Night Rose

Xiao Pang and Su Jin were filled with anticipation for the upcoming race car, while Zhou Zheng, having seen through everything, clasped his hands behind his head and walked at the very back of the group.

The garage was behind the bar, and the old, faded roller shutter door rolled up slowly with a laborious creak.

Tires that are neither new nor old, a slightly dented front end, mud and sand that haven't been washed off...

When the whole car came into view, Su Jin couldn't believe her eyes. Could this dilapidated-looking car really be used as a race car?

"Miss Su, what do you think?" Tu Ying asked tactfully.

"It's comparable to a racing car of my grandmother's level," Zhou Zheng remarked.

Tu Ying glared at him, signaling him to shut his mouth!

Su Jin walked around the car once, then stopped at the hood without saying a word for a long time. She had seen too many luxury race cars: top-of-the-line engines, carbon fiber trim, seamless welded roll cages…

I haven't seen a car like this, which looks like it's about to be scrapped, in a long time.

The car in front of us has clearly been modified; it was converted from a street car to a racing car. It was later sold to a used car dealership, but Tu Ying rented it back.

The roll cage welds were as thin as snot bubbles, and the poor welds, about the length of a little finger, were alarming. The roll cage would fail with just one roll.

When Zhou Zheng lifted the hood, the smell of old gasoline mixed with burnt engine oil hit him.

The engine cylinder head was covered with a thick layer of sludge, and various pipes were tangled together, with colorful tape temporarily wrapped around the joints.

The turbine casing was rusty, the nameplate was already blurred by the high temperature, and there were even visible burrs on the impeller on the intake side.

Su Jin had prepared herself mentally before coming, but she clearly hadn't done enough.

She can't run away now, so she can only seriously consider whether the car can even move.

The person who modified the car before was knowledgeable and had actually driven race cars. The turbocharger used was a TD05-16G, which was inexpensive but offered excellent value for money.

Copper bushing bearings, 280-350 horsepower, quick pressure build-up, positive pressure at just over 2000 RPM, suitable for winding sections, sufficient for informal races like Nanyuan.

Zhou Zheng took a deep breath, but before he could even complain, Su Jin, who had been observing from the side, spoke first.

"This car is such a classic example, it's a collection of too many negative examples, I won't go into them all. I just want to ask, is this car even usable anymore?"

Tu Ying asked tentatively, "It should work? This car was perfectly fine when it was driven from the factory to here."

"Tens of thousands?" Zhou Zheng asked.

"Do we need to talk about money?" Tu Ying laughed.

"Tens of thousands." Zhou Zheng looked at him expressionlessly.

Tu Ying's smile grew increasingly awkward. He scratched his cheek with his index finger. "The person who rented the car is my cousin's friend, and he gave me a friendly price. I negotiated for ages and only got it for 40,000! I have to return it after I'm done!"

In reality, it didn't cost 40,000. Tu Ying had promised her cousin's friend that she would put their car dealership's "GG" sticker on the car and drive it around in a rally race, which would be considered a way to get rid of the car and save them 10,000 yuan. Anyway, the car would just sit there collecting dust.

Tu Ying, the penny-pincher, placed all his bets on Zhou Zheng, believing that Zhou Zheng would definitely win the championship. After all, Zhou Zheng wasn't someone who had never raced before; he had always paid close attention to racing events and knew all sorts of professional terms.

In a small place like Nanyuan, the convoys that come to play aren't usually very professional. After winning and splitting the 100,000 yuan prize, he can still make 30,000 yuan after deducting costs. Add to that the subsequent tavern business, and it's a sure thing.

"Forty thousand? Boss Tu, you're a true business genius." Zhou Zheng clapped.

Su Jin felt a wave of dizziness. She had never heard of such a low racing budget before. Every racing car she had handled was worth millions or tens of millions. This was truly a trap.

"Miss Su, would you like to experience it?" Zhou Zheng opened the car door and gestured for Su Jin to get in.

Su Jin glanced at Tu Ying, who was trying her best to force a smile, and pondered for a moment. "I need to buy insurance."

"Pfft, hahahaha!" Zhou Zheng laughed without giving anyone any face, his unrestrained manner exuding a roguish charm.

He was handsome enough to captivate anyone, but his mouth just made up for it.

"Miss Su, I'm single. In case of any unexpected events, you'll have a handsome single guy by your side, so you'll be lucky."

"Don't you have any shame?"

Su Jin rolled her eyes, but she wasn't that scared. It was just that the car smelled terrible; she wondered how many years it had been hidden away.

She said seriously, "Boss Tu, I need to talk to you."

Knowing she was in the wrong, Tu Ying gave the remaining two a wink, "You two take a look at the car first, Miss Su and I will go and have a chat."

