Volume II: Life and Death at Speed in the Northern Realm, Chapter 108: One Hour Before the Race (Part 2)
"Messiah! How is Freya doing?"
"Perfect! We can leave anytime!"
"Xiang-chan, how's the weapon preparation going?"
"Evil must be slain!"
"Ming-chan, how's the route planning going?"
"We've thoroughly studied the official maps. Each of the four routes has its own difficulties. After careful consideration, I think Line 1 is the most suitable for us."
"Okay..."
Emilia looked at the elegant red and yellow beast in front of her—the fourth-generation off-road vehicle Freya —and nodded in satisfaction. Freya was manufactured at great expense by the sponsors of the Abidal Beauties Team. Even the smallest parts were carefully selected to ensure it could perfectly adapt to any terrain and had high compatibility with parts from other vehicles.
However, Freya's most striking feature is not its superior performance, but its unique body. Its exterior is covered with a thick layer of rubber, which is an excellent cushioning material. Tests have shown that even if Freya collides head-on with a rock at 150 mph, it only bends the bumper, while the vehicle itself remains almost undamaged.
"I wonder how well Ally is preparing... With that hastily put-together team, can they even get a good result?" Emilia muttered to herself.
"Amy, you really care about them, don't you? Why didn't you bring a gift and say hello properly?"
"Who cares about those idiots?! Why do I feel like you've been protecting them since the beginning? Are you trying to defect? Speak up for me, please!"
"Xiang-chan and Ming-chan have no grudges against them, so why should we speak ill of them? You should be the same; why can't you be more honest?"
"I've been very frank! It's just Ally Alice is such an idiot! But... if she doesn't get good grades, I'll be really worried too."
"Oh?"
"Because..." Emilia's eyes suddenly burned with intensity, "As my greatest rival, if she doesn't perform well, I'll lose face too."
You stupid Ally, still stuck in the past! You've been working in isolation for so many years, and if you dare disappoint me, I'll kill you!
"How did the 'Earthwalker' maintenance go, Alba?"
"Don't worry, I've checked it countless times, there's absolutely no flaw."
"And you, Luo Huan? You are both a combatant and a navigator; your responsibilities are immense."
"It's now in optimal condition!"
"And finally, it's Lewis. I have absolute confidence in your driving skills, but you'd better change your frivolous personality! I won't allow you to make any silly mistakes!"
"Got it, boss. Anything else you want to tell us? If not, we're off."
"Hey, I just told you..."
"Don't worry, Mr. Investor. With me Alba, on the Noxar Team is guaranteed to win."
"... I'm relieved to hear you say that. Of the three of us, Alba is the most reliable one."
"Huh? What do you mean? Are you saying I'm not as good as him?"
"No, no, Luo Huan, you're very capable too, but how should I put it... can you stop thinking about men all the time?"
"Your nagging is so annoying! At least find me a few men to have some fun with before you leave!"
"Ahhh, that's enough!"
An investor sighing with his head in his hands, a helpless mechanic, a frivolous driver, and a combatant/navigator in the throes of passion—an hour before the game, the usual little farce was playing out in the Noxar Team's locker room.
"Oh, right."
"What's wrong, Alba?"
"You might run into a grumpy little girl on the way to the competition, so... don't take offense, hmph."
A dimly lit room--
"Is the car sorted out?"
"Hmm... I stole a pretty cool-looking one."
"You seem to be doing a pretty good job? How about you be the driver?"
"Driver is so unsophisticated. At least call him a driver; it sounds more respectable."
"Really? Then I'll become a combatant?"
"How were we assigned jobs when we signed up? Were the ones from back then even more awesome?"
"Who remembers that kind of thing? I became a combatant, you know?"
"You're not cool enough. Besides, Xiu Lin isn't really suited for the navigator position."
"It seems that Xiu Lin is already a technician? Could he also take on the role of navigator on the side?"
"Ugh, why do you always use questions? How can you be so cool!"
"You think you have the right to talk to me like that? Don't you use the word 'dick' in every sentence? That's very uncivilized, isn't it?"
"You think you're so tough? Want to fight?"
"You dare?"
"Hey, Xiu Lin! This guy's so arrogant, aren't you going to do anything about him... Xiu Lin?"
The two looked at the bed in the corner, where a small mound of thick quilt had formed.
"Ugh...! Who's disturbing my sleep... Oh, it's you guys, Geronimo, Payne..."
"I just said he was awesome, but you're even more awesome! Get up, we're leaving in an hour!"
"No... just let me rot quietly in this corner..."
"Hey, hey, hey, don't actually spread mold! Are you trying to kill all three thousand participants? Why are you so arrogant!"
"I just want to rot and be buried... living is so tiring..."
"Xiu Lin, why are you always so listless when you're a young girl? Did I accidentally cut off your survival instincts?"
"It's not your fault, Geronimo, it's just because... I'm energy-efficient..."
"Energy-saving type? Shouldn't it be the rot-prone type?"
"Alright, you two losers! Get back to work. Now that the organization is finally starting to operate officially, it's time for lowly rookies like us with no reputation or status to try and steal some credit!"
"Really?"
"Yes... ahh..."
"Ugh, I've had enough of you two idiots!"
Port Turltukha, Grey Starling Commercial Building
The Grey Starling Tower is the Gray Starling Group's largest property in Port Turltukha. The 100-story skyscraper stands silently, exuding a transcendent presence. To most people, the tower is exactly one hundred stories high, but fewer than ten people know that above the one hundredth floor, there is a "non-existent" 101st floor.
This is a white world. Against a white background, countless tiny, seemingly burnt scraps of cloth float in the air, adding a touch of desolation. At the top of the original building is a gray-black floor. Upon closer inspection, it can be seen that this floor is composed of billions of gray-black strips of cloth, which are layered and intertwined to form the walls, roof, windows, and even the interior furnishings.
Inside this building, a young man who looked to be in his early twenties sat at a huge desk, seemingly organizing documents. Of course, this desk was also made of strips of cloth.
"President, everything is ready."
A woman dressed as a secretary walked through the gray-black door. She was wearing a business suit and glasses, and looked like a successful career woman.
The young man raised his head and said with a wry smile, "How many times have I told you, Ankri, I haven't been the President here for two hundred years. Now, I'm just a shadow offstage."
"But in my heart, you will always be the only President of Grey Starlings." Secretary Ankri stood firm.
"Think what you want... Whew..."
The young man, referred to as the President, stood up and yawned widely. "In any case, I've done everything I could. Now we just wait for the competition to begin, and hopefully everything will go according to plan."
"If anything unexpected happens, it's definitely not the President's fault! The only ones to blame are those short-sighted subordinates!"
"It's alright, it's alright. After so many years in business, I've realized that fame and fortune ultimately boil down to one sentence: if I gain them, I'm lucky; if I don't, it's fate. If they can benefit from the competition and gain merit, that's their good fortune. If something unexpected happens, I can only bear the consequences."
"So profound..." Ankri exclaimed with admiration, making the young man a little uncomfortable.
"Don't mention that, Ankri. Let me rest for a bit. You know, all this gray and black stuff is making me so sleepy."
"Ah, okay... Speaking of which, why does that person always create things with such a lack of romance..."
"Don't let the Void Realm hear you say that. If they get upset and lock you up forever, 'redeeming' you will cost me a lot of money."
"Sorry!"
Ankri immediately apologized; being loyal, she knew her master's temper all too well. The young man was usually quite easygoing; he wouldn't get angry even if you insulted him to his face, but everything changed when money was involved.
After all, the young man, Yu He, was a businessman, and the most successful businessman in the history of Spirit Star.
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No one's going to write a book review?