DTTM 29

Chapter 29: You Are Such a Fool

“Right 2, lightly apply the brakes before entering the turn, then drift!”

Following my instruction, Zong Yanlei first quickly turned the steering wheel to the right, then turned it back to the correct direction, using the pre-slip created by the weight transfer to throw the car into the apex of the bend at high speed.

In low-grip races, this kind of sideslip drift could be more efficient at cornering, but it also required more advanced driving skills.

Black Diamond’s car was on our inner lane, and the two cars took the corner at approximately the same time.

After Zong Yanlei’s shocking remark during the opening match interview, “Who is Qi Zhan?”, Qi Zhan became a laughing stock online. It’s said that the mannequin he used for boxing practice at home was covered with Zong Yanlei’s photo. After winning a silver medal at the previous event, he finally felt triumphant and boldly spoke up in an interview, saying “The Sun God team is nothing special” as a retort.

The two teams’ fans have been locked in a fierce battle lately, and this tension has even spilled over into GTC betting.

Who will win this match between Sun God and Black Diamond was probably the question on every gambler’s mind tonight.

Under Zong Yanlei’s control, the side of the car gently cut into the edge of the snowdrift at a precise angle. The soft snowdrift absorbed the kinetic energy of the sideslip, acting as a “support” to prevent the vehicle from running off the track while applying thrust, much like a pinball machine, “launching” the entire vehicle out of the corner.

With the support of centripetal force, Zong Yanlei seized the opportunity and stomped on the accelerator, correcting his direction and entering the next straight at super speed, instantly leaving Qi Zhan and the others behind.

The drift into the corner, followed by a swift exit using the snow-covered embankment to overtake the car, this series of maneuvers was so fluid and perfect it could be a tutorial video. I can already picture the screaming, cheering, and exhilarated excitement of the fans watching the live stream in the stadium.

“Left 3, 500, preparing to merge into the last 50 kilometers…”

The “interactive session” mentioned by the staff was just ahead.

I was past the age of naivety, so naturally I didn’t think there was some kind of surprise or Easter egg waiting for us. But when the mechanical broadcast suddenly came on in the car, telling us that the “sliding puzzle” game was about to start, I still had some doubts, how would we interact with the sliding puzzle?

Soon, as if hearing my thoughts, the female voice on the radio began to introduce how to play the game.

“In the subsequent interactive segment, the driver will wear a closed mask containing simulated poison gas. A special key to remove the mask is sealed inside a designated wooden container. The navigator must complete a ‘digital sliding puzzle’ mechanism on the container’s surface in the shortest possible time to obtain the key and rescue the driver.”

“Please note that the median lethal time for this toxic gas at standard concentrations is 3 minutes.”

“The game is about to begin—3, 2, 1.”

When the female voice counted to “1”, a palm-sized wooden box suddenly appeared in front of me, and Zong Yanlei’s helmet was replaced with a black gas mask.

“Ugh…” The mask resembled a gas mask in form but differed fundamentally. The scarlet countdown on the side ticked. After just two breaths, Zong Yanlei’s muscles tensed, and his left hand gripped the collar of his racing suit.

“Damn it…”

This kind of “interaction”…

“Give me some time.” I clenched my fist and quickly picked up the wooden box to examine it.

The surface of the wooden box featured a 5×5 grid of sliding numbers, consisting of 24 shuffled numbers. To open the box, the numbers must be arranged in order of size.

I remember… no matter how big the sliding puzzle is, the first few rows all have the same solution.

As my fingertip moved the slider, my brain automatically entered deduction mode. Drag, move, and swap, and the first two lines took shape instantly.

Zong Yanlei’s breathing became heavy, and he began to lose his bearings.

“500 is preparing to refuel, left 5…”

As I pieced together the puzzle, I multitasked while simultaneously broadcasting the route information.

