As the year-end approached, Lin Yushu had a lot of work on his plate, and unless there were special circumstances, he would often be working overtime on weekends.
But today was somewhat different. Song Qiming had invited him to the racetrack for car modifications, so Lin Yushu decided to sleep in and didn’t get out of bed until almost ten o’clock.
There was no need to dress up for the racetrack, so Lin Yushu casually picked a lightweight jacket, paired it with cropped pants and khaki-colored ankle boots, completely devoid of his usual professional and elite appearance.
Looking at Song Qiming walking out from the opposite door, wearing a loose-fitting aviator jacket with simple straight-cut pants, his seemingly casual outfit exuded a carefree and relaxed vibe. However, from his meticulously styled hair, the casualness might just be an illusion.
“You changed your fragrance?” While waiting for the elevator, Lin Yushu caught a faint scent emanating from Song Qiming.
Different from the usual composed agarwood scent, today Song Qiming wore a white musk fragrance that exuded a delicate elegance.
“Yeah,” Song Qiming responded with a nod. Suddenly, he leaned against Lin Yushu’s waist from behind and gently sniffed near his neck. “Are you wearing perfume too?”
Lin Yushu slightly tilted his head, evading Song Qiming’s breath. “Just cedarwood.”
It was a very ordinary fragrance, without any special significance.
But on Lin Yushu, who usually didn’t wear perfume, being able to leave the house with a scent was something unique in itself.
“Smells nice,” Song Qiming smiled and retracted his hand from Lin Yushu’s waist.
Two cars, one red and one blue, weaved through the dense traffic. Sometimes the Civic was in front, and sometimes the GTR took the lead, but both cars remained within each other’s sight.
Modified performance cars were undoubtedly different from regular cars. Whenever the Civic and GTR accelerated, the roar of their engines would fill the road, drawing the attention of other drivers.
And the fact that the two cars were synchronized only made them more eye-catching.
After about an hour, the two arrived at the outskirts’ Longma Racetrack.
The track was open to the public during the day, and coupled with it being a weekend, the edge of the track was filled with flashy modified cars.
Lin Yushu and Song Qiming completed the necessary insurance and signed the liability waivers before driving their cars to the pit area that Lu Zibo had reserved for them.
“Little Brother Lin, here to play today?” Someone familiar greeted Lin Yushu. “How come you’re with the big shot?”
The term “big shot” naturally referred to Song Qiming.
Lin Yushu was in a good mood today and followed the person’s lead, saying, “The big shot is helping me modify the car.”
“Damn, so jealous!”
On the other side, the “big shot” who got out of the GTR also seemed to be in a good mood. He chuckled and asked Lin Yushu, “Why are you calling me that too?”
“Aren’t you a big shot?” Lin Yushu gestured with his chin towards the Civic in front. “Come on, help me test the car.”
Lin Yushu handed the driver’s seat to Song Qiming and sat in the passenger seat. The two of them raced several laps on the track. Although Lin Yushu had gotten used to the Civic’s condition, Song Qiming’s brows furrowed deeper and deeper.
“A loose steering column isn’t a big problem.” Back in the pit, Song Qiming looked at the data on the screen and said, “But the horsepower at the wheels is only 200, and the engine isn’t in great condition.”
Standing by his side, Lin Yushu leaned on the table with one hand and supported the chair Song Qiming was sitting on with the other, asking, “Can it be improved?”
“It can be upgraded to 500 horsepower, with a turbocharger and engine reinforcement,” Song Qiming said. “But it will require widening the body. Can you accept that?”
Widening the body would involve altering the original structure of the car. If someone else proposed it to Lin Yushu, he might not agree, but if it was Song Qiming…
He would unquestionably believe in him.
“Okay,” Lin Yushu said.
“Then let’s address the steering issue today. Other modifications will have to wait for the necessary parts.”
Using a car lift, Song Qiming raised the Civic and then took off his aviator jacket, put on white cloth gloves, picked up his tools, and started removing the wheels of the Civic.
Until this moment, Lin Yushu noticed that Song Qiming was wearing a white undershirt under his jacket, revealing the lines of his collarbone and arms.
Every time he tightened the wrench, his muscles would tense and then relax. After a while, his white undershirt became dirty with dust and oil. Perhaps he didn’t pay attention, and some stains even reached his neck, blending with the sweat beads forming there.
