"Brother, how can you side with an outsider!" The young girl stamped her foot in displeasure, her face clouded with grievance. "I'm not siding with an outsider; I'm judging the matter on its merits!" Young Master Shi said helplessly.

Zhang Yang nodded silently. Young Master Shi was decent; at least he wasn't blindly defending his own kind.

That was easier said than done. Everyone has selfish inclinations and often looks out for their own people.

Forget them; even Zhang Yang himself was no exception. "Qiangzi, are you alright?" Gu Fang asked softly, glancing over at Zhang Yang and his companions.

Long Cheng, however, snorted coldly in clear annoyance. "I'm fine.

I ran into a few friends. Yu Ping and they had a misunderstanding!" Young Master Shi turned back and smiled.

Zhang Yang and the others knew his real name was Shi Qiang; they had seen it when signing the contract earlier. "Everyone is here, let's get started.

Same old rules: sign up and queue up first. Fifteen people per heat.

Friendship first, competition second—everyone must watch out for their own safety!" Cai Zeling shouted. Many people immediately gathered around.

His announcement meant the street race was about to begin. The reality of underground racing wasn't as terrifying as the legends suggested.

It was mostly enthusiasts gathering to test their skills. It wasn't unique to Shanghai; every major city had them.

In later years, many car clubs would frequently organize similar competitions. However, the scale of these club races was usually small, and there were no restrictions on vehicle types—any car would do.

It was all about the excitement, having fun, and seeing who had superior car control. As soon as Cai Zeling finished speaking, many people rushed forward to register.

There were nearly a hundred people present, but only about fifty or sixty genuinely wanted to compete and show off their skills on this track. With so many people, they certainly couldn't all race at once; they had to be divided into heats.

For a stretch of over fifty kilometers, speed on the straightaways meant the race would only take about ten minutes for the fastest among them. Even with the bends, it wouldn't take long; a full round could definitely be completed within half an hour.

Divided into several rounds, the event would likely conclude near dawn. As soon as registration opened, many people eagerly signed up.

Some who normally had minor grudges or felt slighted were shouting to be paired together in the same heat to settle scores on the track. If the Jinling contingent had been present, they would inevitably have been grouped with Changjing, even if the numbers were insufficient, and others wouldn't have been allowed to participate.

These types of contests were usually the most captivating, but unfortunately, the Jinling group had collectively withdrawn this year, meaning the highly anticipated clash between them and Changjing would not happen. "Brother Cai, since I'm here today to join the fun, I'll participate as well.

I'll use my car!" Gu Fang said cheerfully to Cai Zeling, who furrowed his brow again. Gu Fang played around with cars often, but he rarely competed, so he wasn't sure about the young man's actual skill level.

However, his car inherently possessed a significant advantage compared to the others. While the other cars varied slightly, the gaps weren't huge.

The most expensive bare cars were just over two million yuan, with the cheaper ones around one million. Including modification costs, the gap narrowed further.

Gu Fang’s Bugatti was vastly more expensive than these cars, and its quality was much superior. Setting aside other factors, this car managed the zero-to-hundred acceleration in just over three seconds even before modification.

Now that the car had been modified, its speed would be even greater. In terms of both starting acceleration and sustained speed, it would outperform the other vehicles, putting everyone else at a disadvantage.

With Cai Zeling and his peers' expertise, they could instantly tell that this Bugatti had undergone considerable modification, personally tuned by a master to achieve peak performance in all aspects. "Alright, if Boss Gu wants to play, then play.

Old Cai, count me in for the first heat!" Long Cheng, who hadn't spoken until then, suddenly chimed in, a faint smile on his face. He had a good relationship with Cai Zeling and naturally disliked the aggressive Gu Fang.

Gu Fang’s expression flickered slightly before he quickly resumed smiling. He did own several feed mills and was indeed a boss, but his mills were massive, monopolizing sales in Shanghai and many surrounding areas.

Any business that could be labeled a monopoly generated immense profit, like the later petrochemical giants or mobile communication companies. Achieving a monopoly in the feed industry was even more difficult, which spoke volumes about his capability.

"Long Cheng, since you want to play, I'll accompany you. Let's make it just the two of us for the first heat—dare you?" Gu Fang turned back, smiling at Long Cheng.

They were both young masters and well-known local figures; even if they weren't close, they knew of each other. Long Cheng recognized him, and he recognized Long Cheng.

By singling out Long Cheng for a challenge now, he intended to convey that even a formidable newcomer must bow to the established local presence, forcing Long Cheng to stay grounded today, regardless of how much of an 'over-the-river dragon' he might be. "Sure, just don't cry if you lose!" Long Cheng chuckled lightly.

While his car might not match Gu Fang's, he possessed immense confidence in his own driving skill. Racing wasn't just about the car; technique was equally crucial.

Even though Gu Fang's car was better, he was confident he could win the race. "Gu Fang, Old Long, if you want to race, don't break the rules.

