DTTM 20

Chapter 20: I Hate You, I despise You

The track at Fantong Station this time was quite special; it looked more like a big maze than a race track.

Upon entering the race map, the entire world turned red, and the scorching air clung to my skin through the goggles, carrying a dry, metallic scent.

Floating islands dotted the air, their edges scorched a golden-red, resembling fragments of a broken continent.

Several enormous golden energy rings were suspended between each floating island, and the race car must leap through these golden rings to get from one floating island to another.

There were three types of gold rings: trap rings, teleportation rings, and speed rings.

As the name suggested, the trap rings were designed to trap. When a vehicle passed over them, dangerous traps were triggered, turning into giant traps that clamp down on any prey that passed by.

The teleportation ring randomly teleport the vehicle to a floating island, and if you’re not careful, you’d get further and further away from the destination.

The speed ring was the only one without any debuffs, making it the primary choice for drivers to traverse among the three types of rings. Passing through it grants a boost, helping the car land accurately and safely on the next floating island.

The island’s racetrack included not only straightaways but also numerous treacherous curves. Regardless of the type of gold ring, flawlessly navigating them consecutively in the tense and fast-paced race wasn’t easy. It tested not only the driver’s skill but also the navigator’s ability to guide the car. The slightest misstep could send the race car plunging into the endless lava sea below, instantly swallowed by the crimson waves.

At the start of the race, Tan Yunmei and I closely followed Zong Yanlei’s car, diligently fulfilling our role as secondary vehicle, blocking pursuing cars and creating more opportunities for the main car. However, halfway through the race, our car was rammed by Black Diamond’s main car before we could jump into the air, causing us to veer off course and enter the teleportation ring, separating us from the main car.

Since we had been separated, there was nothing we could do about it.

Being unknown and having your limelight stolen by others was not the kind of “hero” story I want.

So I suggested to Tan Yunmei that we compete for a top-three ranking.

“Great, let’s get into the top three. What do you need me to do?” The suggestion was quickly met with a strong response from the other party.

“I need you to be wilder.” As I finished speaking, our car landed on the new floating island. “Left 2, then right 3, 80…”

“That’s easy!” Tan Yunmei smoothly shifted gears, floored the accelerator, and drifted through two corners.

The next two jumps went very smoothly, and I navigated while keeping track of the time. Because of the unexpected teleportation earlier, we had already reached the outer edge of the entire maze track. If we made any mistakes, we might not even be able to secure a top-ten spot, let alone a top-three.

Just as I was thinking this, I suddenly caught a glimpse of a blue and pink race car that was half a car length away from us suddenly coming towards us from the side.

That was Maria’s secondary car.

“Watch out for a collision on the right…” As I warned, a loud, piercing sound of metal scraping against metal rang out, and our car lurched, we were almost pushed off the track.

The exit of the floating island was just ahead. Tan Yunmei steadied the steering wheel and accelerated to increase the distance between us and the other party.

“Full throttle uphill followed by a big jump, go right after the top of the hill, stay in the center line after entering the loop and go down the island…” Before I could even finish my instructions, the secondary car from Maria team bumped into us again.

The impact caused our vehicle to deviate from its trajectory, and after jumping, it hurtled towards the left-hand ring.

It was a teleportation ring.

As we passed through the ring, while the car was still suspended in mid-air, I scanned the floating island below into my mind at top speed, comparing it with every floating island in the entire maze in my memory, quickly locking onto the matching one, and reciting the correct route the instant I landed.

“100, 5 from the left…”

Fortunately, this misfortune turned into a blessing in disguise; the teleportation ring transported us to a location closer to the destination, greatly shortening the journey.

I thought the performance was going to be a disaster, but unexpectedly, things took a turn for the better; it was a stroke of luck.

The rest of the race went smoothly until we left the floating island area. We sped across a ring like an arrow, engines roaring, leaving our competitors behind. Cars flashed past on either side, and in our rearview mirrors, we saw cars plummeting from the sky and being swallowed by lava.

Occasionally, I witnessed the trap rings devouring vehicles, mercilessly crushing metal and flesh amidst mournful screams. Blood dripped slowly down the wreckage, evaporating before it even caused a ripple.

Sweat trickled from my forehead, stinging my eyes. I shook it off as I continued to give instructions: “Right 6, 200, full throttle over the hill, maintain center line and enter the lap after clearing the hill…”

Like all mazes in the world, no matter how winding and circuitous the route, there was only one final exit. Through continuous leaps, we finally arrived at the last golden ring.

However, fate always seems to mimic classic tropes from sports movies, just when the protagonist is about to achieve victory, a rival will inevitably emerge to engage in a showdown with him.

Just as our car was about to jump into the air and pass through the center of the ring, a race car with the same red and black paint scheme launched from the floating island to our right almost simultaneously with us.

The two cars passed through the golden ring like mirror images, and after gaining speed boos, they both landed smoothly.

Zong Yanlei’s group had somehow overtaken us.

“Is it all straight ahead?” The moment Tan Yunmei spoke, without needing my reply, she shifted gears and slammed on the gas, speeding forward.

