Chapter 340 Peng

The races were tight, with almost no rest of more than twenty minutes between the first and second rounds. Later, astute spectators noticed that in every subsequent race, Tan Zheng’s lead over his competitors increased in an arithmetic progression. That is to say, the first time it was 0.02 seconds, the second time it was 0.04 seconds, and the third time it was 0.06 seconds. He used his precise control over speed and time as a homecoming gift to his fans. Song Ni was the first to notice, and the commentator was the second. When the commentator brought this point up, everyone in the venue gasped, followed by the frenzied screams of Tan Zheng’s fans. Song Ni, infected by the atmosphere, quickly logged into Weibo to share this news with the people who were once Tan Zheng’s fans and were now hers. She discovered that she had already been following all updates on Tan Zheng’s race. There were more than a dozen unread messages, all about today’s race. Even from thousands of miles away, those who care about you can't help but pay attention to your news. In the past, Song Ni didn't quite understand the emotions fans had for their idols. But slowly, after she herself gained fans, after she knew so many fans were waiting for Tan Zheng's return, she understood. It wasn't simply liking a person, but liking the spirit that person possessed. Many people liked the aura of strength emanating from Tan Zheng, his effortless demeanor, and yearned to be like him. It was a human desire for excellence. But Song Ni understood that finally, fans realized that even someone with such immense talent worked incredibly hard behind the scenes. In the final round, only Tan Zheng and another veteran remained. The veteran had extensive experience on the drag racing track. If the rising star of the first round was considered a candidate for the championship, then this veteran had the highest support rate among championship contenders, even with Tan Zheng in the running. Yet, after so many races, everyone felt that Tan Zheng’s true strength had yet to be fully displayed. The way he controlled the time difference with his opponents in each race was already terrifying. But could Tan Zheng continue to maintain the arithmetic progression and win against the veteran? Under everyone’s expectant gaze, on the big screen, Tan Zheng’s expression changed noticeably for the first time. It was a smile of confidence. Song Ni was no longer in the stands; she had moved to the side of the track. She wanted to be by his side as quickly as possible the moment Tan Zheng achieved victory. To hug him tightly. The flag dropped, and the gun fired. Blood boiled. This time, Tan Zheng’s speed was noticeably faster than in previous races, creating a visible gap with his opponent, and the gap even seemed to be widening. Unsurprisingly, Tan Zheng won the championship, and by a significant margin. Fans on the field began to cheer. Song Ni jumped up and down a few times, ready to sprint to Tan Zheng the moment he exited his car. Even Tan Zheng showed a smile. But the cheers turned into screams. Another competitor’s car malfunctioned, preventing the deceleration parachute from deploying and seemingly causing the braking system to fail. The speed did not decrease, and at this rate, he would crash directly into the spectator stands. It was unimaginable. Almost instantaneously, Tan Zheng made a decision. He accelerated again, steering his car closer, attempting to use friction to slow down. But the speed was too high, and the track was not long enough. Tan Zheng could only accelerate further, change direction, and forcibly guide the other car towards the inner side. In mere seconds, the crowd's cheers turned to screams and then panicked flight. Song Ni’s heart skipped a beat when she saw Tan Zheng’s decision to use his car to save the situation to the best of his ability. *Bang!*—The scene from months ago replayed in her mind. A deformed car, a sudden explosion, a blaze of fire, and Tan Zheng lying unconscious in the inferno. Song Ni’s chest heaved, her breathing grew rapid, her pupils constricted, and she raised her hands to her head, shaking it frantically. She didn’t want to see that scene. But the screams in her ears grew louder. She heard a piercing sound, like a saw constantly cutting through her brain. Then a loud *Bang!*—Right beside her ear, so real. Song Ni saw the two cars closely intertwined in the distance, crashing into the spectator stands. The guardrail was smashed to pieces, the front of both cars hit the wall, their front ends shattered. One car was embedded extremely deep. “No!” Song Ni suddenly screamed, vaulting over the railing and running towards the accident. Staff members rushed to stop her, but Song Ni ran too fast, and they only managed to stop her when she was less than five or six meters from the accident scene. “Ma’am, this area is too dangerous, please step back.” Song Ni’s eyes were bloodshot. She fiercely grabbed the hand of the person blocking her, drawing blood. “Let me go!” “No, you can’t go there!” Song Ni used her karate skills, executing a shoulder throw to knock the staff member to the ground. Just as she was about to move forward, Li Wen arrived. “Sister-in-law, calm down. What would Tan Zheng do if something happened to you?” “But something has happened to him! What are you waiting for? Save him! Hurry! If you’re any slower, it’ll be too late.” Song Ni was on the verge of collapse. From her vantage point, she could see the condition of the cars more clearly. It was a horrific sight. Wrecked, completely mangled, and so deformed that their original appearance was unrecognizable. The car more deeply embedded in the wall was Tan Zheng’s. “Quick! Pull him out! Hurry! What are you dawdling for?” Song Ni yelled with all her might, her eyes terrifyingly red. Of course, for such a race, an ambulance was always on standby. Rescue efforts were already underway, but Song Ni felt it was too slow, far too slow. She felt dizzy, struggling to breathe. Words were useless. With all her might, she shoved Li Wen aside and ran to the car. She began to help the firefighters pull at the car door with her bare hands, without any protective gear, injuring her hand immediately. But she ignored it. The firefighters, seeing her eyes, were speechless. They could probably guess Song Ni’s identity. No one tried to stop her; in fact, one firefighter even handed her his gloves. But Song Ni paid no attention. She was so close, yet she still couldn’t see Tan Zheng inside. After helping to pull the car door, she hammered at the debris-strewn wall that was obstructing their access. Finally, she could reach in to check on Tan Zheng, but the firefighters were too large to fit. Song Ni tightly grabbed their hands. “I’m smaller, let me reach in!” This was against regulations. “Please, let me go in and check. He is my husband! I need to save my husband!” Rescue time was too precious. The firefighters agreed to Song Ni’s request but insisted she wear protective gear.