Chapter Forty-Seven: ERC

Mo Shu was not intentionally keeping secrets from his fans; after all, he was still a newcomer in the racing world, and their latest plan was barely more than an idea. Releasing any news prematurely would do more harm than good. That’s why the group had hurried to the hospital—not only to congratulate Zhang Aimin, but also to consult with him on where they should go after the Hengxing Group’s acquisition.

Zhang Aimin was no magician, nor did he have an endless supply of cash. Now his health had failed, the group had collapsed as well; he could only watch in pain, unable to help much beyond offering advice.

“Has Wang Qing come back yet?” Zhang Aimin asked.

“Not yet. Old Wang has gone to pick her up at the airport,” Mo Shu replied.

Wang Yining felt a twinge of jealousy. How was it that she didn’t know the little sister who’d always idolized Mo Shu was returning so soon? And what about the verification? Both Mo Shu and Wang Yu had changed theirs, but she was left with nothing but a pitiful “Former Hengxing Racing Team Driver” in her profile.

Though Zhang Aimin was weak, his shrewdness hadn’t diminished in the slightest. He noticed Wang Yining’s displeasure immediately. In fact, one didn’t need to be particularly astute; Wang Yining’s little pout was enough to hang an oil bottle from, as the saying goes.

“Better tell her quickly, or you’ll risk undermining our unity,” Zhang Aimin teased Mo Shu with a chuckle.

Her? Who?

Mo Shu turned and looked, then smacked his forehead as realization struck. He’d gotten so busy that he’d neglected Miss Wang again!

He hurriedly grabbed Wang Yining’s hands with an apologetic smile—only to be interrupted by a sharp “thud.”

No, it wasn’t a slap—it was a bank card landing in front of Mo Shu and Wang Yining.

“Brother, this is all my savings, plus a bit from my parents—4,612,000 yuan in total. It’s not much, but I’ve done my best!”

“Geng Hua?!” Wang Yining exclaimed, her voice rising. “What are you doing?”

Geng Hua looked just as surprised, his eyes wide. “Mo Shu! You still haven’t told her? Are you looking for trouble?”

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” Mo Shu raised his hand in surrender. He might be bold on the racetrack, but whenever Wang Yining got angry, his knees felt weak.

“Spill it! What are you hiding from me?” Wang Yining demanded, arms crossed over her chest, though she was already struggling not to laugh at his penitence.

“We have a plan. We thought you’d definitely agree, but it’s still too early, so we didn’t report to the ‘boss’ right away. I admit I was wrong…” Mo Shu’s voice grew smaller and smaller.

“Cut the nonsense! Speak up!” Wang Yining was on the verge of laughter.

“We…” Mo Shu was just about to continue when three more bank cards landed in front of them with a clatter.

“Uncle Zhang, Brother Mo Shu, Sister Yining, this is all my savings—just over 1.3 million, plus some from my parents, hehe.”

“Wang Qing?!” Wang Yining’s voice rose again. “You’re back? What’s going on today, is everyone playing the ‘throw your bank card’ game?”

Wang Qing, mimicking Geng Hua’s tone perfectly, widened her almond-shaped eyes. “Brother Mo Shu! I already know, and Sister Yining doesn’t? Are you looking to get your legs broken?”

Wang Yining was speechless. Why did everyone know except her? And what was this about shedding skin and broken legs? How did Mo Shu usually describe her to others?

And what was with everyone handing over money? Was Mo Shu proposing to her? The thought made her inwardly scoff at herself—no one proposes with other people’s money, especially not millions. But then, a delightful idea occurred to her.

“You’re right, you guessed it…” Mo Shu’s mysterious smile returned. “Sorry to disappoint you—it’s not a marriage proposal. We’re all pooling our money to start our own racing team!”

“Given your ties to the Zhao family from Kunsheng Group, we didn’t want to make things awkward for you by asking for money,” Wang Yu added.

“Right, you might need to save some for your mom’s retirement. We just couldn’t bear to ask,” Geng Hua chimed in.

“I’ve put in everything I earned this year—every championship bonus, every sponsorship share—so believe me, I can cover your share,” Mo Shu said, gazing at Wang Yining with deep affection.

“Thank you… Thank you, all of you…” Wang Yining’s eyes grew red. “How much have you raised so far? How much more do you need?”

“Uh…” Wang Yu produced a small notebook, embarrassed. “Counting the 10 million my father is sponsoring, my own five million-plus, Mo Shu’s five million-plus, Geng Hua and Wang Qing’s combined nearly six million, and Uncle Zhang’s remaining family fortune of 10 million, we’ve got 36 million now. But as you know, racing is a money pit. With track rentals, buying cars, modifications, staff salaries, and entry fees, even assuming we don’t pay ourselves at first, we still need another 34 million. So, we need about 70 million in total!”

“Seventy million?! What kind of race are you entering? That’s a huge sum!” Wang Yining exclaimed.

“Well…” This time, Mo Shu scratched his head. “We thought we’d try something new and enter the ERC—the global rally championship. What do you think, Miss Wang?”

“Oh, ambitious…” Wang Yining scoffed. “You haven’t even conquered the domestic scene and you’re already thinking of the international stage.”

Mo Shu sensed trouble. He realized he’d upset her by not discussing something this significant beforehand.

Wang Qing kept her head down, cheeks puffed out, not daring to speak. Wang Yu clutched his notebook, frozen. Geng Hua tilted his head to stare at the ceiling, pretending nothing was amiss.

Only Zhang Aimin raised his hand with a chuckle. “Yining, from what I know of you, you’re not the type to get angry over something like this.”

At his words, Wang Yining turned to grab her bag.

Seeing this, Mo Shu feared she was leaving in anger and rushed to stop her—only to hear another sharp smack as a bank card landed at his feet. Today, it seemed, everyone was determined to make a statement with their bank cards.

“Uncle Zhang, Mo Shu, and you all,” Wang Yining glanced at the other three.

Wang Yu grumbled inwardly, “When did we get reduced to ‘you all’…?”

Wang Yining continued, “I know you all have my best interests at heart, but if you don’t let me contribute, I’ll really be upset. Next time, don’t treat me like an outsider, all right?”

Mo Shu nodded hurriedly, stooping to pick up the card.

“This card has forty million in it. I’ve been saving since I was eleven. Ever since my dad made money, he’s tried to make up for his regrets by giving me monthly allowances. I barely spent any of it. Ten years’ savings, all here. Let’s start anew, and build something great together! What do you all say?”

No one responded. They were all too stunned.

Forty million!

Wang Yining always seemed like a young girl, often clinging to Mo Shu for affection, but today she truly opened their eyes.