So dirty…
But so sexy.
Lin Yushu couldn’t take his eyes off Song Qiming. He had dreamt before of Song Qiming helping him modify cars, but he never imagined that Song Qiming working on a car would create such a seductive scene.
Yes, seductive was the word.
It made Lin Yushu’s blood boil.
After tossing the removed tires aside, Song Qiming wiped the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand and asked Lin Yushu curiously, “Are you feeling hot?”
“A bit.” Lin Yushu quickly averted his gaze and fanned himself with his hand. “Give me the keys to your car. I’ll do some laps.”
He couldn’t stay here any longer.
Lin Yushu was afraid his greedy gaze would give himself away.
“Sure.” Song Qiming used his teeth to remove his gloves, reached into his pocket, and took out a car key, tossing it to Lin Yushu.
“Go ahead and have fun,” he said.
Lin Yushu hastily left the pit area, driving the GTR like he was fleeing. There was an inexplicable fire burning within him, and the only way to release it was by stepping hard on the accelerator on the racetrack. As a result, he set a new lap record at the Longma Racetrack for modified cars.
By the time Song Qiming returned the Civic to Lin Yushu, it was already evening.
Song Qiming had made extensive adjustments to the Civic’s chassis. As soon as Lin Yushu drove onto the track, he could feel the difference. The little cannon had been completely transformed, with a responsive steering feel that allowed him to turn precisely. Lin Yushu felt slightly uncomfortable with the changes but still satisfied overall.
“Are you still satisfied?” Song Qiming asked as they got off the track, sitting in the passenger seat.
“Satisfied.” Lin Yushu’s tone was probably ten times more understated than his actual mood. “The master is truly a master.”
“As long as you’re satisfied.” Song Qiming lightly smiled upon hearing Lin Yushu’s praise. “Shall we head back now?”
“Sure.” Lin Yushu drove the Civic back to the side of the GTR, making it easier for Song Qiming to switch cars.
As he was getting out of the car, Song Qiming suddenly turned back and said to Lin Yushu, “Follow me. I’ll take you somewhere.”
The outskirts at night were unusually quiet, with few cars on the road, mostly trucks passing by.
Lin Yushu followed behind Song Qiming at a relaxed pace, driving through the national highway, rural roads, and a desolate economic development zone, eventually arriving at an even more deserted area on the outskirts.
The GTR finally stopped beside a patch of overgrown weeds, where there were no streetlights, only the headlights of the two cars providing illumination.
“Why are we here?” Lin Yushu got out of the car and followed behind Song Qiming, walking to the edge of the depression.
There were several small puddles in the depression, reflecting the moonlight like mirrors, creating an exceptionally serene atmosphere amidst the chorus of crickets.
“Do you know where this is?” Song Qiming asked.
“It’s Yong Xing Real Estate’s land.” Lin Yushu said.
Initially, Lin Yushu wasn’t sure why Song Qiming wanted to bring him “somewhere,” thinking it might be some good driving route. But now it seemed that Song Qiming brought him here for reasons unrelated to cars, purely for work.
“I want this land,” Song Qiming stated directly.
“You want it?” Lin Yushu raised an eyebrow, momentarily surprised, but quickly found it reasonable—what is there that Song Qiming wouldn’t dare to want?
“Do you know how complex this land is?” he asked.
“I know,” Song Qiming replied. “That’s why I need your help.”
Initially, Yong Xing Group was not involved in real estate business. It was after the merger between Shao Hexu and Fang Tian Real Estate, led by Fang Lan, that Yong Xing Real Estate was established.
In the early years, Yong Xing Real Estate grew rapidly and developed numerous residential and commercial projects. Since commercial projects are closely related to the entertainment industry, Shao Hexu also ventured into the entertainment sector and established companies like Yong Xing Entertainment.
In recent years, due to the introduction of stricter regulations in the real estate industry, Yong Xing Real Estate failed to meet the qualification requirements for real estate development. Consequently, Shao Hexu mortgaged the remaining undeveloped land to raise funds, which were then invested in the entertainment industry.
Initially, Fang Lan had no objections to this decision. However, the catalyst that led to their divorce was the discovery of Shao Hexu’s illegitimate child, who happened to be an actor. Fang Lan could no longer be as tolerant as before.
