How A Ride-Hailing Driver Comes To Dominate The World? [EN]: Chapter 680

The Great War (1)

Linda Manda, noticing Yang Chen’s unfamiliarity with the desert off-road vehicle, felt her confidence surge. Victory, she believed, was now within her grasp.

While it was true that Yang Chen was driving this type of car for the first time, the skills granted by the system eliminated any concerns about his driving ability.

The preparation time for the drivers concluded, and the on-site broadcast instructed all participants to proceed to their designated starting positions according to their assigned numbers. They had five minutes to prepare for the race, or they would forfeit their right to compete.

Yang Chen and Linda Manda’s tracks were adjacent. As soon as Yang Chen stopped at his designated spot, Linda Manda, with a broad smile, remarked, “How’s it going? Getting acquainted? Theoretically, this kind of competition isn’t life-threatening, but if you’re not familiar with the car and the terrain, accidents can happen.”

Yang Chen smiled. “Thank you for your concern, Miss Linda Manda. I could win this race with my eyes closed.”

Linda Manda chuckled. “You’re certainly confident, but I hope you’ll maintain that arrogance after the race.”

Yang Chen retorted, “After the race, I’ll be even *more* arrogant!”

Linda Manda fell silent. She knew better than to engage Yang Chen in a battle of boasts; no one could outdo him in that arena. Silence, she decided, was the wiser course, lest she be subjected to even more outlandish claims.

Soon, the five minutes elapsed. A gunshot signaled the start, and twenty cars roared off, commencing the race.

Barely a few dozen meters into the course, Yang Chen identified a potential issue: drivers in the rear would face considerable difficulty due to the dust and sand kicked up by the vehicles ahead, severely limiting their visibility.

Sure enough, less than a kilometer later, a collision occurred between two cars, though fortunately, no other vehicles were involved.

Fortunately, Yang Chen possessed extraordinary vision and hearing. Even with limited visibility, his sharp eyes and acute sense of sound allowed him to safely overtake other vehicles.

The first lap was quickly completed, leaving the entire track enveloped in a thick cloud of dust and sand. Spectators donned masks, and some of the wealthier attendees even sported oxygen masks.

After three laps, eight cars had crashed and were out of the race, leaving twelve still competing.

Five more laps saw the field dwindle to just four cars. As the number of vehicles decreased, so did the dust and sand, allowing the remaining drivers to clearly see their opponents during overtaking maneuvers.

Yang Chen caught up with Linda Manda and deliberately drove alongside her.

Linda Manda stared at Yang Chen in disbelief, thinking, “He wasn’t eliminated? I underestimated him. I need to step up my game!”

Linda Manda held the advantage of occupying the inner lane, especially advantageous when cornering, which she could exploit to deliberately collide with Yang Chen’s car. Such actions were not considered fouls on this track.

However, Yang Chen had no intention of giving her the opportunity.

Just as Linda Manda prepared to execute her maneuver, she was astonished to see Yang Chen’s car execute a 360-degree turn and land directly in front of her.

“That… his driving skills are incredible! How did he do that?” Linda Manda exclaimed.

Abu Dhabi, watching from the stands, stood up nervously, his face pale and his palms and back slick with sweat.

“How did he do that? This is terrible! I’ve been tricked. He deliberately pretended to be a novice, but he’s actually a racing master. It’s over. I think I’m going to lose those oil field shares. Linda Manda, you have to fight! You can’t lose! If you lose, suicide might be my only option,” Abu Dhabi muttered to himself.

Losing three islands and then the oil field shares would enrage Shalaman, who would likely punish or even depose him. It would be seen as a massive loss of state assets.

Unbeknownst to the others, Yang Chen and Linda Manda had pulled far ahead of the pack, and only two laps remained, meaning the champion would soon be decided.

Linda Manda began to panic. Yang Chen consistently maintained a one-car lead, regardless of her speed. Every time she attempted to overtake, Yang Chen skillfully blocked her advance. Her attempts to pass him had been unsuccessful.

Skillfully using one’s car to prevent another from overtaking was a legitimate tactic on the racetrack.

The on-site announcer boomed, “The final lap! Who will be the champion, No. 7 or No. 8? Can No. 8 pull off a last-minute overtake? She’s been trying to find an opening, but No. 7 has consistently blocked her, denying her any chance. In this final half-lap, unless No. 8 attempts an extraordinary maneuver, she’ll have to settle for second place.”

