Chapter 107: Make a Friend |
“Ah, since you’re Ye Chun’s friend, you’re my friend too. Don’t take offense.” Noticing Ji Jue’s shocked expression, Chen Yubo sighed. “Mr. Ji, don’t worry, I’m straight. It’s just that people have thought I’m weird since I was young. I just like pink, what’s so weird about that? I really don’t get it!
“When people see something cute, they all secretly like it, but they care about saving face and refuse to admit it, so they just act all serious. After graduation, everyone became all proper and serious. I can’t even find anyone to talk about tearjerker dramas with anymore. Some people even act like they understand you on the surface, but behind your back they treat you like a joke.
“If it weren’t for Ye Chun occasionally coming out to eat with me, I’d have gone crazy from bottling it all up! It’s not like I’m committing crimes or anything, what’s so funny about it?”
Hearing this, Ji Jue immediately straightened his expression and instinctively defended his Horsey. “My scooter is pink too. I’ve been riding it since starting university. I even take it out grocery shopping every few days. What’s so strange about that?”
Of course, a small scooter like his and a big boss’s car were on completely different levels in terms of price, but his was already an upgraded model now! Purely in terms of cost and materials, it was in no way inferior to any luxury car!
“I knew it! Pink is actually really nice, right? Right?!”
Upon hearing this, Chen Yubo got excited. He slapped his thigh, pulled out his phone, and began enthusiastically showing off his collection, including a total of twenty-one limited-edition luxury vehicles from famous brands across the Southern Continent, Northern Continent, the Empire, and even the Thousand Island, as well as two yachts and one airship.
All of them were pink.
Ji Jue’s face twitched again.
So this is what it’s like to be rich?
From the seemingly low-profile but actually insanely expensive watch on Chen Yubo’s wrist, Ji Jue had already guessed he was extremely wealthy, but he hadn’t expected his wealth to reach this level.
And then, Ji Jue started to worry. If Chen Yubo finished showing off his collection and suddenly asked, “Bro, what’s your collection like?” should he take out a photo of his Horsey? There were even childish stickers pasted on it by his youngest sibling. Would that be… cute enough?
Fortunately, perhaps because he was already used to being richer than everyone else, after showing off his extensive collection, Chen Yubo merely invited Ji Jue to visit his place another day with lingering enthusiasm.
Only then did he finally get down to business.
“So, here’s the situation.”
Speaking in the slightly slurred local Haizhou accent, Chen Yubo said helplessly, “Around 11 PM tomorrow night, I’ve got a race at Lotus Mountain. I’ve placed a big bet on the outcome, and together with friends from the same sports car club, we’ve pooled in about two to three thousand. Ah, actually winning or losing doesn’t matter that much to me. Having fun is what’s important. Over the years I’ve probably lost seven or eight thousand in total anyway, here and there.
“But this time, there’s this out-of-town guy who just joined, and he’s way too arrogant. It’s seriously out of line, you know? He’s been talking big and now I can’t back down. If I can’t settle this, I won’t be able to survive in the club anymore. Since you’re Ye Chun’s friend, I won’t beat around the bush. Let’s be direct. As long as you can help me get my pride back, I’ll pay three hundred!” Chen Yubo said in a serious voice.
Three hundred?
Hearing this earth-shaking, soul-shaking number, Ji Jue looked slightly confused. Even at the Mainland Auto Shop, three hundred was barely enough to repaint a part.
Bro, are you the spokesperson for some gambling addiction rehab program or something?
“Yeah, keep that cool attitude. Don’t get distracted,” Ye Chun said from beside Ji Jue. She was resting her chin on her hand, watching the dance on stage. “He’s talking in units of ten thousand.”
What the—
Ji Jue’s eyes widened. Looking at Chen Yubo’s face full of eager anticipation now, he felt like his whole body had gone weak.
Boss, you should’ve said so earlier!
If it weren’t for Ye Chun constantly reminding him to stay cold and composed, Ji Jue would have already smoothly leaned into the boss’s embrace by now.
Ji Jue forced himself to stay calm and said indifferently, “Ahem… I thought you called us out for something serious. For this little bit of money? I can drive all night.”
