Chapter 26: A Race Between Life and Death 12

Chapter 26: A Race Between Life and Death 12

The next morning, Pei Yi and Lu Zai Chuan entered an elevator together.

Pei Yi curiously asked, "Am I living on the 31st floor because you spent points?"

"What else?" Lu Zai Chuan turned, "With your kind of points, you'd barely make it to the second floor."

"..." The whims of the wealthy. Pei Yi thought it over, at least a base of 5 points, presumably.

This time, the system directed them first to the JC game hall, gathering everyone in Lounge 001. The lounge was spacious and luxurious, with a very high ceiling, furnished with several leather sofas for viewing, and an array of food and drinks on the side. However, the most spectacular feature was the video walls on four sides, with tens of thousands of small windows displaying a variety of scenes.

It's all live streaming,

There are still people playing the game. The system mentioned that one can play anytime if willing.

Pei Yi thought, after the S1 league ends, he too would participate in instances like mad, aiming to earn hundreds of thousands. He was engrossed in watching when suddenly bumped into by a man.

Who could bump into him? Pei Yi stepped back, looked up, and saw a nearly two-meter-tall man with a face full of tough features, dark skin, and skin rougher than pork, adorned with tattoos on his arms.

"Watch where you're going," the man turned and said effeminately, his voice surprisingly soft.

A shorter man by his side also turned back, "Mao Beibei," he said, extending his hand to Pei Yi, then pointing at the muscular man, "This is my brother, Liang Qing."

Pei Yi was almost speechless. A two-meter-tall man in drag? He couldn't imagine it! Such a contrast between the two, one so tall and the other probably only about 1.6 meters.

"Hello."

"Brother, you're quite the racer, famous in Section A," Mao Beibei said with a smile.

"Not bad," Pei Yi replied modestly.

"It's more than just 'not bad.' That racing line, like a professional racer. Too bad it's not F1, it's JC."

Liang Qing scoffed, "Heh, because it's JC, now only 7 points, isn't that overdoing it?"

Pei Yi said, "Life, if not now, then when? Some people wish they could but can't."

Last night, he also watched their race videos. Overall, nothing spectacular, just standard performances. After all, they are veterans, aware of JC's quirks, all holding back a bit. The second match was the key scoring opportunity, quickly creating a gap with others. They both won their second matches.

As they were talking, the system announcement sounded.

[Please prepare, players. In 2 minutes, we will start the draw for grouping.]

Grouping again, Pei Yi was startled.

Pei Yi saw all the small videos in the lounge disappear, replaced by a huge screen displaying a leaderboard with ten teams, including Ferrari, Red Bull, and others.

Are we about to have an official race? It's uncertain until it officially starts what we will face.

Pei Yi observed the venue, where twenty players had already arrived. If the previous matches were for qualifying, this final stage is for securing a better start in S1.

Among them, Pei Yi was an anomaly with only 9 points, while the others generally had over 20.

[Grouping complete. Please check your group number. The introduction to the game rules will start in one minute.]

Pei Yi found himself in group ten with Ferrari, but Lu Zai Chuan was different; he was in the first group.

Pei Yi had a bad feeling. A disadvantageous start could lead to worse conditions later.

[Section A "Race of Life and Death" finale, theme: "12-Hour Endurance Race."]

[Game rules: Players will form pairs, making up ten groups. Each group has 2 drivers who will alternate between driving and resting. The team with the most distance covered earns 10 points, divided according to contribution. Additional points can be earned by completing system-specified races.]

[Victory condition: The team with the most distance covered.]

[The game will start in twenty minutes. Please prepare.]

Pei Yi saw his teammate was the muscular man, "Liang the Beauty" Liang Qing. Pei Yi couldn't help but touch his dice, wondering if his luck would be good or bad. He shook it, and it landed on a symbol for bad luck.

Lu Zai Chuan approached, "Who's your teammate?"

"That beauty." He couldn't help but want to pull out a cigarette, needing a few deep drags now.

"Don't panic, there's still a chance."

Pei Yi said, "How can I not panic? I'm way behind others, not even sure if I can make it to S1."

"Do you know what's good about S1 that you must participate?"

"I see everyone else aiming for it, figured it must be something great."

"It's okay, mainly because it doesn't require any entry fee. For other instances, you need to pay an entry fee for each one — at least 5 points. Plus, the S1 champion gets a prize."

"How much?"

"One billion."

Pei Yi nearly spat blood, "What?"

"In US dollars."

Pei Yi: "..." For the sake of money, he decided to fight to the end. "Hope this brother can be reliable." Pei Yi decided to talk to Liang Qing, not knowing Liang Qing had already had a discussion.

His team leader, Qin Yun, instructed him to drive at 80 mph in the main race, to forfeit points.

"Ah? Boss, this..."

