Chapter 147 — The Long-Awaited...

"Me, stab you in the back? That's rich." Yang Jiyan laughed scornfully. "Your own car has no papers—how was I supposed to know? If your papers had been in order, I'd be out a fortune today."

"I don't care. I want to race you," Cha Ce cried strangely.

"Not interested," Yang Linyue said coolly, and taking Wang Yanqiu's hand made to leave. But unexpectedly, Wang Yanqiu suddenly asked, "What do you want to race?"

"Race cars," Cha Ce said firmly.

"Have you lost your mind? You're a professional race car driver, and we're not even amateurs. You want me to race cars with you?" Yang Ce shook his head, looking at Cha Ce as though at a fool. "Do you think I'd agree?"

"All right, I agree," Wang Yanqiu said right on his heels. "But what's in it for me if I win?"

"Huh?" Yang Xutang cut Wang Yanqiu off, turning back in astonishment. What's wrong with this girl? he thought.

"A reward? Heh, beat me, the God of Racing, and your name will ring out across the world—isn't that reward enough?" Zha Ce laughed, though his tone carried a heavy dose of scorn, as if beating him were something flatly impossible.

"I absolutely refuse to do anything that brings no reward," Wang Yanqiu said.

"Fine. Beat me, and I'll give you ten million," Zha Ce said.

"Ten million?" Wang Yanqiu shook his head. "Do you think ten million is anything to me?"

"Then what do you want?" Zha Ce asked.

"I want your holdings in Europe," Wang Yanqiu said faintly.

"What did you say—my holdings in Europe?" Zha Ce's pupils contracted sharply. Then he said, "What are you talking about? What holdings could I possibly have in Europe? My name's Zha Ce, but I'm a pure-blooded Asian, same as anyone."

"Then forget it. I'm not one for beating around the bush. Goodbye." Wang Yanqiu glanced at Zha Ce, took Yang Ce by the arm, and walked swiftly on ahead.

To be continued.

1029. That Night

Zha Ce watched the two figures recede into the distance. His lips moved twice, but in the end he said nothing.

"Zha Ce, what were they talking about? What holdings in Europe?" Zha Ce's woman asked.

"I haven't the faintest idea. Who knows what they meant—utterly baffling." Zha Ce shook his head, yet a trace of cold sweat had broken out on his brow.

His identity was buried so deep—how could anyone have uncovered it? If it had been someone well-connected in the trade, perhaps. But these two chance-met ordinary people actually—"Yanyan, what was that about back there? Why would you agree to race him?" Yang Mo asked, unable to make sense of it. By any reckoning, Wang Yanqiu was not such a reckless sort.

"Who said I was going to race him? That'd be courting death," Wang Yanqiu laughed. "I only wanted to test whether he was that man or not. I just thought it'd be fun."

"What man?" Yang Ce asked curiously.

"The heir to a family of assassins in Europe," Wang Yanqiu explained. "The world's third-ranked assassination organization, the Crocodile Killers. I'd heard that the family's sole heir had no interest in inheriting the family business—he wanted to become a race car driver, and he's even made something of a name for himself."

"So you suspect that this Zha Ce is him?" Yang Yanchuan said.

"Yes, that's exactly what I suspected." Wang Yanqiu nodded.

"But there are so many race car drivers. How could you be sure this Zha Ce is the one?" Yang Mo was puzzled.

"It was only a guess," Wang Yanqiu said. "First, that family is Asian, and Zha Ce fits that perfectly. Second, according to inside information, the family's heir is currently with a racing team somewhere in Huaxia."

"On just those two points?" Yang Ce was still a little incredulous.

"Of course there's a third. Legend has it that the heir's English name is Zha Ce," Wang Yanqiu said with a hearty laugh. "Or what, did you think I was some kind of immortal who can divine the future?"

"Damn," Yang Ce realized at once that Wang Yanqiu had been playing him, and could only shake his head with a wry smile. "Why didn't you just say that from the start? First, second—honestly."

"If I'd said it straight out, where's the fun in that?" Wang Yanqiu laughed. "But even so, I wasn't entirely sure, which is why I agreed to his challenge—to probe a little further."

"I see. When you mentioned wanting his holdings in Europe, his expression shifted ever so slightly. It was only for an instant, but that's enough to prove the point," Yang Yanzhou said.

"Exactly," Wang Yanqiu nodded. "So you noticed that too."

"I noticed, but I didn't think that much of it." Yang Ce rubbed his chin, somewhat amused. "At the time I thought he simply didn't want to pay such a price. Who'd have guessed there was more to it?"

"It doesn't matter that you didn't know. I only learned it by chance myself, and it came back to me the moment I ran into him," Wang Yanqiu said.

"So what if you've confirmed his identity? Don't tell me you've got a grudge against the Crocodile Killers?" Yang Yanchuan said.

"Not at all. I just thought it'd be fun." Wang Yanqiu sounded almost childlike. "That Zha Ce must be scared half to death right now. Wahahahaha!"

Yang Ce looked at Wang Yanqiu, speechless. That was acceptable too—frightening someone purely for the fun of it.

"I feel so much better now. Ah, I have this Zha Ce to thank—otherwise I might well have been stewing all night," Wang Yanqiu said with a long exhale.

Yang Lanxu thought to himself that Zha Ce had truly met with the worst luck of eight lifetimes running into Wang Yanqiu. The two hailed a taxi and returned to the residential compound. They had barely gotten out of the car when the Sichuan restaurant called: a table had opened up, and they wanted to know whether Yang Ce still needed to dine.

Yang Ce and Wang Yanqiu exchanged a glance, and the answer was plain. Neither of them had eaten anything yet, so Yang Ce said, "Yes, we'll be right over."

"This restaurant is popular to the point of absurdity. It took this long for a table to open up," Wang Yanqiu marveled. "Still, with Zha Ce putting on that little drama for us, the time passed quickly enough."

The two arrived at the Sichuan restaurant and found business still booming, which puzzled Yang Ce greatly. Only later did he learn that many young people from Sichuan worked in the technology market near the compound, and since this was the only Sichuan restaurant around, it was inevitably so crowded.

Yang Ce and Wang Yanqiu were both hungry, and their appetites surged. Two enormous platters of food were scraped clean in the end, and Yang Ce actually put away three bowls of rice in one sitting—far more than he had eaten the day before with Zhao Ying.

Having eaten and drunk their fill, they naturally returned together to the villa to practice their mutual coordination and默契. That night Chen Shutang, Lin Yanhe, and Zhou Yanning were all absent, so Yang Ce simply skipped his own villa and went straight to Wang Yanqiu's.

"Miss Zhao, perhaps you should give Mr. Yang a call. Miss Chen isn't here today, so Mr. Yang may not be coming back," Auntie Li said after refreshing Zhao Ying's tea with hot water.

"No, I'll wait a while longer." Zhao Ying clutched a small box tightly in her hand, her cheeks flushed.

"It's so late—I'm afraid Mr. Yang may be staying at home," Auntie Li said, looking at the lovely girl before her and unable to help herself. "You haven't had dinner yet, have you? Let me fix you something to eat."

"No need, Auntie Li. Thank you." Zhao Ying shook her head, her eyes still fixed on the villa's window. The palm clutching the small box was already damp with sweat.

Zhao Ying was nervous, her heart fluttering like a trapped deer, anxious and a little expectant, yet still somewhat afraid. She was a girl, and coming to Yang Ce's home on her own initiative had already used up every ounce of courage she possessed. To call Yang Ce now—she had no courage left to spare.