Act: 2 Chapter: 3 | A Race to the limit. Eight Six VS Blackbird

As the race readies to begin, Yelan rolls down her passenger side window, leaning slightly towards it.

"Hey, kid. Got a name? The name's Yelan."

Collei, struggling a bit with the left-hand drive setup of her Blackbird, rolls her passenger window down in return.

"My name's Collei."

Yelan flashes her a thumbs-up and rolls her window back up. Collei follows suit, doing the same. She speaks quietly to herself, a hint of determination in her tone.

"I'll remember that... Collei."

Engines rev and roar, anticipation hanging thick in the air. Ningguang calls over to Keqing, her voice cutting through the noise.

"Hey, Keqing! Get in the car! We've got the best seats in the house!"

Keqing hurries to Ningguang's FC and straps herself in, her focus shifting entirely to the race. March, with a mischievous grin, steps up to take the reins of the countdown.

"Alright, we're gonna start the countdown!"

"Three!" she shouts, her hands poised.

"Two!" she continues, her energy heightening.

"One!"

"GO!"

March slams her hands down, signaling the start. Both cars launch forward with brutal force. The Blackbird, with its high power output, wheelspins up to third gear, and March observes with excitement as the Blackbird takes the lead.

"The Blackbird is in the lead!"

Beidou clenches her fists, her expression sharp.

"But Collei's going to take her on in the hairpins!"

As the two race toward the exit of the rest area, Ningguang slams the gas, pushing her FC to catch up with the two racers ahead.

Seele, who's watching from the sidelines, notices the action.

"Looks like they got VIP tickets to this race..."

As they approach the first corner, Yelan, ever confident, smirks to herself.

"I could lose you immediately, but I've decided the race really begins after the first corner."

Ningguang, observing closely, comments with a hint of amusement.

"Looks like Yelan's getting cocky. She's holding up the Eight-Six."

Keqing agrees, tightening her five-point harness in anticipation.

"Let's see if this costs her the race at the halfway mark..."

The cars reach the first corner, and Yelan exits it with lightning speed, quickly picking up the pace. The Eight-Six follows closely, refusing to let the Blackbird pull away. Ningguang and Keqing, in their FC, continue to trail, but they're careful to avoid interfering with the race.

Ningguang studies the Eight-Six's technique closely.

"That's incredible. Are you seeing this, Keqing? She's pulling a four-wheel drift at full throttle with barely any countersteer. And she's using every ounce of power from that 1.6-liter engine. Her car control is phenomenal."

Keqing, her eyes narrowing with respect, nods in agreement.

"You're just like her. You control your FC with that kind of precision."

Ningguang chuckles softly.

"We're essentially watching an artist at work here, Keqing."

Meanwhile, Yelan, in the Blackbird, mutters to herself, her excitement growing.

"Yes! This is what makes my blood boil! Alright, kid. It's time to cut you loose!"

As the cars approach another hairpin, Collei closes the gap with surprising speed, the Blackbird's lead dwindling. In the Eight-Six, Collei feels a shift in the car's handling.

"Something's different. When I'm drifting, it's like I'm not losing control when I plant my foot to the gas pedal."

Her foot presses harder on the accelerator.

"This means I can accelerate way sooner than I normally would!"

It clicks. Collei now understands why Arlecchino had taken the Eight-Six.

"Now I get it. You changed the suspension settings... I like this!"

As they power through another hairpin, followed by a long straightaway near the ice rink, Ningguang and Keqing's FC stays back, not interfering with the race. But Keqing notices the gap between the Blackbird and the Eight-Six widening.

"Damn. The lead's growing! Yelan's pulling away!"

Ningguang chuckles, watching the spectacle unfold.

"Heh. Yelan's got a big mouth, that's for sure. But she's got the skills to back it up. That Porsche is a beast in her hands."

Keqing raises an eyebrow, a playful grin tugging at her lips.

"Damn, Ning, whose side are you really on?"

Ningguang sighs and looks toward the horizon, her expression growing serious.

"The battle hasn't even begun yet, Keqing. This first half? It's all straightaways and gentle slopes. This is the Eight-Six's weakness."

The incline begins to steepen.

"But now... now we'll see what a true downhill specialist can do."

As the two cars approach the five consecutive hairpin turns, the Blackbird and Eight-Six are neck and neck. At the next hairpin, Yelan feels the rear wheels of the Blackbird starting to lose grip.

"God damn it! The rear's starting to lose grip!"

Collei, gaining confidence, continues to adjust to the new suspension settings her father made. Each turn feels more natural. The gap between the Blackbird and Eight-Six continues to shrink, the tension rising with every passing moment.

As they near the next hairpin, Lyney, still on the phone with Arlecchino, speaks urgently.

