Supreme Champion of the Racing World

In the deep of night, the desert’s temperature dropped to bone-chilling lows. Yet Mo Shu would rather wrap himself in two layers of army coats and a cotton quilt to shiver outside, than return to the caravan at his back and endure the brash boasting within.

He looked refined, with delicate features and short, neat hair that gave off a pleasant, clean impression. Still, a trace of worry lingered between his brows. Not long out of college, he’d found no job, nor had he asked his family for money. With four years in film and cinematography behind him, he naturally started picking up odd filming gigs, which, in its own way, marked the start of a difficult journey into freelancing.

The desert surrounding him was in the far north of China, called “Hamidule”—in the local tongue, “the Land of Suffering.” Yet for Mo Shu, this trip was more than aptly named: a “journey through hardship.”

As a photographer, he’d come at a friend’s introduction, tagging along with a group of extravagant off-road enthusiasts to take part in the “Hamidule Hero Rally.” He’d imagined a simple assignment, a chance to earn some living expenses, and would have been content with that. He hadn’t expected, though, that some of the wealthy drivers would be so impossible to deal with. Hoping only to do his job well, Mo Shu was often forced into the role of errand boy.

Refueling from barrels, digging out stuck vehicles—even serving tea and water—he was ordered about relentlessly. The older ones chided him that young people shouldn’t fear hardship. Those his own age couldn’t stop flaunting