Chapter Thirty-Four: A Failed Attempt at Stirring Trouble

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Though he was well aware of the deadly nature of the highway race, Zheng Nanfang hadn’t expected bloodshed to erupt so quickly. The starting line could accommodate at most five cars abreast, yet hundreds of racers had converged upon Raw Meat Town. With such a long line of vehicles, it was impossible for all to cross the start at once, resulting in an awkward scene.

The taillights of the cars at the front were barely visible, while behind the start line, a mass of racers remained stuck in congestion. Some hot-tempered drivers grew impatient, honking furiously to urge those ahead, but with each car hemmed in by another, tempers flared and fists flew before the race even began.

Unfortunately, Zheng Nanfang’s Viper and Old Hu’s Red Bird, due to their previous indifference to the race arrangements, found themselves at the very end of the queue. By the time the smoke from the starting machine gun had cleared, their cars hadn’t even been started.

It was not so much a display of composure as a matter of necessity; with vehicles wedged on all sides, starting the engine was pointless—there was simply no room to move, and fuel would be wasted.

Zheng Nanfang and Hu Bi rolled down their windows and chatted leisurely. Their relaxed mood seemed to infect those around them; other waiting racers soon followed suit, lowering their windows to converse with neighboring competitors. What was meant to be a life-or-death battle royale, under the guidance of Zheng Nanfang and Hu Bi, was on the verge of turning into a holiday traffic jam on the highway.

If someone were to start dancing in the square or cracking sunflower seeds, it would be the perfect scene.

Zheng Nanfang was still inquiring about the Orange-Red Hall. He had observed many teams, and cars as ill-prepared as his and Hu Bi’s were rare. Weapons and fuel aside, if Tang Suan hadn’t warned them the night before, the two unlucky souls might not even have basic rations and water in their cars.

In contrast, most other racers, whether solo or in teams, were well-stocked with supplies. Many had specially modified combat vehicles for highway skirmishes—the array of gun barrels alone put the Viper and Red Bird to shame.

“Boss, our prospects look grim,” Tang Suan said, smoothing her waterfall of red hair and pointing at the steel sawblade Zheng Nanfang kept close. “Cold steel doesn’t do much good on the road.”

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“Who says so?” Zheng Nanfang chuckled, his hand unconsciously stroking the blade’s edge, which was riddled with tiny nicks like grains of rice—a testament to having survived many brushes with death.

Tang Suan smiled faintly, not bothering to argue. “We don’t doubt your fighting prowess, but none of us have your skills. If something happens out there, we can’t just watch from the car while you risk your life, can we?”

Zheng Nanfang laughed. “Don’t worry. If I get into a fight, you drive ahead, and I’ll find a way to catch up.”

Perhaps reassured by Zheng Nanfang’s confidence, Tang Suan let the matter drop, reclining in her seat and closing her eyes to rest.

In the backseat, Sha Man and Shu Onion whispered and giggled, arousing Zheng Nanfang’s curiosity, but the two girls kept their secrets well, refusing to share.

…

The traffic jam didn’t last long. After all, every racer had been injected with the virus, and with time equating to life, no one deliberately blocked the way. As soon as a gap appeared, everyone scrambled to move forward.

Nearly twenty minutes after the starting gun, the congestion finally eased. One by one, combat vehicles roared to life, their brilliant headlights turning the highway ahead into daylight. Engines thundered, wind howled, and the entire fleet finally set off.

The Viper and Red Bird still ran side by side, exiting the Raw Meat Town starting line in the last places and joining the unpredictable stream of competing vehicles.

The national highway was not wide, and the influx of racing cars—each moving at different speeds—caused further bottlenecks.

The first leg of the race was to Dryland Dock. Tang Suan and her companions were familiar with the place; it was less than a hundred miles from Domed Fishery, a prominent settlement on the wasteland, and the route had already been outlined for Zheng Nanfang and Hu Bi the night before.

Zheng Nanfang and Hu Bi avoided Domed Fishery, wary of inadvertently straying into the heart of the Hive’s influence, so they chose a longer, but much safer, wild dirt road.

Raw Meat Town and Domed Fishery weren’t far apart, and most racers knew the location of the fishery. The majority took the route Zheng Nanfang’s group had previously chosen, but when the Viper and Red Bird veered off the highway and plunged into the wilds, it stirred considerable debate among the trailing cars.

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Some racers thought the pair were simply clueless and mocked them before sticking to the main route. Others, more cunning, wondered if they knew a shortcut and quietly followed, diverging from the highway.

As for those seasoned veterans of the lower districts, they knew both routes well and chose according to their own preferences.

Generally, racers aiming for a safe passage through the opening leg opted for the wild dirt road, while those seeking bloodshed from the outset poured onto the highway, leaving Raw Meat Town behind and scanning for targets.

Zheng Nanfang glanced in his rearview mirror and saw several cars following their lead. Perplexed, he told Tang Suan and the others to stay alert and watch the movements of the vehicles behind.

He had intended to warn Red Bird, but Red Bird suddenly accelerated, overtook the Viper, and, with a sharp 180-degree turn, drove straight at a blue AC Cobra that had been tailing them.

“Ah! What’s Hu doing?” Sha Man exclaimed, sitting bolt upright and nervously looking behind.

Zheng Nanfang frowned, keeping his speed steady and observing through the rearview mirror.

Hu Bi was clearly not insane; he was just restless and itching to stir things up as soon as the race began.

Perhaps the AC Cobra stood out too much, or perhaps Hu Bi disliked it trailing them. In any case, the wild desperado had chosen his target.

Red Bird, with its low chassis and steel spikes modified by Hong Xiangcai in its wheel hubs, veered toward the AC Cobra, aiming to slash its tires with the spikes. But the Cobra’s driver was no novice either. As the red sports car sped straight for him, he refused to dodge. At a hundred meters’ distance, his headlights blazed, flooding the wild with white light.

Hu Bi had been watching for trouble from the other car, but hadn’t expected this: the modified headlights blinded him for several seconds. By the time his vision cleared, the AC Cobra had swerved away, brushing past the Red Bird in a near miss.