Chapter 102: Fleeing in Disgrace
The rescue operation at the Blade Path track was extremely efficient.
Only after Blazing Wind fell into the water and endured the pressure of the surface did she disengage her deployment mode. This minimized the damage Chloe Qin suffered, and Blazing Wind herself could swim—so even without a rescue team, she could’ve carried Chloe Qin back to shore.
After being hauled up by the rescue crew, Chloe Qin remained unconscious.
Blazing Wind sat on the edge of the rescue boat, the river wind blowing her bangs into a mess.
She stared toward the far end of the bridge, where she could vaguely see Derek Su and Stella standing on the podium. The runner-up and third place were two independent racers, who were surely all smiles right now.
Flowers and applause belonged to them.
She had nothing.
And she’d even taken a slap.
Even though this was only a training race.
She had once been full of confidence about the Panlong Mountain Circuit.
It was a relay-style course. The uphill section had few curves and emphasized speed and climbing ability—perfect territory for a speed-type Mecha Girl like her. The downhill section, however, was steep and dangerous, filled with curves that demanded stability and technique. The entire Panlong Mountain Circuit was completed by multiple Mecha Girls. Drivers needed at least two Mecha Girls or had to participate together with club members. Once they reached the summit, the club would provide logistical support, then the relay would begin for the descent.
Blazing Wind was confident she could pull far ahead of the others during the uphill phase.
Meanwhile, the BSC Club had specifically trained a driver and Mecha Girl for the downhill section.
Final rankings were determined by the combined results of both the ascent and descent.
Rewards and honors were claimed in the club’s name first, then distributed to the main racers afterward.
But now, her confidence wasn’t as strong as before.
It wasn’t just because of Chloe Qin’s slap.
It was also because of Stella’s terrifying performance.
She had originally thought Stella must have installed acceleration modules just to win Blade Path, meaning her cornering, impact resistance, and stability would be weakened. Instead, Stella not only had outstanding impact resistance and stability, but also demonstrated impressive steering control with that effortless drifting turnaround at the bridge entrance.
Perhaps Stella had weaknesses.
But with the man in her cockpit—
She would be flawless!
“She didn’t drown, so why hasn’t she woken up yet?”
“Probably shock. She seems pretty famous, right?”
The murmurs of rescue personnel drifted over.
“Oh! I remember now—isn’t this that Track Queen, Chloe Qin?”
“Tsk, so she’s the one who got knocked off the track. How embarrassing.”
“I heard that ‘Track Queen’ title is self-proclaimed, you know~”
Blazing Wind glanced at the “unconscious” Chloe Qin. She could feel Chloe Qin’s breathing growing noticeably faster, and the face that had been pale from the icy river water was now flushing red. If the lighting on the boat were any better, the rescue crew would’ve noticed she was pretending to be unconscious… or perhaps someone already had.
When the rescue boat docked, the crew prepared to send Chloe Qin to the ambulance.
Only then did Chloe Qin slowly come to.
She squinted and surveyed her surroundings.
The loyal Blazing Wind was right beside her, and most of the rescue personnel had already dispersed. It was the perfect chance to leave quietly.
However, the moment she sat up—
A microphone was shoved straight into her face, pushing her mouth crooked.
Genie suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Beneath his neatly parted hair was a broad, smiling face, and his small eyes gleamed with excitement—the thrill of having found hot news. Beside him, his partner hoisted a camera, the lens already locked onto Chloe Qin, clearly recording everything she said and did.
Chloe Qin clenched her teeth inwardly but didn’t dare make a rash move. She merely pushed the intrusive microphone aside a little and forced herself to appear calm.
“Miss Track Queen, what are your thoughts on being knocked off the track by Mr. Magician today?”
Of all questions, he had to bring that up first—instantly breaking her composure.
Suppressing her fury, Chloe Qin took a deep breath and said as evenly as she could,
“That was just an accident. The Magician used despicable tactics to force both me and Blazing Wind off the track. I’ll remember this grudge. He won’t get another chance like that again!”
“Before the race started, we recorded a conversation where you taunted Mr. Magician, saying you’d let him experience the Track Queen’s control over the circuit,” Genie said with a smile.
“We’ll be airing that clip as well. What’s your interpretation of those words now?”
Chloe Qin: “...”
Interpretation?
What interpretation?!
She wanted nothing more than to strangle every one of these paparazzi.
“This was just a training race,” Chloe Qin said, pretending to stay calm.
“And during the race, I already demonstrated the resolve of the Track Queen. I hope Mr. Magician can be just as relaxed at the provincial Panlong Mountain Circuit as he was today.”
Genie’s eyes lit up as he quickly followed up,
“Can I take that as you issuing a challenge to Mr. Magician?”
“You can take it that way.”
Chloe Qin snatched the microphone from his hand, her expression dark and her gaze icy.
“At the provincial circuit, I’ll make Derek Su and Stella understand what kind of bitter consequences today’s provocation will bring them in the future!”
With that, she viciously stuffed the microphone into Genie’s pants pocket.
“You’ve asked enough. I’m not feeling well and need to rest. Move!”
She shoved past Genie and walked away, leaving behind a sharp, resolute silhouette.
Blazing Wind, who had been standing there in silence, hurried to follow.
“Hey! Miss Chloe Qin, I’m not done yet!”
Chloe Qin quickened her pace, looking flustered as Blazing Wind deployed.
She climbed into the cockpit, and with a sharp roar of the engine, they vanished in an instant.
Genie’s mouth twitched. He turned to the cameraman beside him and said,
“Add that part too. Say Chloe Qin fled in disgrace. And make sure her challenge to the Magician gets the front-page headline today!”
It had been a long time since such explosive news had surfaced.
Both Derek Su and Chloe Qin were immensely popular racers.
With tensions this high between them, as long as he guided the story properly, a promotion and a raise would be right around the corner.
Genie clenched his fist in excitement.
...
In a small room near the Black Market Arena.
Purple Lightning stared at the television, her eyes sparkling.
Out of boredom, she’d tuned into the Aikun Channel earlier.
It was a gossip channel that specialized in digging up the private lives of popular racers and Mecha Girls. She hadn’t expected such a surprise.
Especially when Chloe Qin hurriedly left the scene, with Genie deliberately adding the subtitle “fleeing in disgrace.”
A faint smile appeared on Purple Lightning’s pale, delicate face.
“So Derek Su and Stella beat Chloe Qin together…”
“That’s wonderful…”
She had just finished today’s arena matches.
Three consecutive fights had earned her 1.5 million after deducting necessary medical expenses.
But the intense pain and reopened wounds left her barely able to move.
She could only lie still, at most turning onto her side—even moving a finger was difficult.
The news of Derek Su and Stella defeating Chloe Qin felt like a warm spring flowing into her dried-up heart.
Even the pain in her body seemed less severe.
“...At the provincial circuit, I’ll make Derek Su and Stella understand what bitter consequences today’s provocation will bring them in the future!”
Chloe Qin’s shrill voice rang out from the television.
Purple Lightning frowned.
She knew Chloe Qin well—a woman who would stop at nothing to achieve her goals.
And the owner of the BSC Club just happened to be Chloe Qin’s fiancé.
If Chloe Qin decided to go after a racer, that meant the BSC Club would act as well, which was extremely unfavorable for Derek Su and Stella.
“I have to… warn them.”
Purple Lightning braced herself against the wall and struggled to sit up.
Enduring the tearing pain coursing through her body, she limped toward the doorway.
Author's Note
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