DTTM 8

Chapter 8: Everything Eventually Heads Toward Entropy Increase

The signing of the employment contract went smoothly. After signing, Xu Chengye held the stack of contracts to his chest, almost shedding tears of joy.

“Fortunately, I found the child, so I had the bodyguard take him to you right away. Mr. Zong is a bit harsh on others, but he’s very lenient with children. See, it worked… Finally, the new season is here! My heart is racing, you have no idea how I’ve been these past few months…”

Xu Chengye, though young, was quite cunning. I was an “uninvited guest,” and Wei Jiarui, unable to find his father, stormed into the banquet crying; it had absolutely nothing to do with him. Fortunately, the ending was good.

“Um, Manager Xu, about the money…” I pointed to the contract on his chest and asked apologetically, “…it’s my annual salary. When will it be credited to my account?”

More than whether I could make it to the new season, I was concerned about whether I could repay the money by the deadline.

Xu Chengye was taken aback for a moment, then quickly realized: “Oh, the base salary will be paid to you once the contract is finalized. Because the contract goes through the Sun God Group, it might take a while, but there shouldn’t be any problem with payment before the new season. In addition, besides the base salary and personal sponsorship fees, drivers receive a million as bonus for every point they score in subsequent races, and the top three also receive additional bonuses. If the final overall standings are in the top three, in addition to the team bonus, they can also receive an extra 1% from the race revenue allocated to the team by the GTC, you know that, right?”

Although I signed quickly, I made sure to remember every word. I nodded hurriedly and said, “I know, I know, thank you for your help, Manager Xu.”

There was still a month until the new GTC season, but the repayment deadline for Bing-ge was less than ten days away. It’s a bit of a problem; it seemed I’d have to go and grovel again.

“Okay, then wait here for a while. I’ll have someone from the publicity department come over and take your measurements.” Xu Chengye said, then took the contract and left.

Although GTC is a virtual tournament, in order to enhance entertainment and interactivity, each leg of the tournament will be held in a city in Penglai.

The racecourse is designed locally, and the venue features spectator seating, a large screen for live streaming, and interactive segments between competitors and spectators. On race day, not only government officials attend as award presenters, but sometimes members of the royal family also participate. This grand occasion dictated that the competitors’ attire must be impeccable.

After waiting in the conference room for about ten minutes, the “publicity department” that Xu Chengye mentioned finally opened the door and entered. Five fashionable and avant-garde men and women, holding tape measures, electronic notepads, and a bunch of colorful fabrics, surrounded me.

“178cm, not particularly tall, but with good proportions, broad shoulders and a slim waist…”

“Your skin tone should be one shade lighter than wheat. How about this almond-yellow fabric?”

“This hair is in terrible condition, it needs proper care. And this skin, oh my god, what have you done to yourself…”

“What’s wrong with your eye? Do you have trachoma?”

With so many hands moving around me, my perception was impaired, so I didn’t have time to stop them when the eye patch on my right eye was lifted.

“Oh! Your eye…” The purple-haired girl who lifted my eye patch took a step back with a shocked expression.

The unexpected sight interrupted everyone’s movements. Like a flock of chickens with their necks choked, they fell silent and looked in the same direction.

Seated around the conference table was a woman with her hair styled in a high bun, adorned with a lollipop-shaped hairpin. She wore a contrasting-color suit, and although her face was no longer young, she still looked vibrant. Upon entering, she introduced herself as Melanie Kar, the Sun God Racing Team’s PR Director, responsible for the styling and clothing of each rider, as well as all public relations.

“That bastard Xu Chengye said I might need to put in a lot of effort this time. I thought he meant the Wo people’s brown hair and red eyes, but it turns out the real issue is here…” She frowned, stood up, pushed aside the purple-haired girl in front of me, grabbed my chin, and started rudely moving it from side to side. Some of her sharp nails poked into my skin, causing a slight sting.

“Design several eye patches for him, something fancy, each one should match his competition outfit for the day. Also, tell the nutritionist to include more hair- and skin-nourishing foods in his diet. His features are delicate, his eyebrows and eyelashes are thick, excellent, no need for extra money for transplants. His face is a bit thin, but it should look just right on camera…” She spoke at fast pace, while her subordinates’ electronic pens moved across their notebooks so fast that their images were almost blurry.