After the floating island area, the race immediately entered a 50km straight road. On this straight, the navigator’s role was no longer crucial, and the race switched to a driver-versus-driver competition.

“Yes, it’s all straight ahead. Are you going to give way?”

Logically, as a secondary car, we should not compete with the main one; we should let the primary car go first before reaching the finish line. This way, while the team’s total points remain unchanged, Zong Yanlei could earn more individual points.

But with the finish line in sight, which driver would be willing to slow down at this point?

“If I don’t let Yi You go, he’ll cry.” Tan Yunmei chuckled softly, but she kept the accelerator floored.

It seemed that Yi You was destined to cry.

When a race car accelerates at high speeds, a low-pressure zone forms behind it, known as the slipstream. This area has very little air resistance, allowing the car to accelerate faster.

In the rearview mirror, Zong Yanlei tried to overtake us several times by exiting the slipstream, but Tan Yunmei reacted quickly and forced him back each time. Tan Yunmei wouldn’t let him pass, and he didn’t expect her to give way either, so the two began a very exciting back-and-forth battle.

Just as our two cars were locked in a stalemate, a third car silently caught up with us, judging from its nun-themed livery and license plate number 1, I confirmed that it was Maria’s main car.

It seemed to have been hiding in Zong Yanlei’s slipstream, and now it existed the zone to try to overtake two cars from one side, but was blocked by Zong Yanlei.

Then, in an attempt to further reduce the threat posed by the other party, Zong Yanlei even began to slow down and distance himself from us.

I was astonished; it was as if he had switched places with us and became the secondary car.

“Huh? The Demon King is letting us go first.” Tan Yunmei had noticed as well. “Then I won’t stand on ceremony.”

Tan Yunmei did not waste the time that Zong Yanlei had bought for us. In the last ten kilometers, the car beneath her was like a wild beast transformed from a whirlwind. The racing car’s performance was maximized, and the tires rolled over the road surface, making the car lift off the ground even with the slightest bump.

After crossing the finish line, our car braked for over two hundred meters before finally coming to a stop.

Zong Yanlei and Yi You crossed the finish line a few seconds later, followed by Maria’s main car.

“Let’s congratulate the third, fourth, and fifth place finishers!” With the announcer’s loud announcement at the finish line, our rankings were confirmed.

Third, fourth place…

Upon hearing our ranking, I leaned back in my seat, tilted my head back, and gave a wry smile that conveyed relief and schadenfreude.

Great, I don’t have to get whipped today.

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The Fantong race came to a successful conclusion. Tan Yunmei and I took third place, Qi Zhan and his team Black Diamond took second place, and the first place went to the main car of last year’s overall champion, Western Fantasy.

After the race, through Consultant Yan and the others, I learned that Black Diamond and Western Fantasy, like us, had experienced a teleportation that shortened their distance during the race, which allowed them to get ahead of the other cars.

All I can say is that we were lucky, but they were even luckier.

After opening the champagne and awarding the trophies, it was already past nine o’clock at night. Except for the injured and unconscious contestants, the Fantong organizers packed up the rest of us and took us to the After Party, declaring they’d keep the night’s excitement alive.

Along the way, I could see homeless people huddled in corners, dressed in tattered clothes. In recent years, Penglai’s overall economy has not been very good. Baiyujing, as the capital and a gathering place for the powerful and wealthy, still maintains a facade of prosperity, while other cities each grappled with their own struggles.

The party was held at the luxury hotel where we were staying. It’s the best hotel in Fantong, with a 61-story-high banquet hall on the top floor that overlooks the entire city of Fantong at night.

As the third-place winner, Tan Yunmei and I received many congratulations that evening, with numerous people coming to toast us and try to get closer to us. By the end, I was so full from drinking so much sparkling water that I had to use the excuse of going to the restroom to escape to the terrace for some peace and quiet.

It’s early winter now, and I thought there wouldn’t be many people outside, but I accidentally bumped into Zong Yanlei and Lance in the corner of the terrace.

“Is he the navigator you wanted?”

The terrace was a spacious crescent shape. The two of them probably didn’t want to be disturbed, so they hid in the pointed corner on the left, where two tall ornamental trees provided shade, blocking them out as well as me.

“What does this have to do with you?” Zong Yanlei’s voice was lazy and slightly drunk.

“He’s not what you wanted,” Lance concluded to himself. “If you were satisfied, you wouldn’t have replaced him…and you wouldn’t be drinking alone here.”

“Whether he’s the one I want or not, you’re not the one I want either. Stop thinking about me and don’t bother me.”

Through the green leaves, I could clearly see the view on the other side.

Lance stood two steps away from Zong Yanlei, clutching his clothes tightly as if he could not suppress his heartache.

“We’ve been working together so well… I don’t ask for much, can’t I even be your lover? I’ll never let the princess find out, and Xiao Mitang likes me too, mmm…”

Zong Yanlei, who had been leaning against the railing with his back to me, looking at the city night view in the distance, suddenly covered Lance’s mouth with his hand.

