Chapter 8 Sunset Speedsters

Chapter 8 Sunset Speedsters

On the way back down the winding mountain road, Chen Wan was driving smoothly when a Rolls-Royce suddenly appeared in the left overtaking lane, splattered mud all over his car.

The afternoon auction was held in a hillside exhibition hall in the suburbs, and it had just rained. The rainwater pooled on the asphalt mountain road mixed with the mud from the mountain path, instantly turning the body and windows of Chen Wan's BYD into a mess.

Chen Wan didn't pay much attention at first. He had always been a law-abiding and courteous driver, so he simply turned on the windshield wipers.

But after being deliberately cut off twice in a row, even the most patient person would lose their temper.

He had just washed his car before coming here, and instead of keeping a safe distance while overtaking, the other car got even closer. At one point, the side mirrors of both cars even briefly collided and scraped against each other.

It almost seemed like sparks flew, but only for a second.

The other driver was highly skilled and didn't cause any real damage—except for creating immense pressure and psychological stress for Chen Wan.

This was nothing short of a blatant provocation.

After completely overtaking, the Rolls-Royce, taking advantage of its high chassis, performed a tailspin in a puddle, sending a wave of water crashing onto the windshield of Chen Wan's BYD. It felt as if Chen Wan himself had been drenched with a bucket of water.

Chen Wan's lips tightened, and he gripped the steering wheel, flooring the accelerator to catch up.

The summer sky darkened late, and the sunset had not yet fully set. In the twilight, Chen Wan could roughly make out the license plate number of the Rolls-Royce, which was unremarkable, so much so that no one would guess that the person inside had made a clever escape—he had arrived in his usual Maybach.

Yet, even that ordinary string of numbers exuded an air of arrogance. The other car's speed fluctuated, fast then slow, like a cunning cat toying with a mouse.

The Rolls-Royce was brand new. Chen Wan ran through his memory and was sure he hadn't seen this car at any important event in the city. He couldn't think of anyone he might have offended, given his low-key and non-confrontational nature.

Several times, he floored the accelerator, almost catching up to a third of the other car's length, but the heavily tinted one-way glass didn't allow him to catch even a glimpse of the person inside.

On the empty road, the orange sunset hung over the mountain, and the evening sky stretched endlessly. The two cars raced one after the other, sometimes close, sometimes pulling apart, their tires screeching around turns. The palm leaves on the roadside were scattered by the extreme speed.

The adrenaline surged as Chen Wan clenched his lips. His BYD, usually just a commuter car, was now being driven at the speed of a supercar.

But against the overwhelming speed and hardware of the Rolls-Royce, Chen Wan's driving skills were of little help. Catching up to the Rolls-Royce was a pipe dream.

Moreover, due to Chen Wan's deliberate low profile, his BYD was an older model that hadn't been updated in years. He had been driving this old car to and from work every day.

Chen Wan could only watch helplessly as the Rolls-Royce arrogantly sped away, disappearing into the twilight.

The sky completely darkened, and the long, desolate road was left with only his car.

Chen Wan opened the window, and the wind rushed in. The oceanic climate air always carried a lingering dampness. The palm trees and weeds on the roadside were illuminated by the car's headlights, and the sounds of cicadas and frogs filled the air.

Just then, Zhuo Zhixuan called, saying that in a few days would be the auspicious opening of his hotel on Mei Mong Road, and he asked Chen Wan to be sure to attend and offer his congratulations.

Chen Wan, still catching his breath from the high-speed chase, held the steering wheel with one hand, exhaled, adjusted his Bluetooth earpiece, and said, "Good location."

"I begged the old man for months before he agreed to show up. I almost wore out my lips," Zhuo Zhixuan didn't put on any airs with Chen Wan. Back in school, he had always handed his homework directly to Chen Wan. "Your red envelope better be generous."

Chen Wan's heartbeat returned to normal, and he switched the radio station. "Of course," he was always generous with friends, joking, "I'll even hire a lion dance team to parade from Fenli East Road to Prince West Street."

Zhuo Zhixuan didn't mind the teasing and laughed heartily. After a while, he stopped laughing and paused for a second before saying, "Zhao Shengge will also be there."

Chen Wan didn't mention that he had been at the same auction as Zhao Shengge that day, replying casually, "Hmm."

"...That's it?"

Chen Wan was puzzled, "What?"

"Forget it," Zhuo Zhixuan didn't know what he wanted to say either, so he changed the topic, "By the way, are you free that day? Come early to help me."

Chen Wan chuckled, "Want me to play boss?"

