Page 254

Korte snorted coldly, dreaming of clinching his own gold trophy on his turf!

Gu Xiaoxi lifted her head steadily, her eyes sweeping over the dense crowd.

She immediately spotted the tall man being surrounded by supporters—Korte.

He wanted the gold trophy, and she was determined to deny him that. The greatest agony in this world, after all, is to be deprived!

Once she won the race, she’d deal with him thoroughly.

By then, everyone was busily preparing for the grand competition.

Su San looked at Gu Xiaoxi, holding a brand-new set of professional racing gear, "Here are your clothes! Put them on! It’s safer!"

Gu Xiaoxi glanced at the reinforced helmet and the heavy clothing and shook her head, "No need!"

With her skills, wearing protective gear outside would only inconvenience her movements.

If there were any issues with the car, she could react immediately with the quickest measures. Those clothes would only be a hindrance!

Because Gu Xiaoxi had arrived late, the race was about to start soon after her arrival.

Cars moved into their designated spots on the track.

Gu Xiaoxi glanced at Su San, her eyes shimmering with a chilly determination, "After the race, have someone keep a close watch on Korte. Then, send me the location of the hospital where master is. I’ll go straight there to see him."

"Aren’t you going to accept the award?" Su San asked anxiously. The race was about to begin and he had to leave the scene.

"I’m representing master, and he is lying in the hospital right now, so you can accept the award on my behalf," Gu Xiaoxi said solemnly. After all, her identity was special, requiring secrecy, and she wasn’t free to reveal herself carelessly.

That was why she had come disguised as a man! Not accepting the award would avoid unnecessary trouble for herself.

"Alright then! Just be careful. Xiao Xi, it doesn’t matter if you can’t win the race. You must return safely!" Su San said nervously. Although he wasn’t afraid of Korte, he knew Korte was crafty and excessively ruthless by nature.

He was afraid that Korte might play dirty against Gu Xiaoxi on the track.

"Don’t worry!" Gu Xiaoxi turned the steering wheel, driving the car into a nearby gas station.

After a preliminary run, the fuel had nearly halved.

If she hit the track now, the car would surely break down midway. Besides, her high-displacement vehicle needed fuel for power.

At that moment, there were two minutes left until the start of the race.

All the cars were ready, except for hers, still fueling up!

Suddenly, someone noticed her distinct, out-of-place car, causing a commotion.

"Oh my god, is that Lu Xi’s apprentice? The race is about to start, and he’s still fueling up?"

"That’s too arrogant. With every second crucial, he’s sure to lose!"

"Too young and inexperienced. How could Lu Xi’s apprentice possibly surpass his master?"

"Stop watching him. He’s doomed to lose!"

"He’s already lost at the starting line. Even with good skills, it doesn’t guarantee victory."

"Look at his car; it’s not the highest grade top racing car. Look at Mr. Korte’s car—so impressive! Top-of-the-line specs, and he’s firmly in first place!"

Gu Xiaoxi sat in the car, overhearing the clamorous voices all around her.

Even the gas station attendant serving her wore a disdainful look.

But Gu Xiaoxi merely pushed up her glasses, pulled out a stack of bills, and said to the attendant with a cold tone, "Fill up the tank, this is all yours."

Damn!

The attendant, seeing a stack of bills as thick as a finger—equivalent to a month’s salary—immediately changed the scornful look to one of admiration, eagerly serving Gu Xiaoxi.

It didn’t matter if the other party won or not; being rewarded by a wealthy patron was all that counted.

After fueling up, Gu Xiaoxi started the car, warmed up the tires, then conducted a final check on the power system.

Everything being in order, she drove onto the preparation track.

At that time, the race had already started under the vibrant fluttering of racing flags.

Korte rushed onto the track first, securing a strong geographical position and head start.

Then the other competitors swarmed behind him.

For a moment, the track resonated with the roaring of cars and the excited screams of the crowd tearing through the sky.

Gu Xiaoxi gripped the steering wheel tightly, pressed the gas pedal to time it just right, caught up with the last car that started, and they rushed towards the track together.

And the last one to enter the track, it was her!

Many of Lu Xi’s diehard fans, upon seeing Gu Xiaoxi finally catching up with the main group entering the track at the last second, felt their already anxious hearts tighten even more.

She was neither too early nor too late; she hung onto that rhythm. She gave everyone a real scare!