“Don’t let me hear ‘Xiao Mitang’ from your mouth again.” He spoke in that same languid tone, but judging from the marks his fingertips left on Lance’s cheek, he wasn’t holding back. “That’s not a name you should use, and he doesn’t like you either.”

Whether from pain or sadness, Lance’s beautiful eyes instantly filled with tears.

Just before those tears were about to fall, Zong Yanlei released his grip.

“I’ll say it again, get lost.”

With his hand pressed against his flushed cheek, Lance turned away in embarrassment.

So it was unrequited love.

Zong Yanlei just lost the game, how could he be in a good mood? Wasn’t he just asking for trouble?

I glanced in the direction Lance had disappeared, then looked at Zong Yanlei, who was looking back at the scenery, and chose to quietly retreat, pretending I had never been there.

The party went on until late at night. Yi You got completely drunk and hugged Tan Yunmei, cursing the online haters as a bunch of human cesspools with diapers stuffed in their mouths. He said that if he ever retired, he would definitely go live and argue with the haters for three days and three nights.

“Mmm-hmm-hmm.” Tan Yunmei mechanically hummed in response, helping him walk towards the elevator.

If one elevator was full, everyone else had to wait for the next one.

During that time, I couldn’t help but glance in Zong Yanlei’s direction every few seconds.

He seemed to have drunk quite a bit, but not to the point of making a scene like Yi You. He was just leaning against the wall with his eyes closed, looking like he could fall asleep at any moment.

“Ding!” The elevator doors slowly opened again.

I saw that Zong Yanlei was still leaning against the side, with no intention of opening his eyes. I waited for a while until everyone went inside and the door began to close, and then I realized that he was really drunk.

Just then, another elevator arrived. I grabbed his arm, put it on my shoulder, and dragged him into the new elevator.

“I can walk by myself.” As soon as we entered the elevator, Zong Yanlei broke free from me and staggered against the elevator walls.

Even though there were only the two of us in the elevator, I had no intention of arguing with a drunkard. He said he could walk, so I obediently stopped.

When the elevator arrived at the floor we had booked, I stopped the door and let Zong Yanlei go first. He staggered along the way, but managed to find the right door.

After opening the door, he didn’t look back and went straight into the room.

I followed him through the living room and into the bedroom. Just as he was about to take off his clothes, I spoke up to remind him.

“Young Master…”

He paused in unbuckling his belt, then turned to look at me.

“What are you doing following me?” He tilted his head, then, as if remembering something, pulled out his belt and held it out. “Oh, you won. Want to take it back?”

I stared at the belt: “…No way.” I stepped forward, smiled, and gently took the belt from his hand. “You’re drunk, I’m worried you might have an accident. That’s why I followed you in to look after you.”

I tossed the belt to the ground and began to unbutton his coat, one button at a time, along with the gold sash wrapped around it. Melanie loved military-style stage costumes, and every one of our outfits had a gold sash on it, and this one was no exception.

He quietly lowered his eyes as I undid his coat, tie, and shirt, as if we had returned to the past, to the time when our “alliance” had not yet fallen apart.

I’d heard Ye Shuer mention before that the key’s most likely form was a pendant, a sun-shaped pendant. Since suspicion fell on Zong Yanlei, the best way to confirm was, of course, to search him.

Unfortunately, even after unbuttoning all the buttons and taking off all his clothes, Zong Yanlei’s chest was still bare.

I pursed my lips and reluctantly reached for his pants pocket.

“What are you touching?”

After only a couple of touches, Zong Yanlei grabbed my wrist and took a step back. The bed was right behind him, and he wasn’t quite conscious. His heels hit the bed, making him unsteady, and he and I fell down together.

I reacted quickly and braced myself against the bed, preventing myself from falling onto him. The hand that he had grabbed earlier landed on his chest due to the momentum.

Both the feel and the firmness were completely different from before…

I quietly moved that hand to the side, making it parallel to my other hand.

“Isn’t it amazing? After healing, not a single scar was left…” Zong Yanlei lay on his back below me. He interpreted my actions as amazement at his flawless body.

Although… it really was perfect. I couldn’t help but glance down at his waist and abdomen, which were covered with defined muscles.

“Oh, there is one left… right here…”

Zong Yanlei suddenly pressed down on my lower back, and I immediately shuddered, holding my breath as I reached for the hand behind me. This was the spot where I had my bone marrow extracted six years ago, a place I rarely even touched myself. I had no idea why, but Zong Yanlei seemed to like it.

With one hand restrained, he wasn’t annoyed. He tried to pull it out but couldn’t, so he simply raised his other hand and pressed it down on my shoulder.

“Jiang Man, do you still remember what I said when I bit you back then?” Through layers of clothing, he accurately found the spot where the mark was left when he was 14 years old, and gently rubbed it with the pad of his thumb.

Even though it wasn’t in direct contact with my skin, that area still felt strangely hot.

“I remember…” I said in a hoarse voice.

Even without extraordinary memory, I think very few people could forget that scene.

“I hate you…I despise you…” Zong Yanlei repeated his lines from his youth softly.