Speed Beast

"Let's test the speed."

Chandler opened the garage door, and the morning air was particularly fresh. He stretched, it had been a sleepless night.

"Buddy, what did you do to it? Let me have a go." Elton walked over, munching on a piece of bread, with a jar of blueberry jam in his left hand.

"You'll know when you try it." Chandler handed the keys to Ethan and dragged his exhausted body straight towards the lounge. Ethan turned his head to look at the car he had wrecked earlier. Apart from the newly painted scratches, it didn't seem any different. He couldn't help but scratch his head.

"Elton, is he really a professional? Is this the result of a whole night's work? There's no change at all." Ethan squatted down and carefully examined the car.

"A true top-level racing car isn't about the body, it's about what's inside. Come on, let's take it for a spin."

Elton took Ethan to the mountain road that had almost claimed their lives. The morning sun was not too harsh yet, making it the perfect time for practice. Elton handed the keys to Ethan, who started the car, and the engine roared to life.

"Listen to that! The sound is perfect!" Elton's lips curled into a smile, his eyes filled with surprise, but Ethan didn't quite get it. For Ethan, it wasn't enough to judge a car's quality just by its sound. Elton, however, was like a child who had just received a gift. "Listen, Ethan, this sound is like that of a leopard, the low growl indicating a readiness to pounce at any moment. Chandler has completely awakened this car."

Ethan stepped on the gas, and the car instantly unleashed a powerful force, as if it was taking off, floating like it was gliding through soft clouds. Such acceleration could only be achieved by Chandler. After all, he had once won a grand prize by modifying a low-end race car. Thanks to Chandler's meticulous adjustments, the engine's sound became even more robust, like a deep war drum, urging Ethan to keep driving forward. The sound was almost like a form of encouragement. The car sped up quickly on the track, and it felt like the car was carving an invisible path through the air, like the white trail left by a plane in the sky.

As the car rapidly approached the first high-speed corner, Elton remembered the mishap from yesterday and slightly adjusted the steering angle. Elton kept his eyes on the road, "Don't slow down, Ethan, keep the pedal to the metal." Just then, the car's suspension system displayed its magic. The dual-layer shock absorbers instantly kicked in, distributing the car's weight evenly and keeping it firmly grounded. The car was as agile as a leopard, smoothly gliding through the corner without a hint of skidding, at an unbelievable speed. As Ethan passed the first section of the track, his heart was pounding, thinking they were about to crash like yesterday. His hands were still gripping the steering wheel tightly.

"This is incredibly stable! Such a high-speed turn, and there's no drift at all. The grip is amazing!" Elton marveled from the passenger seat, unable to hide his satisfaction with the car.

The slope of the mountain road gradually steepened, and the surface was covered with gravel and fallen leaves, increasing the difficulty of driving. In an official race, drivers would not only have to dodge these gravel patches but also avoid potential accidents on the road. If they didn't react in time, a chain collision could occur. This not only required the driver's exceptional reflexes but also excellent braking capabilities.

The carbon fiber chassis installed by Chandler played a significant role in this environment. The reduction in body weight and the increased rigidity of the chassis kept the car highly stable on the complex terrain. Elton could barely feel the bumps in the road. The car seemed to have come to life, capable of instinctively adapting to every tiny change in the surface.

After passing through the gravel road, the car reached a straight stretch. The empty road ahead allowed Ethan to relax a bit. He took a deep breath and floored the gas pedal. The car's speed soared once again, the wind and the roar of the engine merging into one. At this high speed, the car felt like a mythical speed beast!

"How is it?" Elton glanced at Ethan beside him, with a hint of a proud smile on his face.

Ethan was still immersed in the thrill of speed, unable to hide the smile on his face.

"This car... it's nothing short of a miracle!"

At the end of the straightaway, Ethan turned the car around, ready to continue training, but Elton stopped him.

"Ethan, I have somewhere to go today. Let's meet in the yard tonight." Ethan let Elton out of the car and watched his departing figure, feeling puzzled. What was the old man up to today, acting all mysterious?

After repeatedly practicing, Ethan completely lost track of time. It wasn't until his vision gradually darkened that he realized it had gotten late. On his way back home, Aria had already prepared dinner, but Elton was nowhere to be seen.

"Strange, Elton said he'd meet us in the yard." Ethan sat in the yard, continuing to use those two long chopsticks to catch flies. Time passed slowly, and suddenly, Ethan finally caught one. Perhaps it was by chance, or maybe his reaction speed had improved over the past few days. He jumped up in excitement. Before he could calm down, Elton staggered in, his body covered in blood.

"Ethan, listen to me. This is the list of all the participants in the upcoming race, along with their information. Keep it safe."

Ethan took the paper with a blood-red handprint on it, opened it, and saw densely packed text. The handwriting was exactly the same as what he'd seen in that book before. Ethan realized that the book had been written by Elton himself.

"Aria, come help!" Aria rushed over at the sound, panicked at the scene before her, but there was no time to think about it. She dialed 999 for an ambulance. In the ambulance, Ethan tightly held Elton's hand. Perhaps in Ethan's mind, Elton was no longer just a stubborn old man but more like a father figure.

"Where did he go earlier?" Ethan asked Aria beside him.

"He only mentioned that he was going to that bar, the one we visited before, the midnight bar," Aria replied.