The Lada Niva sped forward. As Zhang Heng shifted gears several times, the off-road vehicle's tires spun faster and faster.
Wind howled into the doorless driver's seat. Zhang Heng glanced at the number on the dashboard. The car was now traveling at around 100 kilometers per hour, and he had already shifted into fifth gear. Yet White Mare had not appeared. He pressed down harder on the accelerator, raising the speed to 120 kilometers per hour.
That had also been the top speed when Zhang Heng had driven the doctor, Mouse, and the others to the Pripyat Grand Hotel not long ago. But this time, White Mare was still nowhere to be seen.
With the Filter Lens, Zhang Heng could clearly see his surroundings. In those isolated buildings, eyes occasionally peered furtively at the road, but before the off-road vehicle could reach them, they all scattered and fled.
Zhang Heng had no choice but to keep accelerating. Fortunately, this vehicle was in better condition than any he had driven before. He could feel that the engine had not yet reached its limit, even though the needle was already nearing the far right side of the speedometer.
140 kilometers per hour.
Considering the extra load in the vehicle, this Lada Niva was now essentially being pushed to its limit. As the driver, Zhang Heng could also sense that while it was not impossible to accelerate further, he would risk blowing the engine.
So Zhang Heng ultimately chose to maintain this relatively safe speed. Compared to the speeds on the previous two occasions, he had clearly met the requirement this time. Now came the moment to test whether his earlier deduction had been correct.
The Lada Niva raced down the avenue in front of the Children's Palace.
The sky had begun to