Chapter Nineteen: The Racing God Speeds Ahead

Dalian, the coastal city, remained breathtaking even under the veil of night. Multicolored lights bedecked this northern pearl, turning it radiant. On the main roads and business streets, streetlamps served more as decoration than illumination, their dim yellow glow offering little help. The endless stream of cars flowed like liquid notes, weaving a never-ending symphony.

Chu Dong, glancing sideways, stole a look at Tan Xue, who stared steadily ahead. Her tightly pressed lips glimmered faintly, while her lively dark eyes shone, fixed on the road, their brilliance undimmed. Her long, curved lashes fluttered with every blink—there was no denying her charm.

“Eyes on the road. I don’t intend to follow you into a ditch,” Tan Xue’s tone was cold, her posture unchanged as she caught Chu Dong’s sidelong gaze.

“You underestimate my skills. Here in Dalian, name anywhere you want to go. I could find it with one eye closed,” Chu Dong boasted shamelessly, though he wasn’t exaggerating. The only difference between driving with one eye or two was a slightly narrower view; few could truly lose their way with just one.

“I’m telling you, don’t play at being the guide. Do you know how many people have suffered from poor directions? Ever heard the story of a blind man carrying a cripple on a night road? After a while, the cripple points ahead and shouts, ‘Go, go, go!’ The blind man, excited, charges forward, and both end up in the ditch.” With that, Chu Dong laughed heartily.

“Childish. No sense of propriety.” Tan Xue’s expression remained unchanged, not the slightest hint of a smile. Disinclined to respond, she fastened her seatbelt, leaned back, and closed her eyes for a nap.

Finding it dull, Chu Dong fell silent and focused on driving. Perhaps to prove his skills weren’t all talk, he deftly maneuvered Tan Xue’s red BMW through the traffic, weaving skillfully among the stream of cars, each one left behind in succession. Yet Tan Xue kept her eyes closed, giving him no opportunity to show off. As they moved toward the outskirts and the traffic thinned, Chu Dong settled down, abandoning his showmanship.

Bored, Chu Dong suddenly noticed a black car tailing them closely. He hadn’t paid attention when traffic was heavy, but now he saw the car’s license plate was covered by a sign reading “A Hundred Years of Harmony.” The first time he’d seen it, he thought it auspicious, but after several overtakes and finding the car still glued to his tail, Chu Dong grew wary.

The Tan family didn’t live in a villa district, but their upscale complex wasn’t downtown either. Once out of the city, Chu Dong pressed the accelerator, letting the BMW’s power unleash in full, streaking ahead like a red lightning bolt.

But as Chu Dong sped up, so did the black, unmarked car, drawn along as if by an invisible thread, sticking doggedly behind.

Chu Dong’s gaze sharpened. Shifting gears, he coordinated hands and feet with seamless precision, the result of countless hours behind the wheel. The car surged forward, trembling slightly even though it was a fine machine. By now, it was clear the car behind was targeting them.

Though Tan Xue appeared to be resting, she sensed something was amiss. Opening her beautiful eyes, she looked at Chu Dong questioningly.

“Don’t panic. Fasten your seatbelt tight, and try not to look up. Best to keep your eyes closed. Trust me, I’m here.” His voice was calm, steady, as if they were merely sipping a cup of pre-rain Longjing tea together.

“What’s going on? Are you trying to get yourself killed?” Tan Xue’s anxiety showed as the streetlights on either side blurred past. The headlights barely illuminated the road before it vanished beneath them, the car’s speed overwhelming her eyes.

“If only you could keep that lovely, sexy little mouth shut, your wit might match your beauty,” Chu Dong quipped, though his eyes dared not leave the road. “Trying to race a car god—they’re asking for trouble.”

A backward glance told Tan Xue all she needed to know. Both cars were hurtling forward at incredible speed. Something was clearly wrong. Just as Chu Dong said, she pressed her lips together. To say she wasn’t nervous would be a lie, but seeing Chu Dong’s composure, she felt a strange reassurance settle in her chest.

In the black car behind, four young men in black, their shaved heads gleaming, sat tensely. The one in the passenger seat was on his phone, speaking with someone.

“Just keep up. Force him to hold top speed. I’ve made arrangements,” a voice heavy with resentment replied.

“Understood. We won’t fail.” Hanging up, the young man ordered the driver, “Stay close. Don’t let him out of your sight.”

“The car’s nearly drifting. I can barely hold control,” the driver replied, sweat streaming down his face, eyes fixed on the road.

“Stop whining. You know the boss’s temper. Lose them, and you might as well dig your own grave.” The passenger’s tone was as menacing as the boss’s.

Sweat dripped in fat beads, soaking the driver’s collar, but the young master’s tyranny had long since bent his will. Even skirting the edge of life and death, he dared not ease up, foot pressed to the floor, muscles cramping, teeth gritted as he kept up the chase.

Whether the cars were evenly matched or Chu Dong was close to his limit, the gap narrowed steadily. The high beams from behind lit the BMW’s interior like daylight. Thirty meters, twenty, fifteen, eight…

Tan Xue clutched her purse strap tightly, glancing at the car behind, then at Chu Dong’s face. At a loss for words, she finally closed her eyes, lashes trembling.

Ahead loomed an overpass, newly built, its surface like the tentacles of a giant octopus, several ramps spiraling together. Even taxi drivers often got lost there at night, so few cars ventured up. Beneath was a three-way intersection where locals always slowed down, but Chu Dong showed no intent to brake, steering straight up onto the bridge.

But the road ahead was blocked. As Chu Dong shot up the ramp, he saw a massive black truck parked less than fifty meters away, looming in the darkness, sealing off any way forward…