The New Year's banquet was held at the Imperial Palace. Every year, Bridge Street was closed off in advance, and only guests with invitations were allowed through.
So...
"I never thought I'd get to experience a traffic jam in this world."
Li Wei gripped the steering wheel, staring speechlessly at the long line of traffic ahead. It made sense, of course. This was the annual grand banquet, so naturally, the inspections would be thorough. But... being stuck in traffic really was miserable.
With nothing else to do, Li Wei began studying the vehicles ahead.
To his satisfaction, most were Steam Cars produced by his own company. That meant Uncle Hank had already made the right connections. People followed the example set above them; now that these cars were becoming fashionable in Fog City, other places would naturally follow suit. It remained to be seen whether Uncle Hank could seize this opportunity and expand the business.
He said most because he also spotted several horse-drawn carriages, which was rather intriguing. Her Majesty the Queen had issued a notice calling for comprehensive mechanization reforms and the complete elimination of horse-drawn carriages from Fog City. Yet even under those circumstances, some people still dared to arrive at the New Year's banquet in carriages...
Hmm, probably conservative nobles, and fairly high-ranking ones at that. At least they weren't afraid of the Queen.
Li Wei looked away and gave a bored yawn.
For some reason, the line of traffic reminded him of the historical dramas he used to watch on television. Ministers attending court had ridden in sedan chairs like this, reporting at the city gates before dawn...
He crept along with the traffic, letting his mind wander. After an unknown stretch of time, his car finally reached the guard.
The guard was clearly surprised