Chapter 13: The Racing King
"She"ll be fine," Wu Sen said. "She has nothing to do with any of this. No one will bother her."
Jun Qi looked somber. "I asked Qi Clan"s people," he told them. "No one saw her leave, and none of them know where she could be."
Her impromptu disappearance was his main concern. It meant that something had either happened to her, or she was in on something with Qi Clan. Otherwise, they wouldn"t claim to know nothing. Furthermore, working with Qi Clan on anything was a recipe for disaster.
A nervous Xiao Yun added, "And have you guys noticed that Red Falcon is nowhere to be seen as well?"
Jun Qi"s face darkened further. "Xiao Yun, where"s your car?" He asked suddenly.
Xiao Yun immediately grasped what Jun Qi was getting at. "It"s with me," he answered. "Li Xin hasn"t ever driven my car before. She wouldn"t be able to exceed my abilities. Not to mention, just because she knows how to joyride doesn"t mean she knows how to race cars." He knew Jun Qi was worried that Li Xin had offered to race in his place, but he was fairly sure that would not work.
Outside, a voice announced over the stadium"s speakers for all the contestants to get in their positions. A myriad of exorbitantly decorated, custom-designed race cars zoomed onto the race track. Xiao Yun grit his teeth in determination, nodded at his companions, and went off to his car. As a representative of the powerful Qi Clan, he had to look the part.
"Entering the stadium right now is the world"s second-best racer, Streaming Falcon!" A silver car flew into the arena, surrounded by thunderous cheers from the audience. Because the current number one racer in the world, Dark Cloud, had not made an appearance in any races in recent years, Streaming Falcon was basically considered the number one.
Xiao Yun sat in his car and peered out the driver"s window somewhat flabbergasted. Why weren"t they announcing his entrance to the stadium? Were they waiting for someone else?
"And last but not least, representing Qi Clan…" Xiao Yun was just about to push down on the gas pedal to accelerate speed when a flamboyantly painted rose gold race car cut in front of him. He caught a glimpse of the driver as they sped by, and opened his mouth in shock. His foot slammed down on the brake.
The rose gold car gleamed radiantly under the sunshine, its magnificent beauty exuding an air of pompousness. The spectators, who had been roaring and cheering loudly just a minute before, fell into a shocked silence in its presence.
Rose gold was one person"s trademark; a person that had not shown their face in years. Someone who had become something of a myth in underground racing.
"Dark Cloud!" As the excited announcer finished speaking, the rose gold car came to a screeching halt at the very front of the lineup. The front half of the vehicle stood out in front of the other cars, as if flaunting its otherness; the glory of being number one.
The car door opened, and a girl wearing a white sports outfit emerged. Her long, black hair flowed gloriously in the wind, and the top half of her face was obscured by attractive shades. There was an arrogant, self-satisfied aura about her. When she raised a hand in a token gesture, the audience suddenly came alive.
This was Dark Cloud, the King (or more precisely, Queen) of Racing. This was the enigmatic woman who won first place in underground racing three years in a row; an invincible myth in the underworld.
She formed a fist with her raised hand, and almost immediately, the audience"s cheers were silenced. This was a power the only the Queen had.
~~~
The moment the gunshot announced the beginning of the race, the champion"s car shot out like an arrow, a mesmerizing metallic rose blur. The sight of the speeding car unconsciously made all the other racers feel a certain amount of pressure, for it was evident that the ultimate victory would be hers.
The ash silver car followed closely behind her. The portion of the Queen"s car that had stood in front of the rest of the racers had given her an advantage. No matter how fast the others accelerated, no matter how skilled they were, they were unable to catch up. In addition, Dark Cloud"s presence in itself was enough to strike fear in their hearts. It wouldn"t be easy for Streaming Falcon"s car to overtake her.
The stadium was filled with the sounds of both racers" cars crashing against each other. Streaming Falcon had set out to destroy the others, but he unexpectedly found himself being destroyed.
"Who is that?"
In the resting area, Jun Qi was following the path of the rose gold car where it was televised on a screen. He turned around to look at Red Falcon, who had just appeared.
The other man simply smiled, and said, "Dark Cloud, the world"s number one underground racer."
Jun Qi"s brows creased. "You know what I mean."
Red Falcon"s smile widened. "You"ll know when the time comes," he replied, before rubbing his eyebrow and turning to leave for the main stadium. The corners of his mouth were turned up in a grin.
"Why would they need to come bother me if they had Dark Cloud all along?" Xiao Yun had rushed over to the television screen and was muttering to himself as he watched the race.
Jun Qi and Wu Sen shared a look before turning their attention back to the screen, both eyeing the race contemplatively.
Inside the rose gold car, Li Xin was grinning. Her hands grasped the steering wheel steadily and she was maneuvering it with confidence. The race track belonged to her; it was a realm that she ruled.
"Streaming Falcon"s car is coming up about 115 degrees to your left," a staticky voice sounded through the car"s intercom system. "Ruin his car, and I"ll give you more reward money."
Li Xin narrowed her eyes and smiled. Ruining his car was exactly what she had planned.
She quickly shifted gears and slammed down on the breaks, causing her tires to let out an ear-piercing squeal.
Streaming Falcon couldn"t believe the maneuver that the driver in front of him just did. At the speed that he was going, it would be impossible for him to not crash into her and flip her car over. Consequently, he stepped on his gas pedal and accelerated straight towards her.
Li Xin glanced at her oncoming opponent through the rearview mirror and smiled before shifting all her body weight towards the back wheel on the right side of the car, using it as the origin of the 360-degree turn she made. This enabled her to avoid Streaming Falcon"s car, which was going at a speed of nearly 300 km per hour.
Her opponent took the opportunity to race through the opening she left him to regain his position in first place. He was just preparing to adjust his speed to make the sharp turn that loomed in front of him but—
Li Xin smirked. She floored the gas pedal and went speeding off towards Streaming Falcon"s b.u.mper. Because he had slowed down to make the turn, he was no match for her speed and had nowhere to run. In the next instant, there was a loud crashing sound as Li Xin"s car rammed so hard into Streaming Falcon"s car that it was knocked out of the race track with its back b.u.mper completely disfigured. The entire vehicle was rendered useless and destroyed.
"Good work," the intercom voice praised in Li Xin"s ear, before cutting off abruptly.