TF01 18

After dinner, Shi Yi asked Ying Ming if he dared to drive at night. The other answered bluntly, “I’m not looking to die.”

Shi Yi laughed. “I thought you were going all in.”

“Being serious and looking to die are two different things.” Throwing his own words back at him, Ying Ming shrugged and grabbed the room key from the front desk. Shi Yi’s room was right next to his. The temporary lodging at the rest stop was nothing like a hotel, just barely livable. The walls were thin, and if they made too much noise, the other guests would probably hear everything.

Shi Yi ran into a problem while showering. Halfway through, the hot water turned cold. Luckily, Ying Ming heard him yelling in the bathroom and called for a staff member. But in the end, he still had to step out covered in body wash to find someone.

After driving all day, they were both exhausted and slept soundly through the night without dreaming.

When they woke up in the morning, it was 6:10 AM.

Shi Yi got up first and woke Ying Ming. They grabbed a few things from the convenience store and hit the road. They thought they were up early, but when they reached the parking lot, only four cars were left.

“I figured most people were just here for fun, but turns out they’re pretty serious.” Shi Yi casually commented before getting in the car.

Ying Ming chuckled beside him. “For most people, it’s not about winning first place, just not coming in last.”

Aside from a handful of professional racers, most participants in this rally were amateurs.

They might not be the best, but at least they were smart enough to start early.

Once in the car, Shi Yi let Ying Ming take the lead. According to him, he had more experience with off-road driving than Ying Ming, so to keep things fair, he always let him start first.

Ying Ming had no reason to refuse. After driving the whole day yesterday, he had gained a bit of experience. This time, he avoided potholes and detours instead of charging straight through. It felt great while driving, but his body paid the price at night.

Shi Yi must have noticed, because he held down his horn for a long moment from behind, a clear tease.

Ying Ming glanced at the rearview mirror and instinctively raised an eyebrow.

Unlike yesterday, Shi Yi was not tailing him closely. At times, the distance between their cars widened, but Shi Yi would always catch up soon after, keeping a steady distance. Rather than a race, it felt more like friends looking out for each other.

According to the GPS, there were four cars ahead of them. The fastest one had already reached the next rest stop. Dong Xiao’s car was actually just in front of them.

“Thought he’d be driving way faster…”

Before getting in the car, Shi Yi had thrown out that remark. Ying Ming had only glanced at the screen and said nothing.

Now, the distance between them was closing in.

But as they got closer, Ying Ming noticed something off. According to the GPS, Dong Xiao’s car, along with another one, had veered off the course.

There was no fixed track in an off-road rally. Technically, as long as they were heading in the right direction, drivers could choose their own paths. But Dong Xiao’s current position was clearly too far off, even for a detour.

Shi Yi sensed something was wrong and pressed the radio to call Ying Ming.

“Hey, where the hell did Dong Xiao’s car go? It hasn’t moved for a while.”

“Yeah, I noticed. Let’s check it out when we get there.”

They were still about half an hour away. Ying Ming, in the lead, stepped on the gas a little.

The GPS kept prompting him to return to the course due to the wrong direction. Annoyed, he simply turned it off. When he looked up again, he saw two cars stopped ahead.

He froze for a second.

“Shit!”

A car was nearby, but it was not Dong Xiao’s. His vehicle was farther back, already flipped over.

Shi Yi was right behind Ying Ming, so he saw it too. Instinctively, both of them slammed the gas pedal almost to the floor and sped toward the scene.

Someone was standing near Dong Xiao’s overturned car. Shi Yi and Ying Ming were not too familiar with him, but they vaguely remembered that he was the CEO of an IT company. He was crouched beside the wreck, talking to the person inside, but there was no response.

Ying Ming jumped out of the car and ran over, his brows furrowed tightly.

The car had landed on its side, with the driver’s seat pinned underneath. The windshield was already cracked, with shattered glass scattered inside. Dong Xiao was slumped over, but it was hard to see his condition through the broken glass.

“Shit! Dong Xiao! Dong Xiao!”

Ying Ming shouted twice.

The CEO beside the wreck shook his head. “I’ve been calling him for ages, but he’s not responding.”

“If there’s no response, why the hell haven’t you pulled him out yet?!”

Shi Yi had just caught up and snapped at him without hesitation. The CEO froze, stunned by the outburst. Before he could react, Ying Ming had already climbed over the wreck to the other side.

Shi Yi glanced up. “Be careful.”

Off-road jeeps were wider than regular cars. Ying Ming climbed onto the vehicle, only to find that the door was jammed from the impact. He tried pulling it open but got nowhere. After pounding on the window for a while without any response, Shi Yi, watching from below, finally shouted, “Damn it, stop knocking! Just kick it open!”

Ying Ming made a quick decision. Taking a deep breath, he braced himself and kicked.

He aimed for the rear window.

Since this was a rally, he had worn military boots, and with one strong kick, the glass cracked instantly.

He reached inside and forced open the front passenger door, then crawled in to get to Dong Xiao.

Dong Xiao had not even fastened his seatbelt. He was wedged awkwardly between the driver’s seat and the steering wheel, surrounded by a mess of shattered and broken items.

“Fuck, who the hell keeps glass cups in a rally car?”

Ying Ming could not hold back his frustration. Keeping his balance, he carefully reached out and pushed Dong Xiao.

