Chapter Seventeen: I Like You

Dawn was just breaking, and, unusually, Mo Shu had risen early. Out of habit, he turned on his phone, and a WeChat notification popped up instantly.

“Mo Shu, wishing you the best of luck at the first GTCC race. See you on the track!”

The message was from Geng Hua. Mo Shu replied with a teasing sticker, stretched lazily, and with a roll, sat up from his bed.

With a sweeping motion, he drew open the curtains, revealing a breathtaking panorama outside—an embodiment of the saying “all other mountains seem small.”

“Wow! The cityscape of Fugang truly lives up to its reputation!”

Fugang—one of the world’s top-tier cities, the second largest metropolis in China, a hub of economy and culture.

The second round of the 2017 GTCC National Touring Car Championship—the Fugang Grand Prix—was about to unfold here. In the southern outskirts lay the Fugang International Circuit, renowned as one of the world’s most challenging tracks.

The GTCC regulations required thirty laps, with each lap stretching 5.188 kilometers, making the total race over 155 kilometers. Thirteen turns, each with its own degree of difficulty, made this circuit a true driver’s nightmare.

The official race weekend was set for the last three days of the week: practice on Friday, qualifying on Saturday.

And at three o’clock Sunday afternoon, the much-anticipated GTCC main event would commence in grand style. The nation’s top teams and drivers would gather, vying fiercely for the Fugang Grand Prix crown.

The rivalry between the two GTCC giants, Jiangbei Citizen and Kunsheng Racing, would naturally be the highlight of this event. Meanwhile, the up-and-coming Star Racing Team was about to make its GTCC debut.

In the previous round, the inaugural race of the season, Kunsheng Racing’s ace—nicknamed “Black Mirror,” Zhao Yibin—had claimed victory by a landslide, securing valuable points for himself and his team.

Now, at the Fugang round, the seasoned Jiangbei Citizen team was fielding their newly promoted young star—hailed as a “racing prodigy”—Geng Hua.

Though Mo Shu had narrowly beaten Geng Hua during the Nanshan City qualifiers, forging a bond of mutual respect between them, every friendship must face its test on the track.

Besides, during the qualifiers, Geng Hua’s car had allegedly been tampered with, and Mo Shu could never quite shake off the feeling that his victory then had not been entirely honorable.

Now, with Geng Hua’s car tuned to perfection, Mo Shu’s fighting spirit was ablaze. He longed for a fair, face-to-face duel.

During Friday afternoon’s practice, both Mo Shu and Wang Yining personally took to the track. It was their first major race, and they needed to get a feel for this notoriously difficult circuit—testing their new race car’s downforce, gearbox, handling, and top speed.

After gaining first-hand experience, they would relay their feedback to the team’s chief engineer, offering invaluable suggestions for fine-tuning the car to suit the track’s unique demands.

“Uncle Zhang, the car feels good. I’m thinking of running another lap—looks like there’s still time. Black Mirror’s still 0.5 seconds faster than me at the moment,” Mo Shu said as he returned to the pit and spotted Zhang Aimin wandering leisurely about.

“Haha, don’t tell me—I’m off to enjoy being the boss. From now on, Wang Yu’s the team manager and will also serve as the track engineer,” Zhang replied with a hearty laugh, clearly enjoying his newfound leisure. “You young folks communicate better—leave it to you! Ha!”

Watching Zhang Aimin amble away, Mo Shu felt a wave of emotion. In his mind, Old Wang was the epitome of intellect—a top student from a prestigious university, an engineering prodigy, former student council president, with a keen strategic mind and sharp mechanical insight. With him at the command post, Star Racing’s odds of victory rose significantly.

“What are you grinning about?” Wang Yining returned as well, in top form today—third place in practice, even ahead of Geng Hua for once.

Mo Shu grinned, asking, “How’s the car?”

“Everything’s perfect!”

“Great—take a break. I’m going to run another lap and try to beat Black Mirror, maybe get a sense of his limits.”

Given the track’s many complex turns that made high speeds inadvisable, Mo Shu had instructed the engineers to reduce the car’s downforce, emphasizing acceleration and slightly favoring oversteer for better cornering.

“Chief Engineer Wang, are you in position? I’m about to start my second lap!” Mo Shu joked over the comms.

“Cough, Mo God, I’ve been waiting. Stay focused—make sure to get those tire temps up on the out lap. Grip is everything here.”

“OK!”

Indeed, without the generational gap, communication flowed smoothly among peers. Mo Shu and Wang Yu even exchanged jokes over the team radio, lightening the mood.

Half a lap in, Mo Shu was already nearly a second ahead of Black Mirror.

Zhang Aimin shook his head in amused disbelief, murmuring, “Times have changed!”

“Mo Shu, push a little more—you might make the racing homepage tonight!” Wang Yu’s encouragement was tinged with temptation.

The new race car delivered a stunning performance—Mo Shu could feel the superior handling and reliability that set it apart from stock models, even supercars.

Especially in those corners that obsessed him—he had completely abandoned drifting, instead conquering the formidable Fugang circuit with perfectly executed racing lines, razor-sharp braking, and flawless acceleration in and out of each turn.

“Incredible! Fastest lap!”

As Mo Shu crossed the final timing marker, the control center staff erupted in cheers.

It was a superb start for Star Racing, a resounding slap back at their doubters. The small humiliation at the press conference still stung, and everyone yearned for Mo Shu to turn things around for the team.

Back at the pit, the atmosphere left Mo Shu a bit dazed.

It felt as if he had just clinched the championship—pure jubilation everywhere.

“Stay calm... It’s just practice. The real test is the race itself,” Mo Shu said coolly.

“Oh, let it out! Cry if you want, laugh if you must—we’re all passionate people, and we’re thrilled for you...” Even Wang Yu couldn’t resist joining in the high spirits.

Mo Shu remained as calm as ever, but to keep from dampening the mood, he played along for a while before quietly slipping away.

“Mo Shu, congratulations on your victory!” came a sweet, girlish voice in the driver’s passageway. Mo Shu didn’t even need to look to know it was Wang Qing.

“You came with the team, Wang Qing? How come I didn’t know?”

“I came on my own, Mo Shu. There’s something I want to tell you!” Her bright eyes were full of adoration.

“Hey, silly girl, you could’ve just called—no need to make the exhausting trip. Now that you’re here, I’ll have your brother find you a place to rest. After the race, let’s get something good to eat...” Mo Shu replied, glancing around for Wang Yu.

But to his surprise, Wang Qing suddenly raised her voice.

“Mo Shu! I like you! Will you be my boyfriend?!”