Longqiu Peak lay on the western outskirts of Longhai City, stretching across a vast spread of land. Not long ago, it was a barren, forgotten area. Later, a wealthy entrepreneur bought it, dreaming of turning it into an eco–tourism resort. But before construction could really begin, the man went bankrupt, leaving the place half-developed and mostly abandoned.
Two years earlier, someone else took over the land and built a racing club on it.
In Longhai City, there were three major hotspots for car enthusiasts: the Seven Canyons, Longqiu Peak, and Jiulong Pan.
Among them, the Seven Canyons was infamous—thrilling, dangerous, and lethal. Rumor had it someone died there almost every month, but the place held an irresistible allure, pulling in local racers and out-of-town daredevils alike.
Longqiu Peak, by contrast, felt commercial and polished, a place designed to reel in money. Aside from racing, the club also operated underground betting.
Around seven o'clock, Xiao Chen and Su Xiaomeng arrived at Longqiu Peak. After stepping out of the Maserati, Xiao Chen scanned the scene with a faint smile. He had visited this place on an earlier trip to Longhai and saw that almost nothing had changed.
He had also raced at the Seven Canyons before—and preferred it by far. That place was a paradise for thrill-seekers, the home of real life-and-death street races.
He flicked a lighter, lit a cigarette, and let a smoke ring drift out.
"Xiaomeng, Yin He still isn't here? Call him again. Once we're done, we need to hurry back. If your sister calls and asks me to pick her up, what then?"
"Okay!"
She pulled out her phone, but before she could dial, a voice piped up behind her.
"Sister Meng! You made it!"
A group of stylishly dressed boys and girls came over, smiling as they greeted her.
"You guys are here too. Have you seen Yin He?"
"I heard he's in the club hall," a young man replied, then eyed Xiao Chen curiously. "Sister Meng, is this the racing expert you mentioned?"
"That's him," Su Xiaomeng confirmed, then said in a dramatic imitation of Xiao Chen, "Crushing Zhu Kun is child's play."
A red-haired girl smirked. "Seriously? Don't tell me he's your boyfriend."
"Cut it out. I wouldn't date him. I was joking!"
Xiao Chen frowned. "Hey now, what's that supposed to mean?"
"Hehe, well if you don't want him, I'll take him." The red-haired girl laughed as she wrapped an arm around his neck. "Hey handsome, how about we get to know each other? I'm much sweeter than Old Lady Su."
"Old Lady Su?"
Xiao Chen blinked at Su Xiaomeng, puzzled by the nickname.
"Enough nonsense," Su Xiaomeng snapped. "Go find Yin He. Let's get this race over with—I need to go home."
"See? Old Lady Su is jealous! Okay, okay, we'll stop teasing. Though I really hope this handsome guy can beat Zhu Kun. If not…"
Su Xiaomeng gave a sharp cough. The girl instantly shut up.
Xiao Chen looked between the two of them, confused.
When they reached the hall, they spotted Yin He and his companions. The only unfamiliar face was a young man beside him—likely Yin He's cousin.
"You're here, Xiaomeng," Yin He greeted. Then his stare landed on Xiao Chen, and a flicker of cold intent passed through his eyes. Tonight, you're dead.
"No chatter. Let's race," Su Xiaomeng said bluntly.
"Hehe, you must be Su Xiaomeng," the unfamiliar man said with an oily smile. "My cousin's mentioned you plenty. You're even prettier than I heard. Let me introduce myself—I'm Zhu Kun, Yin He's cousin."
"I know who you are. One of Longhai's underground racing stars…" Su Xiaomeng started. Zhu Kun's smile grew—only for her to continue, "But tonight, you're losing to my boyfriend."
The smile froze on Zhu Kun's face. He looked at Xiao Chen. "You're that confident in him?"
"It's not confidence," Su Xiaomeng said brightly. "He told me beating you is as easy as playing with a kitten."
Zhu Kun's expression hardened. "I don't remember anyone in Longhai daring to talk to me like that. I'm curious to see how exactly you plan to 'play' with me."
"Relax," Xiao Chen replied casually. "You'll know soon."
"Oh, I'll find out. I just hope your skill is as sharp as your mouth… and that your bones are as hard too."
Xiao Chen narrowed his eyes. Zhu Kun's hostility was unmistakable—so strong it bordered on murderous.
Su Xiaomeng turned to Yin He. "And you—don't pull the same stunt as last time. Lose fairly or don't race."
"I, Yin He, stick to my word."
A few minutes later, everyone headed to the club's underground garage. To keep things fair, both racers selected identical Lexus models—only the colors differed. After a quick inspection, the two cars rolled onto the track.
The racing club, thrilled to have an underground "car god" like Zhu Kun competing, seized the opportunity to make money and set up official bets.
News spread across Longqiu Peak almost instantly. Crowds flocked to watch.
Though Zhu Kun wasn't the strongest racer in Longhai—he wasn't even top five—he was still formidable. Since Xiao Chen was an unknown, most people assumed Zhu Kun would win. The club set odds at one-to-two, clearly favoring him.
Inside the car, Xiao Chen was acquainting himself with the controls when Su Xiaomeng ran over.
"Brother Chen, I just placed a bet—twenty thousand! That's six months of my allowance. If you lose, we're through!"
"…You get more than three thousand in allowance every month?" Xiao Chen muttered.
"What's that look supposed to mean? Don't tell me you have no confidence. I bet all my money!"
"Xiaomeng, what's the maximum bet allowed?"
"I think five million. Why?"
"Oh." Xiao Chen pulled a bank card from his wallet and handed it to her. "There's five million in here. Go bet it for me. I might as well earn some spending money."
"…?"
She stared at him, stunned. Where did this guy get that kind of money? Isn't he supposed to be a soldier? Even elite soldiers don't make that much…
"And five million is spending money?"
Still dazed, she whispered, "Are you sure you didn't make this in the Golden Triangle? Smuggling? Trafficking?"
"…No."
"Wait—are you a spy? Selling state secrets?"
"Stop talking nonsense," Xiao Chen said, now visibly irritated. "If you keep that up, I won't race."
"No, no! I'm going!" She sprinted off with the card.
When she slammed the card on the betting table and said, "Five million on the blue car!" the entire area went silent. Even her friends stared wide-eyed. None of them had ever touched that kind of cash personally.
The club staff double-checked. The card really had five million.
Afterward, the managers discreetly asked Zhu Kun how confident he truly was.
His earlier certainty wavered—Su Xiaomeng wouldn't throw away five million for fun.
"If you win, we'll give you a bonus," the club head said quietly.
That perk revived Zhu Kun's confidence. "I'll win."
The moment he left, the manager immediately instructed his staff to hedge the bets and put money on Xiao Chen as well.
Outside, the two cars were ready, engines rumbling. Zhu Kun glanced over and made a throat-slitting gesture.
Xiao Chen looked at him and said calmly, "Idiot."
A sexy flag girl strutted between the cars, gave them both a quick gesture to signal readiness, and then dropped her flag.
The instant it fell, both cars exploded forward, engines howling as they shot off the starting line neck and neck.