HPDBC Chapter 4: One rider leaves everyone in the dust, shocking all!
Chapter 4: One rider leaves everyone in the dust, shocking all!
Cao Shuang floored the accelerator.
The 08 Wuling Hongguang, equipped with a miniature cold fusion reactor, emitted a deep and powerful roar that was completely at odds with its dilapidated exterior.
The tires screeched violently against the dusty road surface, emitting a short, piercing screech. Then the car suddenly lurched forward, as if it had been violently pushed out by an invisible giant hand, tearing through the chaotic air ahead with an astonishing initial velocity!
"what!"
Chu Yao, who was in the passenger seat, was caught off guard and was pressed hard against the old seat by a strong push. She cried out in surprise, and the two bottles of mineral water in her arms rolled to the ground.
She hurriedly grabbed the rusty handrail above her head, her face pale, and looked at Cao Shuang with lingering fear.
Outside the car, the nearby players were even more stunned by this scene.
How can a Wuling Hongguang, which looks like it could fall apart at any moment, with its paint peeling and as if it just came out of a junkyard, suddenly have a starting speed comparable to that of an ordinary sedan? Is that even possible?
"Holy crap! That beat-up bread truck... is it on drugs?"
"The Wuling minivan lives up to its reputation? But its acceleration from a standstill is just too strong!"
"Is he insane?! Driving like that, how many kilometers can that little bit of gas get? This is no joke!"
"He's probably just throwing caution to the wind, trying to rush to the resource point before everyone else? Naive! It's 300 kilometers; let's see how long he can keep up this act!"
Mocking, puzzled, and astonished glances came from both sides, but Cao Shuang quickly left them behind.
His eyes were sharp as he stared intently at the traffic ahead, which was gradually thinning out due to the increased speed, while his hands gripped the steering wheel firmly.
Although the car body was old and made various creaking noises, driven by unlimited energy, the speedometer steadily climbed upwards: 80, 100, 120...
Finally, as the engine roared under strain and the entire vehicle began to tremble slightly, the speed stabilized at 150 kilometers per hour.
This was already the limit that the old car could withstand in its current condition; any faster and he was afraid the frame would fall apart.
Even so, a speed of 150 kilometers per hour was quite conspicuous in the initial flow of traffic where most vehicles were hesitant to drive recklessly in order to save fuel. It quickly overtook most vehicles and rushed to the front of the line.
Just as Cao Shuang overtook a SUV cruising at a normal speed of 90 kilometers per hour, an even more violent and arrogant engine roar rapidly approached from the side and rear.
It's that silver-gray C-Class Ferrari!
Like a nimble silver shark, it easily tore through the traffic, quickly catching up with Cao Shuang's Wuling Hongguang after a few swift lane changes.
The passenger window rolled down, revealing Zhang Qiang's arrogant and mocking face, and Liu Ruyan's complex yet slightly pleased gaze in the passenger seat.
"Hey! Not bad, Cao Shuang! You're such a piece of junk, you can actually bounce around quite a bit?"
Zhang Qiang yelled, his voice distorted by the wind noise, but his condescending tone remained undiminished.
"Are you planning to rush to the resource point with such force, then just sit there with your empty fuel tank and wait to die? Hahahaha!"
Liu Ruyan also glanced at Cao Shuang's beat-up car, which was useless except for its loud noise and ridiculously fast speed. She curled her lips and the displeasure she felt earlier because Cao Shuang "ignored" her turned into a deeper contempt.
He's still that brainless, poor boy, only good for a moment's pleasure. She didn't even bother to speak, simply tugging at Zhang Qiang's sleeve and saying sweetly:
"Brother Qiang, just ignore him. Let him drive however he wants. Our oil is very precious."
Zhang Qiang smiled smugly and slammed on the accelerator in a show of defiance. The Ferrari's excellent performance erupted instantly, accompanied by a blood-pumping roar. In a flash, the silver shadow left the Wuling Hongguang more than a dozen car lengths behind, and it continued to rapidly increase the distance.
