Chapter Fifty-Two: It Doesn't Matter If You Don't Understand Racing

“Watch the road? What road? I can’t see any road at all!”

This was Wang Jie’s inner monologue at that moment.

Her plump, round face was squeezed inside the helmet, her eyes reduced to thin slits by the surrounding flesh. And who exactly was this Mo Shu, anyway? In all her forty-some years, Wang Jie had never encountered anyone who drove like this. The speed was one thing, but the way he swerved left and right, everything outside blurred into a rush of moving shadows—there was no road to be seen at all!

“When you’re recceing, you can’t go too fast,”

Mo Shu tried hard to ease off the gas and control the speed; that was his initial strategy. He’d never once imagined relying on Wang Jie to memorize the route and create a roadbook to remind him at every turn. So, he intended to make the most of this one and only chance to study the course, imprinting every straight, every corner, every patch of ice, and every spot where he could safely accelerate—all the things a co-driver should handle—firmly in his own mind. He didn’t want to miss a single key point, knowing that every oversight could be the very reason for an accident later on.

“Whoa!”

As soon as Mo Shu finished the recce and stopped the car, Wang Jie flung open the door and vomited onto the ground.

“Mom! Are you alright?” Her son rushed over in alarm.

“Ugh...” Wang Jie let out a resounding belch in reply.

“Jeez... It’s all that damn Thomas’s fault! Of all the choices, why did he have to pick you?” Her son complained, covering his nose.

“It’s fine, son. I have to help Xiao Mo get the car set up right. Only then can we earn back our money,” Wang Jie replied, regaining her composure and comforting him.

“Wang Jie, are you okay? The speed in the actual race will be much higher than just now,” Mo Shu said, a little concerned. Once the race began, he knew he’d have to go all out without holding back. Winning was the only way to silence Thomas.

“Mom, maybe I should talk to the ERC officials. Tell them you’re not well and have them let me be Mo Shu’s co-driver instead,” her son suggested, already getting up to find someone to discuss it with.

“No, I’ve already done the recce with Xiao Mo. I still need to remind him during the race. If you switch, he might not adapt.” Wang Jie was resilient, clearly taking her role as co-driver very seriously.

“Well... alright,” her son agreed reluctantly, then turned to Mo Shu. “Mo Shu, please take extra care of my mom. She barely drives, let alone races.”

“Don’t worry, don’t worry. If it gets too bad, she can just throw up in her helmet. Professional co-drivers react like that all the time during races. If it’s really not okay, I’ll forfeit the race. I promise to keep Wang Jie safe!” Mo Shu genuinely admired her perseverance. His confidence in victory wavered a little—her safety was more important than winning.

“Recce session is over. The interactive game competition will begin soon. Teams, please prepare!” The ERC officials announced over the loudspeaker.

“Mom, be careful!” her son reminded her anxiously, turning back to the spectator stands, looking over his shoulder with every step.

“Don’t worry, cheer for Mom!” Wang Jie waved at him, then turned to Mo Shu, signaling she was ready.

Mo Shu didn’t get in immediately. Instead, he respectfully opened the car door for Wang Jie, honoring her as an elder.

Wang Jie smiled graciously and nodded at his gentlemanly gesture before climbing into the race car and adeptly fastening her six-point harness. Compared to her first time in the car, she was already becoming familiar with the process.

“Xiao Mo, don’t worry about me later, and don’t feel too pressured about winning back our money. But we have to win this race—mainly to show the world the strength we have!” As Mo Shu got in from the other side, Wang Jie suddenly declared.

Mo Shu was a bit surprised. He had thought the vomiting would leave her shaken, but she turned out to be the kind of woman who only grew braver in the face of setbacks.

“Alright! But you have to hold on tight. That recce was just a warm-up. This time, it’s for real. If you can’t handle it, just let me know,” Mo Shu’s tone turned serious and respectful. He wanted not only to honor the race but also to show his admiration for the woman beside him.

While they spoke, Thomas and his co-driver got into their car as well. Their recce seemed to have gone smoothly; the young European already had a small notebook filled with notes in foreign languages and numbers—a proper rally roadbook. Clearly, Thomas had spent time coaching him, or there was no way a rookie could become so professional in such a short span.

Mo Shu and Thomas’s cars—one white, one gray—lined up side by side in the starting zone. Thomas glanced dismissively at Mo Shu, then sneered even more at the middle-aged woman beside him.

“Ma’am, do you not need a roadbook as a co-driver? Or are you such a racing prodigy that you just keep it all in your head? Ha ha ha!”

...

“Hey, look! The driver from the East, Mo Shu, plans to take a tourist along and beat me. He clearly doesn’t get what the ERC is about! Ha ha ha!” Thomas was in high spirits, leaning out, banging on the door and hollering to the other teams and the distant crowd, making sure everyone knew Mo Shu’s co-driver was just an ordinary middle-aged woman.

“I told you she couldn’t be a qualified co-driver!”

“Exactly! I saw her throw up—how embarrassing!”

“That Mo-whatever guy chose to challenge Thomas himself. I was worried for a moment, but now I know my money on Thomas is safe. This is a sure thing!”

“Thomas, we’re counting on you to crush the competition and make our wallets fatter!”

The stands erupted with early celebrations from Thomas’s supporters, while those who bet on Mo Shu remained silent and grim—not just about the money, but the sting to their pride.

“Attention, please! The race is about to begin. Contestants, get ready!” the ERC referee announced.

Once again, three red lights blinked out in turn. When the green lit up, it would be time to go. Mo Shu took a deep breath, revved the engine in neutral, and felt for the sweet spot where the car would launch with maximum torque.

Wang Jie swallowed hard, secretly testing the tightness of her harness. To say she wasn’t nervous would be a lie—even for a professional driver like Mo Shu, the moments before launch always sent his heart pounding.

“Wang Jie, are you ready?” Mo Shu asked casually.

“Ready!” Her eyes held a trace of fear, but her slightly trembling voice was full of resolve.

“Alright, Wang Jie, I’ll count down from three for you.” Mo Shu tried to ease her nerves.

She nodded vigorously.

“Three...”

...

“Xiao Mo, why did you stop counting? Hey? Oh! My goodness!”

The countdown was just a ruse to cheer her up. With a mischievous grin, Mo Shu slammed it into first gear, flooring the accelerator. As Wang Jie’s scream rang out, the tires tore at the ground, and the car shot onto the snowy track at center stage with lightning speed.