DTTM 52

Chapter 52: Haven’t figured out your cover story yet?

In complete darkness, when I heard a crisp electronic “ding”, I knew that we had reached the second “checkpoint.”

“Left 3, 300, Right 5, 200, Pink flower shop to the right front, crash…”

Once constrained by penalties, navigators become hesitant and timid. When planning routes, they will tend to choose elevated roads, highways, or tunnels—sections inaccessible to pedestrians. It is human instinct to seek advantage and avoid harm. However, if they win by following such a “script,” they will only achieve a mediocre victory, not the crown of a hero.

The “heroes” are those who, after understanding the coldness of the rules and weighing the consequences, still go against the tide.

They are beings who transcend the mundane, traitors to the “seeking advantage and avoiding harm” principle of life’s instincts, warriors who rise to the challenge in the eyes of the beneficiaries, and madmen who disregard the consequences in the eyes of those in power.

If everyone tells an ordinary person “this road is blocked,” they will turn back, but a hero will turn that warning sign into dust, and then move forward over the fragments.

Their journey may not always be smooth sailing, but it will certainly… resonate deeply with people.

Amidst the sound of shattering glass, the car lurched several times, presumably as it descended a few steps.

“Pedestrian street?” Zong Yanlei’s voice came through my earpiece with crystal clarity.

“Yes, a five-kilometer pedestrian street.”

Five kilometers was but a blink of an eye at our current pace. I updated our location on the three-dimensional panoramic map I built in my mind, while attentively listening for every sound around me.

So this is what it feels like to be completely blind.

“There are so many people,” Zong Yanlei said without easing off the accelerator.

“This is Zengcheng’s most bustling commercial district.” Although it might not even be as vibrant as a random street in the Xiacheng District of Baiyujing, “Slow down, turn right at the roundabout, exit straight on the third exit, and follow the elevated highway…”

The pedestrian street ended at a roundabout. Taking the third exit on the right and proceeding straight would lead to a long stretch of road beneath an elevated highway.

Losing sight meant being unable to grasp precise and subtle changes. Instead of clinging to traditional commands, it was better to utilize the unchanging physical objects in the city to assist navigation. This was a low-cost, high-return option for both the driver and the navigator.

“Have you been here before?” After a short silence, Zong Yanlei spoke again.

It seemed that he started talking more after I went blind.

“This street? I’ve been here before.”

In fact, I had a regular customer of the seedling nursery. For the past six years, I had passed through here almost every week when delivering goods.

“No, I mean… under the bridge. Have you seen the view from there?”

“The scenery under the bridge?” I tried hard to recall, but apart from the cement-colored bridge piers, the gray road surface, and the monotonous green belts, I couldn’t remember any beautiful scenery worth praising under this overpass.

Zong Yanlei pondered for a moment, then briefly described the scene he saw to me: “It should be autumn now. The vines climbing on the piers and overhead have all changed color. Dark green, golden yellow, orange-red, it’s like someone lit a fire and spread it all over the bottom of the bridge, it’s very beautiful.”

As he spoke, I recalled memories of passing through this place over the years. Indeed, dense climbing plants grew under this overpass, creating a vast expansion of green in summer. In autumn, the vines and leaves would gradually change color, transitioning from dark green to scarlet, making the entire area under the bridge brighter.

But… beautiful?

To me, they were simply the fixed changes of the seasons, functional things in the city for dust control and noise reduction, and had nothing to do with “scenery” or “beauty”. Underneath the bridge were cold concrete pillars or plants changing color. I just passed through it, like I passed through any other road.

I suddenly realized that my way of seeing the world was completely different from Zong Yanlei’s.

He was driven by emotions; his hatred was loathing, and his love was unconditional affection. He would feel offended and othered because of my lingering gaze on his face when we first met, and then he would bristle with thorns, finding fault with everything I did; he would feel warmth and equality from Chu Luo’s embrace, and then give his precious affection, writing letter after letter full of heartfelt sentiments; and he would also let go of all his hatred because I rushed to him regardless of the danger when the shooting occurred.

He wasn’t irrational; he was just easily swayed by his overwhelming emotions.

In contrast to him, I valued efficiency and profit more, prioritizing functionality. My father’s existence was of no benefit, so I let him die, watching his body being swept away by the cold river; the little bird with its neck broken, because I didn’t want it to die right in front of Zong Yanlei and cause him grief, I didn’t hesitate to snap its neck; even Xiang Ze, in a corner of my heart, I didn’t think his death was entirely a bad thing.

Discard what is unnecessary, keep what is necessary. In my eyes, the world is “instrumental,” not a vibrant living entity.

