Cycling was grueling work, and the delicate, soft-bodied Lingyin was the first to buckle. Panting heavily, she gasped, "Let's rest for a bit before continuing, you group of endurance freaks!"

Aix, hearing Lingyin's words from behind, tapped his light screen and dialed Sprent, "Lingyin wants to stop and rest."

Sprent, ahead, slammed on his rear wheel brake abruptly. The front wheel lifted in a dramatic one-hundred-and-eighty-degree arc before landing smoothly, his movement sharp, handsome, and perfectly executed. He raised a hand to signal a pause. "There's a rest stop just ahead. Hold on for five more minutes."

Lingyin had no choice but to haul herself back onto her bike and push forward.

Her legs felt like they were filled with lead, too heavy to lift, and her backside was throbbing painfully. She suspected if she had testicles, they would surely be shattered.

Yet, the rest of the group ahead, save for a slight hesitation from Li Chunyu, were pedaling along while casually taking in the scenery—it was positively idyllic for them.

Five minutes later, a rest stop indeed appeared by the roadside. Behind it stood a wooden structure, and ahead, a pavilion constructed of timber. There was a small rock garden with flowing water and blooming flowers, and several Daoist companions sat scattered throughout the pavilions. A line of mountain bikes was parked outside.

Lingyin summoned the explosive power she usually reserved for a hundred-meter sprint and surged toward the pavilion. This time, she had learned her lesson: she braked before reaching the structure, thus avoiding the tragedy of overturning the pavilion in a heap.

Hoo~

She took a deep, shuddering breath just as Ziye cycled over at a leisurely pace. Ziye easily placed his bike in the line and couldn't help but ask, "Xiao Yezi, aren't you tired?"

Xiao Yezi, clutching little Douya, walked to an empty pavilion and grinned broadly. "This level of intensity is fine. It's quite happy-making."

Lingyin nearly burst into tears.

Even Ziye had become an endurance monster. Sob, sob, sob~

The surface of the hexagonal table at the center of the pavilion was set to light-screen mode, displaying a menu from which they could order individually.

Once everyone was seated, they ordered their preferences, adding energy-replenishing cakes or chocolate. Moments later, robots emerged from the building to deliver their provisions.

The twins happened to be facing the direction of the approaching robots. Spotting the familiar automatons, they instantly leaped up, moving to either side of a robot and making very silly peace signs. "Xiao Yezi, snap a picture of us here!"

Ziye activated his light screen and took several shots from all angles, laughing. "Are you guys never tired of photographing robots even when we travel?"

Sprent chuckled slyly. "It's rare to see one of your company's robots here. Be honest, is this rest stop yours?"

Ziye shook his head. "It really isn't mine."

However, seeing how widely Mengya Group's robots were sold still made her quite pleased. Good robot sales meant capital she could invest in strategic weapon systems.

Thinking differently, she mused that perhaps she could repurpose the robots into strategic weapon systems herself in the future!

Ziye jotted down the thought just as Lingyin mumbled resentfully, "My backside is completely shattered. How did you guys find such a bizarre sport?"

Sprent grinned. "Not fun?"

Lingyin nodded vigorously. "Extremely not fun!"

Li Chunyu also weakly raised his hand. As a frail young man, he truly couldn't handle this level of physical exertion.

When everyone looked at him, his already flushed face turned even redder, making him wish he could burrow straight into the ground.

Sprent shrugged in disappointment and looked at Ziye. "What do you think, Xiao Yezi?"

Ziye swung little Douya gently. "We all really enjoy it. By the way, you guys seem so familiar with bicycles; have you studied them?"

Sprent replied, "Of course. Mountain bikes primarily have four systems: the drive train, the braking system, and the gearing. Additionally, there's the suspension system, though that's not considered part of the core four..."

The more Ziye listened, the brighter her eyes became. After he finished, she placed her teacup back on the table with a decisive snap, rushed to her bicycle, and began examining it—specifically, Sprent's bike.

His mountain bike, valued at a hundred thousand massive dollars, was the most expensive of their six bikes. While the priciest wasn't necessarily the best, she was inclined to believe you got what you paid for.

Little Douya saw this, shot off with a whoosh, reached Ziye in the fastest possible time, and landed precisely on Ziye’s head, watching the legendary four systems of the bicycle with rolling eyes.

Sprent shrugged at the others and smiled. "Sorry, I seem to have activated a fanatic. I'm going to go check it out."

Li Chunyu sighed with admiration. "No wonder Ziye always seems so much more professional than me. She truly loves mechanics. I am ashamed." Saying this, he also rose to go look.

One sentence summed it up: a talent like Ziye’s was what a true enthusiast was made of!

Lingyin clutched her head. "You people are all hopeless, truly. We're supposed to be sight-seeing, and you go dissecting bicycles. Could you possibly be any more studious?"

She wanted to see how Ziye was examining the bicycle, but her entire body ached: hands, shoulders, waist, backside, and the inner thighs. She tried to stand up but failed, sinking back into her seat and slumping onto the table, wailing, "Hmph! We'll see what you guys manage to figure out!"

Bobo, who had been sitting silently beside her, stood up and walked towards Ziye's direction. He lowered his voice. "Xiao Lingdang, I didn't deliberately avoid helping you earlier; I truly didn't react in time."

Lingyin eyed him sideways, her voice laced with bitterness. "Don't you usually boast about having lightning-fast reactions?"

Bobo reached out and took her hand. "I'm sorry."

Lingyin pulled her hand away, her voice flat as a ruler. "When I spun around in panic, how I wished you were right behind me. But what I saw was Aix. It was he who grabbed my wheel and stopped me from falling!"

Bobo frowned, dissatisfied. "And you've been giving me the cold shoulder because of that? I appreciate that he saved you, but do you really need to ignore me just because he was the one who did it?"

Lingyin turned her face away. "If he hadn't saved me, I wouldn't even be standing here in front of you right now."

Bobo tried to reach out and turn her face back toward him, but she turned it back faster herself. "Bobo, I'm not blaming you. It’s just that when I stood at the edge of the abyss, at the gate of hell, I suddenly understood some things. Let's just have some space to cool down."

Was she suggesting they break up?

Bobo's hand gripped his beer mug so tightly that the veins stood out on his wrist. He desperately tried to control his impulse, but he couldn't. He violently smashed the mug onto the ground. With a loud thud, it exploded, releasing the aroma of alcohol.

Everyone nearby, including Ziye who was studying the bike, turned to look. Lingyin quickly feigned surprise. "Oh my, how careless of you, even breaking your glass."

Everyone assumed Bobo had truly been clumsy and turned their attention back to their activities.

Bobo, his face ashen, walked to one of the pavilion's support pillars and slammed his fist hard against the wood!

Meanwhile, Ziye squatted beside the bicycle, listening to Sprent explain the principles of the four systems. Suddenly, an idea that had flashed across her mind earlier crystallized. "These four principles... they seem similar to the principles used in mecha warships?"