Chapter 8
Lin Yushu was well aware of the performance gap between the Civic and the GTR.
His Civic had a maximum horsepower of 350, while Song Qiming’s GTR had a factory horsepower of 480, and with significant modification potential, it could easily surpass 600 horsepower with some adjustments.
However, if Lin Yushu dared to go on the racetrack, he naturally had his confidence.
Car racing is not solely determined by the quality of the vehicle; driving skills often play a larger role.
Song Qiming’s GTR was a front-engine four-wheel-drive car, which made the front end heavy and prone to understeer, posing a greater challenge to driving skills compared to Lin Yushu’s Civic.
Having observed Song Qiming’s cornering earlier, Lin Yushu noticed that, despite not being a professional driver, Song Qiming didn’t choose the optimal braking points or racing lines, resulting in significantly reduced speed during each turn.
On the other hand, Lin Yushu had already raced countless times at the Longma Racetrack and was familiar with every inch of the track. In this regard, he still had a chance to win against Song Qiming.
Clutch, shifting gears, throttle—everything was executed smoothly.
Lin Yushu followed behind Song Qiming, warming up his tires with a few laps on the racetrack.
Song Qiming seemed to realize that the red Civic behind him was intentionally challenging him, and during cornering, he even deliberately blocked Lin Yushu’s overtaking route.
But the real competition was just beginning.
After navigating through the last turn of the track, a long straight appeared ahead.
Lin Yushu stomped on the accelerator, initiating a rapid acceleration. Lu Zibo and the others on the sidelines began to cheer, creating an intense atmosphere.
As Lin Yushu accelerated early, both cars crossed the starting line almost simultaneously. However, the capabilities of the GTR should not be underestimated. In just 100 meters of straight-line distance, Song Qiming pulled ahead, leading by half a car length.
Entering the first corner, Song Qiming took the inside line first and forced Lin Yushu to brake early. As they exited the corner, the two cars were separated by almost an entire car length.
But Lin Yushu remained calm, firmly pressing on the accelerator, closely trailing behind Song Qiming.
Another straight stretch for acceleration, and the speedometer already displayed 160 km/h. However, the GTR ahead continued to widen the gap.
Lin Yushu couldn’t help but wonder in his mind, how much modification has this guy done?
People who play with performance modifications can generally be divided into two categories.
One type, like Lin Yushu, purchases car parts for modification. For example, the Civic Type R has official modification kits offered by the manufacturer, or they may choose to modify suspension components themselves.
The other type, like Song Qiming, involves redesigning the engine, adjusting the vehicle’s aerodynamic components, and other modifications that are beyond the capabilities of non-professionals.
It was evident that Song Qiming’s GTR was more than just a simple increase in horsepower; otherwise, it wouldn’t have been so difficult to catch up to him.
Soon, they approached the second corner, but this time, Song Qiming couldn’t affect Lin Yushu as they were quite far apart.
Lin Yushu found the perfect timing for trail braking, smoothly shifting gears with skilled movements. At the same time, he kept his right foot’s heel on the brake pedal while lightly tapping the accelerator with the ball of his right foot, executing a beautiful heel-toe maneuver.
The purpose of heel-toe is to apply throttle while braking to prevent a drop in RPM during braking, reducing turbo lag during corner exit acceleration.
After several more corners, Lin Yushu gradually closed the gap between him and Song Qiming, with the distance shrinking to just a car’s length in some places.
However, Song Qiming, being a frequent racer himself, although not as experienced as a professional driver, knew the rules of taking the “outside-inside-outside” racing line and effectively blocked Lin Yushu’s overtaking opportunities.
On the straight, Lin Yushu couldn’t catch up, so he had to reluctantly follow behind Song Qiming.
The two cars soon reached the second half of the racetrack, and a series of three consecutive hairpin corners were about to appear ahead.
According to the track’s layout, the speed had to be reduced to below 50 km/h to safely exit the corners. However, Lin Yushu had raced on this track countless times before. Instead of abruptly decelerating like Song Qiming, he slightly reduced his speed and entered the first corner from the outside, then used the road shoulder to navigate the second corner, before entering the third corner. In the end, he transformed three 180-degree hairpin turns into two nearly 90-degree right-angle turns.
By the time he exited the first corner, Lin Yushu had already caught up to Song Qiming.
When he emerged from the third corner, he had overtaken Song Qiming by a whole car’s length.
With 200 meters remaining on the straight leading to the finish line, Song Qiming still had a chance to catch up. However, after exiting the hairpin corners, he eased off the throttle, signaling his “surrender.”
Braking and racing line are the most crucial aspects of racing, and Lin Yushu’s overtaking of Song Qiming in the final corners already proved his superior driving skills.
If Song Qiming had stubbornly relied on the superior performance of his vehicle to try and catch up on the final straight, it would not only make him seem petty but also demonstrate a lack of understanding of racing etiquette.
As Lin Yushu drove the red Civic off the track, Lu Zibo and the others immediately gathered around, excitedly shouting, “Lin Yushu is amazing.”
