The Echo Valley training race was held in a mountain gorge within Tianyuan City, one of the country's major motorsports hubs. This training course was modeled after the provincial advancement circuit—the Silverstone Track.
There was a saying well-known among racers:
If you can put up a good performance at Echo Valley, then running Silverstone will feel just like going home.
Derek Su and the others arrived half a day early. A faint drizzle fell from the sky, but the clouds were already beginning to lift. By the time the race started, the rain might be gone entirely.
The plaza at Echo Valley's entrance was packed. Over two hundred racers and Mecha Girls were present, and the spectators filled the rest of the space. The atmosphere was no less lively than the Knox Rally—though Echo Valley didn't have large broadcast screens. Spectators instead rode cable cars ahead of time to stake out spots along the course.
The people gathered on the plaza had split into two groups:
Spectators lined up for the cable cars,
While racers and Mecha Girls queued to draw their starting positions.
Just as Zane and Lingwind were waiting nervously for their turn, Hansen and Broken Moon walked over hand-in-hand.
"Zane, I heard you used to be pretty good. You and Broken Moon almost won five advancement races—you just had bad luck. You and Lingwind better give it your best today."
Hansen wore a fake, polished smile. Broken Moon folded her arms and cast Zane a look full of disdain.
If this had been before, Zane would've snapped back with at least a couple of retorts.
But today, he simply wasn't in the mood.
He'd been numb from the moment yesterday afternoon ended.
He considered himself experienced—he'd followed Julian Ziliang through all sorts of tracks while waiting for official and advancement races, seen all kinds of racers and Mecha Girls—but he had never seen anyone as absurd as Derek Su.
In a single afternoon—
Derek Su first helped Lingwind master 36 high-difficulty corners, then 52 low-difficulty ones. After that, he drilled her relentlessly. Zane spent the entire afternoon placing and replacing traffic cones until four in the morning.
By then, the chill from the harbor wind made the tarps on the shipping containers snap loudly.
He watched Lingwind glide through a triple hairpin with a beautiful, effortless arc.
And she did it in full autonomous mode.
"Zane?"
Hansen frowned when Zane sat there absent-mindedly ignoring him.
"Oh—what?" Zane blinked, finally snapping out of it. He nodded at Hansen and Broken Moon. "Right, right, thanks. You and Broken Moon should work hard too!"
Hansen & Broken Moon: "???"
"…Did Zane go stupid?" Broken Moon whispered.
"Who knows. Probably," Hansen murmured with a smirk, pulling her away.
Zane was acting stupid—otherwise, he'd have never agreed to the conditions Hansen and Broken Moon set.
"Hey, Zane, it's your turn to draw lots with Lingwind."
Derek Su and Stella passed by holding the number 3 token. They walked up to Zane and Lingwind.
Stella carried an AD Calcium High-Energy Nutrient Solution. As she passed Broken Moon, she rolled her eyes dramatically and let out a soft snort.
Broken Moon, confused at first, finally realized who Derek Su and Stella were.
She had seen them on TV and in newspapers—Derek Su–Stella, the King of Knox, record holder for the fastest Knox Rally lap.
Seeing them here wasn't strange. Though she and Hansen were considered seniors, their skills weren't much higher—they were stuck at the same threshold: the provincial track. Compared to Derek Su and Stella, they merely had more track experience.
But then… what was Derek Su's relationship with Zane? They clearly knew each other.
Why had Zane never mentioned having such a powerful friend?
The moment she thought about him hiding things from her, Broken Moon felt instantly annoyed.
"Ah—you're the King of Knox, aren't you?" Hansen finally remembered Derek Su too. His eyes lit up as he hurried over, overflowing with eagerness. "Mr. Derek Su, I know you. I really admire your racing skills. I hope we get the chance to spar sometime!"
Derek Su treated him like thin air. He didn't spare him a glance and sat down on the bench expressionlessly.
Stella imitated Derek Su's coldness. She rolled her eyes, pouted, and said in her soft voice, "Who are you? Are we close? Get lost!"
Hansen's smile froze. His face turned red in seconds.
Sure, he couldn't compare to someone like Derek Su—a rising star with the title King of Knox.
But to ignore him completely? Seriously?
"Um… Derek Su, Lingwind and I are going to draw lots now?" Zane heard his name called on the PA and rushed to stand beside Derek Su. He bowed his head and hunched like a meek sidekick.
"Mhm."
Only after Derek Su nodded did Zane dare to leave with Lingwind.
Seeing this, Hansen realized the two definitely knew each other. He didn't linger and quickly led Broken Moon away.
He even felt a hint of relief—Derek Su and Stella had drawn starting position 3.
He and Broken Moon were 17th. Still early, but far enough that they wouldn't meet Derek Su and Stella on the course. No need to worry about being targeted.
Today, he had only one goal:
Beat Zane and Lingwind, and take Zane's shop.
It couldn't be easier.
Hansen kept repeating this to himself until the panic caused by Derek Su's presence finally subsided.
...
"Um… I'm Zane. I'm here to draw my starting number."
The clerk compared Zane's ID with Lingwind's model, typed a bit, then handed him a card—number 42. A very lucky draw.
Other racers and Mecha Girls nearby looked on with clear envy.
Zane accepted the card but didn't leave right away. He wet his lips, hesitated, then muttered timidly:
"Um… I–I'd like to apply for my Mecha Girl to enter the race in autonomous mode."
"What?" The clerk thought he'd misheard.
The surrounding onlookers were stunned.
He got such a good starting number—why pull a stunt like that?
Was he crazy?
"I said, I want to apply for autonomous mode."
Zane took a deep breath and repeated himself.
The clerk stared at him for a while, realizing he wasn't joking. His expression grew strange.
"Autonomous mode is only approved when the driver has a sudden emergency and can't race. You're not missing any limbs, so why—"
Crack!
A chorus of gasps erupted around them.
The clerk's eyes flew wide open.
Zane gritted through the pain, shot Lingwind a pitiful, apologetic look…
Then lifted his now-dislocated right arm for the clerk to see.
"H-how about now? Can I apply for autonomous mode now?"