Chapter 23: A Gathering of Talents [V-Release Triple Chapter] part 1
Jiang Zhaosheng slammed the lid of the box shut. The more critical the moment, the clearer his thinking became.
He quickly surveyed his surroundings. Since this was a trap set specifically for him, it would be impossible to catch the true culprit in a short amount of time. Even more troublesome was that someone could “coincidentally” pass by at any moment and discover the murderâgiven his special identity, being found in a room with a corpse while covered in blood would make him the perfect scapegoat.
He swiftly stripped off his blood-soaked suit jacket and shirt, revealing the form-fitting undershirt beneath. After rolling up the blood-stained clothes, his gaze fell back onto the open gift box.
“Things looking for death.”
…
Lin Xuan waited in the original spot with burning anxiety, an ominous premonition tightening around him like vines. The crowd was bustling, and with a momentary lapse in focus, his shoulder accidentally collided with a guest.
“Clatterâ!”
The sharp sound of shattering glass rang out piercingly as amber wine and glass shards sprayed across the floor, staining the other person’s expensive attire.
“Are you blind?!”
The Alpha guest, drenched in wine, immediately grabbed Lin Xuanâs arm with a vice-like grip and began shouting in reprimand, drawing the attention of everyone nearby. He clearly recognized Lin Xuan; his aggressive posture and cold, calculating gaze made it obvious he had no intention of letting the matter drop.
Lin Xuanâs heart sank heavily. He suspected he was being deliberately targeted.
“Iâm sorry, I didn’t do it on purpose. Iâm willing to compensate you for the loss.”
“Compensate?” The Alpha let out a sneer, scanning him from head to toe with a look of disdain. “You? Do you even know who you are? Is that money even yours?”
Lin Xuan felt the surrounding gazes press in like something physical, filled with undisguised contempt.
“What do you want then?” Lin Xuan gritted his teeth, knowing the other was intentionally making things difficult.
“Simple,” the Alpha smiled triumphantly, pointing a finger toward the direction of the roaring engines at the foot of the mountain. “You look like you have a decent build. Since you ruined my clothes, how about you run a race for me? If you lose, I won’t even ask you to pay for this drink.”
He paused, his voice dropping low and filling with malice:
“And if you lose, have your ‘master’ come out and personally apologize to me for not keeping a good eye on thisâ”
A blatant humiliation. Lin Xuan was so angry his fists clenched, but under the scrutiny of the crowd, if he acted now, he would play right into the other’s hands.
Just as he was caught in a dilemma, a familiar voice rang out from nearby, cold and tinged with a mocking edge:
“Whose dog isn’t tied up properly, barking around here and asking my person to apologize?”
Everyone turned toward the source of the voice, and the surrounding area suddenly fell silent.
Lin Xuan was first bolstered by the phrase “my person,” and then his eyes lit upâJiang Zhaosheng had appeared behind him at some point. However, he was no longer wearing that elegant, dark-patterned black suit.
He had changed into a black silk shirt in a casual style, the V-neck cut extremely low, almost entirely exposing his collarbones and a small patch of his fair chest. A simply designed, high-quality silver chain hung perfectly between his collarbones, ending in a small black metal tag that formed a sharp contrast with his cold, white skin.
His long hair was still loosely tied with that silver clip, a few stray strands falling by his temples. This casual, even somewhat rebellious outfit created a strange contrast with his usual noble and ascetic aura, adding a dangerous charm reminiscent of a “refined rogue.”
“I would have come if I were invited properly. Is there a need for such boring methods?”
He tilted his head slightly, whispering to Lin Xuan: “Step back.”
The distance was too close. Looking at that section of clearly lined collarbones and the shimmering light, Lin Xuanâs heart skip a beat, and he instinctively moved a step back as instructed.
Jiang Zhaosheng gave a light laugh, not bothered to waste more words with the other:
“Tell him I accept this race.”
“As for the stakes…” His gaze shifted, sweeping over the Alpha whose expression had changed slightly. “The same as what you said. The loser not only pays for all of the winner’s expenses tonight but must also kneel down, bark like a dog three times, and personally admit they are a piece of trash.”
He paced past the Alpha who had targeted them, lowering his voice and saying each word clearly in his ear:
“âThough, the target needs to change. Have Shang Yan personally come and learn how to bark.”
