The afternoon sun illuminated the Karting field inside the large cruise ship, making the place seem to radiate the same heat as the drivers who had competed against each other for the last thirty minutes. Among the Go-Kart drivers competing there, Wu Zhaoyi was wearing a blue driver's suit and Lai Xuting was wearing a gray one, while their target that Miss Rong had mentioned earlier was wearing a pink.
Along with the three racers, there were several people who were also wearing suits that matched the Go-karts they were driving. Everyone seemed to be starting to speed up, because the last lap was just around the corner, indicating that the first lap would soon be over.
Despite the crowded field, the spectators were able to differentiate each player by their assigned number and suit color. They could even track specific drivers when multiple Go-karts spun together in the distance. Miss Rong, Nicole and Janice watched from the open area on the second floor, observing the Go-karts that kept passing beneath them.
"Boring," Commented Miss Rong who was wearing sunglasses and looking through a small pair of binoculars, watching the pink-shirted driver who had just crossed the finish line.
"Then what do you expect?" Replied Janice who was also wearing sunglasses and standing in the middle of the two women. "You asked them to go Karting with that blonde. Didn't they do what you told them to do?"
Miss Rong lowered the binoculars in her hand, "I gave them weapons, but how to use them, they have to figure it out themselves." She said in a disappointed tone, as if her expectations of the two men were too high. "If Director Wu and Director Lai approach women like this, even if I give them a year, it won't result in anything."
After a few moments, all of the drivers had crossed the finish line and parked their karts in the designated area. The field was now empty, waiting for the next round to begin. During this short break, players either rested or caught up with their teammates before getting ready for the next race. Some even took advantage of the time to socialize with other drivers competing in the event.
"No need to rush, the game is not over yet." Nicole said, standing at the very end, wearing a pair of cat-eye sunglasses.
Miss Rong turned to Nicole, "There's only one round left. What do you expect to happen in such a short time?"
"What we're talking about is falling in love," Nicole then turned her gaze to Miss Rong, "Not falling out of it."
Being between Nicole and Miss Rong, Janice felt confused every time the two of them talked about something, as if her brain was not on the same frequency as them. "What does that mean?"
"It only takes a moment for someone to fall in love, that's love at first sight." Miss Rong explained to the woman standing beside her, "But forgetting that person can take much longer, sometimes even a lifetime."
"I'll be down in a moment," Nicole exclaimed, then turned and walked towards the iron stairs, where every step echoed around her.
Janice was torn between following Nicole or staying put, and she could feel her frustration mounting as the two women exchanged silent communication through eye contact. Janice felt like a child trying to make sense of an adult conversation, one that she would never fully comprehend due to her lack of experience with the topic at hand. Why did she feel so out of depth in this situation?
Taking a deep breath, Janice asked the woman. "What do you actually expect to happen there?
Miss Rong looked back at the field in front of her, which was as hot as she was now. "To give me a good performance," She answered briefly. However, a moment later a smile slowly appeared on her face and a hopeful expression was visible behind her sunglasses. "But, it looks like a fantastic performance is going to happen there."
Nicole went downstairs and observed the place, then her eyes stopped on a figure at the end where the Go-Kart was parked. Wu Zhaoyi and a driver wearing an orange shirt were standing there chatting, looking closer it seemed like the two people were discussing the Go-Kart they were driving and how to improve the performance of the vehicle.
Miss Rong's concerns finally made sense to Nicole as she observed the man's lack of interest in their target, a blonde woman who was surrounded by other male drivers, including Lai Xuting at the front. Meanwhile, Wu Zhaoyi showed no signs of even glancing in that direction, completely focused on another task.
"Excuse me," Nicole interrupted the conversation between the two men, "I have something to talk to him about." She smiled kindly at the orange driver, pointing her hand at Wu Zhaoyi to make her word clear. A moment later, the man understood and stepped back, disappearing behind Nicole as he walked in the other direction.
Feeling that she didn't have much time, Nicole speaking frankly. "You should make an effort to like her," She spoke in a stern voice. "Try to show her a little affection."
Wu Zhaoyi didn't answer, but when he heard the word come out of Nicole's mouth, his gaze changed.
"If you continue like this, then only Lai Xuting can get out of this place." Nicole tilted her head back slightly, where the crowd had now turned into a mini fan meeting place. "There are situations where you don't need to be too careful when making decisions, but rather use your feelings."
The man in the blue suit followed Nicole's head movement for a moment, but with a blank expression, not seeming to be bothered by the sight at all. Then he turned back to the woman in sunglasses in front of him, "You're not seriously asking me to like her, are you?"
Nicole took a deep breath and looked straight into the man's eyes, "It would be great if it was real."
Wu Zhaoyi crossed his arms over his chest and declared, "Once I've made up my mind about her, there's no going back."
Zhaoyi's words unknowingly transported Nicole back to a rainy day in the past, standing outside the man's apartment waiting for him. At that time, Nicole thought that Wu Zhaoyi truly loved her, but it turned out that she was thrown by the bitter reality that she had to swallow. Everything that happened that year was just a lie and a momentary beautiful dream.
It was no wonder that Wu Zhaoyi turned his back on her at that time, because the man had never been fond of Shanshan. "Do as you wish," Nicole said coldly. "My main priority is getting out of here."
Since no one spoke again there, Nicole turned around and walked in another direction leaving Wu Zhaoyi standing there frozen.
"But, it seems like I can't do it." Wu Zhaoyi muttered to himself, "Because I have given my whole heart to that woman, ten years ago." His gaze continued to be fixed on Nicole's back which was getting further away and finally disappeared there.