"This time, I've made a big promise in front of my old man. If it's not done beautifully, I’ll be waiting for Zhuo Yujian and Zhuo Shengyan to backstab me."

"I don’t trust anyone else as much," Zhuo Zhixuan said seriously.

In Haishi, he knew quite a few people, but he truly hadn't met anyone more reliable than Chen Wan.

Chen Wan was also aware of the fraternal strife and overt and covert struggles within the Zhuo family. He had an important contract to finalize that day, but he could squeeze in the time to make it.

Just as Chen Wan was about to agree, Zhuo Zhixuan mysteriously added, "And I had a master do a reading. On the opening day, we need someone with the Wu Wu water destiny to preside. Someone with a harmonious destiny, auspicious signs, and flourishing energy—that’s you."

"..." Business folks in Haishi always care about feng shui, and Chen Wan understood, "What time?"

"A Wan, you’re such a good friend," Zhuo Zhixuan said with a grin, "Just come by three."

The opening day had perfect weather. When Chen Wan arrived, there was still plenty of time before the first batch of guests would enter.

He quickly checked out the place. The hotel was backed by the Kadouli Mountain, facing the shallow bay to the south, fitted with top-tier luxury, and even had a private dock where guests could directly take a yacht to nearby Ding Island to see the fish and visit the tropical orchard.

No wonder the usually laid-back Zhuo Zhixuan was so focused—it was a heavy investment.

The second-generation heir, Zhuo Zhixuan, was used to being a hands-off manager. He trailed Chen Wan, watching him handle the ribbon-cutting process smoothly, guest reception arrangements, and seating checks with the manager. He also replaced some of the dishes and wines for the evening banquet, which eased his mind.

Chen Wan suddenly turned around and asked, "What are you looking at?"

Zhuo Zhixuan shrugged, "Nothing." He just thought Zhao Shengge was quite blind, unable to see anything.

Chen Wan was parched and exhausted, slumping on a bench. He grabbed a sweet liqueur and downed it, lazily waving his hand, "Don’t get too sentimental, just save me a stake."

Zhuo Zhixuan took the empty cup from his hand and poured him another, saying that once he took over as the head, he’d definitely set aside a permanent suite for Chen Wan in the top luxury sea-view suite.

In the evening, the sunset over the shallow bay was beautiful, and guests began to arrive.

Chen Wan had already helped Zhuo Zhixuan handle the day, so he blended into the crowd, letting his friend take the spotlight. He only occasionally flagged issues to the manager.

Tan Youming sent Zhuo Zhixuan flower baskets—two cars full, and three people couldn't carry them all. There were also banners, reportedly handwritten by a master and blessed.

Zhuo Zhixuan was delighted, and Tan Youming was also satisfied.

Chen Wan could understand why business folks in Haishi liked to talk about feng shui, but seeing the red banners pasted on Roman columns, neither Chinese nor Western, was a bit hard to describe. For the first time, he questioned the circle he was so carefully trying to join.

The only one who seemed somewhat normal was Shen Zongnian.

Zhao Shengge and Shen Zongnian arrived right on time. He didn’t often show up to support others, but this time he also sent a relatively expensive gift.

These people, how to put it, were driven by the interests of the fame and fortune circle, but the bond of growing up together was also real. How much of each depended on how each person weighed it in their hearts.

Rooms and seats were assigned by status.

Chen Wan was seated at the same table as Tan Youming, in a separate private room with not many people, all from their usual social circle. To put it bluntly, it was called a faction.

Chen Wan was assigned to this table entirely because of his close relationship with the day's host, and he didn't belong to any particular circle. To be honest, among the guests present today, he didn’t quite belong at any table.

Chen Wan didn't feel embarrassed, sitting calmly next to Tan Youming. This time, he wasn't separated from Zhao Shengge by a table, but they weren't close either. The round table was large, and from a certain angle, he might be in the other’s blind spot.

Plus, he didn't talk much, so Zhao Shengge might not have even noticed there was someone like him at the table.

Zhao Shengge didn’t use his chopsticks much tonight, and he only took a few sips of his wine. Chen Wan was a bit puzzled.

He had drafted the menu, which was slightly different from the others.

In the afternoon, Zhuo Zhixuan mentioned that this table was considered part of the inner circle, so they didn’t need to choose those flashy but impractical dishes like the other tables. He asked Chen Wan to order freely and try the skills of the top-rated chefs they had heavily invested in bringing from Italy and Chengdu.

Chen Wan went all out, but Zhao Shengge didn’t seem impressed this time. Chen Wan didn’t know where the problem lay.

Zhao Shengge is hard to please, so most people can’t figure out the right approach, and neither can Chen Wan.