Xiao Liji trembled as she slowly stood up, her lips moving repeatedly before she managed to speak. "Jinfei… is Feng'er really… really…" Thinking of her husband's dying words and the years of longing for her son, Xiao Liji could no longer maintain the composure she had been forcing. She collapsed into her seat, trembling with grief.
Song Jinfei couldn't bear to look into her tear-filled eyes. He turned his head away and said weakly, "I'm afraid… the young master has little hope…"
The conference room instantly fell silent. No one spoke a word. Commander Song looked around at the generals, their eyes glistening with unshed tears, and felt a pang of sorrow in his heart. He couldn't help but recall all that Xiao Liji had sacrificed for the nation over the years, the losses she had endured. Then Song Jinfei's earlier words echoed in his mind. A sudden burst of hope surged through him.
"Xiao Fei, you said 'I'm afraid he has little hope.' Does that mean there's still a chance, however slim?" Commander Song exclaimed, his eyes lighting up.
Yes, that was what he had said—I'm afraid he has little hope, not he definitely has no hope. In an instant, all eyes, including Xiao Liji's, turned back to Song Jinfei.
Song Jinfei hesitated, lifting his head slightly before lowering it again and murmuring, "But it's probably impossible…"
At this point, it was no longer up to him to decide.
"Xiao Fei, what do you mean 'impossible'? Look at the people sitting here—your elders! What problem can't we solve? Speak!" Commander Song slammed his hand on the table, his voice booming with determination.
Then why don't you solve this problem yourselves? Song Jinfei thought bitterly, pursing his lips.
Xiao Liji raised a hand to calm the passionate generals. With Commander Song's assistance, she stepped down from the platform and approached Song Jinfei. She stared at him for a long moment, then suddenly pulled away from Commander Song's supporting arm and bowed deeply to Song Jinfei.
"Director…" Song Jinfei stammered, stunned.
Ignoring the generals, who were still reeling from the sight of the Director of the National Security Bureau bowing to a subordinate, Xiao Liji spoke in a calm but firm voice. "Don't think too much of this bow. It's not from me, but on behalf of Feng'er. I know it, you know it, and everyone here knows it—Feng'er is in a life-or-death situation. I am not the selfless person you think I am, letting him fend for himself. Now that we've exhausted all our ideas, why not share this 'impossible' solution you've been holding back? Let's see if there's even the slightest glimmer of hope. If there is…"
She turned to the gathered generals and bowed again, deeply and respectfully. "I beg all of you—help me and Feng'er with everything you've got!"
Her tone abruptly turned firm, and then softened again. "I am just a woman. A mother. Nothing more."
Commander Song's emotions churned as he looked at this extraordinary woman. For the first time since becoming a commander, he felt powerless, unable to solve the situation. What's wrong with me? Why am I so concerned about her? This feeling... It's like the me from years ago when I was young… He shook his head violently, trying to dispel the thought. Stealing a glance at Xiao Liji's calm yet determined face, he turned to Song Jinfei with a glare. "Stop keeping us in suspense! Speak, or I'll break your legs!"
"Yes, Xiao Fei, just say it! You wouldn't want to see Aunt Xiao heartbroken, would you? Maybe there really is a way. After all, we're not exactly a bunch of amateurs here," Jin Shirong chimed in, taking a deep drag of his cigarette.
Song Jinfei let out a bitter laugh. Seeing the anticipation in everyone's eyes, he finally relented. "It's not really a solution—it all depends on the young master himself."
"What do you mean?"
After a moment's thought, Song Jinfei explained, "I've already said that the reason Shinohara Kenrei hasn't taken lethal action yet is because of his so-called 'racer's pride.' As long as that remains intact, he won't go all out. But the moment he loses his composure, even if we had missiles, we couldn't guarantee the young master's safety. And now that they're about to enter the city, it will be impossible for us to use heavy weapons. That's why I dismissed the idea of intervening directly."
He paused, then continued, "But precisely because Shinohara Kenrei still sees himself as a racer, there's a small window of opportunity. A true racer, even one as twisted as him, knows that reckless crashes—even calculated ones—are frowned upon. That's where the young master's slim chance lies."
He closed his eyes briefly before speaking again. "But that slim chance is something only the young master himself can seize."
Xiao Liji froze. "Xiao Fei, what do you mean? Feng'er has to rely on himself?"
"Yes. He has to break free from his current situation on his own," Song Jinfei replied with a nod. "Look—his car is performing at its absolute limit, yet he still can't shake off Shinohara Kenrei. The latter keeps forcing him into the inner lane. If not for the sheer strength of the young master's car, it would have likely disintegrated by now."
"What can we do?" Xiao Liji asked, her voice trembling. She didn't know much about cars, but she understood one thing: a high-speed car disintegrating meant one thing—explosion. Her body wavered, and she nearly collapsed.
Commander Song quickly supported her, though he had no idea what to say. As a complete novice in racing, he could only grip her arm tightly and bark at Song Jinfei, "Stop stalling! Finish your explanation, or I'll tear you apart!"
Song Jinfei was taken aback. While he had seen his father angry before, even when he disobeyed and continued racing, the old man had never been this furious. Was he serious this time? Realizing he couldn't delay any longer, he quickly continued, "That's why this slim chance must be seized quickly. Otherwise…"
Seeing Commander Song's glare, he cut straight to the point. "My idea is this: Right now, the young master is flanked by Shinohara Kenrei on the left, a cliff on the right, and pursuers behind him. Only the front is open—but there's a problem. Shinohara Kenrei likely has a hidden ambush waiting up ahead. Based on everything we've seen tonight, that ambush won't be behind him—it'll be ahead. If the young master continues forward, he'll likely run into it. While his life may not be in immediate danger, Shinohara Kenrei will achieve his goal of capturing him alive.
"So, no matter how you look at it, Feng'er's only chance of survival is to break free from this entrapment. But instead of going forward, he has to retreat. That's his only chance."
The room fell silent.
Song Jinfei took a deep breath. "But… this is where it gets tricky. To retreat, the enemy car behind him has to move out of the way. That's where we come in. We need to find someone with exceptional driving skills to bait the car behind Feng'er into leaving the inner lane, without making it obvious. Only then will Feng'er have a chance to escape."
After finishing his explanation, Song Jinfei grabbed a water bottle and gulped it down, exhausted.
"Exceptional driving skills? Someone like the young master himself?" one general finally asked after a long pause.
Song Jinfei nearly spat out his water. "Of course! But it doesn't have to be someone as skilled as him—just someone who's at least 70-80% as good."
The generals exchanged hopeful looks, but Song Jinfei quickly dashed their optimism. "Gentlemen, you're missing the real difficulty here. Yes, China has plenty of skilled racers, and while very few are on par with the young master, every city has a few racers who come close. But the real challenge is this: We're asking someone to risk their life. If the driver manages to bait the enemy without getting caught, great. But if they're discovered, not only will they die, but so will Feng'er. That's the real difficulty."
The room fell into a heavy silence.
It was true—those unafraid of death could become Communist Party members, but the proportion of such individuals in China's population was small. Fear of death still held sway over many…
Jin Shirong's mood plummeted to rock bottom. Among all the people in the room, excluding Xiao Liji, he was perhaps the one most concerned about Zhuifeng. After all, in a sense, Zhuifeng had grown up right under his watchful eyes…
As Jin Shirong reflected on this, his chest tightened with a deep sense of helplessness. Is this really how it all ends for Zhuifeng?