Abu Dhabi couldn’t help but shout, “Linda Manda, crash into him! It’s your last chance! Crash into him!”

For Linda Manda, deliberately crashing into Yang Chen’s car was indeed her best, and perhaps only, option at this point.

The most likely outcome of such a collision would be the elimination of both drivers.

But in that case, the two would be tied, and neither would lose anything to the other.

Since overtaking was impossible, choosing to “die together” was her last resort.

As a driver who had never tasted defeat, Linda Manda possessed excellent on-the-spot adaptability, and she immediately decided to “die together” with Yang Chen.

Linda Manda floored the accelerator, fearlessly ramming into Yang Chen’s car.

Yang Chen anticipated Linda Manda’s move and executed a sudden 180-degree turn, narrowly avoiding the collision and crossing the finish line first in a controlled tailspin.

“This… how is this possible? How can he drive like that?” Linda Manda muttered in disbelief.

Abu Dhabi, in the stands, slumped back into his seat, repeatedly chanting, “It’s over.”

The on-site broadcast announced, “Congratulations to driver No. 7, Mr. Yang Chen from Dragon Kingdom [China], for winning the championship and the 200 million US dollar prize! A truly surprising outcome! Tonight’s champion is a friend from Dragon Kingdom. It seems our competition has gained popularity there, and friends from Dragon Kingdom have come to participate.”

Yang Chen drove the car back, returned it, and approached the stands to find Abu Dhabi slumped in his seat.

Yang Chen smiled and patted Abu Dhabi on the shoulder. “Abu Dhabi, why so discouraged? You were quite energetic earlier.”

Abu Dhabi grabbed Yang Chen’s arm, his voice laced with desperation. “You did it on purpose! You clearly have exceptional driving skills, but you pretended to be a novice. You can perform so many unbelievable maneuvers; you can’t possibly be a beginner! You deliberately concealed your skill, so our bet doesn’t count!”

Yang Chen replied with a smile, “Mr. Abu Dhabi, have you forgotten what I told you before the race? If you dare to renege on our agreement, I will order you to be hunted down. And I can assure you that even in death, you will still have to pay what you owe me. Don’t think that death absolves you of your debts. It doesn’t work that way here!”

Abu Dhabi, clearly skeptical that Yang Chen would dare to carry out his threat, retorted, “This is Riyadh, the country of sand [Saudi Arabia], not your Dragon Kingdom. Do you think you can do whatever you want here? You overestimate yourself.”

Yang Chen said, “I don’t want to argue with you. For Shalaman’s sake, I’ve given you fair warning. If something happens, he can’t blame me.”

Although Abu Dhabi remained unconvinced, he was still deeply afraid.

He knew of Xingchen Defense [Starry Sky Defense], a mercenary company specializing in assassinations. Even Shalaman would fear being targeted by them.

At that moment, Linda Manda approached, looking dejected. She glanced at her uncle apologetically and lowered her head.

Abu Dhabi asked sadly, “Linda Manda, what happened? How could you lose on your most familiar track? You’ve won over a hundred races, but this one you lost completely!”

Linda Manda, tears welling up, said, “Uncle, I’m sorry. It’s all my fault. I’m so sorry…”

Yang Chen interjected, “Don’t apologize to him. Wipe away your tears!”

Linda Manda retorted, “I made my uncle lose 3 billion US dollars. Can’t I express my apology? Do you even care if I cry? Is it any of your business?”

Yang Chen said, “What? Your uncle wants to renege on his debt, and you want to renege on yours too? Our bet was that if you lost to me, everything you own belongs to me. That includes you, right? You’re mine now, and I order you not to cry or apologize. Do you dare disobey me?”

Linda Manda was stunned. Tears welled up in her eyes as she said, “I… I regret this so much. I wish I hadn’t raced. Now I don’t even have the freedom to cry. Wuwu…”

Yang Chen commanded, “Don’t cry!”

Linda Manda quickly stifled her tears, but she felt deeply wronged and remorseful.

Yang Chen smiled. “Smile and come to dinner with me. Mr. Abu Dhabi, would you like to join us?”

Abu Dhabi shook his head. “How can I be in the mood to eat? I want to die!”

Yang Chen said, “Then that’s your choice. I’ve already told you that even if you die, you still have to fulfill your obligations. It won’t be over just because you’re dead. Let’s go. You can wallow in your misery here. I’ll see you tomorrow morning to collect what I’m owed. Be prepared.”

