Racing Coach

"A homeless man who can race, that's unbelievable!" Ethan looked at Aria, and as their eyes met, they seemed to share the same sentiment. They didn't believe Elton's words. Maybe it was because Elton's behavior didn't resemble someone who knew about racing, or perhaps he was delirious from hunger and spouting lies.

"Thank you, Elton, but we'll continue our search tomorrow," Ethan politely declined.

Elton didn't seem surprised by Ethan's refusal. He finished his can of sardines and casually tossed the empty can to one side of the room. Aria watched his actions with disdain, turning her head away. It wasn't Ethan and Aria's fault; Elton's scruffy beard still had bits of sardine clinging to it, his tattered polo shirt had several holes, and his bare feet, with toenails long and curled, dirt embedded under them, made it hard for anyone to believe he could train Ethan.

"I know you don't believe me, but you can choose for yourselves. There's the bed, and there's the sofa. I can sleep on the floor. You can stay here tonight, but I have one rule: no woman sleeps in my bed," Elton said as he spread a blanket on the floor.

Ethan glanced out the window; the darkness outside was impenetrable. They truly had no place to go, so he agreed to stay. After discussing it with Aria, they decided Aria would sleep on the sofa while Ethan took the bed. Ethan helped Aria prepare the sofa and then moved towards the bed. He glanced at Elton, who was already snoring loudly, fast asleep.

"Aria, I'm right here. If anything happens during the night, call me," Ethan said, his voice filled with concern.

It was already 1 a.m., and after a long, exhausting day, Ethan and Aria felt the weight of fatigue. They lay down, but the foul smell in the room made it hard to sleep. They didn't know how long it took, but eventually, dawn began to break. Aria and Ethan had hardly slept. They decided to leave. Elton was still not fully awake. Ethan, not wanting to disturb him, whispered softly in his ear, "Thank you, Elton, we're leaving." He placed the $800 on the cluttered table, weighing it down with an empty bottle, and then they quietly left.

After they left, Aria yawned, not having slept well, her sleepy expression making her look adorable.

"Ethan, did you notice that Elton seems to dislike women?" Aria said as they walked.

"I did notice. Maybe he's had some bad experiences. But where do we go to find a coach now?" Ethan asked, looking around the racing area.

They noticed three racing clubs further down the road, so they decided to try their luck there. They walked to the first club, which was new and bustling with professional racers. Aria and Ethan approached the front desk and stated their purpose. The receptionist quickly arranged for a salesperson to meet them.

"Hello, sir, ma'am, what kind of coach are you looking for? We have all kinds here," the salesperson said cheerfully.

"We're looking for a professional, experienced coach who can quickly train someone to become a racer," Ethan explained.

"No problem. Wait here for a moment, and I'll get our most experienced coach to meet you," the salesperson said, jogging to the office. Ethan and Aria waited for the coach to arrive.

Before long, a tall, muscular coach walked out. He approached Ethan and Aria and extended his hand to Ethan, his grip strong and confident, his presence exuding trustworthiness.

"Hello, I'm Zeus. What is your purpose for wanting to learn racing?" Zeus asked, taking out a notebook and looking patiently into Ethan's eyes.

"Hello, I'm Ethan. I need to quickly learn racing to participate in a race a month from now," Ethan replied.

"Oh, one moment, I need to note that down. What's your full name?" Zeus asked, pen poised over the notebook.

"My name is Ethan Blake," Ethan answered.

At that moment, Zeus's expression froze. He muttered an apology and returned to the office. Through the glass partition, Ethan and Aria could see him talking to someone, their expressions serious. Soon, the salesperson returned with Zeus, both looking solemn, checking something on a phone.

After a while, the salesperson came back out to Ethan and Aria. "I'm really sorry, but we've just confirmed that all our coaches are fully booked and we can't offer you any coaching services," he said.

"Oh, I see. Well, thanks anyway. Let's check another place, Aria," Ethan said, feeling puzzled as he led Aria out of the club.

"Zeus's hesitation when he asked for your name was very strange," Aria observed keenly.

"I don't know why. Let's try another club," Ethan said as they headed to the next one.

They entered the second club, and again, upon giving his name, they were refused. They tried the third, and then the fourth club, with the same result each time.

"Ethan, I've noticed that every time they hear your name, they refuse. I suspect Joseph has a hand in this," Aria said.

"I think you're right, Aria. Maybe we can't find a coach in his territory," Ethan said, showing signs of exhaustion.

After their fruitless search, Ethan and Aria decided to return to Elton. They realized Joseph had likely influenced the clubs. Seeing Ethan and Aria return, Elton seemed to understand something immediately. Calmly, he pulled out a notebook filled with meticulously written racing rules. As Ethan approached, Elton handed the notebook to him.

"These are the racing rules. If you're going to learn from me, you'll need to follow my instructions completely. I need you to memorize this entire book by tomorrow morning," Elton said with a firm expression.

Ethan took the notebook filled with densely packed text. He flipped through the thick notebook, which had about 130 pages, each one meticulously detailing race rules and illustrated with hand-drawn diagrams. The illustrations were exquisite and detailed. Ethan made up his mind to start memorizing immediately.

"Alright, I'll memorize the entire book by tomorrow morning!" Ethan said confidently.

Meanwhile, Aria, observing Ethan, decided she wanted to contribute too. She thought the best way to start was by cleaning up Elton's place, which looked like a pigsty. Aria found a cleaning service number on a pole and spent $80 to hire them. When the cleaning crew arrived at Elton's house, they were stunned. It was the dirtiest place they had ever encountered in their professional careers. The crew refused the job and left, leaving Aria slightly embarrassed as she bid them farewell.

Ethan was in the yard, seriously memorizing the racing rules. Aria decided to clean up herself. She went to a shopping mall, bought cleaning supplies, gloves, a broom, and some clothes and daily necessities. Back at the house, she put on a mask and started filling large trash bags with the mountain of garbage. She then mopped the floor repeatedly until the dark floor began to shine. Finally, she spread fresh bed sheets and sofa covers.

By evening, Elton returned from begging on the street near the bar. He opened the door and was shocked by the sight, letting out a loud cry. Ethan, deeply engrossed in memorizing, was startled by the noise.

"My God, what happened to my room? My sardine cans! My bed! Who did this?" Elton stomped around the room in a frenzy.

"It was me," Aria said softly.

"A woman! A woman touched my room!" Elton exclaimed, scratching his head and running out like a bewildered old man.

Ethan found the scene amusing and chuckled before returning to his intense memorization. After finishing the cleaning, Aria, who hadn't bathed for several days, went to a nearby bathhouse, where she took a long, relaxing bath.

"This feels so good," Aria said to herself, looking in the mirror after her bath.

Back at Elton's place, she cooked three servings of spaghetti, adding minced meat to the tomato sauce. Before long, Elton returned, drawn by the delicious smell. He sat at the table and began eating voraciously without waiting for the others. Aria took out the new clothes she had bought for Elton—a loose black tracksuit and a pair of sneakers—and placed them beside him. Elton glanced at them, then continued eating his spaghetti with a haughty look.

Ethan was still outside, memorizing. His plate of spaghetti sat untouched on the table all night. As time passed, the next morning arrived. Ethan had stayed up all night. Despite his nonchalant demeanor, Elton was meticulous in his work.

At 9:00 a.m., the assessment began...