Chapter 132: The Drifting Chariot

Mo and Wang departed Nanshan Satellite TV and hurried toward Tang Xiuxian’s modification garage.

No sooner had they started the car than Mo Shu’s father, Mo Shanhe, called to say that the progress on the new car’s modifications was encouraging and that they could test it as soon as they arrived. Upon hearing this, Wang Yu offered to drive the rest of the way so that Mo Shu could take a brief nap. After all, human energy is finite; Mo Shu had boarded a plane immediately after competing in the ERC Spanish round, and upon landing, he had gone straight to testing. Such a workload would likely exhaust even a deity.

Unfortunately, there was no pillow in the car, or Mo Shu was certain he would have fallen asleep in a second. Even so, the moment Wang Yu pulled out of the Nanshan Satellite TV gates, he realized that when he spoke to Mo Shu, he received no response.

...

"Wang Yu, long time no see."

"Indeed, Uncle, it has been a while."

"Is this brat asleep?"

"Yes, he is exhausted. Let him rest a bit longer."

Dazed and groggy, Mo Shu was awakened by the conversation. The journey had taken nearly an hour, yet it felt like he had only slept for a few minutes; he must have been truly worn out. Mo Shu struggled to lift himself up, yawning repeatedly as he hauled himself out of the car.

Where was the new car? Where was it?

Even though his vision was still blurred from sleep, Mo Shu was impatient to see the results of the week-long efforts put in by Tang Xiuxian and his father. However, as he followed behind, he heard Wang Yu gasp, drawing a sharp breath before he had even stepped into the workshop.

The sound did not bode well. Could it be that the two old men hadn’t modified the race car to a satisfactory standard? Mo Shu quickly ducked into the workshop to see what had caused Wang Yu’s reaction.

"Good heavens!"

Mo Shu was stunned. Could the car before him really be called a race car? At least from the exterior, it looked like nothing more than an early 21st-century civilian performance sedan. Although the emblem had been removed, Mo Shu recognized the general silhouette.

"This is a Japanese-made seventh-generation S15 Silvia, a model that went out of production at the turn of the century," Mo Shu said tentatively.

"Not bad, recognizing a car that old. Come to think of it, the car is almost as old as you are," Tang Xiuxian said, pleasantly surprised.

"Come, come, keep going. Let’s see if you only know the surface details," Mo Shanhe added from the side.

Hearing this, Mo Shu circled the car, inspecting it, and spoke slowly. "Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout, a 49:51 weight distribution, a 2.0T turbo engine—one of Japan’s top ten legendary motors—paired with a 6MT manual transmission. It created a legendary car with 250 horsepower and 280 Newton-meters of peak torque!"

Wang Yu was left dumbfounded. If Mo Shu hadn’t explained it, he wouldn’t have known what kind of car it was at all; he only knew it looked very old. Tang Xiuxian and Mo Shanhe exchanged a smile, clearly very satisfied with Mo Shu’s knowledge of the machine.

"However, you aren't entirely correct, kid!" Tang Xiuxian chuckled.

Mo Shu shrugged, confident he hadn't made a mistake. Mo Shanhe stepped up from behind and patted his son’s shoulder. "This car took a lot of effort from your Uncle Tang and me. It isn't as simple as you imagine anymore."

With that, Mo Shanhe lifted the hood and tapped the edge of the engine bay, gesturing for Mo Shu to take a closer look.

"Whoa! That’s incredible!"

The sight inside the engine bay caught Mo Shu by surprise again. Wang Yu leaned in to observe, realizing he had underestimated the car. Although he had learned a fair amount of racing knowledge from Mo Shu during this period, he still couldn't quite decipher the internal mechanics. However, the pristine, spotless engine bay and the gleaming components made even an amateur like Wang Yu feel that this car was truly extraordinary.

Mo Shu smiled and continued, "You two are truly masters. You even replaced the legendary top-ten engine, but..." Mo Shu’s tone shifted, and he added with some concern, "The Yunding Peak is full of steep slopes and sharp bends, yet you’ve installed an RB25DET engine. This is the engine of the 'God of War'! The horsepower has at least doubled. Are you trying to kill me?"

The "God of War" was known as a civilian supercar, meaning its price was relatively lower—though "cheap" was only a relative term compared to European supercars. While those often cost millions or even tens of millions, the two-million price tag of the God of War was indeed far more accessible. But a low price did not mean low performance. Since its inception, the number of supercars capable of defeating the God of War could be counted on one hand. This showed just how massive an upgrade this engine was for the S15.

Mo Shanhe laughed heartily upon hearing this, then rubbed his fingers at Tang Xiuxian in a gesture demanding payment.

Tang Xiuxian sighed and said, "Fine, I concede..."

Mo Shu and Wang Yu were lost; why were these two old men making financial bets?

Tang Xiuxian turned his head and said, "I made a bet with your father. The wager was whether you could discern the original intent behind us installing this God of War engine. I didn't expect... Little Mo, you’ve made me lose badly."

Mo Shanhe looked very smug, crossing his arms and laughing again. "Old Tang, don't I know my own son? He is incredibly lazy; he prefers to stick to a single technique for his entire life."

Mo Shu felt a vein pulse on his forehead. Everything was fine a moment ago, and now he was being criticized. He immediately said, "Dad, Uncle Tang, stop beating around the bush. Tell me what you have in mind."

"Alright, let me ask you: how is this car driven?" Mo Shanhe asked.

"Rear-wheel drive, obviously."

"Rear-wheel drive, high horsepower—why wouldn't you want such a configuration?"

"As you said, it’s rear-wheel drive with high horsepower. It’s prone to oversteer when I’m cornering."

"Oversteer—don't you like it?" At the critical moment, Mo Shanhe blinked and deliberately emphasized his tone.

It was such a strange way to ask the question. Oversteer—like it or not? Why emphasize that? Mo Shu thought for a moment, and suddenly, something clicked. He began to understand his father’s intention.

"Are you saying you want me to drift the entire way down the Yunding Peak circuit?" Mo Shu’s eyes went wide.

"Heh heh heh, I always say you're my son; you always manage to understand your old man’s meaning," Mo Shanhe chuckled.

Mo Shu felt a bit uncertain. Although he had drifted through corners during ERC races, he had never experienced a high-speed drift down a mountain. Moreover, Mo Shu was a circuit-trained racer; no matter the circumstances, circuit racing held extraordinary appeal and significance for him. Drift racing? He had never seriously considered it.

"Dad, your idea is interesting, but I believe drifting through corners is not as efficient as following the racing line," Mo Shu offered his dissenting opinion.

"Mmhmm, I understand your point. The problem is, with the sharp bends of Yunding Peak, are you certain you can clear them at high speed using the racing line?" Mo Shanhe’s single question hit the core of the issue.

Mo Shu couldn't answer. After all, he hadn't yet completed a full run of the Yunding Peak track.

"Let’s go, get in!" Mo Shanhe gestured with his chin.

"What for? Test drive?"

"Exactly. We’re heading to Yunding Peak right now to test whether your racing line is truly more efficient or my drift-cornering is superior."