It was 10.24 p.m.

If I wanted to continue the race, I had to resolve everything and complete registration within an hour and a half.

Contacting the organizer, waiting for the website to be fixed, producing proof that Jasper had stolen my data, reclaiming my justice—all of it took time.

However, the race wouldn’t wait for me.

Taking a deep breath, I sat down in the driver’s seat and started the engine.

Time was tight.

Right now, all I could do was gamble on one possibility, which was that Jasper hadn’t been able to completely steal my final product.

If I won, using this car would be enough to prove my true strength.

However, before that, I had to eliminate the last possibility—the sudden explosion that happened when my car entered the track in my previous life.

Clenching my teeth, I slammed down on the accelerator!

The car shot forward like an arrow released from a bow, and in that instant, my heart leaped into my throat.

Something was wrong.

I had practically lived with this car day and night, so I sensed it immediately.

Even if it was only a few millimeters, the entire car was drifting to the left toward the driver’s seat.

In racing, this was fatal!

Moreover, in a place I couldn’t see, the left front wheel was already scraping against the ground, sparks flying.

I cursed under my breath. No matter how unwilling I was, at the critical moment, I flung open the door and jumped out of the car.

The instant I left the driver’s seat, a deafening explosion erupted behind me.

The shockwave and heat hurled me more than ten meters away.

I rolled several times before slamming heavily into the ground. Ignoring the pain tearing through my body, I forced myself to look up toward my car.

Flames roared, and the wind howled.

My car had exploded!

It took a long time before I finally came back to my senses.

Most of the left side of my body was scraped raw from the ground. The pain, mixed with sweat, drilled straight into my flesh.

However, what was strange was that the car that had just exploded was now standing there intact.

Only the half-open door reminded me that everything had been real, that I had jumped out of it myself.

I clenched my fist, then loosened it.

My girlfriend’s words, “You’ll die,” kept echoing in my mind.

Was it my life, or taking one last gamble for my ideals?

My answer had never changed.

Thinking of that, I immediately called Grayson over to help me with some quick bandaging. Then, despite his attempts to stop me, I limped my way to the hotel.

10.50 p.m.

The organizer’s room was brightly lit, and excited shouts from a card game could be heard inside.

After listening for a moment, I confirmed that Jasper was in there as well.

Had the organizer leaked my data to him?

Only the first time had my car gone through their inspection, though. What about the second and third times?

Thinking further was pointless. I made a decision and knocked on the door.

Seven or eight knocks later, there was still no response.

They didn’t answer calls either.

Left with no choice, I went straight to Jasper’s comment section and called him out publicly.

[Jasper, you changed one set of data three times. Which backer is protecting you this hard? You might as well just ask the organizer to hand you the trophy.]

The internet exploded instantly.

Even though the posts were deleted quickly, screenshots spread everywhere.

But my question wasn’t taken seriously at all. Instead, it was turned into all kinds of memes and circulated widely.

[So you finally realized you’re worse and got anxious? Totally cracked.]

[This guy is hilarious. I’ve never seen someone rush so hard to become a clown. Look, does Jasper even acknowledge you?]

I ignored all of it because the door in front of me finally opened.

The organizer held a laptop, smiling politely. “Jasper only submitted his data once, on the first day of the competition.

“As for you, you’ve taken so long without producing anything. Have you run out of ideas? It’s fine. Go back and practice more. There will be chances in the future.”

Every word he said was immediately uploaded online by Jasper.

Watching the comments scroll past, I knew I truly had nowhere left to retreat.

Fortunately, I had records of every data change.

I immediately pulled out the photos and handed them to the organizer.

He only glanced at them before laughing.

“Three screenshots of a website under maintenance, and that’s your evidence for slandering Jasper?”

Jasper stood there with a confident, assured smile. At some point, he had turned on a livestream, the camera pointed straight at me.

“Finn, are you under too much pressure?

“But accusing me like this won’t make you feel any better, will it?”

I stared at the screen in disbelief.

There really was only a single line: Website under maintenance.

A chill ran down my spine.