Lin Yushu himself remained relatively calm. He got out of the driver’s seat, took off his hot helmet, and tidied his sweat-drenched hair. He asked, “Aren’t you guys going to give it a try?”
After observing for a long time, the group of rich kids finally seized the opportunity and returned to their cars, driving onto the racetrack.
The previously bustling area instantly became quiet as Lin Yushu placed his helmet on the back seat and took out a bottle of mineral water. As he tilted his head back to drink, he casually glanced behind him and noticed that Song Qiming had parked his car there.
There’s no denying that racing is a great stress reliever. Lin Yushu had been bothered by work-related matters, but after winning against Song Qiming, he felt refreshed and clear-minded.
On the other side, Song Qiming also got out of his car, searching for the person who had beaten him in the Civic. At that moment, Lin Yushu was still wearing his work shirt, with the sleeves loosely rolled up to his elbows and the tie hanging loosely around his neck.
Under normal circumstances, Song Qiming would never have seen Lin Yushu in such a state.
“It’s you,” Song Qiming quickly recognized Lin Yushu, his eyes showing surprise, curiosity, and a hint of interest.
“It’s me,” Lin Yushu tightened the bottle cap. “Surprised?”
“A little,” Song Qiming replied. “You handle the corners beautifully.”
This guy was straightforward when teasing others and equally straightforward when giving compliments.
Expressing gratitude seemed unnecessary, so Lin Yushu chose not to respond. He turned his head to look at the racetrack but quickly turned back and said, “Song Qiming.”
They had interacted several times before, but this was the first time Lin Yushu had called Song Qiming by his name.
“Yeah?” Song Qiming responded with a single syllable. His deep voice drifted in on the evening breeze, tickling Lin Yushu’s ears.
“Come here,” Lin Yushu said. “I have something to tell you.”
At least until they arrived at the racetrack, Lin Yushu hadn’t decided whether or not to warn Song Qiming.
However, as he discovered that Song Qiming belonged to the same circle as him, the answer in his mind became clearer.
The car enthusiast community was divided into various smaller circles. Lin Yushu had always been part of the JDM circle, specializing in Japanese car modifications. But as Japanese cars declined in popularity, this circle became increasingly niche. Many of Lin Yushu’s friends had even switched to German cars.
Therefore, it was a surprise for Lin Yushu to find out that Song Qiming also played with JDM cars.
Considering that among all the modified cars that had come to the track today, besides Song Qiming’s GTR, there was only Lin Yushu’s Japanese car, it was hard for him not to feel a sense of kinship with Song Qiming.
He admitted to having a slight selfish motive.
Seeing that Song Qiming shared the same interests as him, Lin Yushu didn’t mind showing a bit of favoritism and offering help with the acquisition.
“What is it?” Song Qiming closed his car door and approached, standing about a meter away from Lin Yushu.
For two people who were not familiar with each other, this was an appropriate social distance. Going any closer would have made them uncomfortable.
But Lin Yushu still felt it wasn’t close enough and said, “Come a bit closer.”
As he spoke, Lin Yushu kept an eye on his surroundings. Although there were a few scattered people by the racetrack, they were all focused on the track and not paying attention to them.
“Even closer?” Song Qiming questioned, taking another step forward.
It was strange that the Sha family’s bosses were not present, but Lin Yushu couldn’t shake off a sense of unease.
What if the words he spoke to Song Qiming were overheard by someone with ill intentions and then passed on to Shao Guangjie? How could he continue to thrive in Yong Xing?
After all, Shao Guangjie was the legitimate “crown prince,” and choosing to help Song Qiming was indeed a risky move.
Curiously, Song Qiming tilted his head, waiting for Lin Yushu to continue. At this point, Lin Yushu couldn’t back down anymore. He took another step forward, allowing their toes to touch, and then raised his chin slightly, leaning closer to Song Qiming’s ear. In a lowered voice, he said, “You’d better change your lawyer.”
A pleasant scent of agarwood drifted faintly to their noses, but Lin Yushu didn’t linger. After delivering his message, he stepped back.
At that moment, he already began to regret his decision. What if he chose the wrong side?
Even if he could eventually return home and go to work, wouldn’t he be under his brother’s control every day?
Various inexplicable thoughts flashed through his mind, deepening Lin Yushu’s regrets.
Since he had already said what needed to be said, there was no need to linger any longer. Lin Yushu opened the car door and was about to get in when Song Qiming suddenly grabbed his arm.
“Lin Yushu,” Song Qiming slammed the Civic’s door shut, flipping Lin Yushu over and pressing him against the car window. “Why are you running away?”
Staring at the face so close to him, Lin Yushu was slightly stunned. How did Song Qiming know his name?
Thinking back carefully, when he left the meeting room that day, there was nothing on the opposite desk, which meant Song Qiming had taken his business card.
“I’m not running away,” Lin Yushu frowned and pushed against Song Qiming’s chest. “I’ve said what I needed to say.”
“Are you sure?” Song Qiming continued to press on, mimicking Lin Yushu’s earlier actions, and whispered in his ear, “Why don’t you just introduce me to a lawyer directly?”
