Car Racing without Money

"CFR2000 was born at the wrong time, some things were too forced." 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

Chen Xiangbei silently muttered to himself that trying to create a Formula car for China in 2005 was a bit too ahead of its time, destined to be a failed attempt.

"Yeah, born at the wrong time,"

Liang Chi sighed deeply, simultaneously thinking that Chen Xiangbei really knew quite a lot.

"So, why did you quit Huasi Sports and open a repair shop here, Uncle Liang?"

"You’ve got the order mixed up. I first had this repair shop, and then later joined Huasi."

Liang Chi first corrected him and then said, "I left because of disagreements over the development philosophy of CFR2000. When the paths are different, you can’t work together."

"Why do I feel like you got fired?"

Chen Xiangbei responded with a playful expression.

"Can you speak properly, kid? I even helped you get a car!"

Liang Chi then added, "Also, stop asking questions all the time. Why is your curiosity so strong? You should be getting familiar with the car instead, so you won’t embarrass yourself by losing to me."

"Don’t worry, Uncle Liang. I won’t lose."

Chen Xiangbei replied confidently, whether he’s driving this Subaru Impreza STI or even Fatty Wang’s Corolla, he can still beat Qin Lianjie’s Civic Type-R.

It’s not just because he had once touched the threshold of F1 in a past life, but also due to his absolute confidence as a driver.

If you don’t even have this sense of certain victory, why are you racing at all?

Hearing Chen Xiangbei’s words, Liang Chi turned to look at him with a rare serious expression: "Kid, you’ve asked so many questions, now it’s my turn to ask you one."

"Where did your driving skills come from?"

For this question from Liang Chi, Chen Xiangbei had actually thought about countless answers in his mind.

After all, being an eighteen-year-old high school student, possessing everything a top professional driver has aside from physical condition, easily raises suspicion.

But Chen Xiangbei couldn’t explain it, nor could he understand it.

Hence this question only has one answer left.

"Talent."

Facing Chen Xiangbei’s answer, an ordinary person might feel it’s an evasion or nonsense, but Liang Chi said no more.

Or perhaps, he shouldn’t have asked this question.

As a former racing engineer at Huasi Sports, he deeply was aware that this world is never short of geniuses, and the growth of every top driver that can become famous can be described as unbelievable to outsiders.

Just like the manga "Initial D" portrays, Fujiwara Takumi discovered his hidden racing talent while delivering tofu downhill, thinking that he was getting slower and suspecting if his eyes were the problem, only for his father Fujimura Bunta to recognize it.

"Let’s test the car."

Liang Chi said no more, pulling out the car keys from a drawer beside him and handing them over.

Chen Xiangbei opened the car door and sat in the driver’s seat, gently caressing the sporty three-spoke steering wheel. Only at this moment did he feel no longer like a high school student, but like a professional driver.

Subaru Impreza has a glorious rally history, having taken three team championships and three driver championships, its fate resting firmly on the rally stage, bred for rallying.

Turning the key to start the ignition, the white-on-black instrument panel lit up, and the 2.0T horizontally-opposed EJ20 engine gave a distinctive roaring purr of silence!

Many know about Mitsubishi EVO’s 4G63 engine, used over nine generations and is a classic in Japanese engines. Yet few realize Subaru’s EJ20 series, similarly used for eight and a half generations, accompanying Subaru’s entire rally glory days.

Seriously speaking, Subaru’s so-called eight and a half generations could be divided into just two based on chassis evolution, with the first seven being minor revisions.

However, Subaru enthusiasts created a sense of destiny with Mitsubishi EVO, calling the minor revisions individual generations, while the engine had little change.

Additionally, this EJ20 engine’s power output was adjusted due to different class positioning.

The standard WRX version was 225 horsepower, whereas the STI version pushed the power to the limit of the "gentlemen’s agreement" among Japanese automakers, reaching a max of 280 horsepower.

This is why Japanese cars are highly modifiable; in a sense, they all carry some seal, which once broken releases performance far beyond the factory output!

Liang Chi, at this moment, opened the door to the passenger seat, got in with a slightly complacent expression, and asked Chen Xiangbei: "How does it feel?"

