“Drive and Seek: A Shanghai Taxi Diary life in its rawest form. Whether under the dawn star or on spring nights, taxis carry endless stories of diverse lives. This book unveils life’s myriad facets—you’ll meet so many souls, and perhaps never feel alone again.”
--​​Chen Xiaoming​​ (Professor, Department of Chinese Literature, Peking University)

“Like the classic TV series Stories of an Editorial Board and I Love My Family, this book uses a confined space as a lens to capture society’s mosaic. Through fragmented yet vivid snapshots, readers glimpse how people connect—with each other and the city.”
--Liu Hailong​​ (Professor, School of Journalism, Renmin University of China)

“By meticulously transcribing conversations with fleeting passengers, Hei Tao weaves words with warmth and texture. In an age of pervasive loneliness, his stories offer solace and respite.”
--​​Xie Youshun​​ (Professor, Department of Chinese Literature, Sun Yat-sen University)

★ ​​Acclaimed by literary scholars!​​ Peking University Professor Chen Xiaoming praises: “Reading it, you’ll never feel alone!” Sun Yat-sen University Professor Xie Youshun lauds its prose for “cohering lonely hearts.”
★ ​​A taxi-driver’s Midnight Food Store!​​ Through the steering wheel, writer-driver Hei Tao witnesses humanity: heartbroken lovers, cross-cultural encounters, midnight mysteries… A theatrical microcosm of Shanghai unfolds in his cab!
★ ​​A ‘USB-style survival’ artisan’s memoir!​​ Ex-magazine editor → taxi driver → writer. Documenting 20+ career shifts and the soul of Shanghai, netizens cry: “This is my parallel life!”
★ ​​Based on a viral micro-documentary with 11 million views!​

Drive and Seek: A Shanghai Taxi Diary a nonfiction work hailed as the taxi-driver’s answer to Midnight Diner.

Author Hei Tao chronicles his experiences driving a cab in Shanghai: eclectic passenger tales, slices of urban life, the daily realities of taxi drivers, and vignettes of the city’s evolving landscape and history. Rich in storytelling and laced with dry wit, it paints a vibrant portrait of Shanghai’s human tapestry.

​​Hei Tao​​

Writer and “USB-style survival” craftsman. Former magazine editor, shop owner, taxi driver, and practitioner of over 20 professions.

Foreword
Author’s Note
Welcome to Shanghai
Northern Wolf
A Nightmare at the Detention Center
Shanghai’s Tough Love
Foreign Passengers
The Unforgettables
A Dream Company
Contradictory Charm
Where Did You Go?
The Girl in the Fisherman’s Hat
Playing Cat-and-Mouse with Passengers
Finally, a Complaint
The Straight-Line Detour
Hey, This Guy from Kunshan
Lost and Found
Uncategorizable
Positive Vibes, Negative Energy
Between Men and Women
What Is Love?
The Elopement Dynasty
Things Best Left Unsaid
Coffee That Doesn’t Sit Right
The Magical Dine-and-Dash
The Unpaid Fare
The Enigmatic Girl
Eavesdropping
A Blind Date Gone Wrong
The Joy of Eavesdropping
Gems Along the Road
Storms of Life
Jiangqiao Wholesale Market
The Octogenarian
Sand Through Fingers
A Daring Rescue
Children and the Little Boy
Kids Riding Alone
Dark Nursery Rhymes
Innocent Utterances
The Starting Line
Good Girls, Good Boys
The Good Girl
Sudden Love
The Good Boy
Talent Show
Silver Hair
Marginal Figures
The Side-Hustling Driver
Drinking Alone
The Dragon Pillar Mystery & Australia
Ghost Sighting
I’m Sorry, Baby
Shanghai Horror Story
A Bumpy Encounter
Reckless Drives and Dark Hours
Scams and Escapes
A Woman Goes to Church
Half a Day at the Police Station
Best Actor Award
The Odd Ones
Afterword