“Listen, little Wo, next season might be Mr. Zong’s last year in GTC. I don’t know if you’ll still be in the team next year, but as long as you’re in the team, you have to listen to my instructions. Cooperate with me and don’t cause any trouble, understand?” Her deep blue eyes stared at me, and she was very serious.

I couldn’t help but become serious as well: “Understood.”

“Very good.” She released her grip on me and turned to check if there was anything else that needed to be added to the notes her subordinates had taken down.

I rubbed my chin and asked casually, “What did you mean when you said that next season might be Mr. Zong’s last year participating in GTC?”

How come I’ve never heard of such crucial information?

Melanie didn’t even look at me, only sparing a little attention to explain: “Mr. Zong likes white, so let’s use black for Jiang Man… You should know that the Sun God Group is a Zong family business, right? Mr. Zong Shen’an fell ill at the beginning of the year and hasn’t woken up yet. Now, the affairs of the Sun God Group have been gradually handed over to Mr. Zong Yanlei, but he still has to prepare for the GTC event and is a bit overwhelmed. It is said that his mother has already pressured him to go back and inherit the family business… Next season is approaching the 300th anniversary celebration of Penglai, and the champion may be invited to attend, so prepare an extra formal suit.”

Upon hearing that this was the reason, I suddenly realized, “So that’s how it is.”

I thought he had some health problem again.

I live in Zengcheng, and commuting to Baiyujing for daily training was inconvenient, so I had to apply for accommodation from the team. Fortunately, the Sun God team was incredibly generous and had allocated a separate building in the prime location of its headquarters as dormitories.

Currently, there are 13 officially registered teams and 26 cars in the GTC official competition. Each team has one main car and one support car, with a total of four participants. Besides me, the dormitory mainly houses reserve team members and team support staff. Although the team had prepared rooms for Zong Yanlei, support driver Tan Yunmei and navigator Yi You, the three of them never moved in.

My dorm happened to be at the very end of the corridor, the last one. The three rooms to my right, opposite, and diagonally opposite belong to Zong Yanlei and his friends, and they’re usually empty. This gave me a convenient peace and quiet; I didn’t have to worry about disturbing others or being disturbed.

When I suddenly became a GTC player and moved away from home to Baiyujing, Aunt Kou was initially worried, thinking I was lying to her. She even asked if I was doing something bad that I didn’t dare tell her. I could only tell her that Xiang Ze had submitted my resume to the Sun God Racing Team on my behalf, and I also asked Xu Chengye to video call her, which finally dispelled her doubts.

The day I left home, Aunt Kou, along with Xiang Rou and Wei Jiarui, came to the train station to see me off. Just before I boarded the train, she touched my face, and perhaps overwhelmed by the sorrow of parting, she couldn’t hold back her tears and hugged me at the last moment.

“I’ll take care of Rui Rui. Go ahead and strive for your dreams. Xiao Man, Aunt Kou knows you’re destined for great things. This small place can’t keep you here. Just remember, whatever you do, I will support you and always be on your side.” She said, her voice choked with emotion. “Take good care of yourself. Aunt Kou is getting old. I’ve already lost one son; I can’t lose you too.”

I listened attentively until the end, and was overcome by a new wave of emotion: Xiang Ze, even if you were to be a cow or a horse in your next life, you still wouldn’t be able to repay the sins you committed in this life.

“I understand, Aunt Kou.” I sighed inwardly and gently hugged her back.

“Waaaaah! No! I want to go with Daddy!! Let me go, waaaaah… Daddy… you don’t want me anymore… I won’t eat so much anymore, waaaaah… Daddy, take me with you, Daddy…”

“Rui Rui, no, you can’t go there!”

Beside her, Xiang Rou used all her strength to grab Wei Jiarui’s arm with both hands, preventing him from lunging at me.

I felt a pang of pity, but I knew that if I got entangled with him now, I would definitely be unable to leave, so I had no choice but to harden my heart and board the train.

The train doors closed quickly, and as the train slowly pulled away from the platform, Wei Jiarui cried even more heartbreakingly, so much so that it took Aunt Kou and Xiang Rou to hold him back.

Next time I come back, I’ll buy him some good food to cheer him up.