Chen Yubo immediately broke into a delighted smile. “As expected of Mr. Ji, truly warm-hearted and righteous!”
But then, he hesitated again, looking a bit conflicted.
“There’s just one problem.” He paused, a little shyly. “It’s not you who’ll be driving.”
Ji Jue fell silent, carefully studying the man in front of him. His spirit matter was weak, and there was no trace of divine blessing or matrix imprint on him. He did have a few alchemical items on his person, but they were all defensive in nature. Under Ji Jue’s gaze, he looked back blankly, clearly not understanding what was going on.
Ji Jue coughed lightly. “Let me ask, Mr. Chen, do you have any driving experience?”
“For daily travel I usually have a chauffeur. I don’t really touch the steering wheel often,” Chen Yubo replied with regret. “Otherwise I wouldn’t have been forced into the guardrail today after getting cut off by that damn guy.”
Alright, stop talking. The “damn guy” you’re talking about is currently trying to help you find a solution to your problem.
Ji Jue’s eye twitched slightly. “What about your driver’s license level?”
“Isn’t C2 enough?”
There was a pure, almost crystalline light in Chen Yubo’s eyes that Ji Jue was far too familiar with. It was everywhere in Tianmen University. In a word, it could be described as innocent.
Ji Jue’s headache got worse.
You don’t even know how to drive manual, and you want to go street racing? Bro, what are you thinking?!
Clinging to his last shred of hope, he looked straight at Mr. Chen. “Don’t tell me you’re some once-in-a-century genius driver? Are you the Midnight Racing God?”
“No, no, no, I’m very careful about safety!” Chen Yubo quickly waved his hands, looking serious. “I never go over 80kmph even on the highway! Safety first!”
Ji Jue’s fists almost tightened on instinct. You! So you’re the kind of guy who hogs the fast lane at 80 the whole way, huh? I should really punch you not once, but twice!
After fully understanding the situation, Ji Jue sighed, just wanting to salute.
There’s no saving this. Might as well give up and die. Goodbye.
Ye Chun sighed. She told him, “Stop hesitating and just use your ability! He just wants to win and feel good about it. He doesn’t care how he wins, as long as the car crosses the finish line. Does it matter whether it’s the person driving the car or the car driving the person? If it weren’t for the fact that this was exactly your specialty, why would I even take on this job for you?”
Ji Jue was briefly stunned. Don’t you have any racing ethics at all? Isn’t this a bit too immoral?
But… he liked it.
So I have to help boost his driving, huh?
As long as he used Deus Ex Machina, he could easily pocket three million. There was something almost delightfully immoral about this kind of money-making.
Just as Chen Yubo was starting to feel like he might walk away empty-handed, he suddenly saw Ji Jue’s previously stern and aloof expression shift into a warm, kindly smile.
“Sounds a bit difficult, but it’s not unsolvable.” Ji Jue took the boss’s hand solemnly and said with heartfelt sincerity, “Even though you don’t usually drive, only have a C2 license, and have never raced before, I believe that if you put in a little effort, beating a professional driver won’t be too hard. But first, you have to believe in yourself, Mr. Chen. Without even a bit of confidence, how can you drive well?”
Even Chen Yubo was stunned and in complete disbelief. “Ah? Me?”
Bro, are you serious?
Chen Yubo actually couldn’t immediately tell whether Ji Jue was being sincere or speaking sarcastically. Yet that smile on Ji Jue’s face was so earnest, so reassuring.
“Don’t worry, that’s how competitions are. The driver just needs to focus on driving. The support team behind the scenes has a lot more to handle. As the saying goes, you need passion, effort, and victory[1]. You already have two of those now. The last one shouldn’t be hard to get either. As long as we have our bond, winning should be easy, right?” Ji Jue asked.
This was a bond worth three million, after all. The boss had invested so much just to win a bit more easily and vent out some of his frustration. If he couldn’t even satisfy that, where was justice? Where was the law?
As the saying went, “at home you rely on relatives, outside you rely on friends.” As Mr. Chen’s new friend, of course Ji Jue had to extend a helping hand. As for whether the rich young masters and ladies in the sports car club would shed a few tears after losing money, what did that have to do with him?
