Chapter Six: Rising Fame

“Ding~~~”

“System?”

“Yes…”

“I leveled up again?”

“Congratulations, host, on completing the mission. You have received a new task: Lead your team to enter the GTCC Super Production class. Completing the new task will reward you with a new skill: Enhanced Driving Technique (Elite). Your host level has now been raised to Level 4.”

The qualifying mission was already done after just one lap? Wasn’t it supposed to require a top-three finish? This was nowhere near that. The system always liked to play by its own rules, but Mo Shu was starting to get used to it.

“Host, there’s no need to ponder the system’s logic. You’ve already won the qualifying round. This is a result calculated with great precision, a display of the system’s confidence. Additionally, the system recommends you refrain from returning to the track; saving tire wear and preserving your strength for the main race is the best strategy.”

This “Supreme Racing System” was truly something else. Even if the system’s voice lacked a bit of that sovereign authority, Mo Shu had come to appreciate its power.

No more laps—he’d just rest and wait for the result. Mo Shu decided to follow the system’s advice to the letter.

Meanwhile, his teammate Wang Yining had set out for her second lap, and the “Racing Prodigy” Geng Hua was pushing hard for his third attempt.

Half an hour on the track felt as if time were cut in half, but for Mo Shu, waiting off the track was boring enough to have him flipping through the system’s skill list.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up—at the bottom of the list, a faint golden icon, shaped like a branching tree, flickered and flowed.

He tapped it, and a brand-new interface sprang to life.

“The Supreme Talent Tree!”

As a gamer, Mo Shu naturally recognized this at a glance. After a quick scan, he unhesitatingly assigned his single talent point to “Circuit Racing,” marking it as his first talent.

The other two—“Rally” and “Street Racing”—were equally tempting, but as a member of a circuit racing team, he had to set those aside for now.

With his talent set, a new talent skill appeared in his skill list.

“Heaven-Defying Racing Line!”

The skill’s description was just a single line.

“Provides the host with multiple god-level racing line strategies.”

Just how powerful was it? Mo Shu was itching to find out, his body restless with anticipation.

But at that moment, the race broadcast sounded: “The 30-minute qualifying session has ended. All drivers, please leave the track promptly. Results will be announced shortly.”

“Wow, what a dark horse!”

On the big screen, Mo Shu’s name shone at the very top.

“Star Racing Team’s number 32, Mo Shu, has taken pole position for the qualifiers! The main race will begin in one hour. All teams, please prepare accordingly.” The race officials announced the schedule.

Wang Yining returned to the pit looking a bit disappointed, though her result was respectable—third place, just behind Geng Hua.

“Mo Shu, I never expected you to be so skilled and daring. To think I was giving you advice before the race—I was clearly out of line.” Wang Yining’s cheeks flushed, a little embarrassed to have underestimated him.

“It’s nothing. We’re teammates, there’s no need for formality.” Mo Shu felt slightly shy himself—after all, he owed his success more to the system. Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind. “Maybe… I could help you tune your car?”

“Yes, please! I was just worried about how sluggish the stock setup feels.”

Mo Shu nodded, smiling without a word, and led Wang Yining to the workshop, muttering to himself as he searched for something among the parts.

“I knew it had to be here!”

He happily dragged over a metal component, waving for the mechanics to help. When Wang Yining and the crew got a good look, their faces all showed concern.

“Mo Shu, didn’t you say you’d help tune the car? Are you really planning to install this sequential gearbox? That counts as a modification!” Wang Yining was incredulous. Regulations clearly forbade modifications for the qualifying race.

But Mo Shu’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “With this, I guarantee you’ll be faster than Geng Hua!”

“But… even if we sneak past inspection, there’s less than an hour before the race. We don’t have time for installation and testing!” a mechanic objected, finding the idea reckless.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got this. I just need your hands.”

Tinkering began at once, and the Star Racing Team’s pit became a flurry of activity.

What Mo Shu didn’t expect was that outside the pit, things were even livelier—a crowd of media reporters had gathered, some dropping everything just to rush to the scene. If it weren’t for the team staff holding them back, they’d have barged in for an exclusive with the young dark horse driver.

Zhang Aimin was helplessly wedged in the crowd, unable to move except to shout for help.

“Alright! I promise you all, after the main qualifying race, the Star Racing Team will hold a dedicated press conference to give you the answers you want! Is that good enough?”