The news that I had become the navigator for the Sun God Racing Team spread like wildfire, causing a huge sensation in Penglai. I was not only the first Wo racer, but also the first disabled Wo racer. Many people in Penglai were skeptical, but conversely, the Wo community was very excited. Before I had even competed in a single race, they were already planning to form a support group for me.

Two days before the repayment date, the contract, as expected, hadn’t been finalized. I had no choice but to call Bing-ge to discuss extending the deadline. Perhaps he had also seen my news, because he became unusually agreeable and generously gave me another month after just a few words.

The debt collectors stopped pressuring me, which relieved a lot of my mental stress and finally gave me time to contact Ye Shuer and tell him about what had happened recently.

When he learned that I had become Zong Yanlei’s navigator, he wasn’t too surprised. He just told me to be careful, as if he had known all along that I would handle everything well, showing blind trust in my abilities.

“Ge, do you know about the increase of entropy in the universe? Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about what comes after disorder? Will it ever end?” He suddenly became sentimental before hanging up the phone.

Entropy is a function describing a thermodynamic state; simply put, it’s an indicator used to measure the inherent uncertainty of a system. The more chaotic the system, the greater the entropy. The increase in entropy of the universe represents the inevitable process of the universe moving from order to disorder.

Disorder is uncertainty, and no one knows where this long evolution will ultimately lead.

Ye Shuer inherited his stepfather’s will and his sentimentality, always thinking about random things.

“Human entropy increase leads to the collapse and death of the physical body, and I think the end of the universe must also be some kind of annihilation,” I replied patiently.

“Therefore, Penglai is also experiencing its own entropy increase.”

I didn’t give him a definite answer, but simply said, “Nothing lasts forever; everything will eventually increase in entropy.”

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The team’s daily training wasn’t too demanding, just a bit boring. With Zong Yanlei absent, I could only train with substitutes or AI. The substitutes’ skills were limited, and the AI was too rigid, offering no benefit to improving my navigator skills.

Moreover, I noticed that these substitute players always acted like they were eating shit when they trained with me, their expressions even uglier than Zong Yanlei’s. Once, I even overheard them talking about me outside the break room, saying that I, a nobody, had been parachuted into the official team through some underhanded means.

“Mr. Zong definitely looks down on him. Maybe it’s Manager Xu. That guy keeps preaching that the Wo people are also part of Penglai and that everyone is equal. It’s like he’s been bewitched.”

“How could a Wo be like us? Just standing next to him makes me want to vomit. His eyes are already scary enough, but he’s blind in one eye, which makes him even more disgusting.”

“Fortunately, the training involved one neuro-navigation pod per person. I can’t even imagine how difficult it would be to share a pod with him. I really feel sorry for Mr. Zong…”

The discrimination against the Wo people by the people of Penglai had a long history, and my parachute arrival was also a fact. Before achieving effective results that could convince everyone, any further explanation was just a waste of time.

Just as I was about to leave quietly as if nothing had happened, I suddenly felt a weight on my shoulder as a slender, strong hand landed on me.

“What nonsense are you bastards spouting?” A man with dazzling blond hair appeared out of nowhere, and his loud voice made the three people in the tea room jump like mice seeing a cat.

“Mr. Yi…?”

“Jiang Man became a formal team member not only by passing Manager Xu’s interview, but also by passing Mr. Zong’s interview, you all know that. Moreover, he has many years of experience participating in underground GTC races, and his overall win rate is higher than any of your simulation match win rates. Instead of thinking about training with him more to gain experience, you are slandering him behind his back…” Yi You became angrier and angrier as he spoke, and even started rolling up his sleeves.

I quickly grabbed him: “Never mind, never mind…”

“No way, I hate people who spread rumors the most! I have PTSD! Ugh, you haters, die!!”

I couldn’t hold him back, and he ran out, scaring the three people in the tea room so much that they screamed all over the room, attracting a lot of onlookers, and eventually even alarming Xu Chengye.

“What kind of behavior is this!” He roared, slamming his fist on the table and ordering the five of us to go back and each write a 10,000-word self-criticism to hand in to him tomorrow.

“I have to write too?” I pointed to myself.

Compared to the others who deserved their fate, I was innocent.