Yang Chen led the puppet-like Linda Manda away. Abu Dhabi didn’t even try to stop her. She was his own niece, but he didn’t seem to care about her safety at all, a clear indication of his shattered state of mind.

Yang Chen took Linda Manda to a restaurant and ordered food.

Linda Manda had already eaten dinner, and her current mood robbed her of any appetite, so she simply sat there blankly while Yang Chen ate with gusto.

Suddenly, a commotion erupted in the restaurant. The popular internet celebrity Salt Bae [Nusret Gökçe] had arrived.

This restaurant was owned by Salt Bae. He was now greeting guests and showcasing his signature stunt: salting steak.

While some might find it unappetizing that the salt he sprinkled traveled down his arm before landing on the steak, ordinary customers couldn’t even afford this experience. It either cost extra or was reserved for important guests.

Yang Chen had no desire to eat Salt Bae’s salted steak, but he knew Linda Manda, so he approached them directly.

“Haha… Linda Manda, you’re here too! What’s wrong? You look unhappy. What happened?” Salt Bae asked.

Linda Manda, embarrassed to reveal the truth, forced a smile and said, “It’s nothing. I’m just feeling a little unwell.”

Salt Bae nodded, turned to Yang Chen, and asked, “How should I address you, sir? I’m the owner of this restaurant. Everyone calls me Salt Bae. What’s your relationship with Linda Manda? Are you dating?”

Yang Chen replied with a smile, “I’m sorry, I don’t like to talk while I eat. Why don’t you and Miss Linda Manda go chat somewhere else? Don’t disturb my meal.”

Salt Bae was taken aback. Other guests were eager to interact with him, even hoping to try his personally salted steak. Why did Yang Chen seem indifferent, even impatient?

Salt Bae said with a smile, “Linda Manda, your boyfriend is quite grumpy. Is he always like this when he talks to you?”

Linda Manda quickly clarified, “You misunderstand. He’s not my boyfriend. He’s a friend of mine…”

Yang Chen interjected, “Master! I am Linda Manda’s master, and everything she owns belongs to me.”

Linda Manda started to deny it, but she swallowed the words. She had made the bet herself, so how could she deny it after losing?

Salt Bae was speechless. This Dragon Kingdom man claimed to be Linda Manda’s master, and Linda Manda didn’t deny it!

This was Riyadh, the country of sand, and Linda Manda was a member of the royal family. How dare this Dragon Kingdom man claim to be her master?

Furthermore, when a man claims to be a woman’s master, people often assume a sexual relationship.

But the sexual restrictions on women here were very strict. If he was truly Linda Manda’s master in that sense, they would both be in serious trouble, the kind that could be fatal if they weren’t careful.

Salt Bae asked, “Linda Manda, what’s going on? Were you kidnapped by him? If you were, just blink your eyes, and I’ll call someone to rescue you immediately.”

Yang Chen retorted, “Are you stupid from being an internet celebrity? Have you ever seen anyone kidnap someone like this? Hurry up and leave. Don’t disturb my meal.”

Seeing that Linda Manda remained silent, Salt Bae concluded that she must be in serious trouble and quickly ran to the second-floor box to find someone.

Moments later, Salt Bae returned from the second floor in a hurry with a young man and approached Yang Chen and Linda Manda.

Salt Bae said, “Prince Hutas, he claims to be Linda Manda’s master. I couldn’t stand by and listen, so I called you down to see what’s going on.”

This Prince Hutas was Linda Manda’s rumored boyfriend. Their families and friends hoped they would become a couple.

However, Linda Manda enjoyed thrilling sports like racing, while Hutas preferred music, art, and other hobbies, so they didn’t have much in common.

Nevertheless, the constant pressure from those around them had led Hutas to develop some feelings for Linda Manda.

So, when he heard Salt Bae say that a Dragon Kingdom man claimed to be Linda Manda’s master, Hutas rushed down to investigate.

Hutas grabbed Linda Manda’s arm excitedly and asked, “Linda Manda, what happened? Why does he say he’s your master? What is your relationship?”

Yang Chen immediately knocked on the table and said, “Hey, take your hand away. She’s mine now. I don’t allow you to hold her arm like that. Do you understand?”

Hutas roared, “Shut up! She’s a member of the royal family. Why should you, a Dragon Kingdom man, be her master? If you say that again, no matter who you are, I won’t hesitate to be rude to you!”