“…What nonsense are you talking?!” The Alphaâs face instantly became hideously ugly.
Jiang Zhaosheng stopped looking at him and didn’t spare the onlookers a single glance, walking straight toward the racing start area.
Lin Xuan stared at his back, his heart thumping violently.
The circular track on the mountainside was illuminated as bright as day by giant searchlights. To Jiang Zhaoshengâs surprise, this wasn’t a professional F1 track. Instead, there were rows of sleek, heavy-duty luxury cars, sounding like dormant beasts as they roared in preparation.
At the starting line, several supercars were already in position. A driver leaning against a bright yellow Lamborghini Aventador whistled flirtatiously when he saw Jiang Zhaosheng approaching.
Jiang Zhaosheng ignored him, his gaze quickly scanning the vehicles on site. The organizers provided a wide variety of cars, from Porsche 911s to Mercedes-AMG GTs, and even an old but clearly heavily modified Ford Mustang. He needed a car that was not only fast but also had precise handling and extremely high stability to handle this winding and treacherous mountain road.
His gaze finally locked onto a low-key, matte blue BMW M5 Competition.
“That one?” The other drivers nearby laughed exaggeratedly. “Afraid of dying, baby?”
Since everyone had taken off their masks, they naturally assumed the taller and more ordinary-looking Lin Xuan was the main driver, while Jiang Zhaosheng was so beautiful he stood out, looking like a Beta or Omega brought along for fun.
“Want to get in my car? Be my ‘Lucky Goddess.’ That big idiot next to you looks like he won’t make it.”
“Get in mine! Iâll pay the bill if we win!”
“Teacher Jiang, we…” Lin Xuan was apprehensive.
Jiang Zhaosheng pulled open the car door, sat in the driver’s seat, and swiftly adjusted the seat and rearview mirror, his face expressionless:
“Get in.”
Lin Xuan sat in the passenger seat nervously, fastening his seatbelt, his palms covered in cold sweat.
“Sit tight. Don’t make a sound on the way.”
Jiang Zhaosheng interrupted him, his tone calm and steady.
Seeing this beauty was actually a competitor, the gazes of the surrounding drivers shifted from teasing to deep, a stronger desire for conquest brewing in their hearts.
The signal to start sounded.
The light turned from red to green!
The Lamborghini on the side, relying on its powerful initial acceleration, shot out like an arrow, instantly seizing the lead and drawing a burst of gasps from the crowd. Several other sports cars also roared and followed at full strength.
Jiang Zhaosheng was not in a rush, starting steadily and quickly but not immediately rushing to the front.
“Theyâve pulled so far ahead!”
Looking at the rapidly receding taillights, Lin Xuan couldn’t help but speak up in anxiety. After speaking, he remembered Jiang Zhaoshengâs instruction and regretfully covered his mouth with one hand.
“In straight-line acceleration, the ‘Raging Bull’ indeed has an advantage,” Jiang Zhaosheng said flatly, his gaze sharp as a hawkâs as it tightly locked onto the first sharp turn ahead. “But on the track, victory is never decided only by who is faster on the straights.”
The first hairpin turn approached in an instant!
The Lamborghini was forced to decelerate to the limit early, but the car body still showed an uncontrollable slight outward drift, barely making the turn as the tires shrieked against the ground.
The driver had just broken into a sweat and was about to accelerate out of the turn when the matte blue BMW M5 appeared in his rearview mirror like a ghost, clinging tightly.
Jiang Zhaosheng waited until the very last second before braking precisely, downshifting and using the car’s balance to carve through the apex with absolute precision, without losing speed.
The moment he exited the turn, the V8 twin-turbo engine erupted with full power, propelling the car forward as it instantly overtook several opponents, chasing the lead car.
“Is he a madman?” The driver who had been overtaken broke into a cold sweat; just now, the car had been only millimeters from the guardrail!
Ahead, the Porsche driver currently in first place was startled to see the blue car shadow approaching rapidly in his rearview mirror and slammed on the gas, trying to pull away on the next straight.
Jiang Zhaosheng followed closely, demonstrating the supercar’s limits in the turns to the fullest. In every corner, he could brake later and accelerate earlier than the car in front, using his flawless cornering technique to constantly eat away at the distance gap.
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