“You’re partly responsible for not stopping Yi You. Alright, meeting adjourned.” Xu Chengye waved his hand dismissively, urging us to leave.

As soon as they stepped out of the office, the trio ran off in the opposite direction.

Yi You stared at their retreating figures, exhaling a puff of air from his nostrils: “They’re lucky they ran fast!”

Fearing he might rush over recklessly again, I quickly said, “Thank you for speaking up for me earlier.”

He turned around upon hearing this, his expression was bizarre, still showing anger and also eager to appear friendly.

“Oh, it’s nothing.” He scratched the back of his head. “If you can’t find a partner for training in the future, just tell me, and I’ll let Xiao Mei be your driver.”

The image of a beautiful woman with long silver hair and bangs flashed before my eyes.

Since I joined the Sun God team, Tan Yunmei had probably barely spoken three sentences to me. She was even colder and more unapproachable than Zong Yanlei. Her driving skills were definitely better than the substitutes and AI, but I wasn’t sure if she’d be willing to be my partner, even just for training.

“It’s okay, Xiao Mei has a poker face but a soft heart. You’ll know once you spend more time with her. She has a very good temper.” Perhaps sensing my concerns, Yi You said proactively, “At least she has a much better temper than the Demon King.”

I was taken aback when I heard the title “Demon King”. Yi You thought I didn’t understand, so he lowered his voice to explain to me: “It’s Zong Yanlei. We all call him ‘Demon King’ behind his back. That’s his nickname.”

I found it somewhat amusing, whether it was Yi You’s cautious demeanor or the fact that the team members were also calling Zong Yanlei Demon King.

“I know, I just didn’t expect you guys to call him that too.”

Yi You shrugged: “He really is the Demon King. By the way…” He seemed to suddenly remember something important, and his expression suddenly became serious, “The Demon King will prioritize sacrificing his partner over speed, so you have to be careful.”

At first, I didn’t understand the deeper meaning of his words. Although I had participated in many underground GTC races and heard a lot of anecdotes about GTC teams from Xiang Ze, I had never obtained any specific information about Zong Yanlei’s driving habits through any means.

He was a term I block. For the past six years, I tried my best to ignore the name “Zong Yanlei” on any software and any platform.

But soon, I understood what Yi You meant.

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Zong Yanlei didn’t return to Baiyujing until the third-to-last day of the new season, but he never showed up with the team, which meant I didn’t even have time for a full training session with him. In other words, the opening race of the new season will be our first time working together.

The opening match was held in Baiyujing’s largest spherical stadium, with all 80,000 seats sold out. That evening, not only did world-class singers perform the opening song, but a spectacular fireworks display worth tens of millions also graced the stage.

A 360-degree circular screen was erected in the center of the huge venue. These screens will present the performances and interviews on stage to the audience, and will also broadcast the events in the metaverse.

Thirteen teams with a total of 52 participants entered the venue from four directions, with the Sun God team being the first team at the east entrance.

Five minutes before entering, all the teams waited at the entrance. I touched the intricate blindfold with various gems and beads on my face and the gold sash on my clothes, feeling quite uncomfortable. I glanced at Zong Yanlei beside me. He was wearing a gorgeous white racing suit that matched mine, his arms crossed over his chest, leaning against the wall, resting with his eyes closed.

He seemed comfortable in this environment, as he looked relaxed.

He used to dislike being stared at, but now he looked at ease with it. It seemed that time changed not only his health but also his personality.

“What are you looking at?” Zong Yanlei felt my gaze, but he asked with a hint of impatience without opening his eyes.

My gaze lingered on his dark circles before slowly withdrawing: “Have you been resting lately?”

Upon hearing this, Zong Yanlei smiled and said, “You just need to read out the route book you prepared. You don’t need to worry about anything else.”

He’s so cold-hearted, showing no sign of softening, giving me absolutely no chance to please him.

“Yes, drive forward confidently. We’ll take care of blocking all the cars behind you.” Yi You pounced on me from behind and affectionately hooked his arm around my neck.

The GTC’s secondary car is also known as the “shadow car.” Its purpose is to assist the main car. It will only move at full speed when the main car loses its mobility to compete for the remaining points.