After a daring turn, a car suddenly appeared in the distance, crashed into the snowdrift. Its yellow and white dune paint scheme and number 1 license plate identified it as the main vehicle of last season’s champion team, Western Fantasy.

I saw that the front of the car was completely embedded in the snowdrift, and the thick snow completely buried the driver’s seat. I guessed that the driver must have been affected by the toxic gas and lost control of the steering wheel, which led to the accident.

The Western Fantasy team was very strong and had achieved good results in the previous rounds, but unexpectedly it suffered a crushing defeat in this small interactive game.

With just one glance, I looked away and continued to complete the rest of the puzzle.

“Jiang Man…”

When I moved to the third row, I heard Zong Yanlei’s hoarse voice next to me.

That voice instantly pulled me back to the year he was at his worst. His skin had ulcerated completely, and his internal mucous membranes were rotting away until he could only eat liquid food and even breathing was painful.

“Soon!” he called out to me, but I knew he was nearing his limit.

My hands moved even faster.

The challenge of all number sliding puzzles lies in restoring the last two rows. However, once you master the trick, everything becomes much easier.

Click!

Up, left, down. After completing the last three steps, all the numbers were arranged in the standard sequence, the puzzle was divided into four parts, and opened to the four corners, revealing the golden key underneath.

I immediately took out the key and removed Zong Yanlei’s mask. The moment the key turned, the scarlet countdown stopped at 1:58, and the black mask and the key turned into dust and disappeared.

The helmet was put back on Zong Yanlei’s head, and he immediately gasped for breath, but his left hand was still clutching his neck, as if he had not yet escaped the pain caused by the poison.

Seeing him like this, I had a bad feeling.

“The symptoms haven’t subsided?”

“No,” he said in a hoarse voice, his left hand gripping the steering wheel again. “I won’t die.”

GTC retained 100% pain, a setting that not only increased the realism of the competition but also allowed the audience to better appreciate the various pains the players experience.

Suffering was a good medicine; it made people stronger and happier. Even in recreational activities, the doctrines of the Holy Church were indispensable.

There were even video compilations about this online. When Xiang Ze was watching, I glanced at one of them by chance, and the one with the most views was the clip of Zong Yanlei’s accident.

His neck was broken after being knocked off a cliff, his body was pierced by countless sharp blades, he was burned by raging fire, and corroded by acid rain… How strange it is for a nobleman to suffer such pain? No one can resist clicking in to see his bloodied appearance.

I guarantee that this scene will definitely be included in a compilation and become a new “highlight”.

On the final stretch of the track, Zong Yanlei regained control of the car and crossed the finish line with an absolute lead, with no cars chasing behind us.

After the car slid several hundred meters and came to a stop sideways, Zong Yanlei couldn’t wait to unbuckle his seatbelt and get out of the car.

I got off the cae and saw him take off his helmet, revealing his face covered in sores, poisonous gas had eroded his skin, and purplish-red ulcers, like hideous claw marks, covered his cheeks, each one oozing a burning pain, making one gasp in horror.

However, he seemed completely unconcerned about his miserable state. As colorful fireworks celebrating his victory exploded in the sky, he looked up, checked his ranking, and then forced a smile.

That smile was more like a declaration than joy, a contempt, a sense of self-righteousness. It was as if from the moment he stepped onto the track, he was certain that victory would be firmly in his grasp, and even the sores on his face became badges of honor.

“Ha, that’s really well done, partner.” In the dazzling sunlight, he turned to look at me, a smile playing on his lips. I caught a glimpse of his sharp canine teeth as he spoke.

‎

‎

The Sun Gos team finished the Xuanpu race with the main car in first place and the second one in fifth place. It was worth mentioning that Yi You completed the number sliding puzzle in 58 seconds, faster than me.

It seems like he really is pretty good at yo-yo after all.

When the awards were presented, the entire audience erupted in applause, as if they were about to lift the entire venue up.

