My skill level is pretty decent, isn't it

"Su Yang!!" Qin Su shouted excitedly, rushing toward Su Yang as he stepped out of the car.

Whoosh, she covered the distance in three quick strides and threw her arms around him, not caring about the crowd watching from the stands.

"Easy, easy." Su Yang patted Qin Su on the shoulder with a smile.

Just then, He Peng also sped across the finish line not far away.

Su Yang gently pushed Qin Su aside and turned to look at the big screen. After five laps, his total time was 7 minutes 46.433 seconds, while He Peng finished at 8 minutes 1.657 seconds.

Su Yang had beaten He Peng by a solid fifteen seconds.

"I told you earlier I’d win, didn’t I?" He turned to Qin Su with a grin.

"I don’t even know how to thank you!" Qin Su didn’t care at all about lap times—the fact that Su Yang had won was what mattered. She was still buzzing with excitement.

Su Yang chuckled. "No need for thanks. Just treat me to dinner tonight, and we’ll call it even."

"No problem! And I’ll still transfer you the reward I promised earlier."

"Forget about that. I only mentioned a reward back when we weren’t close. But now we’re friends—friends help each other out without money involved."

"I know you’re not short on cash, but a promise is a promise. You have to take it."

"So how much are you planning to send me?" Su Yang asked jokingly.

"Well... is five million enough?"

"Come again? Five million? I make that much for just a few minutes of driving? Haha, that’s way too much. No need for that—just give me fifty thousand to make it symbolic."

"No way!"

"We never agreed on a specific amount anyway. Let’s keep it at that. If you try to send more, I won’t accept it."

"Absolutely not. I had five million in mind from the start, and I was even worried it might be too little. You helped me out big time—this is what you deserve."

"Oh, why are you so stubborn? Alright, how about five hundred thousand? Meet me halfway."

Just as Qin Su was about to argue further, Su Yang cut her off. "That’s settled. No more arguing—He Peng is coming over."

They both turned to look, and He Peng looked sourer than a bitter gourd as he trudged toward them.

Before he even got close, he asked, "Did you modify that car?"

"I have no idea. Ranran helped me borrow it, but based on my experience, it’s stock."

"Stock, and you drove it that fast?" He Peng frowned in disbelief.

"How about you take it for five laps yourself? If you beat my time, I’ll still consider it your win." Su Yang crossed his arms and smiled.

Hearing that, a cold glint flickered in He Peng’s eyes.

He didn’t respond. This wasn’t his home turf, so even if he got behind the wheel of a GT3 RS—or even an F1 car—there was no way he could match 7 minutes and 46 seconds.

He had raced open-wheel cars before, but that was years ago. For the past five or six years, he had focused exclusively on rally racing. Unless he trained specifically for this, it was impossible in such a short time.

When He Peng stayed silent, Su Yang pressed on. "If you don’t believe me, feel free to inspect the car."

"No need. It wasn’t specified from the start that modified cars weren’t allowed."

"So you admit defeat?"

He Peng took a deep breath. "A bet is a bet. I accept the loss. But losing here doesn’t mean you’re better than me. If you ever have time, come try rally racing—I’ll be happy to show you around."

"Rally racing? We’ll see. My schedule’s pretty tight—I might not have time to play along."

"Opportunities will come." He Peng snorted, walked up to Qin Su, and said flatly, "This ends here. I won’t bother you anymore."

With that, he strode toward the pit garage.

Su Yang watched his back and laughed. "Oh? He’s surprisingly straightforward about it? Not like how he started. I thought he’d try to back out."

"I thought so too. But there were more than just the three of us here today. He probably couldn’t swallow his pride and cheat."

"So, do you think he’ll come looking for you again?"

Qin Su shook her head. "I’m not sure anymore. He said it himself, so I’ll take him at his word."

"Let’s hope so."

Just then, Hong Ran walked over, giving Su Yang a thumbs-up. "Damn, Su Su, you’re incredible!"

"Not bad, huh?"

"More than not bad! If you went pro, teams would be lining up to sign you. So? Interested?"

Su Yang shook his head. "No interest. Racing is just a hobby. If I had to train with a team every day and travel around the world for races, I’d rather die. I hate feeling tied down."

"But if you became a pro, you could make a name for yourself! Especially in F1—with your skills, you’d probably crush it!"

Su Yang laughed. "That’s an exaggeration. Becoming an F1 driver isn’t that easy. You need to start training as a kid and invest a ton of time and money. Look, the entire country of China only has one F1 driver—that’s how tough it is."

"But your level speaks for itself! Who knows, you might be the next Schumacher!" Hong Ran said excitedly.

Qin Su covered her mouth and snickered. Su Yang scratched his head. "You’re way too kind. Forget about the Schumi—I don’t even meet the standards of an average F1 driver."

"Hey, you’re too modest. That’s a golden opportunity for fame."

"I don’t want to be famous."

"Why not?"

"Because I’m a free spirit." Su Yang laughed.

Hearing that, Hong Ran and Qin Su exchanged glances and shook their heads in resignation. "Alright, so this is over?"

"It’s over. He lost fair and square, completely."

"Congrats, Susu. You’ve finally gotten rid of that leech." Hong Ran put her arm around Qin Su’s shoulder and smiled.

Qin Su stopped worrying about it and beamed. "Yeah, let’s go! I’m treating you both to dinner!"

"Great! I’m definitely tagging along to celebrate."

"Oh, Ranran, the car’s done. Should I drive it back to your garage first?" Su Yang asked.

"Sure. Let’s head to the garage, and then you can ride with me."

"Okay, let’s go."

Su Yang turned and walked toward the car, with Qin Su quickly catching up.

Hong Ran called after them, "Susu, aren’t you riding with me?"

"Uh... I’ll ride with Su Yang."

"That car isn’t as comfortable as mine," Hong Ran shouted again.

"It’s fine—it’s not that far."

"Alright then." Hong Ran snickered to herself and headed toward her Ferrari.

As she reached her car, He Peng stepped out of the pit garage and waved. "Ranran, hold on."

"What’s up?" Hong Ran turned around.

"Do you know what Su Yang does for a living?"

"What? Can’t stand losing, so you’re digging into his background?"

He Peng shook his head. "Just asking casually. Do you really think I’m that kind of person?"

"Don’t you think so?" Hong Ran rolled her eyes. "I barely know him either."

"Does Susu like him?"

"How should I know? If you want to know, ask Susu yourself."

"Forget it, I promise I won't look for her anymore. She can like whoever she wants."

"Heh, you know what's good for you. I'm off." Hong Ran said no more, turned around, pulled open the car door, and got in.

The three of them drove away. He Peng stood still, staring motionless, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.