"But, it seems impossible for me to do that." Wu Zhaoyi muttered to himself, "Because I have given my whole heart to that woman, ten years ago." His eyes remained fixated on Nicole's retreating figure until she disappeared from sight.
The final round was about to begin, the drivers started to get into their Karts and check the equipment including Wu Zhaoyi who was behind Lai Xuting. But, when his eyes caught the figure passing in front of him along with the blonde woman who was their target, Nicole's words repeated in his head as if giving him a warning.
Seeing Lai Xuting already able to chat and laugh with the woman in pink, showed that the two of them must have gotten to know each other. Maybe after this game was over, they would start exchanging phone numbers so they could contact each other. If that really happened, it would be difficult for Zhaoyi to catch up.
As Wu Zhaoyi focused on the scene in front of him, a driver in orange got into the Go-Kart parked next to the man. The fully dressed driver just opened his eyes to see the surroundings clearly, while wearing a seat belt as a final preparation, suddenly the movement of the man in blue next to him caught his attention.
Wu Zhaoyi looked at him as if to signal, regarding the matter they had discussed earlier. However, there was no reaction, making him start to get confused. But strangely, when he looked into those eyes more clearly, Zhaoyi felt like he was looking at someone else. Was it just his feeling or was something going on there?
As if dismissing the speculation in his head, the orange-shirted driver nodded his head once, giving a response that was in line with Zhaoyi's expectations. The helmet on his head closed securely, fully protecting his entire head as he gripped the steering wheel tightly with both hands, showing his determination.
The sound of the whistle echoed through the air, signaling the start of the race once again. The racers revved up their karts and took off onto the track, adjusting their speed to match the road ahead. This time, they were faster yet more controlled in their movements, indicating that they were becoming more familiar with the track and eager to complete the game.
However, the once peaceful atmosphere became tense when they approached the final lap. It began when the orange Kart attempted to overtake the pink Kart, resulting in their vehicles clashing against each other due to their close proximity. As both drivers tried to accelerate, the friction between them intensified. The blonde woman, driving one of the Karts, signaled for the orange driver to create a safe distance between them.
Unfortunately, the driver seemed unconcerned and instead accelerated his vehicle, causing their Kart to collide even harder. A thought immediately crossed the blonde woman's mind, almost as if she could sense that the driver next to her had intentionally caused the collision and wouldn't allow her to leave the race unscathed.
While Pink Kart teetered on the brink of a cliff, she came to the realization that there was no other choice but to surrender. She had lost control and was now at the mercy of Orange Kart, who was pushing ahead with even greater force, dragging her along forcibly. Fear tightened its grip around her as each second passed, and all she could do was pray for a miracle to save her from this perilous situation.
In the next moment, another collision occurred, but this time it wasn't as intense. The blonde woman glanced around and saw that there was a Kart behind them, intentionally crashing into the Orange Kart to separate them. However, despite the interference, the Orange Kart remained aggressive and refused to give the Blue Kart a chance. After multiple bumps, the Orange Kart was finally pushed out of the track and spun several times before hitting the guardrail in its last attempt to stay in the race.
The blonde woman was disoriented, not fully comprehending the events that had just occurred. Time seemed to fly by, and she struggled to make sense of what was happening around her. She finally felt a sense of safety and calmness wash over her, and cautiously opened her eyes. Through the clear visor of her black helmet, she saw a driver in blue walking towards her. Based on her observations, this person was responsible for colliding with her kart, but also the one who had come to her aid.
The blonde woman was confused, not fully comprehending what had just happened. Time seemed to pass by so quickly until she finally felt a sense of security and calm wash over her, carefully she opened her eyes. Through the clear visor of the black helmet, the blonde woman saw a driver in a blue shirt walking towards her. From what the woman understood, this person was responsible for the accident with her car, but also the person who had helped her.
"Are you okay?" The man asked, removing his blue helmet.
She couldn't tell if it was residual fear or a sense of relief, but when she saw the person before her with concern in his eyes, the blonde woman instinctively reached out and wrapped her arms around the man's neck.
The others who were standing at a distance, displaying shock on their faces at the events that had just unfolded. They were unsure of what was happening, as they could only observe as the man in blue patted the driver in pink's back several times, attempting to pacify her.
Among the crowd, there was one person who had been watching their interaction from the start and could see it clearly. The person was only a few meters away from the Pink Kart with her left hand slightly trembling as she tried to reach for her right arm, trying to stop the blood that was flowing. However, she could not tell whether it was just a wound or seeing what was happening in front of her that caused such deep and excruciating pain that pierced her bones.
Wu Zhaoyi stepped into the locker room and scanned the area for the person who had aided him earlier, who was none other than the orange-shirted driver. He had been concerned about his well-being at that time, especially after witnessing the car crash with the road divider and emit smoke. Zhaoyi nearly approached the person before the blonde-haired woman, however he knew to stick to the plan they had arranged in order to achieve his goal. Otherwise, all of their sacrifices would be for nothing.
His footsteps stopped when he saw a man standing in front of one of the lockers and had changed into the regular clothes. "Are you okay?" Zhaoyi asked. "Regarding what happened on the field earlier, thank you for your help." He began to explain what he meant.
The man's facial expression was initially confused, as if he couldn't comprehend the conversation. However, after a moment he seemed to recall their previous encounter and his face lit up with a friendly expression.
"Don't thank me, I wasn't the one behind the wheel of the Kart." He said frankly, "The woman who spoke to you earlier was the one driving it. She asked me to switch places with her, because she has something important to do to help you."
Zhaoyi's body immediately became tense and his heart was beating fast hearing the man talk about what really happened there. At that moment he realized that he had made a big mistake again.
***