“Dong Xiao! Can you hear me? Hey, wake up!”

Now that he was closer, he could finally see some reaction.

Dong Xiao was badly injured, but he was still conscious. He opened his eyes and glanced at Ying Ming, but he could not manage a single word.

But when Dong Xiao turned his head, Ying Ming froze.

Earlier, with Dong Xiao slumped inside, he hadn’t noticed. But now, as the other man shifted, the entire other side of his face was covered in blood.

There was so much blood that it was impossible to see the exact wound. All he could make out was a mess of torn flesh.

Ying Ming furrowed his brows, saying nothing. He slowly propped Dong Xiao up, urging him to stay conscious while trying to pull him out of the car.

But with the vehicle flipped on its side, Dong Xiao’s limbs were limp, completely unresponsive.

Seeing no other option, Ying Ming shouted, “Shi Yi!”

Shi Yi and the CEO hurried around the wreck. “How is he? Can you get him out?”

“No…”

Ying Ming sounded frustrated. “He’s badly injured.”

Shi Yi cursed under his breath.

He had been trying to call the event organizers since Ying Ming first climbed onto the car, but neither Ke Jing’s number nor the service station’s was going through. The CEO said he had managed to reach an emergency line earlier, but the call had cut off halfway through. Whether help was actually on the way was uncertain.

This place was hours away from both rest stops. Even if they were coming, it wouldn’t be anytime soon.

Since this wasn’t an official race, there were no approved helicopters. Relying on cars alone wouldn’t be enough.

After two more failed attempts, Shi Yi gave up and shut his phone. He looked at Ying Ming and Dong Xiao in the wrecked vehicle, then thought for a moment.

“Ying Ming, cover his face and body with something. We’re smashing the front windshield.”

The CEO grabbed his arm. “Moving him like this isn’t safe. What if—”

“He’s already in this state. How much worse can it get? If we don’t get him out, are we just going to leave him here to wait for death?”

If this were a normal traffic accident, it would be best not to move an injured person without knowing the full extent of their condition. But out here, in the middle of nowhere, leaving Dong Xiao trapped inside was an even bigger risk.

At the very least, they needed to get him out. If they still couldn’t reach anyone, they could take him to the rest stop themselves.

Shi Yi’s words made Ying Ming take off his jacket and cover Dong Xiao’s head. He then pulled out a seat cushion from the back and placed it over Dong Xiao’s chest before retreating to the backseat. “Alright, go ahead and break it.”

Luckily, the windshield was already cracked, making it easier to shatter.

Shi Yi and the CEO picked up a couple of stones and chipped away at the cracks bit by bit, widening the opening until it was just big enough for someone to squeeze through. When the stones were no longer useful, Shi Yi grabbed the edge of the frame and pulled at the part stuck at the bottom of the window.

Ying Ming saw this from inside and gave him a heads-up. “Watch your hands.”

“It’s fine!” Shi Yi responded without hesitation.

Once the opening was big enough, he took off his shirt and laid it on the ground before signaling Ying Ming to lift Dong Xiao while he and the CEO pulled from outside.

It sounded simple enough, but actually doing it was exhausting.

The scorching sun was beating down so hard that Shi Yi’s back felt like it was burning, while Ying Ming was struggling to breathe in the cramped space inside the car. It took them a full half hour before they finally got Dong Xiao out.

Drenched in sweat, Ying Ming climbed out of the car and wiped his forehead, looking completely worn out. His T-shirt was already soaked through.

The CEO handed Ying Ming a bottle of water. He thanked him, then passed it to Shi Yi instead.

Shi Yi did not hold back. He twisted the cap off and took several big gulps before handing it back. “Watch him. I’ll keep trying to call someone.”

He turned away and kept dialing.

Dong Xiao was in bad shape. Ever since they pulled him out of the car, he had been groaning nonstop. His eyes were open, but he was barely conscious. Ying Ming had been talking to him for a while, but he never responded. His eyes kept moving around, but there was no focus in them.

Shi Yi made at least ten calls but still could not reach anyone. In the end, it was the CEO who suggested, “If this isn’t working, we should drive to the rest stop and get help. Sitting here and waiting won’t do any good.”

Ying Ming nodded. “Yeah, that’s faster.”

But the CEO’s car was out of gas. He had been driving with car trouble and was hoping to find Dong Xiao for help, only to stumble upon his wrecked vehicle instead. Just as he was about to call for assistance, Shi Yi and Ying Ming had arrived.

“You can take my car. I remember seeing an ambulance parked at the rest stop when we left. If you can’t find anything here, go back.”

The facilities at each rest stop varied. Since they had spent the night at the previous one, it was well-equipped. To be safe, Ying Ming suggested heading back there.

The CEO took Ying Ming’s car and drove off in search of help, while Shi Yi and Ying Ming stayed behind with Dong Xiao in case something happened.

The wait was unbearable.

Dong Xiao’s condition worsened as time passed. He was already dazed before, but now he was closing his eyes for longer stretches. No matter how hard Ying Ming slapped him, he would not wake up.

“Fuck! Why is this taking so damn long?” Shi Yi growled and kicked the car door in frustration.

Ying Ming glanced at him, then looked down at Dong Xiao lying beside them. His brows were drawn so tightly they were nearly knotted.

“This is fucking ridiculous!”