Chapter 71: Taking It Too Far

Mo Shu’s face was grim as he bit his lip, desperately trying to recall everything that had happened during those days in Stuttgart.

Touring the company with Blake Horton...
Wandering around the hotel after checking in...
Bumping into Ruslein in front of the wind tunnel laboratory...
Watching Ruslein’s wind tunnel test...
Ruslein’s accident...
Sending Ruslein off in the ambulance...
No one from Black Gold Petroleum bothered to receive them after that...
Spacing out in the hotel...
Another day of aimless waiting...
And another...
Returning to Nanshan...

Mo Shu quickly sorted through his thoughts, but he simply could not figure out when, or how, he could have ended up in that room.

“I never went there,” Mo Shu said with certainty.

“I don’t think you even had a chance to sneak off and steal anything,” Wang Yining agreed, equally confident. After all, in Stuttgart, Mo Shu had stuck to her side as much as possible, and unless he’d acted in the dead of night, the two had been together almost constantly, except for the occasional bathroom break.

“I believe Mo Shu,” Wang Yu regretted having doubted him even for a moment. How could he not trust the childhood friend who was as close as a brother?

“I believe in Mo Shu, too,” Wang Qing declared, pouting. Her Mo Shu could never stoop so low.

“Exactly! My first impression of Mo Shu was that he could never be that kind of person!” Geng Hua remembered the sincerity and respect Mo Shu had shown him as a rival.

“That’s right! Mo Shu isn’t like that.”

“Exactly. We’ve been with the Divinity Racing Team for so long—frankly, not just Mo Shu, no one on our team would ever do such a thing.”

The other team members also spoke up, insisting that Mo Shu must have been framed. Having grown together to this point, Mo Shu’s character was plain for all to see.

“Hmm...” Only Ruslein seemed deep in thought, withholding judgment.

“What’s wrong, Master? Do you suspect him?” Wang Qing blurted out, unable to contain her anxiety.

“No, no, I believe Mo Shu. After witnessing his selflessness in Stuttgart, I could never suspect him of something like this,” Ruslein replied calmly. “The problem is, our faith in Mo Shu means nothing; others won’t believe him so easily! If they can conjure up such rumors and back it up with that video, I’m afraid Blake Horton has planned this meticulously. This won’t be easy to handle!”

“Not easy? What do you mean?” Geng Hua asked, as straightforward as ever. He figured that a false accusation would surely unravel—the truth always comes out.

“Look, first of all, all the race cars are locked in the official garage overnight—no one can get in or out now. But from my experience, after seeing Mo Shu’s performance today, Black Gold Petroleum will probably pull some strings and sneak in overnight to plant evidence or tamper with the car. That would put us in a very passive position,” Ruslein explained. He knew Blake Horton better than anyone here—Black Gold Petroleum was known for its far-reaching influence, and he distinctly remembered Horton having orchestrated similar incidents in the past.

“Second, if they tamper with the car and have video ‘evidence,’ our team will have to face an investigation by the Automobile Sports Association. By then, both the team’s and Mo Shu’s reputations will be all but ruined.” Everyone nodded; after all, in today’s world, public opinion could be a crushing force.

“Third, even if the investigation clears us, the damage from the previous two points will remain. I’m afraid Mo Shu won’t be allowed to race tomorrow, and as the investigation drags on, his future races will be affected too. Our team’s dream of a good result in the ERC this year will be shattered. That might well be Black Gold Petroleum’s true aim.”

“But if Black Gold Petroleum’s slander is exposed, won’t it hurt them too?” Geng Hua asked.

“You have to realize, the real power behind Black Gold Petroleum is Weiermin, and who knows how many multinational companies they control? If Black Gold Petroleum is just one pawn among many, they won’t care if it’s sacrificed,” Ruslein replied. After all, he had once worked for Weiermin himself.

The previously forthright Geng Hua now had nothing to say, blinking in confusion.

“They’ve got deep pockets and sharp tricks. Are we just supposed to sit here and wait for our doom?” Mo Shu said, unwilling to give in. He didn’t even dare look at the online comments—he figured the netizens’ scorn alone could drown him.

“Well...” Ruslein was racking his brain for a solution too.

“Black Gold Petroleum really plays dirty.”

“If we fall into their hands, it’s enough to make you die of frustration.”

“What a disaster—what will we do if Mo Shu can’t race tomorrow?”

The team members, seeing that no one had a brilliant plan, grew increasingly dispirited.

“Let me call an old friend and see if we can work something out,” Ruslein said, getting up and heading to his hotel room.

The rest of the team lost their appetite for dinner; some wandered off, others left together, until only Mo Shu and Wang Yining remained, sitting in silence, both deep in worry.

A long silence passed, and still no good ideas came to them.

“Don’t go online tonight, okay?” Wang Yining was worried that reading the negative comments would push Mo Shu over the edge.

“I’m fine. Just a little frustrated, that’s all,” Mo Shu replied quietly.

“Alright. I believe you’ll find a way through this,” Wang Yining said, knowing that this was when Mo Shu needed her encouragement most.

“Let’s head back, then? I want to rest and collect my thoughts.” Though it sounded like a question, Mo Shu stood up at once, making it clear how unsettled he was.

Back in his room, Mo Shu didn’t collapse on the bed in dejection this time. Instead, he stood quietly before the floor-to-ceiling window, thinking for a long time.

His head may have been bowed, but the tense muscles of his face showed that Mo Shu would never simply surrender—he would not let his enemies frame him so easily.

He had already seen the online comments—just as Wang Yining had predicted, the major social media sites were thundering with condemnation. The “Disciples of Divinity” fan group was large, but against the flood of paid trolls, their efforts were like trying to stop a chariot with a mantis arm.

Mo Shu thought of one person: Li Xun.

But when he reached out, Li Xun replied that his internship at Black Gold Petroleum had long since ended, and he was now a test driver at a private racing club—he had no way to get any inside information that might help.

As a rookie star in the racing world, Mo Shu didn’t have an assistant or a manager yet.

Yet in just over two hours, his phone’s call log showed over sixty missed calls—most, he guessed, were from journalists desperate for a scoop.

Was there truly nothing he could do? Mo Shu shook his head in angry frustration, trying to clear his mind.

Buzz~~~

His phone vibrated—a call was coming in. Since it wasn’t blocked, it had to be family or a close friend.

Mo Shu picked up the phone and was surprised to see a name flash on the screen.

Black Mirror!

“Hello! Mo Shu, it’s Zhao Yibin. I saw the news about you and the team—yeah, yeah! I’m on a plane to Bern right now, just about to take off. Let’s talk when I land!”

Before Mo Shu could ask any questions, Black Mirror hurriedly hung up.

Mo Shu stared at his phone for a moment, then suddenly remembered that Black Mirror had also been in Stuttgart around that time—though he’d been there to assassinate Ruslein.

Could Black Mirror be coming to testify for him?

But wouldn’t that expose his own attempt on Ruslein’s life?

If Zhao Kunlun was still in their hands, wouldn’t that put him in even greater danger?

Mo Shu hurriedly tried to call back.

“Sorry, the number you have dialed is powered off. Please try again later.”