"Good evening, viewers!" The host, Mu Xin, appeared on the screen of the Joy With the People program, visibly flushed with excitement. "I'm still Mu Xin, and while the Wind God seems to be making some final adjustments to his car, let me take this moment to provide a brief introduction: While everyone is calling tonight's event a 'race,' it's not actually an official racing competition. In Chinese, we'd call this biaoche—street racing. This extreme sport has been popular nationwide for a while now, but no TV station has ever broadcasted it before… So this time, Chongqing TV is leading the way and breaking new ground!"
As she spoke, Mu Xin's face was alight with enthusiasm.
"Looking at how grand this unofficial street race has become, I think there are three key reasons behind its popularity…
"First, as you might already know, after the Oriental Group moved its headquarters back to China, it announced plans to host a global racing league here in its home country. As a result, the street racing community's excitement has reached an all-time high. After all, it's extremely difficult for a street racer to transition into a professional driver in China. But now, the Oriental Group has provided a bridge for them to do so. And compared to other street races, tonight's event is relatively more formal, so many racers hoping to go professional see this as a chance to learn from a more structured competition."
Mu Xin paused, her tone shifting slightly. "Second, I believe a lot of people at this event don't actually know much about racing. I imagine they're here for a very simple reason—the nationalities of the two competitors…"
This was clearly an allusion to the deep-seated historical animosity between China and Japan. Though Mu Xin, as a professional host, couldn't directly express such sentiments, her tone made it obvious that she shared in the underlying tension. After all, who could ignore the arrogance of people like Koizumi Junichiro? Still, as a host, there were limits to what she could say. Mu Xin could only sigh inwardly. Who says there's freedom of speech? At least for us hosts, there definitely isn't.
"Finally, the third reason: The central figure of tonight's race—the legendary Wind God! A driver whose name has become synonymous with legend, not just in Chongqing but across the nation. According to reports, Wind God has only ever participated in one race before—against Chongqing's former king of racing, Liu Tang. And after that single race, he was crowned the Wind God, second only to the Racing God. I'm sure everyone understands the weight of the title 'God.' Could Wind God truly be comparable to the Racing God, another legend in the racing world? Don't miss the race coming up—it's bound to be unforgettable!"
Mu Xin's voice then took on a regretful tone. "Like many of you, I wish we could see the Wind God's true face. Unfortunately, since he hasn't removed his helmet, we can't catch a glimpse of him just yet…"
Amidst the lively chatter and excitement, Zhang Song, who had been enthusiastically yelling moments ago, suddenly froze in place. His eyes were glued to the car next to the Wind God. Wait… what were those letters printed on the car body?
"Chairman, when did Wind God join our team? I've been running all over the place trying to get information on him!"
The chairman of the Zhongshen Racing Team looked stunned. "What did you say? Wind God joined our team?"
Zhang Song felt extremely annoyed. "Look! The car he's working on has our team name—Zhongshen Racing Team—printed on it!"
"I… I had no idea." The chairman looked puzzled. Could Wind God really be part of our team? With that thought, he quickly scanned the racers on his team, trying to see if anyone was missing. However, to his disappointment, all the drivers—whether from the first team or the second—were accounted for. His brief moment of excitement plummeted, and he could only watch in silence as the Wind God's team worked busily on the car. Then his eyes lit up. Wait, wasn't that kid over there the mechanic who joined our team last month? Does he know Wind God?
"Zhang Song, hurry! Go get Xiao Gu for me!"
"Xiao Gu?" Zhang Song followed the chairman's gaze. "Huh? Wasn't he still at the team hq earlier when he called me? How did he…"
"He called you?" The chairman raised an eyebrow, surprised. Xiao Gu—Gu Deping—had always struck him as the stoic, aloof type. In modern slang, you'd call him someone who was 'too cool for everyone.' He had assumed Gu Deping's solitary personality would make him incompatible with the rest of the team, yet somehow, he had become friends with Zhang Song, the team's most laid-back and unserious member.
"Yeah, he said he'd modified a car that could beat that Japanese guy. Haha… I thought he was just being foolish. I mean, even Shadowflash, the best car on the team, couldn't beat him earlier. How could he manage it? So I ignored him."
