Perfect Coordination (2)

Liu Tang wasn't wrong—Zhuifeng was on the verge of losing control.

The constant friction during the race made it impossible for him to see the "tragic state" of his car's exterior. But as the temperature inside the car continued to rise, it didn't take much thought for him to realize the dire situation he was in.

As the heat built up, so did a growing sense of helplessness. "What should I do?"

Charge forward? Zhuifeng had tried that at least ten times already. But no matter how hard he hit the gas or how fast he accelerated, his opponent stuck to him like glue. No matter what he tried, he just couldn't shake him. Shaking his head in frustration, Zhuifeng realized that brute force was getting him nowhere.

What about drifting through the next corner to throw him off? Impossible! With the opponent sticking this closely, how could drifting even work?

He felt like he was trapped in a dead end—a one-way street straight to hell. His nerves were fraying, and his hands moved mechanically to steer the wheel, mirroring his opponent's movements. Even though he knew he couldn't afford to lose focus, memories from his life involuntarily started flashing through his mind.

He thought of his distant, indifferent parents. His caring second brother. Uncle Wang, who had always looked out for him. That clown Majie, always finding ways to make him laugh.

He thought of Liu Tang—the teacher he'd never actually treated like a teacher. Of Yaoyao and her group of friends. And then… of Xiaojie—the girl who'd always lingered in his heart.

Yes, Xiaojie. Even though she already had a boyfriend, they were still good friends in her eyes, weren't they? And as her friend, he had to fulfill his promise to her.

That thought reignited his resolve. Strength surged back into his body as he suddenly slammed his car to the side without warning.

Shinohara Kenrei was momentarily stunned. He hadn't expected Zhuifeng, who had been quiet for so long, to suddenly make such a move. After a brief pause, Kenrei smirked. You think this is going to work? Stepping hard on the gas, he kept pace with Zhuifeng, gripping the steering wheel tightly as he deliberately leaned his car closer, pressing the two vehicles "perfectly" together, leaving no space between them.

Zhuifeng was giving it his all, yet still couldn't shake him off. He realized, with some bitterness, that his Audi A4 was no longer the same Audi A4 it used to be. Annoyance surged within him. If Liu Tang and Gu Deping hadn't meddled with the engine and reduced the car's horsepower, he might have already left this guy in the dust. Instead, he was stuck here, humiliated.

His gaze unintentionally flicked to the rearview mirror, catching sight of Koizumi in the car behind him. Damn it, bastard! Can't you stop tailing me so closely? You're making it impossible for me to slow down even if I wanted to!

Realizing he couldn't shake off Kenrei, Zhuifeng began to entertain the idea of retreating instead. His plan wasn't as intricate as Song Jinfeng's, but unknowingly, he was setting the stage for the upcoming "perfect coordination."

"Boss, there's a car coming."

"What?" Hearing Old Third's shout, Shinohara Kenrei frowned, trying to deduce the approaching vehicle's intentions, but he couldn't figure it out. "Is it a police car?"

"No, it's a BMW. Doesn't look modified."

Tanida felt something was off but didn't dwell on it. "Then why are you yelling? Maybe they're just heading home or something. But listen—don't let any other cars through. Not one. Got it?"

"Yes, sir."

Old Third obeyed Kenrei's orders and parked his car horizontally across the road, effectively blocking any vehicles except motorcycles from passing. But that was only on the ground. If he had seen the crane helicopter hovering over Shangqiao Hospital, he wouldn't have been sitting in his car smoking so leisurely.

"Are we good to go?"

From the helicopter, Shuangshuang rolled down her window, stuck out her delicate hand, and gave an OK signal. Immediately, the helicopter rose steadily into the air. As the scenery below flashed by, she still wasn't satisfied with the speed. Speaking into her earpiece, she asked, "Can you guys go any faster?"

Qiu Nuo and Zheng He, seated in the helicopter, exchanged wry smiles. "Miss, we're already flying with night vision and radar. The fog is too thick—it's a miracle we're in the air at all. This is as fast as we can go. We'll be there in ten minutes at most."

"Fine…" Shuangshuang sighed, her voice tinged with frustration. "Just hurry up. I'm afraid he won't hold on much longer... Liu Tang, where are you now?"

Liu Tang glanced at the satellite map displayed on his monitor. "I'm five minutes away from the target location! But why did the feed of the boss's car cut off?"

Shuangshuang sighed. "Blame the weather. A regular civilian helicopter can't fly in these conditions! That's why the plan has changed. I'll give you the signal later, OK?"

"Oh, by the way, when I arrived earlier, I noticed a car parked at the roadblock. It looked like a racing car. Is that one of ours?"

Silence filled the comms channel. Liu Tang wondered if he had said something he shouldn't have. Judging from everything that had happened so far, this group clearly had an extraordinary background. "Is... is there a problem?"

A problem? Of course there was! And it was a huge one!

Qiu Nuo and Zheng He exchanged wide-eyed glances, their frustration boiling over. Qiu Nuo muttered, "Damn it. Are they too smart, or are we too stupid? I can't believe their hidden backup is operating so brazenly right under our noses. Damn it! What do we do now?"

Leaning back in his seat, Zheng He sighed in defeat. "What else can we do? We can't touch them now. If we alert them, the Young Master's life will be in danger."

Qiu Nuo thought for a moment, then reluctantly nodded. "Damn it. If we make a move here, they'll strike there. If we act there, we risk harming the Young Master. Fine. Have someone monitor that guy closely. Once we rescue the Young Master, I'll personally deal with him—tie him up and light his damn lantern!"

Despite their youth, both Qiu Nuo and Zheng He displayed a level of cunning that could put many veterans to shame. Zheng He, watching Qiu Nuo's seething expression, couldn't help but start looking forward to that scene.

***

As the helicopter slowly retracted its ropes, Zheng He spoke calmly, "Miss, we're leaving the Young Master to you."

"Tch…" Shuangshuang huffed in annoyance. "He may be just your Young Master, but he's my... Do you think I won't give it my all?"

She floored the gas pedal, and the car shot forward.

Gradually, Shuangshuang realized the challenge ahead. She was less than a kilometer away from the designated location, but she still couldn't see the opponent's car. "Damn it." Checking the road map on her dashboard, she muttered, "You're pushing me, huh? Fine. Let's do this. It's been a while since I've gone all out."

Reaching over, she pressed a button. The entire car shuddered briefly, then roared forward like a beast awakened from slumber.

Glancing at the button labeled "SPACE," Shuangshuang smirked. "Nitrous—what a wonderful invention!"

Effort pays off! With the help of the nitrous boost, she quickly crested a hill, and the vehicles of Zhuifeng and the others came into view. But by then, they had already entered the target location, making the situation even more complicated.