a long time since he'd hailed a cab. He missed the feeling from his past life and wanted to experience it again.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do!
"Come on, hop in!"
The taxi hovered before Qin Yan and Liya. Sitting in the driver's seat was a man who looked like a brown bear, with a Chunghwa cigarette dangling from his mouth. He rested one arm on the window frame and squinted at Qin Yan, his voice raspy.
Click! Hiss...
As soon as the driver finished speaking, he pressed a button, and the car doors slid upward.
"Hurry up and get in!"
The driver turned to face them, urging them to board.
Qin Yan looked at the setup; the man looked a bit like an unlicensed driver, but he didn't care. The man posed no threat to him, so any car would do. As for whether they would reach their destination, he was confident they wouldand if they didn't, well, that would be the driver's misfortune.
"Let's go," Qin Yan said softly to Little Liya, pointing to the back seat.
Liya nodded obediently, hopped into the car with a spring in her step, and Qin Yan followed close behind.
Once they were settled, the door closed slowly, and the driver accelerated.
"This feels great! Brother Qin Yan, even though this craft isn't very fast, it's really comfortable."
Liya bounced once on the soft cushion, a look of pure enjoyment on her face.
"So, my little guests, where are you headed?" the taxi driver asked, his voice gravelly as he kept one hand on the wheel and eyes on the road.
"The home of Dr. Briefs, the founder of Capsule Corporation."
Qin Yan didn't even look at him, his voice flat.
"Eh? Dr. Briefs' house? Are you two his kids?"
The driver was stunned to hear they were going to the famous doctor's residence. He couldn't help but feel suspicious of their identities and asked in surprise.
"There's no need to tell you that. Just take us there. Unless you're telling me you can't go? If you can't, we'll find another car."
Qin Yan remained expressionless, his tone blunt.
"Don't be like that, kid! I can go, I can go! I won't ask any more questions."
Afraid that Qin Yan would really switch cars, the driver spoke quickly. In his mind, this was likely a high-paying fare.
"Sit tight, kids. We're going to speed up."
Fearing that Qin Yan might leave, the driver immediately floored the accelerator.
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