"Uncle Liang, hold on tight."

Before Liang Chi could react, Chen Xiangbei had already shifted gears, released the handbrake, and slammed the pedal to the metal. The tires frantically screeched against the ground, finding grip in a moment and propelling the car like an arrow.

"I haven’t even fastened my seatbelt!"

With Liang Chi’s shout, the seatbelt pushed him back into the seat, as the speedometer needle on the Subaru Impreza shot up, surpassing 100km/h in just over five seconds.

Moreover, as Liang Chi struggled to fasten his seatbelt, the Subaru Impreza was already at the street’s end. Chen Xiangbei quickly pulled the handbrake, steering into the corner, the car sliding gracefully across the bend like on ice.

And it wasn’t over; almost instantly after drifting out of the corner, Chen Xiangbei completed a heel-toe motion. The Subaru Impreza roared once more, pinning Liang Chi to his seat with the force of acceleration.

Liang Chi’s view of Chen Xiangbei entirely changed then. He knew this kid was good, talented.

But he didn’t know Chen Xiangbei could reach this level. Whether it was the clutch-gas coordination at launch, the smooth full-speed shifts, or the spatial sense in street drifting, it was already unbelievable.

Without exaggeration, Liang Chi thought that professional drivers he’d seen in CCC (the predecessor of CTCC) racing were this level!

The engine continued to roar, familiar sounds pulling Chen Xiangbei deeper into his element, foot pressing the accelerator ever harder.

This moment, the speedometer needle climbed steadily, streetlights and surrounding buildings flashing past like illusions through the window.

120km/h, 140km/h, 160km/h...

Watching the speedometer needle seemingly ready to explode, Liang Chi’s face went from shock to pale white. He never thought after getting into a performance car, Chen Xiangbei would become so aggressive and reckless.

Quickly buckling the safety belt, he grabbed the seat with one hand, the door handle with the other.

"Uncle Liang, we’re approaching a high-speed bend."

Chen Xiangbei gave a heads-up and lightly tapped the brakes, turning the steering wheel to hug the road tight, preparing for an extreme line through the bend.

But upon reaching the apex, the Subaru Impreza’s tires reached their grip limit, sliding sideways unable to catch the surface.

After all, this was merely regular performance tires, not racing-born slicks. Chen Xiangbei’s cornering speed evidently surpassed the vehicle’s handling limits!

In that instant, Liang Chi’s face turned green, wanting Chen Xiangbei to show off skills, not risk lives!

Even if Chen Xiangbei didn’t fear death, he himself was in his prime and not ready to die, his balance at the nearby bathhouse unused, and the 38th technician waiting for him there.

But before Liang Chi thought too much, the next scenes again shattered his understanding.

Facing this seemingly out-of-control vehicle, Chen Xiangbei showed no alarm like a rookie; instead, his expression remained calm and composed throughout.

He quickly counter-steered to rescue the car, constantly switching his feet between accelerator and brake, using tap braking and throttle responses to adjust the car’s body sway, finding the balance point between speed and grip.

The sliding and tire burnout sounds squeaked repeatedly, the Subaru Impreza danced on the knife’s edge of control, teetering on the brink until the tire edge brushed past the curb.

Racing, in some sense, is about probing the edge of control’s insanity, only through such means can the speed limit be reached.

Having navigated this street high-speed corner, Chen Xiangbei had a rough understanding of the Impreza’s performance, and didn’t continue racing. Instead, he quickly turned back to the repair shop.

With Chen Xiangbei slamming the brakes in the yard, Liang Chi expressionlessly unbuckled and got out of the car.

Seeing his face looking a bit unwell, Chen Xiangbei asked with concern: "Uncle Liang, are you okay?"

"I’m not..."

Liang Chi spoke the word "not," just before "okay" could come out, he suddenly stooped over and began vomiting forcefully.

Still vomiting, he cursed: "You little brat, is this how you drive?"

"Come on, Uncle Liang, you call yourself a racing engineer, who gets carsick from riding in a car?"

PS: Folks, try to keep up on reading daily, after all, niche writings struggle in recommendation PK battles, thanks.