Unlike Yong Xing Real Estate, Fang Tian Real Estate still possessed the development qualifications. Fang Lan requested an asset restructuring during the divorce proceedings, intending to take over the undeveloped land for development under Fang Tian Real Estate.
The interests of the minority shareholders would not be affected, so they had no objections. Ultimately, the one who would suffer the losses would be Shao Hexu.
As the one at fault, Shao Hexu currently had no intention to compete with Fang Lan. Therefore, once their divorce was finalized, the undeveloped land would fall into the hands of Fang Tian Real Estate.
“What do you want to do with this land?” Lin Yushu asked.
“I want to build a racetrack,” Song Qiming answered quickly. “There are very few international-level racing events in China. Just think of Le Mans or Nurburgring. If Yong Xing’s racetrack can host such prestigious events, it would gain global recognition.”
Once again, Lin Yushu was taken aback by Song Qiming’s ambition.
Their considerations were on completely different levels. Shao Hexu’s thinking was confined to the business realm. Perhaps his management methods could be applied to a different industry as well, but Song Qiming approached everything from the perspective of the automotive industry, familiar with all the ins and outs.
“You…” Lin Yushu paused and tried to digest Song Qiming’s proposal. “Are you sure such an event can be organized?”
“I have my connections,” Song Qiming replied. “As long as the racetrack can be built, I can make the races happen.”
Lin Yushu had no doubt about Song Qiming’s connections.
After all, not everyone could easily borrow several billion dollars.
But…
Acquiring the land wasn’t going to be so easy.
Fang Lan’s desire for these undeveloped plots was purely driven by her personal grudge against Shao Hexu. How could Lin Yushu intervene in such a matter?
Even if he wanted to intervene, he couldn’t find a suitable reason to do so.
Moreover, Lin Yushu rarely had any interactions with Fang Lan, making it almost impossible for him to influence her decisions.
“So, will you help me?” Song Qiming asked.
“It’s not a matter of helping or not,” Lin Yushu furrowed his brows. “It’s a matter of whether I can help or not.”
He had to admit that from an investment perspective, Song Qiming’s idea could indeed yield high returns.
However, implementing this idea would be extremely challenging.
“We can find a solution together,” Song Qiming suggested.
…But that would also be very difficult, Lin Yushu thought.
If this matter didn’t involve the divorce between Shao Hexu and Fang Lan, perhaps he could convince Fang Lan based on the interests at stake.
However, Fang Lan’s willingness to endure a decline in stock prices just to divorce Shao Hexu indicated that she was not considering the interests in this matter.
Song Qiming lowered his head and looked at Lin Yushu, waiting silently for his decision. Lin Yushu couldn’t make any promises, so he decided to change the subject.
“Don’t you ever look in the mirror?” He took out a handkerchief from his coat and pressed it against Song Qiming’s neck. “You have oil stains here. How come you haven’t washed them off?”
He rubbed the handkerchief on Song Qiming’s neck a few times, removing the dirty stains.
During this time, Song Qiming looked at Lin Yushu without saying a word. The headlights from behind cast a shadow over his eyes, making it difficult to discern his emotions.
“Thanks for helping me with the car today,” Lin Yushu brought up a lighthearted topic. He was about to retract his hand, but Song Qiming suddenly reached out and grasped his hand.
“I haven’t finished modifying it yet,” Song Qiming lowered his gaze and glanced at their hands, which were now held together. He continued, “You used this handkerchief in Singapore too.”
“Yes,” Lin Yushu turned his wrist slightly but couldn’t free himself from Song Qiming’s grasp.
“It’s not easy to wash off the oil,” Song Qiming took Lin Yushu’s handkerchief with his other hand and placed it in his jacket pocket. “I’ll clean it and give it back to you.”
In an instant, Lin Yushu’s hand was empty without the handkerchief, and their hands were left simply holding each other. For some reason, images of Song Qiming repairing his car flashed in Lin Yushu’s mind, and his ears felt a slight warmth.
“You didn’t answer my question,” Song Qiming looked at Lin Yushu and said, “I’ll take that as a yes.”
Ah.
Lin Yushu sighed inwardly. He had underestimated Song Qiming.
The proposal was well-founded and difficult to refuse in the first place, but on top of that, Song Qiming had the allure of working on cars, making it even harder to resist.
Feeling uneasy, Lin Yushu withdrew his hand and resignedly said, “I’ll give it a try.”
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