Because He Is Handsome

Just then, Qin Su quickly jogged over to Su Yang and said softly, “The race is about to start. Are you ready?”

Su Yang looked relaxed. “I’m ready. You guys should go to the stands—better view from up there.”

“Alright, go for it, Su Yang!”

“Don’t worry, I’ll give it my all.”

“Okay… are you sure you don’t need a helmet?”

“Nah, my head’s tough.”

“Uh… fine. As much as I want you to win, please stay safe.”

“Got it.”

After saying that, Qin Su turned and walked back toward Hong Ran.

Su Yang started the car and drove over to the starting line first.

He Peng quickly pulled up beside him, lining up his car right next to Su Yang’s.

Though Qin Su looked calm on the surface, her heart was pounding with nervousness.

Su Yang had kept telling her not to worry, but now that the race was actually happening, she couldn’t help it—especially after spotting He Peng earlier.

She knew exactly how strong he was. He was a professional rally racer. Even though today wasn’t a rally race, He Peng had been in countless competitions, big and small. His experience alone made winning this round a real challenge.

She swallowed hard, staring at the two cars on the track, and asked, “Sister Hong, do you think Su Yang can win?”

“He doesn’t look nervous at all, so he must be confident, right?”

“But you know how good He Peng is…”

“Of course I do. But you’re the one who chose Su Yang. Since you decided to trust him with this, then trust him. Professional drivers aren’t invincible, you know. Have you seen Initial D?” Hong Ran suddenly changed the subject.

“Huh?” Qin Su blinked, caught off guard.

Hong Ran smiled. “The main character, Takumi, was just a tofu delivery guy, but he still beat professional racers. You know what that tells you?”

“What?”

“Plot armor. Today, Su Yang is the main character, so there’s no way he’ll lose.”

“What makes you think he’s the main character?” Qin Su asked, confused.

Hong Ran grinned. “Because he’s hot.”

……

On the other end of the track, the two drivers—one in the GT3 RS, the other in the Black Series—waited for the track official’s signal to start the race.

He Peng’s AMG GT Black Series was equipped with a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine, producing 730 horsepower and 800 Nm of torque. On paper, its performance far exceeded the GT3 RS.

Both cars were regulars at the Nürburgring, consistently ranking in the top ten for production cars.

According to the latest data, the Black Series held the third-fastest lap at 6 minutes 48.04 seconds, while the GT3 RS was right behind at 6 minutes 49.32 seconds, in fourth place.

Even though it was slightly weaker, the GT3 RS was still a beast. On the track, specs alone didn’t decide everything—the driver’s skill played a huge role.

So the two cars were fairly evenly matched. It all came down to who was the better driver.

At that moment, Su Yang was on the left, He Peng on the right. Neither of them had rolled their windows up yet.

He Peng looked completely relaxed. He turned his head toward Su Yang and called out with a grin, “Hey, bro, mind if I ask you something?”

“Go ahead.”

“Do you even know who you’re racing against?”

“Yeah. He Peng, runner-up in the 2023 National Rally Championship.”

Hearing that, He Peng smirked proudly. “You knew, and you still agreed to race me? Didn’t Susu tell you how important this race is?”

“She did,” Su Yang said, closing his eyes as he casually stretched his neck.

“Then I don’t get it. Something this important, and you knew what I do—challenging me in my own field—aren’t you afraid of losing?”

“Why would I be? I’ve got nothing to lose. I’m just an amateur. Nobody’s going to laugh at me for losing to a pro. But if I somehow win, I’ll be bragging about it for life.”

Hearing that, He Peng laughed. “You actually think that’s possible?”

“We’ll see.”

“Alright, I think I get it now.”

“You get it?” Su Yang looked genuinely confused.

“Susu promised you a fat payday, right? Win or lose, you still get paid. Hell, I’d take that deal too. Too bad for her—she’s too naive. She just handed something this important to some random guy.”

Su Yang was speechless. “Didn’t you tell her not to hire a professional driver? Now you’re saying this? That’s kind of hypocritical.”

“Haha, I said she couldn’t bring in a professional directly—not that she couldn’t find someone from the little competition she put together,” He Peng said smugly.

Su Yang took a deep breath. He Peng was really starting to annoy him.

“Anyway, it’s already settled. No point in talking anymore. The race is about to start. You’d better give it everything you’ve got and show me what you’re made of. Hope you don’t fall too far behind,” He Peng laughed.

“Oh, and one more thing—I’ve got one good trait: I never underestimate anyone. Amateur or not, I’m not going easy on you.”

Su Yang picked at his ear and muttered, “So much talk.”

“Alright, I’ll do my best. So when does this thing actually start? I’ve been sitting here forever.”

“Bro, you’re pretty impatient. Just hang tight—won’t be long.”

Meanwhile, the others had already taken their seats in the stands.

A staff member from the pit area jogged over to the two cars.

He handed each of them a headset. When the race started—and at the end of each lap—the headsets would give them updates.

The two drivers put them on. “Hey, buddy, how much longer?” Su Yang asked.

“Just a moment, please. There’s a minor glitch with the timing equipment. Should be fixed soon.”

“Alright.”

After handing out the headsets, the staff member turned and jogged back.

During the wait, Su Yang almost felt like lighting a cigarette.

Five minutes later, a voice came through the headset: “Both drivers, please prepare. The timer is back online. The race is about to begin. Watch the lights ahead.”

As the voice faded, Su Yang rolled up both windows, ready to focus.

This was the first time he was truly up against a professional driver in a real race. He was more focused than he’d ever been. Sure, he had an advantage, but he was going to go all out from the start. Not just to win—but to wipe that smug grin off He Peng’s face.

A few seconds later, the headset crackled again: “Both drivers, look ahead at the signal light rack. The race begins when all five red lights go out.”

With that, all five lights on the tower in front of the two cars lit up at once.

The group in the stands stopped chatting and fixed their eyes on the starting line.

A beep sounded.

One of the five red lights went out.

Two seconds later, another beep—another light went out.

VROOOOM! He Peng floored the accelerator, and the Black Series let out a roaring growl.

Su Yang pressed the brake with his left foot while gently revving the engine with his right, prepping for a launch start.

Beep—a third light went out.

The crowd in the stands couldn't help but tense up, especially Qin Su, whose fists were clenched so tightly her palms were slick with sweat.

Beep, another light went out, leaving only one remaining.

Vroom, vroom, vroom!!

Su Yang floored the accelerator, the revs instantly climbing to 7,000 RPM.

Beep!

The last light went out, and both drivers released their brakes almost simultaneously. The two performance beasts shot forward like rockets.

Although the AMG boasted more impressive specs on paper, the two cars were nearly identical in their zero-to-sixty times.

The GT3 RS clocked in at around 3.2 seconds, while the BlackSeries managed about 3.3 seconds—though, of course, the driver's skill could swing those numbers.

As the two cars blasted off the line, Su Yang's GT3 RS managed to edge ahead by half a car length.

But after about 150 meters, the BlackSeries, with its greater horsepower, began to flex its muscle, muscling past the GT3 RS.

It was inevitable, really. The rival car boasted both more horsepower and more torque, giving it an undeniable advantage on the straights.

The straight stretch was nearly over, and they were fast approaching Turn One. He Peng, a rally driver by trade, instinctively took corners with a drift.

He currently led Su Yang by a full car length. As he entered the turn, he tapped the brakes lightly, then drifted smoothly through using the car's momentum.