"Pegasus, you're in great shape today. You hit 210 through the third corner. At this rate, we might actually fight for first place at Knox in a few days."
"Hehe, Master picked a Module that suits me perfectly."
Jay Huang, Triumph Club's top racer, had just finished the full course with his mecha girl, Pegasus.
He'd started first, and now he was heading back from the finish line toward the club entrance.
"The prize money's ours again. Boring."
Jay Huang didn't even bother checking the results. He turned, ready to head inside and collect the prize.
"Master, aren't we going to look at our data?" Pegasus tugged at his hand.
"No need." Jay Huang glanced lazily at the data board. "We're first anyway. Sure, the others are from our club too, but none of them can beat us. Aside from a handful of guys here, I really can't think of anyone who could threaten us."
"I know." Pegasus looked seriously toward the crowd gathering around the big screen. "I just want to see how much faster I am after changing my Module."
"Alright, alright. Let's go look."
Seeing how determined she was, Jay Huang could only sigh and turn back with her.
Just then, the crowd around the screen suddenly erupted.
"Oh my God!"
"That cornering speed—this is insane!"
"I think Triumph Club's record is about to be broken…"
Jay Huang smirked. "Pegasus, they're all amazed by your speed~"
Pegasus tilted her head. She was performing well today—fast, clean turns, everything sharp.
But compared to the top mecha girls in major competitions, she still had a long way to go.
Was her speed really that shocking?
Jay Huang lifted his chin and stepped forward, ready to bask in admiration.
But nothing came.
Nobody was looking at him at all—their eyes were glued to the data board.
"Captain!" Two Triumph racers rushed over, eyes wide like they'd seen a ghost.
"Captain, you have to look—it's too fast! Way too fast!"
"Yeah! Straight-line speed is one thing, but the cornering too?!"
Jay Huang frowned. Something was off. Those gasps definitely weren't for him.
He stepped closer to the board. The fastest total time was his—5 minutes 49 seconds. First place.
Second place was nearly thirty seconds slower.
Seems right. He was still first—
Suddenly, a violent engine roar echoed from the finish line.
Everyone who heard it—even Jay Huang—felt goosebumps.
The signal light beeped, and the board updated the final mecha girl's race time:
4 minutes 27 seconds.
Her name began scrolling upward until it stopped above Pegasus's.
First place.
The screen now read:
[The World's Most Handsome Man - Stella]
[Jay Huang - Pegasus]
...
Jay Huang: "..."
"You've gotta be kidding me. Four minutes twenty-seven?!"
Jay Huang was stunned beyond words. Pegasus stared, eyes wide, speechless.
This was a time they couldn't even imagine.
Still refusing to accept it, Jay Huang checked Stella's cornering speeds—and took another devastating blow straight to the soul.
"First corner 312. Second corner 327. Third corner 309… Th-this mecha girl basically didn't slow down at all!"
Pegasus felt her scalp prickle just looking at the numbers.
She'd trained for half a year, replaced a purple-grade Module, and finally reached her current cornering speed—just above 180. She had hoped to shine at this year's Knox Rally.
But before she could even celebrate, this training race crushed her confidence like a hammer.
"Where are that driver and mecha girl?" Jay Huang demanded from the club racers.
They pointed toward the finish line—where two figures were sneaking toward the Triumph Club entrance, peeking inside like thieves.
Naturally, it was Derek Su and Stella, here for their prize money.
"Master, why do we have to act so sneaky?"
Stella followed behind Derek, completely confused.
"Ever heard of staying low-key? Low-key!"
Derek shot her a sideways look.
The 15 MP from winning the training race had already been credited, though he hadn't allocated any points yet.
He really hadn't expected the racers and mecha girls here to be this weak.
He hadn't even gone easy, but when he saw how far ahead he was from second place… even he was shocked.
With a gap like that, they might drag him into a lab for dissection...
Better grab the prize and leave. Quickly.
"So you're… the world's most handsome man?"
Derek turned around, wearing a smug grin. "That's right! No false names or disguises—the most handsome man, reporting."
Jay Huang twitched. This was the cockiest racer he'd ever met.
"Which club are you with? Or… would you consider joining Triumph Club?"
The club owner wasn't around, so as chief racer, Jay Huang had the responsibility of scouting potential talent.
"I don't belong to any club…"
Jay Huang's eyes lit up. "Perfect! You're welcome here anytime. For a driver of your ability, we offer top-tier treatment—room and board covered, 50% reimbursement on mecha modifications, and cash prizes plus real estate rewards for placements in official races!"
Triumph Club was fairly well-known in Jiangcheng, and many freelance racers dreamed of joining.
He was certain this olive branch would be accepted.
But Derek just shook his head.
"Sorry. We're not planning to join a club for now. If we ever do, Triumph will be our first choice."
What a joke. Clubs had already screwed him over once—just hearing the word made him sick.
True, major future competitions were team-based and required club affiliation, but that was a problem for later.
Worst case? He'd just make his own club.
"…Alright then." Jay Huang felt a stab of regret.
He couldn't force Derek to join, after all.
But at least Derek said he'd consider Triumph in the future. Pressing the issue would only be annoying.
"Um… about the prize money?"
Derek rubbed his fingers together politely.
"Oh—right, the prize money." Jay Huang snapped back to reality and had two club members fetch two stacks of cash.
"The total 20 thousand dollars. We honestly thought the prize would stay in-house again. Didn't expect a dark horse to show up."
Jay Huang scratched his head, finding Derek and Stella's money-hungry expressions strangely unfitting.
Did someone who could corner at 300 km/h really need cash?
"By the way, there's something else I wanted to ask."
"What is it? My mecha girl is not for sale!" Derek barked, instantly pulling Stella behind him.
"Uh—no one's trying to buy her." Jay Huang sighed. "I just wanted to ask if you'll be competing in the Knox Rally in four days."
"The Knox Rally? No."
Derek blinked. "No point in entering that kind of race."
Jay Huang and Pegasus exchanged a relieved glance. "Good."
Behind Derek, Stella peeked out, her sapphire eyes swirling.
Master was lying again…
Lying was wrong.
She needed to learn from Master properly!
Oh ho!