The instant he overtook Cao Shuang, Zhang Qiang even deliberately veered the steering wheel, the rear of the car flicking slightly, the resulting airflow causing the Wuling Hongguang to sway slightly, a gesture full of provocation.
In the rearview mirror, you can see Zhang Qiang stretching out his hand and making an extremely insulting gesture.
"asshole!"
Although Chu Yao didn't know much about cars, she could understand the hand gesture. She was so angry that her face turned pale, and she couldn't help but mutter a curse under her breath.
Cao Shuang's expression didn't change much, but his eyes grew colder, and the slight curve of his lips exuded a chill.
Unlike Zhang Qiang, he didn't chase after him relentlessly; he simply maintained his speed at the maximum of 150 kilometers per hour.
Chase him? Now is not the time. His car's top speed may not be as high as the other's, but that's not where his advantage lies.
Sure enough, the swaggering silver Ferrari ahead slowed down noticeably after speeding for dozens of kilometers, eventually settling at a speed of about 100 kilometers per hour.
Clearly, Liu Ruyan's reminder about "precious fuel" had an effect; no matter how arrogant Zhang Qiang was, he had to consider reality.
On this seemingly endless highway, fuel is the lifeline; such extravagance in the early stages is tantamount to suicide.
"Hmph, chickened out?" Cao Shuang sneered inwardly. He could clearly "see" the "∞" symbol representing infinity after [Fuel] on his rudimentary data panel, which was emitting a stable and reassuring glow.
In Zhang Qiang's car, Liu Ruyan's 10 portions of all-purpose fuel were being used up, one portion being used up and then another was gone.
"They...they slowed down."
Chu Yao noticed it too, and whispered, her tone tinged with a mixture of confusion and relief. The Ferrari's imposing presence just now was indeed intimidating.
"That's normal; their oil isn't unlimited."
Cao Shuang said calmly, maneuvering the Wuling Hongguang at a steady speed of 150 kilometers per hour, slowly closing in. Then, under the complex gazes of Zhang Qiang and Liu Ruyan, he calmly drove alongside them, and even... slowly overtook them.
The instant he passed, Cao Shuang even rolled down his car window and gave Zhang Qiang, who was in the driver's seat of the Ferrari next to him, an extremely indifferent look, even with a hint of pity, as if he were looking at an ignorant idiot. Then, he gently shook his head and rolled up the window.
"I****!"
Zhang Qiang's face instantly turned a deep purplish-red, and he slammed his fist on the steering wheel, the horn blaring a piercing blare. He was absolutely furious!
Being overtaken by a Wuling Hongguang that looks like it's an idiot? That's worse than being killed!
"Brother Qiang! Calm down! Don't fall for his tricks! He's trying to provoke you and get you to spend money!"
Liu Ruyan hurriedly stopped Zhang Qiang's foot from pressing the accelerator again, and said urgently,
"Look at that beat-up car of his, driving so fast, the engine's even making a weird noise, it might fall apart any second! Let's drive steadily, conserve our strength, and deal with him when we get to the resource point!"
Zhang Qiang's chest heaved violently as he gasped for breath, staring intently at the Wuling Hongguang van ahead, its rear end emitting faint black smoke as it drove further and further away. In the end, he forcibly suppressed the urge to step on the gas.
Liu Ruyan is right, we can't fall for it! That idiot Cao Shuang is definitely trying to trick him on purpose!
"Damn it, let him be smug for a while! Once we get to the resource point, I'll teach him a lesson!"
Zhang Qiang cursed through gritted teeth, but he kept the car speed at 100 kilometers per hour.
Thus, a bizarre scene appeared on this endlessly stretching apocalyptic highway.
A dilapidated Wuling Hongguang, with a steady, almost arrogant speed of 150 km/h, continuously overtook vehicles that dared not drive fast because they were worried about wasting fuel.
This included the frustrated silver Ferrari, which sped ahead of the traffic and became one of the leading group of cars.