Night Rose

"I want to buy your racing team." Zhou Chengzhuo covered half of his cheek, his voice still throbbing with pain from the wound. His dentures were in place, but his nerves were still throbbing.

Tu Ying looked bewildered. "Buy a racing team? I didn't say I was going to sell it. Where did you hear that from?"

Zhou Chengzhu waved his hand, and the bodyguard turned and went out to get something from the car.

Tu Ying was about to speak when Zhou Chengzhuo gestured for her to be quiet. "Don't speak. Everything has a price. If you can't do it, it must be because you don't have enough money."

The bodyguard threw the newly acquired money in front of Tu Ying. The thick stack of cash, as thick as a brick, lay right in front of him. It was impossible for Tu Ying not to be tempted; his heart was practically pounding out of his chest!

"Seven million in total, more than enough to buy your shop. Never seen so much money before, Boss Tu." Zhou Chengzhuo pulled out a wad of cash and slapped Tu Ying's face.

The cash still carried the distinctive smell of ink, and Tu Ying was almost completely captivated.

"Is that enough? I can add more if it's not enough," Zhou Chengzhuo snorted. Looking at Tu Ying's bewitched eyes, he knew that the way to deal with this kind of miserly person was to throw money at him.

"Enough, enough, enough!" Tu Ying shouted excitedly, reaching out to touch the money, but was stopped by the bodyguard.

"Hey, let go, let him touch me as much as he wants," Zhou Chengzhuo said.

The bodyguard immediately released his grip, and Tu Ying finally got to touch that thick wad of money, caressing it with both hands and showing a look of delight.

"I've never seen so much money before!"

"You country bumpkin, here's all the money for you," Zhou Chengzhuo sneered.

"But if you want a caravan, I might not be able to give it to you." Tu Ying greedily touched the money, and the next second, the money was snatched away and the box was slammed shut.

"What do you mean? You bastard, are you playing me?!" Zhou Chengzhuo cursed.

Tu Ying quickly waved his hand, "No, no! The team didn't sign any personal contracts. They don't belong to me, and I have no right to sell them."

Zhou Chengzhuo's eyes darted around. He had spent so much time hanging out with those shady friends, and while he hadn't learned much else, he had certainly picked up a whole repertoire of tricks to swindle people.

"It's very simple. I'll give you a contract, you trick them into signing it, and you'll get the money."

Something that sounds like a sure-fire way to make money is bound to have pitfalls.

Tu Ying hesitated before asking, "They're not stupid; they wouldn't sign a contract that harms their own interests. What is this contract?"

"The hardest thing to spot in this world is a contract. On the surface, it's just an investment by a company, but in reality, it's a contract of servitude. Anyway, it's none of your business. Just have them sign it, and they'll belong to me from now on," Zhou Chengzhuo said.

"It's yours? What do you want to do with it?" Tu Ying pressed.

Zhou Chengzhu clicked his tongue impatiently and casually lied, "I like racing, and I want to start my own racing team, but I need obedient drivers who are easy to control, understand? You'd better think it over carefully. If it works out, I'll give you the money. Someone as greedy as you should understand the pros and cons."

These people came and went quickly, leaving two contracts on the table before carrying their chairs away.

The money on the bar and the floor was also taken away, leaving only the smell of ink in the room, proving that what had just happened was not a dream.

These past few days, Tu Ying has been apologizing to others like a grandson, and when she asked for sponsorship amidst their indifferent gazes, she was almost kicked out.

Only Zhao Xin continued to sponsor him, still out of friendship. But Zhao Xin also advised him that without the race car, what could they possibly do? The other sponsors wouldn't be willing to spend money since they didn't have a race car.

He'd been numb to the cold stares and indifference he'd received so much. Seeing so much money today made him feel alive again.

But the price of this money was that he betrayed Zhou Zheng and Wang Tianle.

If he didn't do that, that person would retaliate against him. Tu Ying had no doubt that someone who could casually pull out seven million in cash would seek revenge.

Such people could crush insignificant individuals with just a single finger.

Tu Ying sat silently behind the bar for several hours, his mind racing with thoughts, until his back started to ache, at which point he stood up and looked at the contract.

These two contracts were very thick, with clauses at the beginning that were all beneficial to them. Tu Ying flipped through them all but couldn't find any traps.

As long as Zhou Zheng and Wang Tianle sign their names, he can get seven million in cash...

Tu Ying's dark thoughts began to surface wildly. Since there was no racing now, why would they go to the Schalke Rally? The sponsors were still clamoring for refunds, and where was he going to get the money to pay them?

On the contrary, the three of them completely ignored these matters and left him to handle them all by himself.

Wang Tianle eats delicious food at home every day. His parents make him all sorts of nourishing meals. Zhou Zheng and Su Jin are together, right? They're having a secret relationship, right? They don't tell anyone, and they don't even consider him a friend.

If that's the case, why can't he earn some money for himself?

Anyway... it's just selling the driver and navigator, it's not a big deal.

Zhou Chengzhuo is a racing enthusiast, not a human trafficker. He can apply to continue racing with them. It's a win-win situation, so why not?

Tu Ying nervously bit her fingers, leaving her fingernails pitted and uneven.

Just as he was struggling with this huge problem, someone came to his door.

"Boss Tu, why aren't the lights on in the shop?" Su Jin walked to the light switch and skillfully turned on the lights.

Tu Ying was momentarily blinded by the light. When he came to his senses, a sharp pain shot through his fingers. He hissed and hid his hand.

"Did you hurt yourself?" Zhou Zheng followed Su Jin in and asked casually when he saw Tu Ying looking evasive and preoccupied.

Tu Ying flicked her fingers. "It's nothing, just an old problem."

Su Jin walked towards the bar, and just as she was about to see the contract, Tu Ying quickly put it away.

"Boss Tu, what good stuff are you hiding that you won't let us see?" Su Jin said with a smile as she sat down at the bar.

"Hey, it's an old contract. I took it out to look at it and reminisce about the agreed-upon profit sharing," Tu Ying said guiltily.

Zhou Zheng glanced at his hand, noticing the pitted bite marks, and took out iodine and cotton swabs from the first-aid kit. "Give me your hand."

"Huh?" Tu Ying was stunned, thinking that Zhou Zheng hadn't spoken to her.

But Zhou Zheng just looked at him and raised his chin.

Tu Ying hesitated for a moment, then reached out and pressed a cotton swab soaked in iodine onto his finger.

"Ahhh!" Tu Ying tried to pull her hand back, but Zhou Zheng pressed it down first, until he wiped her entire finger with iodine and put on a band-aid.

"A grown adult like you, biting your nails, what kind of pressure is that that scared you like this?" Zhou Zheng said, putting the things away and returning them to their previous place.

Su Jin sighed, propping her head up with her hand. "Boss Tu, don't worry too much. Zhou Zheng and I are discussing this. We plan to go and get sponsorships together. We won't let you face these things alone."

Tu Ying was a little dumbfounded, staring blankly at the cute band-aid on his finger. He had just been thinking about how to sell the car fleet, but Zhou Zheng had put a band-aid on his wound, covering up his dark thoughts.

Are people too easily moved?

"How do we get sponsorship? Will we still be able to continue playing?" Tu Ying blurted out.