“You’re smart. You don’t have to take risks and get the job done. Why should we listen to you?” The blonde guy was not an idiot. He would not listen to Jackie just because something he said was right. Even if he and his team planned to sabotage Clarice’s bike, they would have to see the offer from Jackie. They had their own plans already. His teammates, however, were shocked. They were hesitating whether to do it or not, but the blonde guy made it sound like they were just waiting for a scrumptious offer. “Sure. Give me your bank account and I’ll put in some money for you when it’s done.” Jackie did not expect the blonde guy to be this cautious and smart. He had to make some changes to his plan. “Don’t just tamper with her bike. It’s too obvious. If something happened to her halfway, it would be more natural and you guys can also win the race.” Jackie wanted it to be done nicely since he, or Clemont, was paying. Then he could go back to Clemont to claim the credit for
“Relax. Even if you lose, nothing will happen. You are a girl, they won’t talk shit about a girl losing.” “But, if you win, then they would be embarrassed because they got beaten by a girl.” Clarice’s friends continued to talk nonsense in front of her. She knew they were worried she would back out at the last minute, but she had agreed to the race in front of a crowd—there was no turning back now. Yet it remained a problem. “It’s not that complicated. It’s just a race and I’ll be running one lap. Either taking the lead or falling back, it’s the same.” Despite saying so, Clarice really wanted to win so that she could prove herself. Her opponents looked down on her, so she wanted to prove them wrong. She had always been competitive and never one to give up easily. Deep down, she wanted to win and she was ready for it. “Yeah. The race should be simple. Don’t sweat it, but the blondie there is quite good. They built this place and know the terrain well, so they have the a
Kaze was surprised that Clarice fell for the provocation so easily and chose to race. As far as he knew, Clarice was a bold girl who never took mistreatment quietly—especially judging by how she reacted at the pool the other day. Yet she fell for the provocation and stepped right into the trap. Kaze saw everything that happened and knew what her friends wanted with her. He was just surprised that the girl would be at the race. “What are you doing here? I was going to introduce you to my friends. They are dying to meet you,” Dwight said as he came over. He then looked in the same direction. “Oh, I see. You are looking at girls.” He squinted to have a better look and noticed the girl was rather familiar, yet he could not figure out where he had seen her before. “She looks familiar. Have I seen her somewhere before?” He was not being sarcastic but he could not remember. “You might know her. In fact, you met her recently.” Kaze looked at Dwight with a hint of approval
“I shouldn’t be doing this. If Uncle Edmund finds out, he will be so pissed…” Clarice muttered, expressing her concerns, but her friends tried to convince her otherwise. “No need to worry about that. Your bodyguards are out on a break and we’ve sent a few guys to stall them. If you don’t say, your uncle won’t know.” Her friends had everything prepared so that Clarice could race without concerns. “Alright. You guys better cover up for me. If the bodyguards know, it will go down bad for me.” Clarice had always been an adrenaline junkie but her concerns held her back. Since her bodyguards were not around, she could just go for one lap around the track. One lap was nothing to her and she could enjoy every second of accelerating on the track. “No worries. We got everything covered. The bodyguards won’t know.” “Just do what you do best. Have fun! Besides, we’ve been training for a few days now and we have definitely improved.” “You shine bright like a diamond on the track.
Jackie quietly went into the crowd. Clemont, afraid of being noticed, sat farther away, quietly watching from a distance. As Jackie joined the crowd, his friends followed as they, too, were interested. It was rare to see a female racer, let alone one having professional gear. She must be a professional racer, which intrigued everyone. They all tried to persuade her to race. “There are so many people here tonight to watch you race. Come on, Clarice, let’s go.” “Yeah. It’s just one lap. Why are you even hesitating?” A crowd gathered around Clarice and her friends. They were annoyed when Clarice refused to race. They had been waiting for a good show and now because of her, the race was delayed. They saw the ace racer, a female, refused to participate, and her team members looked rather underwhelming, so they hoped that she would race. The blonde man grinned when he heard Clarice’s friends. “Yeah. Don’t tell me you are just all talk and no show. I saw you ride yesterd
Kaze wanted to know more about the situation. He was just a curious audience and was not taking anything seriously. “Sure. Let’s go find out. I think both teams got into an argument. My friend got an update, but I didn’t go through it carefully.” Dwight saw the text in the chat group but did not pay close attention. Regardless, they were here to just watch the race. They did not care or want to be involved in anything else. Kaze followed Dwight across the crowd and went to the corner. There were several men around a fire, eating and drinking casually. All of them looked normal, unlike the wealthy people who wore branded items. No wonder they were chilling in the corner instead of with the others. “Hey, you little jerk. I thought you were a no-show.” “I have been busy lately. Since I’m with the guest, I thought bringing him here to have a look would be a good idea.” Dwight greeted his friends and started to chat with them. They had been friends for many years. Not
So Dwight gave up on the thought. “Come on, we have a race to watch.” Dwight knew the difference between him and Kaze and did not want to fantasize about it. However, a hint of grief lingered in him. A part of him told him he should take the risk. “There’s no rush. The food here is nice. Let’s order some more.” Kaze wanted to enjoy his dinner. “But the race might be starting.” “You see these people ordering takeouts? That means the race has not started, or they would be up there already.” With just a glance, he knew that the race had not started with just a glance. It was just a race. If they went there early, they would still have to wait, so why cut dinner short? Either way, they would still be there to catch the race.“How do you know?” Kaze’s insights always impressed Dwight. He seemed to know everything, as if he could foresee the future. “Look at the trail of lights across the mountain. They shine the same, right? If the race has started, the cars or bike
Everyone was busy at the preparation station. Although Clarice was not participating, everyone still looked forward to the race. The track was well lit, granting the audience a clear view. Even binoculars were provided for a better view. It made for a more immersive experience, with some making a detour for the event itself. People came hurriedly from all over the city, thinking they were late. When they arrived, they were glad to see that the race had not started. Further away, a betting pool was started. Most attendees would want to bet on the race because they could not drive themselves. Jackie was the one who started the pool, wanting to see how many people were interested. The betting pool was also set up to target Clemont.People placed their bets on who would win. Some bet on the teams, some bet on the racers themselves. If Clarice were racing, she would definitely be the popular pick. Her vehicle was the best, and her skills were up to standard. Yet she ref
“What’s the matter, Young Master Siegfried. See anything?” Jackie asked. “It’s nothing. I just saw someone.” Clemont knew it could not be done easily. Judging from the situation, it seemed like Clarice refused to race. If so, things just got a little more difficult. Clemont wanted to find a chance to teach Clarice a lesson, indirectly embarrassing the Witterson family. Though he might not be able to do anything in the open, he could do something secretly. With that many people at the scene, he could easily escape, too. He was just part of the audience. Even if something happened, he would not be involved. “What? Who? Who caught your attention?” Jackie looked in the same direction and tried to locate the person of interest. If only he could get Clemont into a bet and make him pay up willingly…His goal was simply to get Clemont’s money. He never intended to hurt him. Clemont would not be aware of it, and they could still be friends. Then, Jackie and the others cou