This is not how you drive a machine!

Chapter 280 After the Match
"Zhou Yun has won the match!"

"Death Star has defeated Ye Qing! The Wind and Fire Wheel track has completely changed hands!"

"Drifting has won a resounding victory!"

The sun shines brightly, and a gentle breeze blows.

Sunlight streamed through the loop, draping the finish line in the veil of early summer.

The roar of steam horns filled the air, and under the dreamlike light effects, the ribbons and cannons complemented each other perfectly in the shimmering sunlight.

After a brief pause, the audience erupted in a deafening roar. Jiang Xiyue, along with the maintenance workers, excitedly rushed out of the maintenance passage, onto the control platform, and began cheering at the railings.

"we won!"

Seeing the two little Jia Guangyus who had jumped onto the command platform canopy, Manager Ye took off his headset and glasses, looked up, and smiled at the sky.

The sky at that moment was a deep, profound blue.

"Finally, we won..."

The roar of the engines seemed to drown out the cheers of victory from the steam horns.

[Synchronization rate 83%, abnormal supply of spiritual energy, pay attention to the remaining capacity of the mind...]

[Synchronization rate 87%, note...]

[9 seconds...]

[Note: Talent refresh may trigger spiritual pressure turbulence; be aware of engine stalling...]

A strong wind blew up, rattling the windows of Jianxue's car.

Ye Qing turned around and stared intently at Thor's car window through the side window, watching Zhou Yun fiddling with the steering wheel.

[Synchronization rate 93%, Synchronization rate 82%, Synchronization rate 96%...]

"Just a little bit more, just a little bit more, we were just a little bit away from overtaking..."

Jian Xue's hair was disheveled. Feeling the intense fluctuations transmitted through the mental link, she swallowed and spoke softly.

"Ye Qing, we have already..."

But she turned to look at Thor beside her, who showed no signs of slowing down either, and stopped talking.

Even if you lose, you can't stop before the other person!

"I understand. Pay attention to the talent refresh countdown timer; the competition system is about to close."

Ye Qing was taken aback.

"Huh? What did you just say?"

"What competition system needs to be shut down?"

[Synchronization rate 87%, Synchronization rate 93%, Synchronization rate 98%...]

[Synchronization rate 99%...]

After the two cars passed the first bend together, sword energy began to emanate from Jianxue's car.

The increasingly sharp air around him caused sparks to fly violently from Thor's brake module, and Zhou Yun gritted his teeth and held on tightly.

[Warning! The embossed brake kit is only 24% intact; the tire's integrity is about to fall below the limit...]

The surge of cortisol caused his sweaty hands to tremble, and his tense body was cramping in his abdominal and thigh muscles.

"Hold on, Thor, hold on..."

"Hold on, don't let him overtake, drift to the left, control his path..."

"Enter Turn 2 and crush him..."

Thor opened his round eyes, staring intently at the track rushing past, and grunted and howled.

Despite the terrible feeling of having four tires, despite the possibility of losing control at any moment, despite the ever-present sense of fear, and despite not knowing how much longer she could hold on.

But if we just persevere a little longer, just a little longer... a miracle will happen!

We've persevered for so many years, until Zhou Yun appeared, now we can't give up even more...

"I'm a born racetrack robot girl!"

"I will definitely win!"

With the brake pads wearing down violently, she mustered all her strength and pressed the front of the car against Jianxue's front. Her armor also began to deform, altering the surrounding air.

Amidst the acrid smell of burning brake pads, the brake pads were bright red and softened.

Rubber particles on the ground bounced up with the vibration of the tires and got into the brake pads, which were almost melting.

[Warning: 21% of the printed brake assembly remains; the print is severely damaged...]

[Warning: Residual stamped brake assembly...]

The moment Thor's car passed the apex of Turn 2, Zhou Yun held his breath and began to accelerate.

Seeing the bright light shining in the rearview mirror, Zhou Yun decisively adjusted the Phantom Spirit's output mode, surrounding Thor with a faint blue light.

At that moment, he wasn't thinking about anything; only the word 'limit' remained in his mind.

"Faster..."

"More..."

As the car body of Jianxue swirled with high-speed, buzzing sword energy, the clear wind and sword aura, carrying the pill fire, swept across the track again and again, and the spiritual pressure devices on both sides began to erupt with ear-piercing screams that were unprecedented.

A wave of energy, following the direction of the sword energy, crashed towards the rear of Thor's chariot.