We are so different, so different, but that is no one’s fault.

If the world is as beautiful and vibrant as a painting in his eyes, why should I tell him that all I see is a cold forest built of steel and concrete?

“…Oh, I remember, it was very beautiful.” In the end, I reluctantly agreed.

After the long elevated road section ended and we reached the third “checkpoint”, the race was about halfway through.

The remaining two “checkpoints” were located on the outskirts of the city, one in the north and one in the south, some distance from the city center.

Because we took a different route, specifically choosing to travel through densely populated areas, we didn’t see any other cars on the road after the initial encounter with other team.

Upon closer reflection, in such a vast city, the existence of 26 cars was indeed like a drop in the ocean, insignificant.

And it was as if fate was trying to slap me in the face, this thought ended at the fourth “checkpoint”.

As the wheel rolled over the red dot with a “ding,” Zong Yanlei suddenly sneered, “Finally, we’ve encountered living beings.”

I quickly understood what he meant: “Keep straight, get onto the bridge… Which team is it?”

Although the five “checkpoints” didn’t specify the collection order, the choice was not difficult to determine based on their geographical distribution.

Three checkpoints were concentrated in the city center and had the highest collection efficiency. Of the remaining two checkpoints, the one in the south and one in the north, the one in the south was closer to the finish line and was often scheduled last, while the one in the north was the second to last collection point.

Therefore, even if the rules didn’t specify a specific order, the general route could still be predicted in practice.

In short, the team we encountered at the fourth “checkpoint” had a similar collection speed to ours and was a formidable competitor on our road to victory.

“Leander,” Zong Yanlei murmured the name in a subtle tone.

Leander, the main driver of Western Fantasy, was the hottest contender for the championship in the GTC betting market, second only to Zong Yanlei. He was also… the guy who pretended to befriend me but actually bribed the media to release a “smokescreen strategy” before the race.

I didn’t have a good impression of him. Compared to a talented fool like Qi Zhan, this seasoned old hand who relied on experience to make his moves was obviously more difficult to deal with.

“He was hiding in Xiao Mei’s slipstream, and there was no indication that he intended to overtake them.”

“Turn left after you get off the bridge and walk along the river. Don’t worry about him for now…”

After that, no matter which way we went, Leander always followed. The three cars sped past the AI crowd like a train.

The reason Tan Yunmei and Yi You followed behind was because they were teammates; they could enjoy the benefits of the slipstream without incurring the penalty of the navigator losing their sight. But letting a competitor like Western Fantasy ride the slipstream was far more unpleasant than being groped by a pervert while walking peacefully on the street.

“Right 4, hold, watch out for traps…”

“A straight line 2 kilometers long…”

After we reached the fifth “checkpoint,” Leander still did not make any move, but simply followed. He maintainingo an excellent distance, neither too close nor too far, always staying in the most comfortable position in the slipstream.

“We can’t let them keep leeching off us like this.” Zong Yanlei’s limited patience quickly ran out, and the disgust in his tone was almost tangible. “What’s at the end of this road?”

I quickly mentally visualized a map: “A very wide river. If it’s autumn, the water hasn’t frozen yet.”

A clear shifting sound came from the gearbox, and the car’s speed increased again.

“Should we go to the river?” According to my pre-planned route, we should turn left in the middle of this road. However… it wasn’t a good idea for Leander to keep following us like this; it was better to resolve this as soon as possible.

“Yes,” Zong Yanlei answered readily. “The buildings around here are very low. Have you been here before?”

“My home is nearby. This area is where the Wo people live.”

“No wonder there are more Wo people on the road. Hold on tight.”

Without needing much explanation from him, I immediately and obediently gripped the handle above the seat. A few seconds later, the tires screeched against the ground, the seatbelt tightened instantly, and the centrifugal force pressed my side firmly against the car door.

The sound of a heavy object crashing through the guardrail followed immediately, then a splashing sound as it plunged into the turbulent river. A car had failed to brake in time and had fallen into the churning water.

“How are Xiao Mei and Yi You?” Ignoring my dizziness, I immediately checked on the safety of the secondary car.

Yi You spent an hour memorizing the general roads and terrain of Zengcheng. Even if he deviated from the planned route, he should know where each road led and be able to warn Tan Yunmei in advance.

“Don’t worry, we’ve turned right.” Zong Yanlei scoffed. “The drivers and navigators of Sun God are not useless cowards who only know how to scheme.”

I sighed inwardly, and the image of Melanie screaming in front of the screen seemed to appear before my eyes.

But that was a relief.

