“No one can defeat you in your BGM?”

“Are you crazy?” Xia Qianshen looked in surprise at the face almost touching his nose, “The car was skidding, and you dared to unbuckle your seatbelt?”

Zhong Suo’s expression was somewhat stiff, clearly not knowing how to explain.

This action was undoubtedly foolish, but Zhong Suo’s reaction prevented Xia Qianshen from continuing to blame him.

Zhong Suo seemed like a dog that had been mistreated, having a shadow over such matters, reacting very strongly and quickly.

Zhong Suo slowly pulled his hand back, sat back in his seat, and fastened his seatbelt again, remaining silent.

“Why aren’t you arguing now?” Xia Qianshen asked.

The attitude of arguing until the end in the afternoon was gone, and he looked a bit sad.

Zhong Suo licked his lips, “Sorry.”

“Why did you do that?” Xia Qianshen kept his foot on the brake, “Explain clearly, or I’ll report this to the team, and you’ll have no choice but to resign.”

Zhong Suo looked down, avoiding his gaze, “Because… I didn’t want you to hit your head. Human heads are very fragile.”

“Uh…” Xia Qianshen thought for a moment, “Okay, I accept that.”

Zhong Suo was taken aback, turning to look at him, “You’re not taking advantage of the situation to get rid of me?”

“Do I need to take advantage of the situation? I can get rid of you straightforwardly,” Xia Qianshen smiled, released the brake, and continued driving, tossing his phone to Zhong Suo, “Could you help me connect to Bluetooth and play the first playlist? The password is 0909.”

Zhong Suo caught the phone and unlocked it, “09 Subaru Impreza?”

“Uh-huh.” Xia Qianshen drove cautiously but spoke with ease. The 09 Subaru Impreza was the race car he planned to use for the Tour of Tibet.

A moment later, music filled the car through the speakers.

The hot-blooded anime music made the entire Land Rover feel like it was in the middle of a power-up, as if it would transform into a giant robot at any moment.

“No one can defeat you in your BGM?” Zhong Suo asked hesitantly.

Xia Qianshen nodded, keeping his eyes on the road, “Do you know what the strongest is? The Ultraman with a flashing red light, the Shadow Demon with low health and empty mana, the Monkey King beaten to the ground.”

“Facing a desperate situation and bouncing back.” Zhong Suo nodded, “Got it. And there’s also Xia Qianshen, who drives a family car on mountain roads at night.”

This time, the car was much slower. Mountain roads were like this; rally racing was like this. You needed to be bold, skilled, and a bit lucky, while still respecting nature.

So this young prodigy, who had been rampaging for years, regained his composure after a close call and drove slowly down the mountain.

When they reached the city, the streetlights provided illumination. Xia Qianshen, like a seasoned pro in a beginner’s village, drove back to the team’s warehouse without any trouble.

Nana: “I expected some scratches, but why is the rear window cracked? Xia Qianshen, did you fall into a tree?”

“Uh…” Xia Qianshen scratched his head, “I forgot it was front-wheel drive. On the way down, I hit some mud and tried to drift to clean the tires, then… a stone fell from a passing truck and hit the window.”

“I’ll fix it,” Xia Qianshen added.

Nana looked at the rear window, which had a few cracks but the safety film kept the glass from falling out, not really obstructing the rearview mirror’s view. She rolled her eyes at Xia Qianshen, “Forget it, I know how much money you have. Tomorrow, find a replacement in the warehouse and install it.”

“I’ll pay for it,” Zhong Suo interjected, “I caused a distraction. Sorry, Manager Hao. I’ll take it to the 4S shop tomorrow to replace the original glass.”

Nana immediately changed her expression, “It’s fine, really. I’ll save up for the repairs and have the team mechanics fix it. Don’t worry, I just wanted to scold him.”

Xia Qianshen chimed in, “Yeah, it’s not your fault. It was my mistake. Which driver in the world can drive safely for more than three days?”

It was almost time to leave, and the mechanics were packing up and leaving. One of them saw the cracked rear window and laughed, saying it was no big deal and to hurry back before it started snowing.