We need to fill the first heat. If you two want to race one-on-one, there are plenty of roads outside where you can go anytime; I won't stop you!" Cai Zeling suddenly interjected.

His tone was mild, but his meaning was perfectly clear. He disagreed with Gu Fang and Long Cheng racing separately.

This was understandable; organizing a heat took time, and everyone had gathered to have fun. They couldn't just stand around watching those two race.

"Then let's fill the heat; I don't mind," Gu Fang shrugged. His initial intention today was merely to observe, but since Long Cheng had stepped up, his focus naturally shifted to him.

"That works too, let's fill the heat," Long Cheng also nodded. He clearly understood that Cai Zeling was subtly helping him.

In a two-person race, Gu Fang's Bugatti could more easily utilize its power on the open road. Once it overtook him, catching up would be difficult, especially since the chosen route was conducive to a multi-car competition.

With more people, the competition intensified. If a few more drivers supporting Long Cheng were slotted in, Gu Fang's vehicular advantage would naturally diminish.

This was Cai Zeling's thoughtful consideration, which Long Cheng understood. As for whether Gu Fang grasped it, they didn't care.

However, even if Gu Fang understood, given his temperament, he wouldn't care. His car held the advantage anyway; he dared to race fifteen against one.

The roster for the first heat was quickly announced. Long Cheng’s guess was correct; Cai Zeling was indeed looking out for him.

In this heat, Huang Hai, Wang Chen, and Li Ya were all present, meaning the Changjing group was fully deployed. Zhang Yang and Su Zhantao hadn't signed up.

Zhang Yang had no interest, while Su Zhantao was purely accompanying Yang Ling. Even if Su Zhantao had entered, with his skill level, he would likely have finished last.

Fifteen cars lined up sequentially in the service area. To Zhang Yang's surprise, Young Master Shi's cousin, that girl Shao Yuping, was also in her Ferrari, currently sitting inside the vehicle.

All the cars roared, their exhaust pipes occasionally emitting deep, muffled thuds. Fifteen cars waiting side-by-side for the start—the scene was genuinely spectacular.

The fifteen cars were positioned toward the rear of the service area, with police officers standing tense nearby. Further ahead on the highway, several observation cars were parked at intervals, monitoring the road conditions to report back instantly to those waiting at the service area.

The short distance within the service area effectively served as the starting grid. The better the car, the more critical its position here.

Gu Fang, sitting inside his vehicle, was highly confident. His car cost several times more than any other adjacent vehicle, allowing him to take the lead right from the start.

"Go!" The person directing them waved a flag, and the fifteen cars instantly surged forward, flashing past the onlookers like the shadows of fifteen drawn swords. The road at the other end of the service area had been considerably widened—a specific arrangement Cai Zeling had instructed the highway authorities to make for them.

The wider exit prevented crowding during the initial rush; otherwise, accidents were highly likely in such a confined space. All the cars had been modified, and their enhanced performance was now on full display.

Gu Fang’s Bugatti shot ahead, gaining half a car length immediately at the start, but that was all. He failed to pull away from the other cars as he had imagined.

These were all modified vehicles. Even if his car’s zero-to-hundred acceleration was under three seconds, or even faster, the difference was still less than a second compared to the others.

This initial second of advantage would manifest, but afterward, the race would hinge on everyone’s driving technique. Wang Chen and Li Ya, driving their cars, immediately began squeezing toward Gu Fang’s Bugatti.

They understood that while this was officially a fifteen-person race, the protagonists were Long Cheng and Gu Fang. The few drivers who came with Gu Fang, including Shi Qiang's cousin Shao Yuping, were also maneuvering their cars toward Long Cheng’s position, trying to create opportunities for their ally.

"Passed the five-kilometer mark. The Bugatti is now leading, followed by the yellow Ferrari in second place—the Ferrari is half a car length behind the Bugatti!" The forward observer immediately transmitted the latest situation.

Hearing the report, Cai Zeling, along with Zhang Yang and Su Zhantao waiting behind, were momentarily stunned. The Bugatti belonged to Gu Fang.

There was only one yellow Ferrari, which was Li Ya’s car. Long Cheng was driving a green Land Rover.

No one expected Long Cheng not to be chasing Gu Fang, but instead, Li Ya was sticking right on his tail—this surprised everyone somewhat. Cai Zeling’s brow subtly furrowed.

A Land Rover was inferior to dedicated sports cars, but with modifications, it shouldn't fare poorly against sports cars on such a good track. Given Long Cheng's skill, he shouldn't have fallen so far behind.

The reporter stated that the Land Rover was in ninth place, already trailing the leading Bugatti by a noticeable distance, which caused Cai Zeling some concern. He understood that Long Cheng must have been entangled or held up; otherwise, his results would never be this poor...

Fourth update. I started writing after eating a bit, apologies for the late update...

RQ