"Join a club?"
The moment clubs were mentioned, irritation surged through Derek Su.
There was no way he'd join one—mainly because Jade-786 had left him with serious psychological trauma.
Starting his own club sounded more feasible, but even after adding up all the prize money he'd earned so far and subtracting daily expenses, he only had a little over three million left. That was nowhere near enough to run a club. A club wasn't just a storefront with a sign—you needed coaches, Mecha Girls, and more drivers.
"So participating in Panlong Mountain requires a club? Is that a hard rule?" Derek Su asked.
"Yeah, more or less," Xavier Young replied, clearly noticing the impatience in Derek Su's eyes and quickly explaining. "Derek Su, I'm absolutely not trying to pressure you into joining my club. I'm just telling you the current rules for Panlong Mountain Circuit. Right now, only clubs are allowed to participate."
"Why?"
"Well… supposedly the officials believe that beyond the provincial level, racers and Mecha Girls can't go it alone anymore. They need full team support, otherwise it's considered a waste of resources. This rule also forces talented racers and Mecha Girls to choose a club early."
Derek Su curled his lip. Official excuses like that might fool clueless independent racers.
Waste of resources? More like backroom deals cooked up by the clubs themselves.
No club, no Panlong Mountain. So hurry up and pick one—or get targeted.
And the reality? No matter which club you joined, unless it was one of the absolute top-tier ones, you'd probably still be targeted on the track.
SSC Club had already dared to block opponents directly on the course. Who knew what kind of filthy tricks provincial-level clubs might pull?
"Alright, I get it," Derek Su said, nodding. "I'll think about it as soon as possible."
He stared at the bubbles rising in his beer, mulling things over.
There were still nearly four months before the provincial circuit. He should be able to scrape together enough money by then. With money, coaches, Mecha Girls, and drivers weren't an issue. Even if he just filled the slots for appearances' sake, it would work. As long as he had Stella, he could settle everything on the track.
Suddenly, warmth spread across his palm.
He looked down to see Stella's hand slipping into his, her soft fingers threading through his and gripping tightly. When he looked up, Stella was smiling at him, eyes curved happily, her other hand clenched into a tiny fist that she pumped up and down.
"Oooh~ Pineapple King, you've got this!"
Derek Su chuckled, feeling the irritation in his chest melt away.
"Yeah. Let's do it."
…
The celebration lasted until nine in the evening.
Derek Su and Stella stepped out of the Foxfire Club together.
Watching Derek Su from behind, Stella's cheeks slowly turned pink. Her fingers nervously twisted the edge of her racing suit, her mind racing with little schemes.
Wouldn't now be the perfect time to go soak in a hot spring?
It was a weekday, so there would definitely be private baths available. She still hadn't tried the idea Lumina had suggested before. And after winning the Greenfield Advancement Race today, acting a little spoiled toward Derek Su shouldn't be a problem, right?
Lumina followed Xavier Young out of the club toward the black market exit. She subtly turned her head, winked at Stella, and made a cheering gesture.
Everything at the hot spring had already been arranged. As long as Stella brought Derek Su there, the owner would say only private baths were available. And once they were already there… how could they not go in and relax?
Encouraged by Lumina, Stella took a deep breath, rubbed her soft cheeks, and felt her courage surge. Her eyes hardened with determination.
"Master! The weather's so nice today, we—"
Before she could finish, two figures suddenly popped out from behind the trash bins beside the Foxfire Club.
Leon Li and Snowpeak.
Snowpeak: "Master, target acquired!"
Leon Li: "Oh! Commence operation!!"
Derek Su: "..."
Stella clenched her fists. Her silence was thunderous.
Derek Su frowned.
Shouldn't these two obviously abnormal drivers and Mecha Girls only appear at Silverstone Circuit?
What were they doing here?
And why were they being so blatantly sneaky?
"You—what are you two doing here?!" Stella planted her hands on her hips, her cheeks puffed up like buns, flames practically shooting from her eyes.
She'd finally worked up the courage to invite Derek Su on a date, and these two just had to show up and ruin everything!
Leon Li pulled Snowpeak over and stood in front of Derek Su, speaking expressionlessly.
"Derek Su, we watched your Greenfield Advancement Race. You and Stella are very strong."
"And?" Derek Su already felt a headache coming on.
Leon Li: "So we decided to come exchange ideas with you."
Snowpeak: "So we decided to figure out your true strength!"
Leon Li: "To promote mutual understanding on the basis of friendship."
Snowpeak: "To gather all intelligence under the guise of friendship!"
Leon Li: "Snowpeak and I will be completely honest! No holding back!"
Snowpeak: "Master and I will play along and scheme quietly!"
Leon Li: "Please agree to this friendly match!"
Snowpeak: "Please cooperate with our reconnaissance mission!"
Derek Su & Stella: "..."
As they say, exceptional people are often followed closely by equally exceptional oddballs. The saying holds true.
Leon Li being contracted to Snowpeak wasn't an accident—it was fate.
Derek Su silently wished them well and sincerely hoped the two of them stayed locked together forever.
"So what you're saying is, before the Silverstone Advancement Race, you want to have a match with me and Stella. Is that right?" Derek Su asked.
Leon Li's eyes lit up with admiration. "As expected of the Magician—your reading comprehension is excellent!"
Snowpeak stroked her chin and nodded seriously. "You can even understand Master's words. Stella's master really isn't a normal human. We must stay alert!"
Derek Su ignored their not-quite-normal remarks and took that as their official meaning.
Leon Li and Snowpeak looked like they spoke their minds freely, but Derek Su didn't fully trust them. This could just be a carefully crafted persona. Their bizarre behavior might be nothing more than a smokescreen to lower his guard.
Xavier Young had mentioned before that Leon Li was the club's top rookie, and Snowpeak was a top-tier Mecha Girl with a special ability.
Put together, they were definitely not ordinary.
By all logic, this was exactly the wrong time to agree.
Letting your opponents learn your trump cards or identify your weaknesses was the fastest way to lose.
But…
Derek Su was also curious about what Leon Li and Snowpeak were truly capable of.
And more importantly, there was one trump card they absolutely couldn't predict or see.
The full 49 MP points he had in hand.
"Maybe I can use this match to create a false impression," Derek Su thought.
A sly, fox-like grin crept onto his face.
Sounding each other out? Fine. Who ends up exposed is still up in the air.
These two rotten eggs were really devious—thinking they could trick the clever Pineapple King and the supremely intelligent Pineapple Grand King?
The Pineapple King wouldn't fall for it, and the Pineapple Grand King definitely wouldn't either! Stella grumbled inwardly.
She quietly tugged at Derek Su's sleeve, just about to warn him—
When Derek Su had already waved his hand grandly, laughing with bold enthusiasm.
"Hahaha! No problem! I accept this match!"
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / GhostParser