Under the intense spiritual pressure, Thor's brake assembly emitted a bright golden light, and the printed patterns began to peel off bit by bit from the terrifying heat...

"Are you going to lose?"

[Warning: The printed brake assembly is only 11% intact; all rear brakes have failed...]

Seeing this, Zhou Yun sighed and gradually lowered the gear, slowing down Thor's speed.

"Sorry, Manager Ye, the brakes are worn out. Last lap..."

The competition system has been shut down. Stackable talent imprints are now being forcibly refreshed, and utility talent imprints are completely disabled...

Zhou Yun blinked, followed by Lao Ye's words coming through the earphone channel.

"what?"

Qingluan's voice was utterly speechless.

"We've already won, didn't you know?"

"Didn't you see that loud horn blast, the cannon salute, and the confetti?"

Zhou Yun took off his helmet and looked at Jian Xue, who had already stopped and turned off the engine, in the rearview mirror. For a moment, he didn't know what to say.

Depend on!
I was running too fast and didn't notice.

"No, why didn't you remind me?"

"Thor travels at 500 kilometers per hour! What does 500 kilometers per hour mean?"

"The track is just a line, and I, in a flash, went right over it! I..."

At this point, Zhou Yun touched his nose somewhat awkwardly.

I was so focused that I forgot to run the laps.

"Haha... You actually made it to Wangquan'er... Haha... You're something else, Ye Qing..."

He looked down at Thor, whose body was still tense, and quickly patted her.

"Thor, we won... Ugh, I'm dizzy."

In the headphones, Qingluan's voice came back along with the crackling sound of electricity.

"Damn, we never expected you didn't see it! We all thought you were addicted to drifting and were celebrating by drifting around the streets after the race!"

"Didn't you just float around like that after you won the game before? Come on, listen to that!"

"Listen to the audience, every time you float, the audience makes a wish and shouts!"

After speaking, Qingluan climbed onto the command platform of the Yunyi motorcade, stood side by side with the three little ones, and raised her headset high, facing the audience.

In an instant, a deafening roar engulfed Zhou Yun.

"I also want to challenge Ye Qing. I want to achieve better results in the next S-series tournament!"

"I'm going to get a mecha girl through a contract this year! Drifting master, help me succeed!"

"I want to learn drifting!"

"I want the limited edition Thor figure from Yunyu Machinery!"

"I want mecha girl underwear! I want to offer sacrifices to the Death Star contestant to learn drifting!"

"I want mecha girl underwear!" "I want mecha girl underwear!"

No one knows who started it, but in an instant, the chaotic audience was united into a deafening sound that echoed through the skies above Kyoto.

"I! Want! Mecha! Girl! Panties!"

The power of a group is terrifying; it can manifest unified behavior in the shortest amount of time. When everyone is running on an abstract track, abstraction itself becomes...

"Damn, it's still so abstract."

After slowly driving Thor back to the repair shop, Zhou Yun was utterly devastated as he listened to the audience's 'soul-wrenching' reactions.

The End - The Puppet!

You'd better run now!

When we get back to Cainan, I'm going to float you until you throw up!

He stepped out of the maintenance booth, walked to the control platform, greeted Jiang Wuyang at the competition center, and then couldn't help but smile as he watched the three little ones grabbing the mecha girl underwear autographed by Zhou Yun and trying to sell it to the audience to earn money for milk tea.

"Old Ye, I have not failed you."

"But that outburst after the Sword and Snow match... wait a minute!"

"What are those three little ones holding? A crow! A blue phoenix! A maple! Quick, go and tie them up!"

After a long silence, he turned to look into the workshop and asked loudly.

"Is Thor okay?"

Ling Yu walked out of the repair workshop with a stethoscope, lowered his head, and shook his head silently.

"I was so excited I almost passed out. I need to rest properly when I get back. I shouldn't drift anymore, not even while drifting."

Zhou Yun nodded, his expression turning worried.

"Can't drift... Could Thor's body have suffered some kind of damage?"

Ling Yu blinked.

"No, I'm afraid she'll get addicted; drifting is toxic."

"..."

The cheers after the game continued in waves, lingering for a long time.

Hearing the roar behind him, Zhou Yun took off half of his racing suit and tied it around his waist.

He then sat on the edge of the control tower, dangling his legs over the edge of the track, enjoying the breeze while looking up at the sky.

"The breeze feels so nice..."