I quickly entered his livestream, hoping some quick-handed fans had saved screenshots from earlier.

But there was nothing, only insults.

[Desperate to win? Looks like a plagiarist who couldn’t copy the data in time and started blaming others.]

[This guy is still living in the Stone Age. I can’t believe I used to like him for his skills. Turns out it was probably all hype. Refund!]

[What’s with all that blood on him? Don’t tell me he just started training now?]

My hands trembled so badly that I could barely hold my phone.

However, in their eyes, that only became proof of guilt, and the insults rained down even harder.

The more you tried to hide, the more suspicious you looked.

So I didn’t back down.

I stared straight at the organizer and demanded an explanation. “What can Jasper give you that you’d even crash the website just to protect him? What everyone wants is a fair race!”

At that moment, Jasper smiled considerately.

“Since you insist on thinking this way, why don’t we just wait for the website to be fixed and let everyone see the truth for themselves?”

I couldn’t tell what he was plotting. I ignored him and kept my eyes locked on the organizer.

“All set!”

A technician suddenly walked over with a laptop and turned the screen toward me.

The data Jasper had submitted was unmistakably my latest version!

In that instant, my blood felt like it surged backward.

“Look at it yourself! He’s changed it for the third time!”

However, the organizer looked at me with surprise instead.

“Finn, do you even understand the rules? Before the deadline, each person can only submit data for one car they intend to race.”

He deliberately stressed the words “one car”, mocking my ignorance of the rules.

The comment section immediately picked up on his cue. Insults poured in one after another, and Jasper couldn’t even suppress the smile tugging at his lips.

Seeing that I couldn’t say a single word, the organizer snorted and gestured for Jasper to turn off the livestream.

I pressed my lips together, still unable to figure out why.

As if he could see straight through my thoughts, the organizer added sarcastically, “You’ve read the contract, right? A racer at your level withdrawing midway has to pay a penalty.”

I gave him one last cold look, said nothing, and turned to leave.

Anyone who could afford racing in the first place was never truly ordinary.

It was just that the organizer had chosen to cling to Jasper instead.

I didn’t want a trophy from a tainted competition like this, anyway.

I let out a quiet laugh, tossed my cigarette away, and answered Grayson’s call. Before he could even comfort me, I spoke first.

“I’m withdrawing from the race this time. And I’m switching to a new car.”

The words had barely left my mouth when someone suddenly rushed in through the doorway and threw their arms tightly around me before Grayson could react.

“Finn! No! You can’t withdraw!”

“Myra?” I was startled, but all I felt was a bone-deep chill. “What are you doing here?”

Myra forced a smile and looked at me pleadingly. “Finn, we’re about to get married. Can’t I come see you?”

I knew from just one glance that she had been reborn, too.

However, what did that have to do with me?

As her boyfriend, I bought her everything she ever wanted and pampered her like a princess. I even delayed our wedding by two whole years because of a single worry she voiced.

I knew I hadn’t wronged her in the slightest.

But what about her?

I raised my hand and pushed Myra away, unwilling to get entangled with her any further.

Yet she clung to me again, like a piece of gum that wouldn’t come off.

“Finn, you can’t destroy this car!”

I looked at her tearful, aggrieved face, and the last bit of restraint inside me finally snapped. I raised my hand and slapped her hard across the face.

Myra had never been treated like this before.

She covered her cheek, her eyes filled with disbelief, while I only let out a cold laugh and continued toward the garage.

Myra chased after me again.

“What exactly do you want?!”

All the frustration that had built up over the entire day exploded at once.

I glared at her furiously. She shrank back in fear, yet her tone remained firm. “You must race!”

I was almost amused by how stubborn she was.

“You were the one who told me not to get entangled with Jasper.

“And now you’re the one telling me I have to race.

“What exactly do you know? Do you think it’s fun, you and Jasper playing me like this?”

With that, I gave her no more chances and slammed the garage door shut.

“Bang! Bang!”

Myra pounded on the door frantically from outside, yet still refused to tell me the truth.

In the darkness, I took out my lighter.