And so, amidst the graceful singing and dancing of the Nutcracker performance, the two of them clasped hands tightly, as if they were gripping victory itself. A dirty, adult-level friendship transaction was thus completed.
Later, in the middle of the night, Ji Jue was jolted awake by a bank notification of a transfer of exactly one million Fedra. The note read, It doesn’t matter if I win or lose. Thanks for the trouble, sir. Let’s be friends!
***
The next morning, Ji Jue was awakened by a barrage of calls from Lu Feng. The tears of emotion from last night, still soaking his pillow, hadn’t even dried yet.
Lu Feng kept his voice low. “Bro, what the hell did you do, Ji Jue? Some guy rolled into the shop early this morning with a brand-new Kunpeng A7, saying you recommended the place to him! Damn it, this thing has factory-upgraded genuine leather floor mats worth an extra 210,000. We don’t even have the diagnostic equipment to service the onboard system. What the hell am I supposed to do for maintenance? Did you offend someone or what?”
Ji Jue sprang up like a carp flipping out of water, instantly energized. “Relax, relax. That’s our long-lost sworn brother. He heard we’re a bit short on cash lately, so he specially came to help us get out of poverty and become rich. I’ll be right there. Just start the maintenance. Change the oil, top up the washer fluid. And if you really can’t find anything to service, just give it a wax, how hard can that be?”
The fatigue from staying up all night practicing Dissociation Technique vanished in an instant.
After a quick wash-up, Ji Jue rode Horsey all the way at full speed to the Mainland Auto Shop, only to find that Lu Feng had actually closed the shop just to help out Mr. Chen. After all, with such a massive top-spec Kunpeng parked inside the workshop, if some careless kid or elderly passerby scratched it even slightly, they wouldn’t be able to pay for it even if they sold their organs.
Lu Feng pretended to be busy underneath the lifted chassis, moving in and out as if documenting some important inspection, while on a slightly worn sofa covered in scratches, Young Master Chen was sitting together with the youngest child. They were watching cartoons on his diamond-studded luxury phone.
Apparently, since he was introduced by Ji Jue, even Mrs. Lu had brought over a plate of sliced watermelon.
“This yellow heroine is the strongest. And her boobs are the biggest!” the youngest child argued loudly, completely ignoring his mother’s murderous glare from behind.
Not long after he said that, the yellow heroine’s head got chopped off. It was clear that having big boobs was pretty useless in some stories.
“See? I told you the blue heroine is the strongest, right?” Chen Yubo said smugly.
Not long after, the blue heroine and the red heroine died together. Both Chen Yubo and the young child fell silent.
When even the black heroine was about to go down, the youngest child hesitated for a moment before saying in a serious voice, “Sir, I feel like… this anime… might not really be suitable for me.”
“True. Magical girls these days are getting less and less traditional.”
Already emotionally defeated by the plot, Young Master Chen wiped the sweat from his forehead. Finally noticing Ji Jue, he felt as if he had been granted salvation. If Ji Jue hadn’t shown up soon, he was afraid even the last pink-haired girl would be gone.
“You’re finally here, Mr. Ji!”
Ji Jue enthusiastically shook his hand. “Ah, Mr. Chen, you’re way older than me, how can I let you address me so formally? Just call me Ji Jue.”
“We’ll call each other what we want!”
“Come on, let’s take a look at the car first.”
Ji Jue led the way toward the fiery red car. It was a top-tier sports car series famous across the Federation, the latest model released just last year, limited to only ninety-one units.
For Ji Jue, who had only recently crawled out of poverty, this was the kind of thing he’d only ever seen in games or on influencer girls’ selfies. The moment he placed his hand on it, all its condition instantly flowed into his perception. There was not a single flaw or sign of wear. It looked as if it had just rolled off the production line. It hadn’t even burned through a full tank of fuel.
It was in perfect condition, practically flawless.
“7.4L twin-turbo, 1790 horsepower, peak torque 1810 Nm, 0 to 100 in 2.4 seconds. I upgraded everything to max spec at the official partner tuning workshop. For extreme weight reduction, the entire body is carbon fiber. The total weight was brought down to 1300 kilograms.”
Young Master Chen listed the specs of the sports car like it was second nature, with the indulgent pride of a rich man who bought things just to have them sit there unused. It was almost admirable. Who would have thought that someone who truly loved sports cars would also drive at 80 km/h in the overtaking lane on the highway?