"You now have 20 points, already qualified to choose teammates. Next group stage, we'll pull you up. What are you afraid of?"

"Um... but but."

"I'm annoyed by this newbie, just kick him out directly." Mainly because he's too much of a threat, better off with one less opponent.

They all knew Lu Zai Chuan had set his sights on Pei Yi, planning to team up for the upcoming instances, so such a person must be eliminated. They were willing to sacrifice a teammate to get him out first.

Lu Zai Chuan's other teammate, nicknamed "Copper Pot," was assigned to a different section. It seemed like good news at first, but then he found another teammate, just as formidable.

"Yes."

So, when Pei Yi found Liang Qing, Liang Qing immediately said, "Okay, I know."

Pei Yi thought silently, I haven't even spoken yet. You know? What do you know, but since he said so.

Alright then.

While others discussed how to grab more points, the two just stood there. Pei Yi thought he might as well be with Lu Zai Chuan. At least they could banter, whereas with this guy, he could probably only stare.

Finally, attempting to make conversation, "Qing brother? Which 'qing' is in your name?"

"The 'qing' of affection, as in lover’s 'qing'," Liang Qing said, then tapped his bracelet to start a live broadcast on his screen.

"Hello, everyone, yes, um, I'm about to start broadcasting, hehehe... Thank you all for liking, ah, ah, no need to send flowers, don’t spend too much on me.

"Do you like my outfit, hehehe... Thank you, I'll get shy."

Pei Yi was almost bursting at the seams watching this. That broadcasting style... He couldn't see his broadcast interface but could imagine what the fans were saying.

Pei Yi couldn't help but log into his own screen to check the live broadcast rankings.

Wow! Liang Qing's live broadcast was ranked in the top ten! Yet, his total points were only a little over a thousand, below him were big names with over three thousand points. Clearly, live broadcast ranking had nothing to do with actual skill.

Pei Yi silently returned to his broadcast interface, which was bleak.

After last night's events, he had lost even the slightest advantage he had. The number of online viewers hovered around 200, with very few others.

Everyone must have left.

Forget it, he couldn't be bothered to call out anymore. The little milk dog from Qing Shui Street wasn't online, but left a comment.

"Keep it up! I believe in you!"

Pei Yi nodded, silently thanking in his heart, "Thank you."

[The game starts in ten seconds. Players decide among themselves who will drive first.]

Pei Yi thought, since the system only specified two drivers without detailing how they should alternate, some endurance races dictate the primary driver's time, but the system didn't. Meaning, they could freely combine their efforts to maximize performance.

He figured, switching back and forth would waste time, especially with just twelve hours. Plus, who knows what this guy might pull? If he's going to cause trouble, better let him do it all at once, leaving the rest of the distance for Pei Yi to cover as much as possible.

He shared his thoughts with Liang Qing, who then channeled his inner diva, coquettishly saying, "Okay, but I might not run well. I'm not feeling great today, and it's quite hot. I'll try my best, and if I get tired, you can take over."

"You should set a time limit."

What if this guy intentionally messes with him? Wouldn't that ruin everything?

Liang Qing, growing impatient, "Would I deliberately target a newbie like you? I'll give you the wheel when it's time, I can't last forever either."

Pei Yi: "..." Please don't talk like that, it makes me want to vomit. Somehow, he was already preparing for the worst.

After their discussion, the game had already started. The final race's style resembled that of high-speed racing, with an asphalt highway that snakes and undulates, flanked by magnificent landscapes.

This was a 15-kilometer-long highway.

The race time was from 6 PM to 6 AM the next day.

The challenge lies in night driving and the unpredictability of the dark.

Racing is a team effort, requiring professional teamwork. Every part of the vehicle must be familiar to the professional racer. A single mistake could be fatal.

But Pei Yi knew none of this.

Could he trust the NPCs? Could he trust the system?

If all the vehicles' tire changes were uniform, as precise as in a computer game, players would only need to experience speed and narrative, racing at breakneck speeds.

So, where is its limit? What's the threshold?

Pei Yi looked up to see a huge sign at the start line, reading, "Racing: The Game of the Brave."

He suddenly grasped the meaning of those words. Without knowing anything, entrusting his life to JC. Challenging oneself within its set conditions, a race between life and death.

Success or martyrdom.

If death were indeed possible, as his landlord Uncle Guang mentioned, the most likely outcome would be bodily decay, at best a concussion, at worst cerebral palsy. Where then lies the bottom line? In the HL instance, what is the cost of being killed by ghosts and goblins? Why has there been no word from his overweight boss, while Chen Mo remains unscathed?

Why have so many players disappeared from the leaderboard? Perhaps they've lost their lives to the game, who knows, or maybe they've become NPCs, capable only of gaming.

Pei Yi's extensive pondering stems from his contemplation of the price he must pay to win in the upcoming races, securing at the very least, qualification for S1.