"I hear them coming!"

At the next moment, the Eight-Six and Blackbird are side by side, drifting through the hairpin. The Blackbird fishtails on exit, while the Eight-Six remains composed, exiting with surgical precision, mere centimeters from the guardrail. Lyney's jaw drops.

"You should've come, Arlecchino! Collei's on rails! She's eating that Blackbird's bumper!"

Arlecchino's voice crackles through the phone, calm as ever.

"I know. Like I said, it's all about endurance. Now, excuse me, I need to make dinner."

The line goes dead, and Lyney sighs, his thoughts swirling.

The two cars race toward the first of five consecutive hairpins. Ningguang calls out to Keqing, her voice firm.

"Keqing, focus. They're approaching the five consecutive hairpins. This is where Collei left you in the dust."

Keqing nods, determination hardening her features. She refuses to blink, eyes locked on the race ahead. Both the Blackbird and Eight-Six brake at the same time, but Collei goes for the outside line, only for Yelan to block her move.

"Nice try, kid. But you aren't passing me that easily..."

Collei tries again, and again, and again, but Yelan blocks each move with expert precision. As they approach the fifth hairpin, Collei goes for the outside line once more. Yelan moves to block her.

"Gotcha, kid!"

But then, in an instant, the lights shift. Yelan's eyes widen as she glances to her right. The Eight-Six has vanished.

"What the hell?!"

To Yelan's horror, the Eight-Six has dived to the inside line, using its left wheels to hook over the gutter and into the grass. Dirt flies as the two cars exit the hairpin side by side. Keqing is in disbelief, eyes wide with admiration.

"Incredible! She faked going to the outside and dove to the inside when Yelan blocked her... all that in an Eight-Six! Spectacular!"

As they exit the hairpin, Yelan's shock quickly turns to anger. She floors the accelerator, hoping to regain the lead.

"Damn it all! I can still take the lead in second gear!"

But as the turbo spools up, the rear of the Blackbird swings violently. Yelan struggles with the steering wheel, but it's too late. The rear right fender slams into the guardrail, sending her into a spin. Ningguang skillfully avoids the chaos, watching as the Eight-Six disappears into the night, victorious.

Yelan sits in the wrecked Blackbird, silent for a few moments. She exhales heavily.

"I... lost... My Blackbird... Defeated by an Eight-Six..."

A hint of a smile tugs at her lips, but her eyes are hard.

"No. I shouldn't think like that. The car didn't lose. I did."

Yelan unbuckles her harness, stepping out of the car. She kneels near the damaged rear fender, her hand tracing the cracks. She lights a cigarette, then takes a long drag, her mind still racing.

"I can't blame the car for my own mistakes. Sure, I'm shocked I lost... but in a way, I feel satisfied. Because deep down, I know I gave it all I had."

She exhales slowly, flicking the cigarette away.

"Well, isn't this gonna suck. It'll cost me a cool hundred thousand mora to get this fixed."

At the summit, word spreads quickly about Collei's unexpected victory. March jumps up and down, shaking the hands of Seele, Beidou, and Pela, who stand there, speechless and in awe.

Seele exhales deeply.

"An Eight-Six... beat the Blackbird..."

Beidou snaps out of her trance, still processing.

"That's... I don't know what to say."

Pela hugs herself in shock, her voice shaky.

"I've got chills, guys..."

The crowd buzzes with excitement, whispering about the Eight-Six's victory. Slowly, the three friends begin to laugh uncontrollably, the tension breaking into pure joy.

As the crowd disperses, Ningguang and Keqing are parked at a nearby convenience store, arms crossed, watching the aftermath.

"That was spectacular. Collei is something else," Ningguang murmurs, her tone filled with admiration.

Keqing, sipping her coffee, nods.

"You tell me. Despite having no ABS system, her braking technique is flawless. She keeps those wheels from locking up."

Ningguang looks up at the sky, a faint smile on her lips.

"I've never been more excited for our future race together."

At Arlecchino's home, Collei stands in front of the Eight-Six, gazing at it with appreciation. Arlecchino steps outside, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Everything alright, kiddo?"

Collei turns to face him, a look of understanding in her eyes.

"Did you... change the suspension settings before my race with the Blackbird?"

Arlecchino nods, pride gleaming in her gaze.

"Yeah. I changed it before your race tonight."

Collei closes her eyes, a smile spreading across her face.

"Now I understand why you took the Eight-Six."

She yawns, stretching, and heads for her room. Arlecchino stands by the car, watching her go.

"That's my girl."

Collei pauses at her door, looking back at the window where she can see Arlecchino smiling at the Eight-Six.

"Goodnight, Dad. And thank you."

The night comes to a close, the excitement of another victory for Yougou's Eight-Six lingering in the air.