"Pegasus, you're in top form today. Your third turn hit a cornering speed of 210. We might just take first at Nosk in a few days."
"Hehe, it's because the modules Master bought fit perfectly."
Triumph Club's ace racer Jett Huang and his machine girl Pegasus had already completed the course.
As the first to start, they were now heading back from the finish line to the club entrance.
"Another bonus pocketed by us. Boring."
Jett didn't even glance at his and Pegasus's results, turning to head into the club for the prize money.
"Master, don't you want to check the scores?" Pegasus tugged his hand.
"No need." Jett cast a distant look at the data board. "We're first anyway. Sure, there's others from our club, but none are a match for us. Outside of a few clubmates, I can't think of anyone who could challenge us."
"I know," Pegasus said seriously, eyeing the crowd around the big screen at the club entrance. "I just want to see my speed after the module upgrade."
"Fine, I'll go with you."
Seeing his machine girl's insistence, Jett reluctantly turned back to accompany her.
Just then, a wave of gasps erupted from the crowd at the big screen.
"My God!"
"That cornering speed—it's, it's unreal!"
"…Looks like Triumph Club's training track record is about to be shattered."
Jett's lips curled. "Pegasus, they're all shocked by your speed~"
Pegasus tilted her head, staying quiet. She was in great form, fast, with near-perfect cornering.
But compared to top machine girls in major races, her cornering speed still had room to grow.
Was her speed really worth such shock?
Jett strutted toward the crowd, chin up, ready for their adoring praise.
But there was nothing. Every eye was glued to the data board.
"Captain!" Two Triumph Club racers rushed to Jett, looking like they'd seen a ghost.
"Captain, you gotta see this—it's too fast! Way too fast!"
"Yeah, the straight's one thing, but the cornering's insane!"
Jett frowned, sensing something off. The gasps weren't for him.
He stepped up to the data board. The shortest total time was his and Pegasus's—5 minutes, 49 seconds, first place.
Second place was nearly 30 seconds behind.
No problem—he *was* first, right?
Suddenly, a ferocious engine roar thundered from the finish line.
Everyone who heard it, even Jett, got goosebumps. The signal chimed, and the data board updated the final machine girl's time—4 minutes, 27 seconds. Her name scrolled to the top, overtaking Pegasus for first.
The board now read:
[World's Handsomest Man - Stella]
[Jett Huang - Pegasus]
Jett: "…"
"What the hell? 4 minutes, 27 seconds?"
Jett was stunned. Pegasus stared at the board, wide-eyed and speechless.
It was a time they couldn't fathom.
Unconvinced, Jett checked Stella's cornering speeds, his fragile ego taking another critical hit.
"First turn 312, second 327, third 309… This machine girl didn't slow down at all?!"
Pegasus felt her scalp tingle at the dazzling stats.
She'd trained hard for six months and, with Jett's help, equipped a purple-grade module to reach her current 180-plus cornering speed, all to shine at this year's Nosk Rally. But before she could bask in her progress, a training race delivered a crushing blow.
"Where's that racer and machine girl?" Jett asked his clubmates urgently.
They pointed toward the finish line, where two figures were sneaking toward the club entrance, peering inside suspiciously.
It was, of course, Shane and Stella, eyeing the prize money.
"Master, why are we acting all sneaky like thieves?"
Stella trailed Shane, her face full of confusion.
"Low profile, got it? Low profile!"
Shane shot her a sidelong glance.
The 15 MP points from winning the training race had already been credited, though he hadn't allocated them to Stella yet.
He hadn't expected the other racers and machine girls to be *that* weak.
Sure, he hadn't held back much, but seeing the time gap with second place still surprised him.
That big a gap—wouldn't they drag him to a lab for dissection?
Better grab the cash and bolt.
"You're, uh, World's Handsomest Man?"
Shane turned, flashing a smug grin. "That's me! Name's unchanged, reputation untarnished—the handsomest man alive!"
Jett's mouth twitched. He'd never met such a cocky racer.
"Which club are you with? Or, any interest in joining Triumph Club?"
With the club boss absent, Jett, as ace racer, had a duty to recruit promising talent for the club.
"I'm not with any club…"
Jett's face lit up. "Then you're perfect for our club! For a racer like you, we offer top-tier treatment—room and board, 50% of machine girl mod costs covered, plus bonuses and property rewards for placing in official races!"
Triumph Club had some clout in Jiang City, and many freelance racers dreamed of joining.
Jett was confident his offer would hook this "World's Handsomest Man."
But Shane shook his head.
"Sorry, no plans to join a club right now. If we ever do, we'll definitely consider Triumph first."
Join a club? After getting burned by one, the word "club" made him nauseous.
Sure, big races in the future were team-based, requiring clubs, but he'd cross that bridge later.
Worst case, he'd start his own!
"Alright." Jett felt a pang of regret.
He couldn't force Shane to join, so he let it go.
At least Shane said he'd consider Triumph later—that was enough. Pushing too hard would backfire.
"Uh, about the training race prize money?"
Shane rubbed his fingers together, smiling politely.
"Oh, the prize money." Jett snapped out of it, signaling two clubmates to fetch two stacks of cash from the club.
"Total prize is 20,000 yuan. We thought it'd stay in-house again, but a dark horse swooped in."
Jett scratched his head, eyeing Shane and Stella's money-hungry looks with curiosity.
A racer and machine girl with 300-plus cornering speeds, short on cash?
"One more question, if I may."
"What? My machine girl's not for sale!" Shane's eyes narrowed, stepping protectively in front of Stella.
"Uh, not about buying her," Jett said, exasperated. "Just wondering if you'll race in Nosk four days from now."
"Nosk Rally? Nah, not racing."
Shane blinked. "That kind of race isn't even worth entering."
Jett and Pegasus exchanged a glance, visibly relieved. "Good to know."
Stella hid behind Shane, her blue eyes darting.
Master's so sneaky, lying like that…
She thought to herself, lying's bad.
She'd have to learn from Master!
Oh, yeah!