Chapter Sixty: Forgiveness

Of course, Black Mirror hoped that the Divine Chariot Team would help him; had he not reached such desperate straits, he would never have set aside his pride to beg for assistance from his former rivals.

Geng Hua and Ruslein were the first to make their positions clear, almost simultaneously curling their lips and shaking their heads. Geng Hua’s old team had suffered enough at Black Mirror’s hands during the last GTCC, while Ruslein had once been the target of Black Mirror’s murderous schemes.

A nemesis and a victim—what had transpired before made it impossible for the two of them to rebuild any trust in Black Mirror.

Wang Yu, meanwhile, lowered his head in thought. After all, he, Wang Yining, and Mo Shu had weathered many storms together; they were not only harmonious teammates but rare and cherished friends in life. He could not bear to watch his best friend’s own brother sink so low and remain indifferent.

Yet Black Mirror had indeed left a terrible impression on everyone. Just thinking of the ruthless tactics he’d employed on the GTCC track made Wang Yu uneasy and torn with inner conflict.

In the end, Wang Yu simply spread his hands, expressing ambiguity, and chose to leave the decision to Mo Shu and Wang Yining.

Wang Qing naturally followed her brother’s lead. Having spent most of her time abroad, she’d only heard fragments of the story, and so refrained from expressing an opinion.

Two were opposed, two were neutral—now Mo Shu was truly in a bind.

Wang Yining was both Black Mirror’s sister and his girlfriend. With her brother in such dire straits, it was only right that he should extend a hand and save him from his predicament. Yet the man in need was none other than Black Mirror—a ruthless and calculating figure. What was he to do?

Everyone waited for Mo Shu to speak, all eyes falling upon his face.

Especially Wang Yining—Mo Shu had never seen such a pleading look in her eyes before. Now, as long as he supported her, she and Mo Shu together would make at least two votes in favor; perhaps they could even persuade Geng Hua and Ruslein in time.

“I think Black Mirror can join!” Mo Shu declared, unexpectedly decisive and brisk—so much so that everyone was caught off guard, having assumed he would need far longer to decide.

“But—”

Wang Yining’s face lit up with joy, ready to throw her arms around her boyfriend, only to be stopped in her tracks by his sudden reversal. Did he have conditions?

“The roster for the ERC expedition is already full. At most, you can remain at the Nanshan headquarters. I’ll ask Wang Yu to arrange some support work for you in logistics. As for Mr. Zhao, we’ll certainly help gather information, and if any news arises, I’ll accompany you in any rescue efforts,” Mo Shu said to Black Mirror.

“Of course, of course, thank you so much!” Black Mirror nearly fell over himself with gratitude, pressing his palms together and nodding repeatedly.

Once the young master of Kunsheng Group and the lead driver of Kunsheng Racing, Black Mirror had now fallen to such a state—it was enough to make anyone sigh.

Seeing Mo Shu agree to let Black Mirror join, Geng Hua and Ruslein no longer objected. After all, Black Mirror would not be accompanying them to the ERC, so their chances of crossing paths would be rare. Besides, as Wang Yining’s brother, some respect had to be shown regardless.

“Well then... I won’t intrude on your dinner.” Black Mirror was tactful enough. He’d already overheard their plans to have hot pot together and, though he dearly wished to play host, the old rifts between them made him abandon the idea.

“Alright, then. Report to the team tomorrow. We’ll see you soon.” Mo Shu hurried to say his goodbyes; his stomach had long been growling, and given how rare such dinners were, missing this one would mean waiting until the off-season for another chance at hot pot.

“Brother, where are you staying now?” Wang Yining asked, a little worried about her brother’s living conditions.

“Oh, don’t worry about me. Your brother has plenty of places to stay,” Black Mirror replied with feigned nonchalance, though it was easy to wonder if he was putting on an act.

Wang Yining didn’t press further. Her friends had already shown immense tolerance by not making things difficult for Black Mirror, and she felt it would be overstepping to insist further—she could hardly arrange for her brother to stay with the team tonight, after all. The future would have to take care of itself.

“Hurry up, Sister Yining, or the restaurant will close! Brother Black Mirror can certainly take care of himself,” Wang Qing said, adorably tugging at Wang Yining’s arm.

As the saying goes, a lean camel is still bigger than a horse; no matter how far the once-mighty Young Master Zhao had fallen, surely he wouldn’t be left without a roof over his head. That was the common wisdom, but who could say how ruthless and skilled Weiermin truly was? Zhao Kunlun had vanished twice already, his fate unknown. Only Black Mirror himself knew how far he had truly fallen, and as his family, Wang Yining could not help but worry.

But what else could she do? For now, this was all she could manage.

As the six figures receded into the distance, the pale glow of the streetlamp illuminated Black Mirror’s face, still streaked with blood. Suddenly, he broke into a smile both enigmatic and thought-provoking, then turned and vanished into the boundless night.

......

At last, the day arrived for the Divine Chariot Team to set off in force, and every face bore a complex array of emotions.

Anticipation, worry, joy, serenity—all mingled together.

But whatever the case, thanks to their collective efforts, the Divine Chariot Team was finally about to make its debut on the international stage. Whether this first attempt ended in triumph or defeat, their courage and resolve would surely be celebrated by all who came after.

Mo Shu, holding Wang Yining’s hand, bid farewell to the teammates staying behind in China. But there was no sign of Black Mirror.

In fact, during his time with the Divine Chariot Team, Black Mirror had shown remarkable enthusiasm; his behavior had changed dramatically from before. Though many on the team remained wary of him, Black Mirror seemed utterly unfazed by their whispers and instead worked with even greater diligence and commitment.

Yet on this important day, he was nowhere to be seen. Even if he was reluctant to face everyone, he should at least say goodbye to his own sister—especially after all the effort Wang Yining had put in to keep him on the team.

“Stop looking—he’s over there,” Mo Shu said, having long noticed Wang Yining’s furrowed brow and anxious glances. Clearly, she wanted to say a proper farewell to her brother.

Following Mo Shu’s pointing finger, Wang Yining’s eyes widened in surprise. She saw Black Mirror striding briskly toward them. His blond hair had been cropped so short it was almost the same length as Mo Shu’s, and he wore the Divine Chariot Team uniform, standing tall and sharp. Compared to his former shadowed and defeated self, he looked much more dashing.

Were it not for the familiar black sunglasses he always wore, Wang Yining might not have recognized him at all.

“Here, a gift for you.” Black Mirror took his sister’s hand and placed a black pearl bracelet in her palm.

“This…” Wang Yining found it familiar.

Black Mirror smiled and said, “They may have taken away my system, but they cannot take away my heart. This is something I once took from you. Today, I am finally returning it to its rightful owner.”

At his words, Wang Yining burst into tears.

She remembered now. On the day she and her mother left home, Zhao Kunlun had cursed and chased after them while Black Mirror had desperately tried to stop their departure. In the chaos, Wang Yining’s favorite pearl bracelet had been torn apart, the pearls scattering everywhere, and the broken string left in Black Mirror’s hand—a grim foreshadowing of their family’s utter and final break.

Who would have thought that Black Mirror would one day repair that bracelet? So much time had passed that Wang Yining had almost forgotten those unhappy days.

“Brother, don’t worry. We will find Father—no matter what.”