"Go Little X!" Amidst a chorus of fervent screams, Gu Xiaoxi heard some faint voices, trying hard to cheer for her!

Gu Xiaoxi hooked her lips into a smile, it seems Lu Xi’s fans were numerous!

Korte scoffed as he led at the front, "Naive simpletons! Thinking that by trailing at the back, they can still win the race, what delusions of grandeur."

From the start, he left Gu Xiaoxi a kilometer behind.

That was a significant gap.

On the live race broadcast, the commentator didn’t mince words in his mocking, "Looking at the current momentum, Korte is bound to be first. Lu Xi’s disciple obviously came to make up the numbers.

I thought he would carry on his master’s will, striving for first place.

Now it seems he prefers safety first, which is why he’s at the back.

After all, there’s no safety measures, huh! "

"Hahaha!" The crowd by the roadside immediately burst into laughter.

The commentator mercilessly sneered, calling Gu Xiaoxi a coward afraid to die!

Gu Xiaoxi narrowed her eyes and gripped the steering wheel with both hands, maintaining her speed steadily. She didn’t let the laughter and mockery of others affect her in the slightest.

Su San followed closely behind Gu Xiaoxi’s car, closely watching her, fearing she might have an accident.

After all, a person could drown in spit, and those harsh words could impact one’s psyche.

But at this moment, seeing Gu Xiaoxi’s demeanor—wearing sunglasses, unfazed—it was clear she was focusing on driving and oblivious to what others were saying.

The starting track with sixty-eight cars could easily cause a traffic jam. There was simply no way to overtake.

But she was in no hurry!

Heroes seeking glory, masters vying for supremacy, everyone wanted to break to the front and win first place.

Gu Xiaoxi let out a cold laugh; there was a strategy called ’conserve energy and wait for an opening’. She still preferred to watch tigers fight from the safety of a hill!

As she thought this, not far ahead of her, a coffee-colored race car and a black race car collided, neither yielding to the other, each trying to intimidate the other, creating a very dangerous situation.

Gu Xiaoxi kept up her speed, neither too fast nor too slow, watched for the gap as the cars separated, then suddenly accelerated, gliding past effortlessly.

Meanwhile, Korte, leading in first place, wasn’t having an easy time either.

Four cars were hot on his heels, with one quickly catching up and even showing signs of overtaking him.

The noonday sun was unrelentingly fierce, the blistering sun baking the road hot, with sixty-eight racers gathered, ready for a fiery battle. Cars frequently encountered mechanical issues on the track.

Two kilometers from the start, twelve cars were already eliminated due to collisions, losing control, engine failure, and other issues that made it impossible for them to continue in the race.

Amidst the chaos, Gu Xiaoxi always managed to dodge danger, navigating through the smog-filled battlefield, maintaining her speed, neither fast nor slow.

Danny sat in the highest VIP spectator seat, looking at the images on the big screen, a faint smile in his eyes. The screen showed footage from a helicopter or following camera operators, broadcasting live.

So it was all first-hand footage, and Gu Xiaoxi’s car could only be seen through the helicopter’s camera since no one thought she would win; there were no followers.

"Tsk tsk, what a pity! This year’s Gold Cup race will definitely be the biggest regret in history," laughed Danny. They would realize only in the end that they hadn’t caught any footage of the champion’s path.

He was also a young person, most annoyed by those who were condescending due to age, looking down on the young. Assuming the youth lacked experience and couldn’t achieve greatness, they were overlooked.

But those people didn’t understand that youth came with a clear mind, astonishing potential, and deeper, more far-reaching plans.

He enjoyed Gu Xiaoxi’s composure, calm, strategizing, and intelligence, undisturbed. From the first time he met her, he realized there was something extraordinary about her—Spiritual Energy.

This was a rare existence, one in a hundred million.

Thus, she was destined for greatness!

During this race, he only had eyes for her.

Unfortunately, images of her were rare, and Gu Xiaoxi’s car, mingled among the others, was inconspicuous.

*

At this time, far away on the Jiangzhong Coast, aboard a large ship.

The ship’s radar, sonar, and other equipment were all turned on; everyone was nervously staring at the big screen, searching for the strange creature causing mischief near the coast in that sea area.

This was their third day searching for the mysterious creature. Thirty-six hours had passed without a trace found.

Tang Yisheng’s feelings were mixed! Although the mission was important, the intense car race was unfolding in Texas, and he didn’t have a moment to spare. As a faithful fan of racing, this was a great sorrow.