Tan Yunmei not only received the “warning” in time, but also instantly saw through Zong Yanlei’s plan. At the last moment before hitting the guardrail, the two cars simultaneously veered to the left and right, tacitly clearing the only “diving spot” in the middle for Leander. Leander’s navigator, however, definitely did not remember what lay at the end of the road.

In the previous race, Western Fantasy’s main car got stuck in the snow and failed to finish; in this race, they scored zero points again. Unless Western Fantasy can sweep the first and second place in the next two races, the overall championship for this season is already destined to change hands.

The rest of the race was uneventful, with the continuous engine noise as a backdrop. Zong Yanlei easily handled my various commands, maintaining a question-and-answer rhythm with me in between.

By this point, I was almost certain that he was preventing me from falling into “the darkness where it seemed as if I were the only one who existed.”

“Xiao Mei and Yi You have caught up.”

In the last five kilometers, Tan Yunmei and Yi You rejoined us and followed behind the main car.

“Straight line, full throttle through.”

As the car crossed the finish line, a series of fireworks exploded overhead. The vibrations were a tribute to the champion.

“Well done, partner. Third championship…” Zong Yanlei’s voice, full of joy and with a metallic quality, gradually faded away.

‎

‎

The moment the neuro-navigation pod opened, a deafening roar almost pierced my eardrums. I tried blinking, and it was as if a thick black fog had enveloped my vision; apart from the flickering light and shadows, everything became hazy and blurry.

I stood up, supporting myself on the edge of the pod. Due to the obstructed view, my body leaned to one side, but was immediately supported by a dry and strong hand.

“Has your vision not recovered yet?” Zong Yanlei’s voice was close to my ear.

“It seems to have some aftereffects on the optic nerve,” I answered truthfully.

Zong Yanlei clicked his tongue softly and tightened his arms around my waist.

He maintained this posture until the awards ceremony came to a close.

Given my previous harrowing experience of being kidnapped in Xuanpu, Melanie was concerned that some journalists might use the opportunity to ask sensitive questions, so she cancelled my media interview session. Therefore, as soon as the awards ceremony ended, I was carefully helped backstage by staff to receive treatment.

“Thank you all for your help.”

In the break room, Xu Chengye thanked them, and the medical staff packed up and left. I sat on the sofa, an IV drip for nerve repair connected to the back of my hand. The medicine slowly flowed into my body through the transparent tubing. Perhaps the drip rate was a bit too fast, because the skin around the back of my hand soon became cold and started aching.

“What would you like to say about winning this championship?”

“Nothing.”

The TV on the wall was broadcasting Zong Yanlei’s post-match interview live.

“Is there anything you’d like to say to Leander?”

“Practice more.”

“What is your opinion on the track design for this race?”

“Very good.”

…

Zong Yanlei answered questions in a flat tone, with almost no unnecessary pauses, making no attempt to conceal his desire to end the interview as quickly as possible. After answering only five or six questions, he ignored the reporter’s attempts to persuade him to stay, turned around, and left the awards stage without looking back, his capriciousness prompting Xu Chengye, who was standing nearby, to sigh in despair.

Not long after, the door to the lounge was opened. A white figure walked into my field of vision.

“How’s he doing?”

“I asked, and the aftereffects aren’t very serious.” Xu Chengye quickly adjusted his tone and answered before I could, with a slightly obsequious tone, “His vision should return to normal in one or two days at the latest.”

“Get out, everyone.”

At the Demon King’s command, no one dared to object. There was a rustling sound, and the room was soon empty.

The door closed gently, and after a while, Zong Yanlei sat down beside me. He first touched the back of my hand with his fingers, and then adjusted the drip rate for me.

“Are you feeling unwell?” As his hand fell, it naturally stopped at the corner of my eye and gently touched it.

“I’m not feeling unwell,” I smiled at him.

He hummed in agreement, his fingers constantly fiddling with the eyelashes of my left eye. A slight itch spread from the base of my eyelashes, making my whole face feel numb and hot. I could only close my eyes to relieve the agonizing itch.

“Jiang Man, the race is over. What’s your explanation? Why is your child not related to you by blood?”

My eyelashes fluttered. I was somewhat surprised that he was so eager to get the truth.

“What? Haven’t figured out your cover story yet?

I was startled and opened my eyes, trying to see his expression, but I could barely make out his features.

“Of course not, you’re being disingenuous…”

Zong Yanlei’s fingers traced my face, finally resting on the corner of my lips.

“Then explain. I’m listening.” He caressed my lower lip intimately and whispered, “Tell me… your reasons.”

***

Author’s Note

To learn more about this “dilemma,” you can refer back to Chapter 18.