Though his face was anxious, Zhang Aimin’s heart was full of happiness.

Mo Shu! He wondered what other miracles this extraordinary young man might bring.

“I still think using a sequential gearbox counts as a violation,” Wang Yining fretted.

“Relax. I’m only borrowing some components from it, giving you lightning-fast shifting—I’m not stuffing the whole gearbox into your car.” Mo Shu was full of assurance.

“Really?”

“Trust me. The race is about to start; you’ll see for yourself.”

The summer sun over Nanshan blazed down, the heat from eleven racing engines pushing the excitement at the circuit to its peak.

Car 32—the biggest dark horse, the focus of all eyes.

There were no dazzling grid girls, no overwhelming media presence, and certainly no wildly modified cars—this was only a modest selection race.

Yet, none of these minor regrets mattered to Mo Shu now.

Champion!

No—not just champion. He longed for an era that belonged to him alone.

His hands gripped the steering wheel, his eyes fixed on the track ahead, black pupils gleaming with a fiery red spark. He was ready, just waiting for the signal at the center of the track.

Three red lights went out, and in an instant, eleven engines roared furiously, drowning out the cheers of the crowd.

From pole, car 32 launched with breathtaking speed—almost perfect.

Geng Hua’s number 1 car and Wang Yining’s number 6 followed close behind. After just two corners, the three cars had pulled ahead, forming the leading group.

Though Mo Shu kept his pole advantage, he could feel Geng Hua and Wang Yining pressing hard from behind.

In such close-quarters combat, a single mistake in taking the racing line could not only lose the best entry into a corner, but also give the pursuers a golden opportunity to overtake.

But Mo Shu’s driving style was baffling—he made no effort to widen his lead, instead racing with a hint of leisure.

In the pit, Zhang Aimin could guess Mo Shu’s little scheme. He was deliberately keeping Geng Hua’s pace down, hoping to give Wang Yining, running third, a chance to overtake and improve her position.

“Mo Shu, what are you doing? Why aren’t you using the clear track ahead to pull away?” Zhang Aimin was unhappy. Mo Shu had been holding back for three laps, but Geng Hua was no pushover. If Wang Yining could pass so easily, Geng Hua wouldn’t deserve the title “Racing Prodigy.”

Through the team radio, Zhang Aimin gave the order to pick up the pace, instructing Mo Shu to do so after safely clearing turn five on the next lap.

Was the gearbox modification unsuccessful? Mo Shu glanced in his mirror from time to time; why was Wang Yining always hovering two or three seconds behind Geng Hua?

As turn five approached, Mo Shu hesitated.

He swung the car into the turn, executing his signature drifting entry, only to realize with a shock that Geng Hua was matching his line exactly, diving into the apex with the same technique.

But Geng Hua was faster, cutting in deeper.

“Damn it!”

Mo Shu cursed—his focus had slipped, and his car drifted wide, away from the apex. Geng Hua had surely spotted his rookie mistake and seized the chance to close in.

No choice now—before Geng Hua stuck his nose in, Mo Shu had to block the exit. He adjusted swiftly, but Geng Hua’s engine revved ferociously, his intent to overtake unmistakably aggressive.

Bang!

Suddenly, Mo Shu’s world spun wildly, the steering wheel wrenched from his grasp. He instinctively slammed the brakes, but couldn’t stop the crazed spin.

“What… what’s happening?!”

Dazed, his mind blank, Mo Shu could vaguely hear Zhang Aimin’s anxious voice over the radio, but the words blurred together, his senses too muddled to make sense of them.

Fortunately, the spin slowed. He saw a black shadow flash past, then a streak of white.

Geng Hua and Wang Yining—the two cars, black and white, respectively. Mo Shu’s thoughts cleared.

There was no doubt—Geng Hua had caused this collision, using brute force to destroy Mo Shu’s defense and create an overtaking gap with the impact.

At last, car 32 stopped spinning. Luckily, turn five’s runoff was wide enough—had he hit the barriers or gotten stuck in the gravel, his race would’ve ended then and there.

Mo Shu had to wait for the rest of the field to pass safely before returning to the track—now in last place.

Worse yet, he saw Geng Hua’s black car already bearing down on him from a distance.

He was about to be lapped. Rage flared in Mo Shu’s heart; though he was on the verge of cursing out loud, he forced himself to smother the anger.

“No more distractions! I have to give it everything—two hundred percent focus and skill!” he told himself fiercely.