Before long, the joy of victory faded from his face.

He looked at the colorful clouds on the horizon, wondering where the next mountain awaited him to conquer.

Victory is just a process; what excites him is the next journey in pursuit of victory.

While he was thinking, he saw the records on the track signal lights.

62 milliseconds.

If Ye Qing had just completed another half lap of the track, he might have won... It seems this competition isn't over yet.

"No matter what, let's arm the Crows and go attack the provincial government..."

A voice interrupted his mutterings.

"This is your victory, and you should learn to enjoy it."

Zhou Yun turned his head and saw Ye Qing, who had changed into a tracksuit.

Ye Qing handed Zhou Yun a bottle of Coke from a jug, then opened the can and hesitated for a moment.

He had intended to review the details of the race against this formidable opponent, discuss the modifications, and think that with just half a lap more, he might have been the winner…

But just like that match that ended in disappointment for him.

The words were on the tip of his tongue, but got stuck in his throat.

ended.

The game is over, and so is the light wheel.

When we meet again, we may not even know what season, location, or game it will be in.

"When I was in middle school, all my friends wanted to be mecha girl racers. I didn't have much talent back then, and I just thought being a support staff member would be fine..."

As he spoke, he turned to look at the Wind and Fire Wheel track beneath his feet.

"Later, after I became a race car driver, I could only see them briefly in the last few tens of minutes after the race ended to catch up."

"Later on, there was no time to catch up. After a victory, we had to immediately start promoting, filming, and preparing for the next victory..."

At this point, he gave a self-deprecating laugh.

"I never imagined that dreaming about the future would be exhausting, nor did I expect that life's journey would be farther than my wishes..."

He then turned to look at Zhou Yun, smiled, and patted him on the shoulder.

"Your racing career has just begun. Don't end up like me, not even having time to enjoy victory."

Zhou Yun was stunned after hearing Ye Qing's words.

Manager Ye's distant cousin is... in his post-coital period?
Yes, given the current social environment...

At 25, I reflect on life; at 35, life is peaceful; at 45, I'm full of youthful vigor; at 55, I have ambitions to travel far and wide; at 65, I'm filled with passionate fervor; at 75, I believe my fate is in my own hands; at 85, I'll live another 500 years...

He raised his Coke cup and clinked it against Ye Qing's.

"You didn't come here to learn drifting, did you?!"

"You want to use the opportunity of learning drifting to probe Yun Yi's abilities, test our strength, and see how I prepare for the next match?"

"You're not trying to make me lower my guard so you can secretly work hard to amaze everyone, are you?!"

At that moment, Ye Qing felt a lump in his throat, unsure whether he should swallow the cola in his throat.

What?
No, man...

I'm being completely honest with you, and you suspect I'm a spy?
We agreed on the principle of gentlemanly conduct, sincerity, and even casual acquaintances becoming sworn brothers, but you...

After swallowing the cola in his throat, Ye Qing couldn't help but laugh.

"Light Wheel lost completely, and I don't know where to go next. Even if it's easy for me to transfer, it will take a long time to integrate with the new players..."

Are you so sure I'll come back?

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yun couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Your words may lie, but your driving skills won't."

"When I competed against you, I knew very well that we were actually about the same level."

"Even if you have to crawl, you'll crawl back onto the track to fight me again and take back the trophy you lost."

Upon hearing this, Ye Qing downed his cola in one gulp, then stood up and couldn't help but laugh.

Seen through.

He held up a can of Coca-Cola.

"Your drifting style is indeed very strong, and I will use it before the next match. Also, I already have a way to deal with your super armor."

"The next race won't be as simple as 20 laps where you can't even activate your fourth skill."

"I will get those 62 milliseconds back."

Zhou Yun also raised a can of Coca-Cola.

See you at the national competition.

Ye Qing nodded, her thoughts perfectly clear in her mind.

Even though the journey to the national competition will be more tiring than before, he will no longer feel exhausted.

Because there is an opponent waiting for him.

See you at the national competition.

After saying that, he turned around and went back to the repair workshop of the light wheel, looking at Chen Shuo for a moment, not knowing how to speak.

He accepted the challenge, he made the promise, he lost the competition, he destroyed the Nimbus...

The atmosphere gradually became somewhat tense.

After a long pause, Chen Shuo spoke first.

"How's the intelligence gathering going? Did Zhou Yun mention any details about the drift flow?"

(End of this chapter)