Wait, Who is Anjing Zhen?

At night, in the Student Council President's office at Central Treisen Academy, a computer sat atop the desk.

On the screen was a grand song and dance performance, where a Horse Girl with short black hair was singing her heart out.

In front of the screen, watching the singing girl intently, was a petite, playful-looking Horse Girl with brown hair, wearing eyeglasses and sporting a crescent-moon-shaped white bang on her forehead.

As the black-haired Horse Girl finished her song and bowed to the audience, the brown-haired Horse Girl pushed up her eyeglasses and let out a light laugh.

"You've grown, Little Kita..."

Just then, the office door opened, and a figure with an elegant aura, long light-purple hair, and long light-purple ears walked in.

"Teio, the schedule for the inspections..."

The elegant figure spoke only half a sentence before shaking her head with a chuckle.

"You're secretly imitating President Symboli Rudolph again, aren't you, Teio?"

In an instant, the brown-haired Horse Girl behind the desk—or rather, the current Student Council President of Central Treisen Academy, Tokai Teio—blushed, and she whipped off her glasses.

"Hey! McQueen, didn't we agree you wouldn't tease me about that?"

"I'm not teasing, it's just... pfft..."

The Horse Girl known as McQueen couldn't hold it in after all and let out a laugh, then waved a hand at the now even redder-faced Tokai Teio.

"Alright, there's no one else here, you don't need to force yourself to maintain that image of authority."

The Horse Girl named McQueen was the current Vice President of the student council, her full name being Mejiro McQueen.

As the highest-tier academy in the industry, Central Treisen had an implicit requirement that to manage the most elite Horse Girls, one's own strength had to be self-evident.

The previous president, Symboli Rudolph, was one of the top-tier Horse Girls, and the career achievements of Tokai Teio, who succeeded her, were no less impressive.

Similarly, as the president's right hand, every vice president was no ordinary individual.

The former vice president "Supercar" Maruzensky, the "King Beyond Common Sense" Mr. C.B., and the current "Famous Actor on the Grass" Mejiro McQueen were all exceptionally top-tier Horse Girls.

Mejiro McQueen had been busy with off-campus affairs for a while and had only returned these past two days to assist Tokai Teio with the racecourse inspection arrangements.

"Fine, I get it."

Tokai Teio did indeed care quite a bit about her image in the eyes of the students.

Just as Kitasan Black idolized her, she had always viewed her predecessor, Symboli Rudolph, as her own idol.

When working, she would unconsciously imitate her idol's mannerisms, feeling that it made her appear more dignified.

However, she had heard her friend's tactful suggestion: that authority was not something one could establish just by wearing a pair of glasses.

So, grumbling like a child, she took off the eyeglasses, put on a serious expression, and turned the computer screen around.

"We'll talk about the inspections later, look at this first."

Curiosity flashed in Mejiro McQueen's eyes as she walked over to the desk.

"This is... the Winner's Stage from today's Tokyo Racecourse?"

"That's right. Now look at this."

After nodding, Tokai Teio walked over to Mejiro McQueen's side and clicked the mouse a few times.

A race appeared on the screen.

Mejiro McQueen had only been curious at first, but after watching for a moment, her expression gradually turned serious.

Two minutes later, she took the mouse from Tokai Teio's hand and began clicking rapidly across the screen.

"What a bold race strategy; it's been a long time since I've seen a Horse Girl dare to run like this in her debut race.

"Which trainer does this Horse Girl belong to?

"Nase?

"Kitahara?

"Or perhaps Ms. Tojo, or maybe Kuronuma...

"...Wait, who is Anjing Zhen?"

Opening the race details and staring at the name "Anjing Zhen," she was stunned for a long moment before realization dawned on her.

"He's that youngest trainer in history, right? I remember now.

"But..."

She frowned slightly.

"If he's only 18, how could he have such seasoned experience?

"Treating a debut race—such an important event—as a training run? Even some veteran trainers wouldn't dare to do this.

"And the timing he arranged for the Horse Girl to accelerate was so ingenious...

"Who is his Horse Girl? She can't be a rookie, otherwise, how would she dare to agree to such a tactic?"

Hearing this, Tokai Teio quickly stole a laugh before putting on a serious face again.

"See for yourself. Look, it's written right here."

Following that, she heard exactly the exclamation of surprise and delight from her friend that she had expected.

"Kitasan Black?! She's already had her debut?! That fast?! And she won her first race?!"

"It's not really that fast anymore, McQueen."

Tokai Teio shook her head with a chuckle, then sighed with emotion:

"Though, if you really want to talk about it, I suppose it is quite fast.

"I often feel like it was only yesterday that the two of us finished running that Tenno Sho Spring.

"And yet, in the blink of an eye, I realize that the little ones who were watching us from the stands back then have all stepped onto the racetrack themselves."

Deeply empathizing, Mejiro McQueen nodded.

"The last time I saw Kitasan Black, I remember it was still last year.

"After that, the only time I heard of her was when you mentioned helping her look for a Trainer, Teio.

"I never expected that in the blink of an eye, not only would she have a Trainer in charge, but she would also complete her debut race in such a bold fashion.

"Time... really does pass so quickly."

Hearing this, after sighing with emotion once more alongside Mejiro McQueen, Tokai Teio regained her focus and opened some video files on the computer.

"Let's get back to Kitasan Black. McQueen, take a look at these recordings."

"Alright."

After nodding, Mejiro McQueen pulled over a chair and sat down.

Tokai Teio did the same, and once seated, the two Horse Girls focused their attention on the footage on the screen.

The content of the recordings was some of the training sessions between Anjing Zhen and Kitasan Black; judging by the clarity, there was no doubt they were school surveillance tapes.

After a short while.

"McQueen, have you noticed that this Trainer...?"

As if hesitating to speak, Tokai Teio began, rubbing her chin.

Also crossing her arms and rubbing her chin, Mejiro McQueen nodded slightly.

"His training habits are worlds apart from what we see here. Rather than calling him a Japanese Trainer, it would be more accurate to say..."

The two exchanged a glance and spoke in unison: "He's almost exactly like those from Europe and America."

Following that, Tokai Teio said with some excitement:

"You really do think the same as I do, McQueen."

"That goes without saying. Anything you can see, I can certainly see as well."

Responding with that, Mejiro McQueen pondered:

"You've taken a liking to this Trainer's unique training philosophy, haven't you?"

"Yeah, we both have experience competing against overseas rivals, and I've even won the Japan Cup, but..."

Tokai Teio smiled, her tone shifting to one of self-deprecation.

"After all these years, I've increasingly realized that if I had to do it all over again... I really wouldn't dare say I could win."

Mejiro McQueen was silent for a moment, then sighed.

"There's no helping it; that's just the gap between Japan and the rest of the world.

"And besides..."

She hesitated for a moment.

"After that Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe last year, Gold Ship, Ichiryu Tsushi, and Vega all had the confidence to challenge it again.

"But the Association adopted a conservative approach..."

"Them? They've always been like that, ever since the President took charge."

Suddenly interrupting McQueen, Tokai Teio shrugged, spread her hands, gave a wry smile, and looked at Anjing Zhen and Kitasan Black on the screen.

"Who cares how they are.

"Right now, I only hope that Little Kita and this Trainer Anjing...

"Can bring us something different."