The engine's power remained steady; the downhill slope had no impact on its speed. In the blink of an eye, he reached the curve. Fei Shangming habitually glanced in his rearview mirror.
The sight shocked him: the red sports car was now less than fifty meters behind him.
He’s gone mad. That was Fei Shangming’s first thought.
How is that possible, so fast? That was his second.
At this speed, he was certain to flip on that sharp turn—no question about it. And with only five seconds to brake, there was no way to scrub enough speed to make the turn safely. The red car was doomed to fail.
The second puzzle was this: even if the red car had slowed before the descent, logically, it shouldn't have been able to close the distance so rapidly.
But he had no time to dwell on it; the curve was upon him. He slammed the brakes and wrenched the steering wheel.
In the stands, the dyed-hair woman suddenly asked with confusion, “Why did the red car suddenly accelerate so much? Didn't we hear its speed only increased by two kilometers per minute? Did the car’s system malfunction?”
The other three looked equally puzzled, unable to puzzle it out immediately.
“I know,” the bespectacled man exclaimed, clapping his hands. A sharp glint shot from his eyes through his lenses.
“Hurry up and tell us,” the dyed-hair woman urged impatiently.
“To think of this method in such a short time… the driver of the red car is extraordinary.” The bespectacled man reached up to adjust his glasses.
“Can you stop dragging this out?” The dyed-hair woman showed clear annoyance at his deliberate pacing.
Knowing her temper well, the bespectacled man didn’t take offense. “There is only one possibility that allows the speed to surge that much, that quickly.”
“Which is? He turned off the engine and is relying purely on gravitational acceleration.”
The other three had a sudden realization, thinking, So that’s it.
“However, navigating such a sharp turn at that speed is virtually impossible. What is he planning?” The bespectacled man was slightly bewildered. Judging by the driver’s previous performance, he wasn't the type to be recklessly audacious.
He looked at his monitor, and his expression shifted abruptly. “Could it be…”
Car 007 executed a flawless drift around the curve and plunged down the slope.
The red car began to slow down. (The bespectacled man noted it wasn't hugging the inside lane, but driving in the second lane.)
Two seconds after braking, the red car steered sharply. Under the immense force of inertia, the entire vehicle swung out sideways. No, the speed is too high; it’s going to flip, the bespectacled man judged.
Sure enough, one wheel on the car’s side lifted slightly off the ground.
A roar like a tidal wave erupted from the stands. Every heart clenched, eyes wide, fixed on the red sports car.
Flip? Or not?
After lifting a few centimeters, the red car wobbled, then slammed back down onto the track.
“Whoa—”
The audience let out a massive, collective sigh—a sound mixed with awe and relief.
“How is that possible?” the dyed-hair woman cried out, unable to believe her eyes. To corner that sharply at such a velocity without flipping defied everything she knew.
The bespectacled man was stunned too, but then a spark of inspiration hit him. He smacked his forehead hard and exclaimed excitedly, “I know…”
In the video replay, thick smoke billowed from the red car’s tires as it completed the turn. Through the haze, the red car shot forward like a crimson bolt of lightning.
Closer, closer...
“Yes—” Amidst the roaring cheers of the crowd, the red car overtook the black car bearing the number 007, descended the slope, and entered the third segment of the track.
Fei Shangming was utterly frozen, his mind a total blank. Even after his car slid far off course and stopped, he remained motionless.
How could it be?
The phrase echoed endlessly in his head.
It must be cheating! Fury surged through him. He instantly dialed the club manager. “You son of a—you actually colluded with someone to cheat and played me for a fool! Does your club even want to stay in business?”
He spat curses with abandon, yet still felt no relief. Since birth, he had always been the one manipulating others; he had never been toyed with like this.
If the other party couldn’t give him a satisfactory explanation, then, hmph, they would face the consequences. I am a Fei, and not just anyone can bully me.
“Mr. Fei, please calm down first.” The voice on the other end was remarkably steady. “To our knowledge, 001313 has made no attempt to cheat.”
“What? No cheating?” Fei Shangming sneered. “Then explain to me how, on a thirty-degree slope, while traveling near 400 kilometers per hour, he managed to navigate a nearly ninety-degree turn without flipping.”
“I’m not an expert on that, so I wouldn't know. However, Mr. Fei, you are a professional. I suggest you rewatch the recording; you might find the reason.”
“If Mr. Fei can find evidence that this driver cheated, our club will naturally provide you with an accounting.”
“Fine.”
Fei Shangming disconnected the call. By now, he had calmed down. Since the Mingzhou Club was established, while it offered preferential treatment to top drivers like him, it had never been known to openly favor anyone else.
The clientele here consisted of the wealthy and powerful; the club wouldn't dare risk incurring the wrath of so many people just to help one person cheat.
There were no true secrets among the elite, and he knew a thing or two about the club’s backers. He absolutely could not afford to offend that many influential figures.
Unless… A chill ran down his spine as one possibility dawned on him.
Unless the owner of the red car has such immense backing that the club would rather risk offending a host of people than cross him.
I hope that’s not the reason.
Thinking this, he pulled up the panoramic recording of the red car’s descent and began to study it closely.
The section before the downhill was fine. After starting the descent, the speed clearly increased, accelerating faster and faster until, nearing the curve, its speed had surpassed 400 km/h—this acceleration was completely abnormal.
However, he soon spotted the key element. The engine—there was no sound.
“Damn it, that works?”
Fei Shangming, understanding the trick, nearly erupted in curses.
According to regulations, once the speed exceeded 300 km/h, the accelerator must be held down constantly; releasing it would cause the speed to drop back to 300 km/h.
But if the engine was shut off, the rule didn't apply—as long as the accelerator wasn't released, the speed wouldn't drop back to 300! This was absurd.
Fei Shangming was indignant; it was clearly a loophole.
Yet, thinking deeper, it wasn’t entirely incomprehensible. If you have five seconds to brake without releasing the accelerator, why couldn't you just shut off the engine?
Others had considered this method before, but the track lacked significant downhills, and those slopes were always coupled with curves, leaving drivers too preoccupied with slowing down to consider accelerating.
The real question now was: How did the red car navigate that curve successfully at 400 km/h?
He had conferred with several top racers, and they all unanimously agreed that the fastest speed to clear that downhill curve was 355 km/h; anything faster would guarantee a flip.
But the red car shattered that conclusion; the recorded speed when it cornered was 410 km/h. Other than cheating, he truly could not conceive of any other possibility.
He re-examined the recording repeatedly, gradually uncovering a clue. The final conclusion he reached left him utterly speechless.
Note: This thirty degrees is the angle between the slope and the horizontal line.
Disclaimer: The setting of this novel is in the technologically advanced city of Davao. All racing segments are purely the product of my imagination and specific rules devised for this story; please do not equate them with reality. I will not respond to any challenges or questions regarding the racing elements of this book. This statement is provided for clarity.
Finally, Happy Dragon Boat Festival, and please recommend the book!