Nana responded, “Alright, you two go back.”

The team’s warehouse was in the outskirts of the city, surrounded by factories with no tall buildings. On clear nights, you could see many stars. Today, looking up, the night sky was dark, with thick black clouds.

It was going to snow. Nana finished locking the warehouse door, said goodbye, and drove away.

City A was like this; the snow would melt as soon as it hit the ground, leaving it wet and sometimes icy. Xia Qianshen looked at the dirt bike, “Where do you live? I can give you a ride. You’ll freeze to death riding back to the city like that.”

Zhong Suo shook his head, “It’s fine, I’ll take a taxi.”

“Take my car!” Xia Qianshen said.

“Uh…” 35 yuan per kilometer, the snowflakes danced in the light of the street lamps, eventually landing on Xia Qianshen’s bangs.

After a moment of hesitation, Zhong Suo opened the Zizhi Taxi app and selected the high-end, comfortable option.

At this time, on a snowy night, in the outskirts of the city, about 20 kilometers from the city center, there was indeed only one car that met the criteria.

“The driver is on the way! 0.1 kilometers away!”

“Get in!” Xia Qianshen said.

—

Zhong Suo’s rented apartment was in the old part of City A. This area might be demolished and the roads widened in a couple of years. The main roads in City A had six lanes, but this area had only two.

Watching the ride-hailing fee skyrocket on the app, Zhong Suo clenched his fists as he sat in the passenger seat, looking out the window.

With discounts, coupons, and reductions, the 20-kilometer high-end, comfortable ride-hailing fee was 600 yuan. Zhong Suo looked at this number… half a month’s rent.

“Five-star review,” Xia Qianshen said with a smile, “And please write some positive comments, 300 words will do.”

Zhong Suo gritted his teeth, “Okay.”

“Want me to pick you up tomorrow? Your bike is still at the warehouse,” Xia Qianshen lowered the window and shouted to Zhong Suo, who had just gotten out of the car.

The wind and snow rushed into the car, making Xia Qianshen feel refreshed.

“I’ll take the subway,” Zhong Suo said.

Xia Qianshen grinned, “That’ll be so early!”

Zhong Suo tightened his coat, looked back helplessly, “There’s a no-parking camera here, with a three-minute limit, and a 200 yuan fine.”

“Okay, good night,” Xia Qianshen said.

“Good night,” Zhong Suo watched the Porsche drive away, sighed, and walked into the alley, giving a five-star review to the driver who charged him over 600 yuan.

The next day, at the GP team warehouse.

The overnight snow made the already quiet area of metal warehouses even more peaceful, with only the occasional sound of metal expanding from distant factories.

Xia Qianshen was practicing on the racing simulator in the warehouse. It was similar to the racing game machines in arcades, with a seat, steering wheel, clutch, brake, gas pedal, and gear shift.

The screen showed a panoramic map of the Dahuang Mountain Rally course, downloaded from the simulator.

The simulator helped the driver become familiar with the road conditions, but it was only for familiarity, not reliance. Zhong Suo watched for a while, then went to the repair department and found Manager Nana.

“Manager Hao,” Zhong Suo greeted.

“Call me Nana,” Nana said, “Xia Qianshen used to call me ‘Manager Hao,’ and it always felt like you were being playful.”

Nana’s last name was Hao, and whether you called her Manager Hao or Hao Nana, it had a subtle playful tone.

“Nana,” Zhong Suo changed his address, “Do you need the car today? I can take it to the 4S shop to replace the rear window.”

“Then I’ll spend 700 yuan on a ride back home with Xia Qianshen?” Nana laughed, “No need. It’s just a few light cracks. We can fix it here. But you, aren’t you worried about money? You offered to fix the car last night.”

Zhong Suo glanced back at the repair department, where the mechanics and cleaners were clearing the snow, also keeping an eye on Xia Qianshen in case he suddenly appeared.

Confirming it was safe, Zhong Suo said, “You know Xia Qianshen better than I do. He doesn’t want to go to the Tour of Tibet with me at all, and there are only four months left. I need to gradually win him over, and I can’t miss any opportunity to improve his impression of me.”

