The car slowed down at a deserted street corner, then turned into an alley.
The scene ahead changed dramatically, bathed in bright lights from the headlights of the cars that were all switched on. Both sides of the street were lined with parked cars, no fewer than fifty, including modified cars and super sports cars.
"Street racers!"
Chen Yang raised an eyebrow, instantly realizing what the goth girl in the passenger seat was up to. No wonder she had so violently modified a car; she was a member of the racing clan.
Nie Yichen seemed to have some fame in the racing circle. Her arrival in the old Jetta immediately drew everyone's attention, and the crowd of men and women started to gather around.
Nie Yichen got out of the car, and a young man with a stern face laughed, smacked the hood of the old Jetta hard, and shouted, "You're ten minutes past the time we agreed on. I thought Miss Nie got scared and dared not come for the challenge."
"Li Hengjiang, I, Nie Yichen, am scared of no one, least of all you," retorted Nie Yichen to the man named Li Hengjiang, snorting coldly. "Cut the crap. Are you ready? If you're prepared, let's start the race."
"Of course I'm ready. Just get set to lose today."
Li Hengjiang sneered, lifting his hand to gesture someone forward, and a man wearing a racing suit with an expressionless face walked out of the crowd.
"Sen Katsuyuki." Seeing the man who appeared, Nie Yichen's face changed. Pointing at Li Hengjiang, she said, "Li Hengjiang, you are shameless, hiring a professional driver, and even a Japanese one at that!"
"When we arranged the challenge, we didn't specify the driver had to be oneself, did we? Are you scared?" Li Hengjiang shrugged indifferently, looking at Nie Yichen with a smug smile. "If you're scared, then just admit defeat. I don't need the one million bet; just call me 'big brother', and we'll call it even."
Upon hearing this, Li Hengjiang's followers sniggered in unison.
Nie Yichen gritted her teeth, saying defiantly, "A little Japanese? I'm not afraid of him. Come on, let's get the race started."
"Wait a second."
Li Hengjiang stopped Nie Yichen, who was about to get back into the car, and with a cocky expression, he clapped his hands and loudly commanded, "Bring out my war machine for today."
Vroom, vroom, vroom...
The aggressive roar of an engine sounded from behind the crowd, which parted to let through a sleek super sports car that slowly approached and stopped less than five centimeters from the Jetta's front bumper.
"A Lamborghini Aventador..."
Eyeing the super sports car before her, Nie Yichen looked even more troubled. Her old Jetta might have been modified impressively, but it was still far from a real super sports car, and with the opponent having a professional racer behind the wheel, her chances of winning today's race were almost nil.
Nie Yichen glared fiercely at Li Hengjiang, fuming, "Li Hengjiang, have you no shame? If you're so confident, why don't you race your own M3 against me?"
"Oh, are you angry? Scared?" Li Hengjiang sneered shamelessly. "If you're capable, you could also find a driver or switch cars. I didn't stop you."
Shaking with anger, Nie Yichen loved cars and battled for her faith and honor. The idea of asking for help or switching to a better car was an insult in her eyes, something she would never stoop to do.
Just then, a scantily clad woman next to Li Hengjiang pointed at Chen Yang, who was sitting in the copilot seat, and sneered, "Look, it seems Miss Nie has brought in some help. Could this be some anonymous driving god?"
Everyone followed the woman's finger and burst into laughter as the man in the passenger seat didn't look at all like a racing expert.
Nie Yichen glanced at Chen Yang and felt a bit sorry for him, thinking that if he had known earlier, he wouldn't have brought him along. Now, not only had he embarrassed himself, but he had also brought shame upon Chen Yang.
The passenger door slowly opened and, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Chen Yang got out of the car, shook his head gently, and said to the sexy woman seriously, "You have a really good eye, miss. You've seen through my disguise despite how well I've hidden it. Yes, I am indeed the car god of Gaoliu Mountain, nicknamed Liu Fei the Racing King."
Upon hearing this, the entire audience was stunned, their gazes swiftly focusing on Chen Yang. Although no one had heard of Gaoliu Mountain before, since he claimed to be the car god of Gaoliu Mountain, he must be more than just a nobody.
Nie Yichen's eyes brightened, and a glimmer of hope kindled in her disheartened heart, recalling Chen Yang's composure in the car and wondering if she was really that lucky to have encountered a master.
Just as Li Hengjiang frowned and Nie Yichen was delighted, Chen Yang's face showed a reminiscent expression as he said, "Back in the days at Gaoliu Mountain, Ah Fei and Ah Ga were no match for me. They were always left far behind, swept away in my dust. My car, I miss it very much—the pure pigskin handle, the big steel rim of '28, the tire that's been patched up seventeen times... oh, how free and easy, how..."
Li Hengjiang's mouth twitched, stopping Chen Yang from continuing, and asked, "Wait, what car were you driving?"
Chen Yang puffed out his chest, a proud look on his face, "Yes, that car of mine, it's the classic '68 model of the Phoenix brand '28 bar bike. Hahaha, you all must be very envious!"
Pff...
The whole place burst into disbelief; this guy turned out to be a bicycle god.
The hope that had just flared up in Nie Yichen was shattered once more, leaving her feeling half cold inside. She helplessly covered her face, humiliated. Today was simply too embarrassing.
"Hahahaha, Nie Yichen, this car god you've brought is really amazing, almost scared me to death."
Li Hengjiang laughed mockingly, and the others joined in the raucous laughter.
"Don't waste time; let's start the race."
Nie Yichen frowned, too embarrassed to let the mockery continue, and got straight into the driver's seat of the old Jetta, thinking she could only do her best. As for winning against the other team, she'd leave it to fate.
Seeing Nie Yichen getting into the car, Chen Yang's mouth curled up in a sly smile as he took his place in the passenger seat.
Turning her head, Nie Yichen looked at Chen Yang with a resigned expression, about to ask him to leave on his own, when Li Hengjiang slapped the roof of the car and stood outside the driver's door, saying, "Nie Yichen, since you've got a passenger in your car, I can't let you be at a disadvantage. I'll sit beside Sen Katsuyuki."
Without waiting for Nie Yichen to respond, Li Hengjiang had already taken his place in the passenger seat of the Aventador.
Nie Yichen's brows slightly furrowed. Now she couldn't ask Chen Yang to leave even if she wanted to, or else if she won with the other side having an extra person to increase the car's weight, her victory would be tainted.
Of course, she knew her chances of winning today were almost zero.
Nie Yichen sighed and said to Chen Yang sitting next to her, "Sigh, the race might get a bit dangerous later, prepare yourself mentally. By the way, who are Ah Fei and Ah Ga that you mentioned earlier?"
"Ah Fei is my family's chicken, and Ah Ga is our duck," Chen Yang replied nonchalantly.
Nie Yichen felt a surge of regret; she should never have brought him along, thinking, why did she have to do this to herself.