Chapter Ninety-Four: The New Car’s Arrival

That night when Wang Yu fell ill, and during those few days when the Divine Racing Team had no car to use, it must have been an agonizing stretch of time for Mo Shu and the others.

Yet the darkest hour comes just before dawn, and history has long taught people that patience before a counterattack is indispensable.

The long night slowly passed. The first rays of morning sunlight in Monte Carlo spilled into Mo Shu's room, and the sudden uproar outside once again dragged the reluctant sleeper from his bed.

"Who's that?"

"What is he doing?"

"How did a few strange people suddenly show up?"

"Sir! Are you unloading something?"

A huge container truck had drawn most of the Divine Racing Team's staff over to it.

The bright crimson Tang emblem on the truck set everyone guessing.

In the open space at the team's main base, a tall, thin middle-aged man was directing the driver as the cargo bay was slowly opened.

And another middle-aged man of average height, with a slight limp, was calling out playfully like a child.

"Little Mo Shu! Time to get up!"

Mo Shu shot upright. Uncle Tang had actually arrived at dawn. Hadn't they agreed to meet at noon?

He dressed in a hurry and ran outside in a few strides.

What a handsome race car!

Even the scene before his eyes seemed almost dazzling.

"Well now, my Little Mo Shu!
A 2.0-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine,
a six-speed sequential gearbox,
O-brand coilover suspension I got my hands on overnight,
six-piston calipers with ceramic drilled-and-slotted brake discs,
and this dreamlike rear diffuser and wide-body fenders—

isn't it practically perfect?!"

Tang Xianxian spread his arms wide, proudly displaying his masterpiece.

"Haha! Uncle Tang, you personally built this race car. How could I, as your junior, dare to judge it casually?" Mo Shu said with raised brows.

"The two cars are identical in every specification, and both have been modified completely in line with the new ERC regulations. The engine may be a little small, so it might not feel quite thrilling enough for you, but if you're aiming for another championship, there should be absolutely no problem!" Tang Xianxian was brimming with confidence in his handiwork.

"Mo Shu, you can't let down Uncle Tang's painstaking efforts. He hasn't slept much at all since yesterday," said Mo Shanhe, who had also come to Monte Carlo with Tang Xianxian.

"All I hear is your father praising me. You should know he was the one who hasn't slept a wink!" Tang Xianxian shot his old friend a look like a mischievous child. Did love for his son really need to be so solemn? No need for that!

"Dad, don't worry!" Seeing how hard the two elders had worked, Mo Shu's heart was full of gratitude. He wished he could get into the car right now and charge straight onto the track. He wanted to use his strength to slap the Vermin family hard across the face once more.

"Uncle, do you remember me?" Hearing that the new car had arrived, Wang Yu hurried over as well.

His complexion was clearly much better, and seeing the new race car, he seemed to have thrown all his illness completely to the back of his mind.

"You are..." Mo Shanhe was momentarily baffled by the sudden question.

"Dad, Wang Yu. Don't you remember him?" Mo Shu reminded him softly.

"Oh, I remember now. Little Yu who used to come play at our house all the time as a child, right? So after all these years, you and Mo Shu are back to hanging around together? Haha!" Mo Shanhe slapped his forehead. If the boss of the Wang Group was involved, then this was an old acquaintance indeed.

"Dad, Uncle Tang, I'll go inspect the car first. Today's the last day." Mo Shu returned to the main point, then turned to Wang Yu. "Old Wang, I think you should keep resting today, but could I trouble you to look after these two elders for me?"

"All right, all right, off you go. We two old men have never been to Monte Carlo before. We'll take this chance to have a look around the casino," Tang Xianxian said with a laugh.

Hearing that, Mo Shanhe only frowned. Thinking of his own heart that longed for a quiet life, how had he ended up with such a play-loving old companion? What a trial...

...

With the new car in place, everyone had to pull themselves together.

Mo Shu and Geng Hua rushed the race car to the inspection workshop without a moment's delay.

Because the other teams had already finished their inspections, and because the ERC officials had assumed the Divine Racing Team would never make it in time to compete, they had happily set up a little table and started playing cards.

They had only just sat down for a couple of rounds when a seductive, exhilarating exhaust note made them all stand up again.

"What? The Divine Racing Team?" one official muttered.

"Ah, I heard they hired a master custom builder from Hua Country to do it personally. I thought it was just a rumor," another official said in surprise.

There was nothing for it. Since the Divine Racing Team had submitted a race car that met the regulations and was still in the competition, even with the Vermin family pulling strings behind the scenes, the officials had to follow the normal procedure.

The inspection officers bustled about for quite a while, and Mo Shu had never seen them search so meticulously for violations before.

If the car had been modified by anyone else, Mo Shu might have felt a little nervous.

But if Tang Xianxian himself had done the work, there was absolutely no chance of any problem whatsoever.

As expected, the inspection officer announced with a gloomy look, "The Divine Racing Team's car is approved to compete. There are no illegal modification issues."

After hearing that, Geng Hua was so excited that he slapped hands hard with Mo Shu. Wasn't this exactly the meaning of the saying, "When one road is blocked, another opens"?

Back at the team camp, the two of them found the whole squad once again alive with laughter and chatter. But why did everyone look as though they were already basking in championship joy?

Just passing inspection wasn't enough to warrant that kind of celebration, was it? Mo Shu thought it was a bit exaggerated.

"Mo Shu, double happiness at once, haha!" Wang Yu came forward, looking as though he had never been ill.

"Old Wang, are you all right?" Mo Shu reached out and touched Wang Yu's forehead. Could he have cooked his brain with a fever?

"Not at all. Your Uncle Tang just brought us some great news, and I have a huge surprise waiting for you too!"

"What surprise? Hurry up and tell me!"

"The Cloud Peak downhill race you applied for when you returned home this time has been approved!"

"Oh, I expected that ages ago. Nothing new there."

"Is that so? But here's the latest news: the downhill race has also gained a brand-new sponsor, and the first installment alone is an investment of four hundred million!"

"No way. Four hundred million? You're sure?"

"Of course I'm sure! My father invested it. How could I not be certain?"

"What? Your father invested in our race?"

"Haha, are you a parrot?"

"Oh my heavens! Then won't it have to be renamed the Wang Group Cloud Peak Downhill Race in the future?"

"Are you an idiot? It's not a naming deal, just a straight sponsorship. Have you ever seen ERC marked as a title sponsor? Or the Super Formula series, for that matter?"

"Hahaha! Then once we're back home, I absolutely have to pay a personal visit and thank your father, Mr. Wang!"

"Definitely. But first let's win another round championship, and then we'll go back together to pay our respects!"

"Deal! It's a promise!"