“That kid Mu is running a modified Mustang from a previous generation, and he still dares to challenge me?” He laughed proudly. “So? Pretty much a sure win, right?”
Ji Jue shook his head. “Hard to say. This isn’t a professional track where everyone just goes around in circles. Besides, Mustangs have way too many modification paths. Some of them are only a Mustang in terms of the shell. The rest has been completely rebuilt to the point even its own mother wouldn’t recognize it. If you run into a serious one, they might even stuff an aircraft engine inside. The horsepower could be so insane it makes reincarnation feel like a shortcut.
“And like you said, an out-of-towner coming to a local sports car club, stirring things up and deliberately provoking a race with you, betting this big… No matter how you look at it, it smells like a setup to slaughter a fat sheep. Do you know anything about his background?”
Chen Yubo took out his phone.
“Ah, don’t worry. We’ve already looked into him. He’s just a second-generation rich kid from a family that builds houses. Back when he was in university, he went to the Empire to try out for an F2 junior training program, but didn’t get selected. Didn’t make anything of himself after that. Came back all cocky and started acting like he was the boss of everyone he met. In the end, he offended someone and couldn’t survive in Tide City anymore, so he ran over to Cliff City.”
“I checked the section of the Lotus Mountain track you picked last night. It’s fifteen kilometers long, with over ninety corners. More than twenty of them are sharp hairpins, and six are S-curves. In mountain racing, sometimes raw performance doesn’t matter. We’ll still need to go check the road in person later to avoid any accidents.”
“OK, I’ll leave it all to you.” Mr. Chen was very easygoing and had no temper at all. “It’s almost noon. What should we eat? I know a good delivery place. Why don’t we all just eat together? I still have two episodes of my anime left.”
Ji Jue was about to say, stop thinking about your stupid anime, the race is more important, but when he saw the page open on Chen Yubo’s phone, he froze.
It wasn’t a food delivery app, but the VIP home-service page of Meilong Kitchen, a top-tier Tide City restaurant in Cliff City. It had a Michelin-level chef team that came to your home with ingredients and equipment to cook on-site.
Bro. You’re the boss. Of course we’ll do whatever you say.
Everything was proceeding exactly as Ji Jue had planned, smoothly and orderly. If nothing unexpected happened, the next steps would be to use his ability, awaken the sports car, help boost his car, win the race, make the boss happy, collect the final payment, and come again next time.
Unfortunately, that plan had barely begun before it was dead on arrival. The furious Kunpeng roared inside Ji Jue’s consciousness, its engine screaming in rage, full of grievance.
“DREAM ON!!!!!Do you know what my life has been like this past year and a half?!When I first rolled off the factory line, I was upgraded, modified, all that. I thought good days were finally coming!But ever since this bastard brought me home, he hasn’t even touched the steering wheel once! He just left me in the garage to rot for a year and a half! A whole year and a half!
“All I ever did was get maintenance. I haven’t even seen what a real road looks like! Finally I got out today for fifty kilometers, and this idiot crawled here at 30 km/h the whole way! Thirty! Even an electric scooter could overtake me!
“Disgusting! Absolutely disgusting! If I had known, I would’ve rotted in the factory! And now you suddenly remember me? Oh, you need me? Want me to race for you? Two words: DREAM ON! Even if I rot in the garage, even if I get scrapped, I will NEVER drive for him again! I’ll stall on the start line today, and he’s guaranteed to lose![2]”
The Kunpeng roared with madness, burning rubber in its rage.
“Even if the God of Racing shows up, he won’t make it past 100 meters driving me. Trust me!”
1. This is a reference to the core editorial philosophy of Weekly Shōnen Jump is “friendship, effort, and victory.” This idea, established in the 1970s, has defined the golden rule of shōnen action manga. It emphasizes support from companions (friendship), intense training through hard work (effort), and ultimately defeating powerful opponents (victory). Works such as Dragon Ball and Slam Dunk follow this structure, aiming to express passionate and positive values through action and fighting manga.
Here the author replaces ‘friendship’ with ‘passion.’
2. Dayum the car sounds like a bitter ex.