In a secluded spot, Su Jin and Tu Ying looked at each other. Tu Ying coughed lightly, "Miss Su..."

"Call me Su Jin."

"That's true, we'll be in the same team from now on, no need to be so formal." Tu Ying smiled, her eyes crinkling.

Su Jin disliked backing down at the last minute; no matter how difficult the road ahead, she was determined to keep going.

"Renting a professional car costs 40,000 a day, and a racing car costs 100,000 a day. How long did you rent this car for 40,000?"

Tu Ying told the truth, "A month. Nobody wants this car in Nanyuan. It was left here a few years ago by a race car driver who had raced there and was too lazy to take it with him. Otherwise, I really wouldn't know how to find a race car."

Su Jin stared at Tu Ying. He was indeed good at making things up. If Su Jin weren't in the industry, she would have believed him.

"This car has been in an accident, hasn't it? The car was badly damaged, so the driver didn't want it anymore."

Tu Ying touched the tip of her nose guiltily. "Um... you noticed?"

"I didn't say this car couldn't run. On the contrary, it's fortunate that it retained most of its original parts. The accident didn't damage too many important components, and the manufacturer didn't replace them arbitrarily. They just left it in a corner like trash for a long time," Su Jin said.

"Wow, I have good taste! I even managed to get this car." Tu Ying laughed heartily.

Su Jin took out her phone and explained the costs to him: "This car needs modifications. The roll cage absolutely must be replaced; it seriously threatens the safety of the race car driver. There's also the fireproofing system inside the car, the engine..."

Su Jin's fingers tapped lightly on the screen, while Tu Ying stared at the numbers with trepidation, her heart bleeding with heartache.

Noticing his poor and stingy gaze, Su Jin looked up at him and suddenly realized that she wasn't part of a large car fleet and didn't have a wealthy patron, and Tu Ying's budget was far from sufficient.

"Okay, the engine can be used for now." Su Jin deleted a string of numbers.

Tu Ying breathed a sigh of relief, but the stone still pressed against his chest. He clutched his heart, "Those two..."

Su Jin covered the screen seriously. "You can't put the lives of race car drivers and navigators outside your budget. Race cars must be safe! If a full-cage roll cage isn't feasible, then make a half-cage with only 4-6 points welded together. A fire-resistant system that meets racing regulations and is certified by the FIA, fire-resistant clothing, and helmets are all necessary!"

Tu Ying's fingers twitched twice. He gritted his teeth and asked, "How much will this cost?"

"Forty or fifty thousand," Su Jin said reluctantly, as she had never done a racing car project with such a low budget before.

From her professional perspective, this car should be towed away and scrapped.

Tu Ying looked like the sky had fallen. "The total prize money for this competition is only 100,000 yuan. I've thrown in all this money and I haven't even heard a penny of it."

A snicker came from the side. Su Jin turned her head and saw Zhou Zheng leaning against the wall, standing in the shadows eavesdropping on their conversation.

It seems that the stingy miser and the engineer who emphasizes the safety of race car drivers are unlikely to reach a reconciliation anytime soon.

"Don't laugh. This concerns your safety. Aren't you going to try to fight for it?" Su Jin crossed her arms.

Zhou Zheng had been listening for a while and knew what they were talking about. "Miss Su, our competition isn't as formal as your WRC, so we don't need any fire protection system. Please let the boss off the hook. He's not going to bother with a fire protection system anyway, and the car has to be returned. Just put two fire extinguishers in the car."

"Once a fire starts, the vehicle's fire extinguisher is completely useless. Do you know how big the fire will get?" Su Jin's face darkened.

She recalled the fire at the New York racetrack, where even the most advanced fire suppression systems couldn't extinguish the fire immediately. Fortunately, the rescue team arrived in time, and the racers, wearing fire-resistant suits, avoided burns, but the cars were almost completely burned to a skeleton.

"You know?" Zhou Zheng asked in return.

Su Jin gritted her teeth and remained silent. If she said that she was Sherry from the radio show yesterday, would Zhou Zheng still be willing to let her be his race car driver? He would probably treat her like a monster and avoid her at all costs.

"You're too confident!" Su Jin avoided Zhou Zheng's gaze.

"The road conditions here aren't that bad. Come with me tomorrow to scout the route and witness my driving skills. You'll then understand why I'm so confident." Zhou Zheng maintained his nonchalant tone.

Su Jin was both angry and anxious, her fingers trembling slightly as they hung at the hem of her skirt.

Not wanting anyone to notice anything amiss, she hid her hands behind her skirt and pinched her palms hard to stop herself from losing her composure.

Su Jin looked up at the arrogant, unorthodox racer and spoke in an unfriendly tone.

"Fine, I'll see what makes you so confident."