Zhang Heng was tied to a chair. He had no idea how much time had passed when someone reached over and removed the black blindfold from his face. Only then did he realize he was sitting in an abandoned factory.
Zhang Heng's head felt a little foggy. After being subdued outside the apartment, he had been shoved into a car and blindfolded, completely unaware of what was happening around him. Judging only from how long the vehicle had been driving, he could barely tell that he was probably still in Tokyo, though likely in the outskirts.
He knew he had been careless. In truth, no matter how calm and meticulous he was, this was still his first time getting caught up in something like this, so mistakes were inevitable. These people had clearly tampered with something somewhere, allowing them to locate that little apartment.
As if answering the question in his mind, a buzz-cut man pulled a black tracker the size of a piece of gum from inside Ameko's handbag.
They must have slipped it in when the girl had been tied up and thrown into that blue Toyota. Ameko had been unconscious then and would not have known what happened. The tracker had been hidden well enough that she would have had trouble finding it after waking up unless she searched herself inch by inch.
Zhang Heng raised an eyebrow. "Where is Ameko?"
The two of them had been separated after going downstairs. They had probably been shoved into different cars, and Zhang Heng had not seen the girl since.
"Think about your own situation first." The buzz-cut man spoke harshly, his eyes fixed on Zhang Heng with intense hostility.
Zhang Heng finally recognized who this guy was.
He had punched him outside the door earlier. No wonder the buzz-cut man was not giving him a friendly look now.
"Heh. Now we can settle our score properly." The buzz-cut man set down the tracker and cracked his knuckles.
But at that moment, a low voice sounded from behind him. "That's enough. Let me talk to him."
"Yes, Team Leader." The buzz-cut man's expression immediately changed. He bowed respectfully, then retreated outside.
A short man walked up to Zhang Heng, pulled over another stool, and sat down. "Getting you and Miss Ameko involved in this was not the organization's intention. On a personal level, I offer my apologies."
Zhang Heng neither agreed nor disagreed.
"Twenty-two years ago, the vice president had a minor grudge with Tsuchiya Yosuke... ah, that is, Mr. Takeda Tetsuya. He sent me to handle this matter. Originally, we planned to throw Tsuchiya Yosuke straight into the sea to feed the sharks, but the vice president changed his mind at the last moment and decided to give him an opportunity."
"What exactly were the vice president's words again... A feud between racers should be settled the way racers settle it." The short man spoke leisurely. "So I carefully built a stage for Tsuchiya Yosuke, but it is still missing a supporting player. That has given me quite the headache, because Mr. Tsuchiya Yosuke has never been very well liked. After all these years, he somehow has not made any friends. I heard that you have been helping him deliver goods for more than half a year now. So, are you interested in joining the fun?"
"Do I have any other choice?" Zhang Heng asked calmly. Although the short man looked more refined than his companions, that was precisely why Zhang Heng knew he was not actually asking for Zhang Heng's opinion.
"I like talking to smart people. It saves a lot of pointless chatter." The short man drew a Small Knife, moved behind Zhang Heng, and cut through the ropes binding his hands. "The game is simple. Whichever one of you wins this race, I will let all three of you leave. But if you lose... believe me, you will not want to know the outcome."
Zhang Heng flexed his wrists. He seriously considered trying to knock down the short man, seize the Small Knife on him, and take him hostage. But the two tower-like figures standing at the factory entrance ultimately made him abandon the idea. At this point, he had no way out.
"How many people are competing, where is it, and what are the rules?"
"Don't worry. You'll learn all that when the time comes. For now, relax and pick a race car." After saying that, the short man clapped his hands. Two guards walked to the center of the factory, where an area had been covered up. They pulled away the tarp, revealing the cars beneath it.
There were five in total: a red Nissan 180SX, a silver BMW M5, a gray Mercedes-AMG GT, a yellow Dodge Viper, and a blue Ford Raptor F-150.
"All these cars have been tuned for performance. You can choose whichever one you like to drive. If you are not satisfied, you can modify it yourself. We can provide the parts. The race starts at midnight tonight, as long as you finish before then. So, do any of them catch your eye?" The short man did not hurry away after speaking. He seemed very curious about what Zhang Heng would choose.
To his surprise, Zhang Heng merely glanced at the colorful sports cars before looking away. "Sorry, can I drive my own car?"
"Your own car? What is it, a Porsche 911? An Aston Martin? A Ferrari?"
"A second-generation Mitsubishi L300 released in Japan in 1982," Zhang Heng answered honestly. "It's parked downstairs from the apartment building where you kidnapped us."
"A civilian van?" The short man was surprised.
Zhang Heng nodded. After his extensive modifications, that L300 had long since become unrecognizable, and its performance had soared. But it still could not compare to proper sports cars. The other man had not been stingy; the five vehicles he had displayed were all exceptional cars. And his willingness to give Zhang Heng time to modify them was also meant to prove indirectly that he had not tampered with any of them.
However, Zhang Heng knew very well that no matter how good a car's performance was, it was not as useful in a race as a car he was familiar with.
"That is a reasonable request. I can grant it, but are you sure?" the short man asked again.
Zhang Heng nodded.
The short man waved his hand, and several more people entered to drive away the cars parked inside. Then he gave Zhang Heng a long look. "See you tonight."
This time, Zhang Heng was the only one left in the abandoned factory. He saw water and food laid out on a table, presumably for replenishing his energy. There was also a game console in the corner to pass the time. For a kidnapped hostage, the conditions were almost too good, which only made Zhang Heng more certain that this race had not been a spur-of-the-moment decision.
These people had clearly been planning this for a long time. Judging from the man who had fought him earlier, they probably had not received any professional training, but there were quite a few of them. Even if he ignored the seafood shop owner and Ameko and tried to force his way out, it was not very realistic. Besides, his phone had been confiscated immediately, so he had no way to contact the outside world.
He could only eat a little, then quietly wait for the race to arrive.
Everyone was so enthusiastic, but there's no need to send red packets for this book during its new-release period~ Saving it properly is more practical (＞ε＜)
Before you continue