"Fujiwara Takumi?" Jing Yuan frowned slightly. "That surname sounds like someone from Japan. I think you've misunderstood."
Su Chen's lips twitched. "I hope I'm wrong."
"Eh? Where were we… Ah, right, picking up where we left off—
"Since high school, Baiheng had been delivering goods in her own AE86 on Hibernation Mountain.
"I once heard her say:
"For the first few kilometers,
"She had to wake up at 2 a.m.,
"And it would take her until around 6 a.m. to finish the deliveries!
"But later, she got faster and faster—
"Gradually, it took three hours, then two, then one, then half an hour…
"Until finally, she could complete a full run in just seven or eight minutes."
Su Chen smacked his own forehead.
"I already know all this. Just tell me why Yingxing is so scared."
Jing Yuan picked up a cup of tea and took a slow sip.
A faint glint flashed imperceptibly in his eyes.
"Don't rush. Some stories need to be told properly. Just because you know doesn't mean everyone else does.
"It's a bit long-winded, sure, but it'll only take half a minute at most."
He set down his teacup and continued,
"Later, when she entered university, she quickly got her driver's license.
"She was cheerful and lively, with a mind that jumped around—
"Kind of like a mix between Stelle and March 7th, I'd say.
"The rest of us were drawn to her energy, and that's how we ended up sticking together."
"How do I put this… There's so much to unpack here, I don't even know where to start!"
"Haha!" Jing Yuan chuckled lightly. "I'll speed it up. Baiheng was truly gifted—her driving skills were impeccable.
"But she was always chasing after new techniques, which meant her crash rate was… slightly high."
"Sigh." Jing Yuan exhaled deeply. "In my memory, her car never came back in one piece."
"I'm not surprised at all!"
"But her luck was bizarrely good. Everyone who rode shotgun with her ended up injured to some degree—even Jingliu wasn't spared.
"Yet she herself walked away unscathed every single time.
"So Yingxing's fear is completely justified!"
"Then who fixed her car?"
"Yingxing, of course. Didn't you know? He's a genius at modifications and repairs.
"A wreck in his hands would come out like it had been reforged—better than factory restoration.
"He learned the craft from one of my colleagues, the old master Huaiyan.
"You could say he surpassed his teacher!"
"Oh! That makes sense. But then, why did Yingxing react so strongly?"
"Because it all traces back to three years ago, when Baiheng was in a mountain race.
"Out of nowhere, a traffic cop appeared and confiscated her license—for three whole years!
"That day was supposed to be when she earned the title of 'Hibernation Mountain's Racing Legend.'
"After that, she completely lost her spirit."
"Listening to you, this sounds like a conspiracy. What happened next?"
"Afterward, Yingxing took on the alias 'Blade' and switched from being a mechanic to a racer.
"He wanted to race in Baiheng's place, and he even dragged Dan Heng along as his co-driver!"
Su Chen's eyes lit up intensely. "Fast & Blade?
"Then what? Did he get his revenge, teach the villains a lesson—your standard wish-fulfillment plot?"
"Nope. He drove too fast and crashed into a ditch, car and all."
Su Chen frantically pressed his philtrum. "..."
But the next moment, he snapped his fingers. "Wait—who was Baiheng racing against that day?"
"That guy was called Shuhu!"
"I knew it!" Su Chen immediately stood up and made a few calls.
"I'll be right back. Mihoyo's in your hands for now!"
—
Meanwhile, Baiheng brought Yingxing to her backyard, where her old partner lay waiting.
"Sorry, old friend, for leaving you here for three years. But now's the time for your grand return." As she spoke, Baiheng rolled up the garage door.
Clang, clang… After a few metallic sounds, a dust-covered AE86 appeared before them.
Baiheng smiled warmly, as if reuniting with a long-lost child.
"Remember? You flipped the car into a ditch, and then I fished it out. It's been left exactly as it was after the crash."
"Sorry. I didn't mean to." Yingxing's face darkened, almost as if he wished she would scold him.
"Hey! It wasn't your fault. I heard from witnesses that something suddenly darted onto the road,
"Which made you lose control. So…
"I don't blame you. In fact, I'm grateful.
"It's because of you and Dan Feng that I found my fighting spirit again.
"Now, it's time to take back what we lost."
Yingxing didn't respond. He simply popped the hood and started inspecting the engine.
"10-mm wrench!"
Baiheng grinned. "Got it. I'll be your assistant!"
—
The sun slowly set, bathing Hibernation Mountain in a warm glow.
Originally, the mountain pass had been developed due to the lack of convenient transportation routes.
Now, new roads had been built—wider and smoother—
And Hibernation Mountain had gradually been forgotten. Even in broad daylight, barely any cars passed through.
Fortunately, "the mountain road has eighteen bends," making it an undeniably perfect spot for street racing.
Thus, it had become a hotspot for racers,
With the reigning champion being the new "Mountain Legend" who had dominated for three years—Shuhu.
From the entrance to the exit, the mountain road was now lined with his lackeys,
Dressed in work uniforms and carrying walkie-talkies.
At the center of the route was a relatively flat stretch—the starting line.
The mountain road looped around, with only one lane going up and another going down—just two paths in total.
On those two paths, two heavily modified race cars were already parked side by side.
"Boss Shuhu, do we really need to bring out our best-modified cars this time? Both of them?
"These two racers are equipped with the latest hybrid-electric engines—
"0 to 100 km/h in under 4.8 seconds. Even in professional circuits,
"They'd be considered top-tier! Is it really necessary to go all out against some woman?" A lackey stood under a large parasol, addressing his boss.
Shuhu lounged in a deck chair, popping grapes into his mouth and sipping a drink.
Slurp…
"Hahaha! I don't fight unprepared battles. If she's coming, I'll bring my best.
"This whole road is under my control. I've prepared countless contingencies.
"I'm almost hoping she doesn't show up. But if she does, she'll end up just like she did three years ago!
"The one and only 'Mountain Legend' of Hibernation Mountain has always been me!"
"But, Boss, the guys downstairs said they saw a few people—looked like hikers—asking to explore Hibernation Mountain. Should we let them through?"
"Hikers? Any distinguishing features?"
"Uh, dressed pretty normally. Nothing special. Just a purple-haired lady with a few gray-haired kids. Oh, and two dogs tagging along."
"Dogs?! No problem. As long as none of them have blue hair!" Shuhu checked his watch.
"What time is it? The race is about to start. Is Baiheng chickening out?
"Five more minutes. If she doesn't show, don't say I never gave her a chance!"
"Yes, sir!" The lackey immediately spoke into his walkie-talkie.
"All units, be advised—road closes in five minutes. The race officially begins in five."
Static—then a reply crackled through.
"Copy that! Copy—
"Wait, there's a car coming up the mountain!"
Suddenly, the voice on the other end grew frantic, the transmission distorting from sheer volume.
"IT'S THE 86! THE 86 IS COMING UP THE MOUNTAIN!"