Chapter Twenty: No Evidence to Rely On

The race car overturned, and the driver was injured. Mo Shu’s qualifying session was effectively ruined, but at least he managed to cross the finish line, which meant he should still have a recorded result. Wang Yining hurried off to set a new lap time, Wang Yu was glued to the control console, and Zhang Aimin stormed off to lodge a complaint with the stewards. The staff members were all busy with their various tasks, leaving only Mo Shu to rest quietly and alone in the drivers’ lounge.

“System, how did I end up flipping the car? Do you know what happened?” Mo Shu decided to chat with his system’s voice.

“Host, have you ever used Eagle Eye Analysis to observe Black Mirror?” The system did not give a direct answer.

“Of course, I looked at him the moment we met.” Suddenly, a thought struck Mo Shu, and he asked, “Could it be... you suspect Black Mirror has a system like mine?”

The system was silent for a long while, then spoke slowly: “Host, theoretically it’s impossible, but we can’t rule out the possibility that the enemy who destroyed our homeland has also descended on this planet.”

Mo Shu broke out in a cold sweat. From years immersed in web novels and games, he knew that once someone had a system, they were destined to be unstoppable, rising to the peak of life. So why was he the one lying here in defeat, even getting overturned by his opponent?

“System, who exactly are your enemies? Why did my Eagle Eye Analysis yield no data?” Mo Shu pressed on.

“The enemy... a terrifying enemy...” the system murmured, as if lost in thought.

“System?!”

“Ahem... There are two possibilities for Eagle Eye Analysis returning no data. One, the other party is also possessed by a system, and an even stronger one than ours. Two, he’s just an ordinary person with exceptional driving skills.”

“Can’t you be a bit more definitive?”

“Both are possible...”

Mo Shu rolled his eyes at the system, even if he couldn’t see its true form. After all that, it had told him nothing!

Just then, Zhang Aimin came back, storming in and barking, “You alright? I knew a kid like you would be fine—nothing serious, right!”

Such a fierce tone showed how upset Zhang was. Mo Shu, playing along, tossed his hair and joked, “I’m fine, Uncle Zhang. Don’t they know who I am?”

At last, Zhang Aimin’s expression softened a little. “I’ve filed a complaint. After the race, the officials will interview you and Black Mirror separately. Just tell them the truth—that he deliberately cut into your line and caused you to flip!”

“But as far as I remember, he didn’t make any illegal moves...” Mo Shu confessed.

“What?!” Zhang Aimin’s temper flared again. “I saw it with my own eyes—he cut across and squeezed you! Why are you defending your opponent?”

“Alright, alright, calm down. Let’s watch the replay after the race before jumping to conclusions, okay?” Mo Shu didn’t want to risk Zhang Aimin’s health, knowing he wasn’t young anymore.

Soon after, Wang Yining returned, signaling the end of qualifying at the Floating Harbor Circuit. Judging by the team’s delighted faces, Mo Shu guessed Wang Yining had done well. But he didn’t expect her to come bounding over like a gleeful girl, giving him the second hug of the day.

“To be embraced by the goddess—what happiness...” Mo Shu savored the moment.

“Hey! Look at that filthy grin!” Wang Yining scolded, her almond eyes wide.

“Uh... so, how did you do?”

“Hahahahaha! Guess!” Wang Yining laughed, throwing caution to the wind.

“Can you keep up appearances? Let me guess... you took pole position!”

“How did you guess so quickly? You won’t even let me brag for a second!” She puffed out her cheeks, clearly disappointed.

“Of course I knew. We’re so close, and after seeing them push me around, you’d naturally want to take revenge!” Mo Shu clenched his fist to his chest, pretending to be fierce.

“Hmph... At least you’ve still got some conscience.” Wang Yining snorted, casting him a sidelong glance.

“Come watch the replay with me. I need to see it before I talk to the officials.”

“Alright, let’s go!”

A few minutes later, Wang Yu, Zhang Aimin, Wang Yining, Mo Shu, and the team’s chief engineer and lead technician were all gathered around the screen, frowning and scratching their heads as they watched the race replay.

“Damn it, that guy really didn’t touch Mo Shu!” Zhang Aimin muttered, having reviewed the footage from several angles multiple times.

“Yeah, looks like there was no contact,” the chief engineer agreed.

“So how did Mo Shu flip? We checked the car after—it couldn’t have rolled over for no reason,” the lead technician puzzled, scratching his head.

“Weird...”

“Unbelievable...”

“Could it be—?” Wang Yu suddenly pointed at the screen, exclaiming.

“Could it be what...”

“Don’t keep us in suspense, Wang! Spit it out!”

Clearing his throat, Wang Yu said mysteriously, “Could it be haunted? Or maybe that guy has superpowers?”

“Oh, please—”

“Come on, Wang, have you been watching too many movies?”

The group broke out in a commotion, each of them dismissing such wild conjectures with a wave of the hand.

Only Wang Yining remained deeply troubled, her brow furrowed as she glanced at Mo Shu. Their eyes met—and she noticed he was smiling at her, but not in the way he usually did. A vague sense of worry arose in her heart.

This Black Mirror was absolutely not to be underestimated; he surely harbored an extraordinary secret.

...

As night fell, Floating Harbor City glittered under a tapestry of lights. Mo Shu descended the grand steps of the race headquarters, where Wang Yining’s orange RT500 waited quietly for him.

“Well? What did the officials say?”

“Heh, what else? The race officials ruled everything within regulations. Black Mirror keeps his result and starts second tomorrow; I’ll be fifteenth...”

“Sigh... Just as we expected. They couldn’t pin the blame on him for your crash,” Wang Yining sighed.

“It’s fine. I’ll race as usual tomorrow. I don’t believe he can flip me again. But you need to be careful—Black Mirror will be after you next.”

Wang Yining sighed again, and the two fell silent.

Ever since Wang Yining had unexpectedly become host to the system, they both had a sense of foreboding they couldn’t put into words. Now, it seemed clear: there was always someone stronger out there.

If Mo Shu’s Eagle Eye Analysis couldn’t detect Black Mirror’s data, and Black Mirror could cause Mo Shu’s car to overturn in such an unfathomable way, this incident was anything but ordinary.

Most people would dismiss the crash as untraceable, but for the two of them, the world was never that simple. Black Mirror was very likely another system host—one even mightier than themselves.

Wang Yining silently drove back to the hotel, while Mo Shu gazed out the window, his thoughts in turmoil. If this suspicion proved true, his path as a racer would be fraught with even greater challenges.

Mo Shu touched the pale violet ring on his hand, then turned to look at his beautiful teammate.

He made a silent vow in his heart.

“In every race from now on, I must do everything I can to protect Wang Yining!”