“How can some people be so confident? I’m so envious. They’ve already fallen out of the points zone, yet they still have the audacity to think they can block other cars from behind. Haha, that’s hilarious. What other cars are there?” Suddenly, a loud and exaggerated mocking voice came from behind us.

I, Yi You, and Tan Yunmei, who was playing with her fingernails, all looked towards the source of the voice.

The one speaking was Qi Zhan, the main driver of the Black Diamond team behind us. He was very young, only 22 years old this year. He joined Black Diamond two years ago and has been very strong in the past two years. Last year, he ranked fifth in the overall points, which was a good result for his age.

He could have achieved better results last year, but in the final race, his car was overturned by Yi You and Tan Yunmei’s car. Not only did he fail to score a single point, but he also reportedly suffered from migraines for more than half a year, and that’s how the grudge was formed.

“Oh, I thought it was a dog barking, and upon closer inspection it’s a corgi,” Yi You retorted sarcastically.

Qi Zhan wasn’t actually that short, standing at 1.7 meters, but his proportions were terrible, a 50/50 split. Tan Yunmei was the same height as him, but when they stood together, her waist was higher than his. He hated it when people pointed out his shortcomings, and Yi You had just stepped on that landmine.

“You’re the dog, you golden retriever!” Qi Zhan was so angry that his face turned green.

“Hehehe!” Yi You childishly stuck his tongue out at him, “I’m insulting the corgi, why did you come over? You admit you’re a corgi? Short legs, haven’t you heard of ‘the one who starts it is the one who’s cheap’? How can you be so cheap to death! Not only are your legs short, but your mouth is foul too. You should go see a doctor for periodontitis, or you’ll end up toothless on top of being short-legged!”

I don’t know what kind of injustice he suffered at the hands of the haters, but his fighting power was incredibly strong.

“You…” Qi Zhan almost rushed over, but the tall navigator beside him quickly grabbed him by the waist.

“Noah, let go of me! I’m going to tear his face to shreds!”

The nearly two-meter-tall man remained completely still.

The teams further back in the line neither intervened nor pour oil on the fire; they simply stood far away, watching indifferently.

We’re about to enter the venue. If a fight breaks out now, it won’t be as simple as writing a self-criticism.

I gave Tan Yunmei a wink, and she understood. She stepped forward, covered Yi You’s mouth with her hand, and dragged him back.

“Mmm…mmm…”

I seized the opportunity to stand between the two, raised my hands, and acted as a peacemaker: “Everyone, please calm down. The competition is about to begin. Whatever grudges or grievances we have, let’s settle them on the field.”

Qi Zhan had completely entered troll mode, criticizing everyone he met: “Ha, you little Wo, you think you can beat me? Dream on!”

I gently wiped away a bit of spit from his spray on my cheek with my fingertips, still maintaining a polite smile: “I’m 178cm tall.”

Qi Zhan was stunned for a moment, then realized I was retaliating against his use of the word “little,” and suddenly roared to the sky: “Aaaaaah, you disgusting red-eyed smiling monster, I’ll kill you!!”

“Ah Zhan, you can’t be racist, you’ll get points deducted!”

“Shh! Don’t say that!”

Black Diamond’s co-driver and navigator quickly covered his mouth.

Amid the noise, a deep voice, one that would never be drowned out by other distractions, rang out from behind.

“Shut up, what’s all the noise about?”

The passageway suddenly fell silent, as if a pause button had been pressed.

I turned around, and Zong Yanlei happened to turn around and look at me as well. He frowned and his icy gaze swept across everyone’s faces. Although it was intangible, the places his gaze landed felt like they were being pricked by needles.

“Why is there a bunch of trash behind me?” He didn’t even need to speak; just by looking at him, everyone could guess what he was implying.

“Now, please welcome the 13 teams to enter!” At this moment, the host’s loud voice rang out from outside the passage, aptly breaking the stalemate, “The 13 teams will enter from four directions. The east entrance is for the Sun God Team, Black Diamond Team, Isaac Team, and the Full Throttle Team…”

“Let’s go.” Zong Yanlei withdrew his gaze, then turned around and took the lead in stepping out of the passage with powerful strides.

I quickly followed behind, walking from the dim and indistinct light and shadow towards the dazzling stage filled with applause.