Nana understood. The rear window was ultimately cracked by Xia Qianshen, and repairing it in the team’s garage was no problem.

“But will this work? He’s a bit ungrateful.”

Zhong Suo shrugged, “We’ll try. I need to find a way to improve our relationship. The Tour of Tibet registration is only four months away.”

This was indeed an urgent matter. Nana thought for a moment, “Alright, but the 4S shop will charge a lot for the original rear window. I’ll cover the cost.”

“No need,” Zhong Suo said, “You don’t need to worry about my financial situation. As long as I can go to the Tour of Tibet with Xia Qianshen, you know how much GP will pay me.”

Nana nodded, “As long as we can go on the Tour of Tibet.”

When GP first approached Zhong Suo with a large sum of money, it was for Xia Qianshen’s first Tour of Tibet.

Zhong Suo had run the Tour of Tibet three times, winning the championship and breaking the record in his third attempt last year. Despite the changes in the course, his performance in the three Tours was consistently excellent.

The Tour of Tibet, nearly 6,000 kilometers long, lasting ten days.

Extreme roads and unpredictable weather, with high-altitude snow-capped mountains and basins where the ground temperature can reach 70 degrees Celsius. Completing the entire course is a feat that not even a third of the starting drivers can achieve.

Xia Qianshen was the cash cow of the GP team, with exceptional driving skills, good looks, and a strong background. His mother was an excellent doctor who had studied in Germany, and his own resume was impressive, with a bold personality and numerous endorsements that couldn’t fit on one racing suit.

He must not make any mistakes in the Tour of Tibet.

At such a young age, he had reached the pinnacle, so GP could not afford any slip-ups.

Zhong Suo took Nana’s Land Rover to the 4S shop, where the original parts and labor cost nearly 5,000 yuan. Zhong Suo paid immediately and returned to the team’s warehouse with the receipt.

When he returned to the team, he didn’t go inside immediately. Instead, he stopped at the entrance, lit a cigarette, and took out his phone, opening WeChat.

He smiled as he opened WeChat, having pinned Xia Qianshen’s chat at the top. When he first added Xia Qianshen on WeChat, Xia Qianshen’s profile picture was a smiling Stitch. The next day, when Zhong Suo pinned the chat, the profile picture had changed to a non-smiling Stitch.

It was like… trying to look more mature.

He took a puff of the cigarette, still holding it, and scrolled to a contact named “Jing Ran.”

Jing Ran.

This name was well-known in the industry, having broken the Tour of Tibet Rally record and won the SS9 Kunlun Sky Road stage. Zhong Suo’s former colleague.

“Zhong Suo: Brother, don’t worry about the money. If things go well, I’ll have a big payday after the Tour of Tibet this year.

“Jing Ran: No need. Don’t make me say it again. The tumor in my head has nothing to do with your commands.

“Zhong Suo: Just don’t give up on treatment.

“Jing Ran: If you’re going to talk about this, I’m busy. We have a time difference.

“Zhong Suo: Alright, I won’t talk about it.”

Suddenly, someone patted his shoulder.

“What are you doing?”

Zhong Suo immediately locked the screen and turned sharply. It was Xia Qianshen.

Xia Qianshen was startled by his sudden reaction, “Where have you been for two hours?”

“Oh…” Zhong Suo put out the cigarette and put his phone back in his pocket, “I went to the 4S shop to fix Nana’s car.”

“Really? It wasn’t necessary. The driver next door scrapped several Land Rovers last year. Getting a part from one of them would be just as good.”

Zhong Suo smiled, “I encouraged you to drift and slide. You were just following the navigator’s command, so it’s fair that I pay for it.”

“Uh…” Xia Qianshen glanced at his pocket, a bit curious about who he was messaging so guardedly, but didn’t ask.

“Car keys,” Zhong Suo said, “It’s my turn to drive the ride-hailing car tonight.”

Xia Qianshen “oh”ed and handed him the keys, “The cost of the Land Rover’s rear window… I’ll pay you half when I get my salary. I can’t let you cover the whole cost.”

Zhong Suo smiled, “We can discuss that later.”