Suddenly, the sky lit up as clusters of colorful fireworks bloomed layer upon layer against the night sky. Crimson gold, azure blue, rose red, and silver intertwined and scattered, illuminating the entire venue as if it were a vibrant daytime.

Directly in front of the stage, in a high-rise box in the venue, four figures—two adults and two children—could be vaguely seen through the floor-to-ceiling windows. The two adults, one standing and one sitting, were Chu Luo and her bodyguard lover. The two children, jumping and hopping, were perched on the glass, waving vigorously in our direction; it was obvious they were the twins.

Zong Yanlei missed the evening celebration party because he had an urgent meeting he had to attend. Chu Luo, on the other hand, showed up for a while, greeting everyone who came to say hello with a smile, appearing very approachable.

However, the two children were probably sent back to rest because it was too late, and they were not around.

Just like at the Crown Prince’s banquet, she was always surrounded by a group of people. I hadn’t intended to greet her, after all, I knew her biggest secret, and putting myself in her shoes, I thought she probably wouldn’t want to see me. But unexpectedly, when she was about to leave, she sent her bodyguard to find me and ask me to come over.

Chu Luo’s lover was in his early thirties, not particularly handsome, and about 1.8 meters tall, not as tall as Zong Yanlei. I remembered his name was Han Zhe, and he had been by Chu Luo’s side since she was 16, for eight years now.

“Your Highness,” I bowed to Chu Luo as I approached, “it’s been a long time.”

Her waist-length curly hair flowed smoothly down her back like silver waves. Chu Luo wore a white dress and smiled slightly, looking more like a saint than a princess.

“Long time no see. Walk with me for a while, Jiang Man.”

I nodded, stepped behind her by half a body length, and slowly walked outside. The others, including Han Zhe, followed behind us.

“It’s amazing that he actually allowed you to come back to him.” Chu Luo suddenly spoke as they walked.

This “he” can only be Zong Yanlei.

I laughed somewhat sheepishly: “After all, I’m still quite useful. As you saw, I even helped him win the regional championship today.”

“I saw it, it was a really exciting match. By the way, have you met Xiao Mitang?”

I was taken aback, somewhat surprised that she would bring up the topic of children. I thought that was a taboo subject.

“I’ve met him, he’s a very cute child.”

“Do you know why he’s called ‘Xiao Mitang’?

I shook my head, indicating that I didn’t know.

Chu Luo paused, glanced at my expression, and then smiled as if confirming something, “He hasn’t told you yet.”

What did that mean? Was this nickname important? Why would she go out of her way to tell me?

Seeing my blank expression, her smile deepened: “You’re such a fool.”

I was baffled by her sudden personal attack, but given her status as a princess, I could only laugh and admit that I was indeed foolish.

“I’m going to patrol the slums tomorrow, why don’t you come with me?”

When we reached the door, she told me I didn’t need to see her off anymore, left me with a few words, and gracefully stepped down the stairs and got into her car.

Immediately afterward, Han Zhe walked past me, nodded at me, and quickly followed.

I stood at the door for a while until I could no longer see Chu Luo and her convoy, then I turned around and walked back.

“Wait, Mr. Jiang.”

I hadn’t walked a few steps when someone suddenly jumped out from the side and blocked my way.

Upon closer inspection, I recognized him as Leander, the main driver of the Western Fantasy team.

Western Fantasy was considered another powerhouse team among the 13 GTC teams besides Sun God. Before Zong Yanlei became a GTC driver, Leander was the king of the GTC circuit.

And this time, if Zong Yanlei wanted to reclaim the championship throne, Leander would become the biggest obstacle.

“Did you need something from me?” I asked, my attitude cautious and distant when facing a formidable opponent.

“You don’t need to be so nervous, I mean no harm.” He had a pair of almond-shaped eyes, and when he smiled, the corners of his eyes would form beautiful folds.

“I just wanted to ask if you have any plans to transfer next season?” He pulled a business card from inside his suit and handed it to me.