The chairman sighed deeply. Clearly, the car Gu Deping mentioned must be the one in front of them now. One glance at the relaxed expression on the Wind God's face was enough to tell that this was no ordinary vehicle. Besides, a car mechanic would know their own car's potential better than anyone. For Gu Deping to confidently tell Zhang Song he could win, he must have absolute faith in the car.
Sigh… racing isn't just about skills; it's about judgment too, the chairman thought bitterly. Zhang Song is always so clueless…
Regret washed over him. Zhongshen Racing Team had just established itself in Chongqing, and this was the perfect opportunity to build their brand. Yet the chance was now slipping through their fingers because Zhang Song failed to seize it. It wasn't like they could go up to the Wind God now and demand the car back. What a headache!
But the chairman wasn't a businessman for nothing. After a brief moment of reflection, a backup plan sprang to mind. As soon as his assistant left, the smile returned to his face. He looked as smug as ever.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the race is about to begin. Stay tuned after the commercials!"
When the broadcast resumed, a new title appeared on the screen: "This Live Event is Proudly Sponsored by the Zhongshen Racing Team."
Cold sweat broke out across everyone's foreheads—classic business tactics. But you couldn't deny it: Zhongshen Racing Team's name recognition had just skyrocketed.
"Boss, is the car ready yet? Is everything okay?"
Before Zhuifeng could answer, Gu Deping, who had been silently fine-tuning the car for what felt like forever, finally spoke up. "It should be fine now. I just made some final adjustments. Since this area is at a high altitude, the oxygen concentration in the air is lower. I adjusted the airflow meter to recalibrate the ratio curve between airflow and full load accordingly."
Everyone stared at him blankly, completely lost. Aside from Zhuifeng and Shorty, the rest were total newbies when it came to car modifications.
Shorty glared at him for a full two minutes before exhaling in awe. "Damn, you're a genius!"
Gu Deping shook his head modestly. "I'm not that great. The real genius is the boss… Wind God himself. Did you know? He anticipated all these details in advance. Do you know what makes this car so powerful? He told me to modify the transmission ratio from 4.2 to 3.97. That way, it reduces the need to shift gears by one. It's brilliant!"
"Whoa…" Everyone was floored. They'd always thought Zhuifeng was just like them—someone who left the car mods to others and only focused on racing. Turns out he was a pro in every sense of the word.
To Yaoyao, Zhuifeng suddenly seemed taller, more impressive, more… perfect. The fully capable, versatile Zhuifeng had completely won her heart.
"Boss, everything's ready!" Gu Deping said, trying to hide his excitement as he closed the hood.
Zhuifeng patted him on the shoulder, offering a comforting smile. "Relax. We've got this."
"But…" Gu Deping hesitated, still nervous. "This is the first time I've modified a drag car. I'm afraid…"
"Any flaws in the car, I'll make up for with my skills. Don't forget, I'm the Wind God."
Just as Zhuifeng opened the car door, a soft voice called out, "Xiao Feng…"
Zhuifeng froze, turning around slowly. "Teacher Chen…"
It was Chen Rong. Her face was pale and drawn, and her expression frail, as if she had aged decades overnight. She nodded at him, then looked up at the sky. "Child, don't forget—we're all here supporting you. Do your best."
Tears welled up in Zhuifeng's eyes as he gazed at her frail figure. To suppress his emotions, he clenched his right hand into a fist and pounded it against his chest a few times. He understood what Chen Rong meant by 'we'—she was referring to herself and her late husband. Clenching his fist tightly, Zhuifeng also looked up at the bright night sky. Teacher Chen, I will avenge you. Just watch!
"Ladies and gentlemen, the moment we've all been waiting for is about to begin. While this wasn't the challenge Wind God initially accepted for tonight, he has nevertheless stepped up to the plate…
"According to the latest information, the Japanese racer is Koizumi Junichiro, who took second place in Japan's Zero-4 Drag Racing Championship…
"One racer is a Zero-4 expert from Japan. The other is the legendary Wind God, who rose to fame in Chongqing in just a short time.
"Will it be the Japanese racer who maintains his unbeaten streak tonight, or will the Wind God continue his myth? Stay tuned for the next chapter, The Clash of Dragons and Tigers!"