The race was about to begin, everything was ready. What was originally just an entertainment event to celebrate Huang Feipeng's birthday had acquired an important question of stakes with Ye Fan's involvement.
Of course, no one thought Ye Fan had any chance of winning.
Everyone eagerly awaited to see the look on Ye Fan's face after he lost the race.
"Place your bets, place your bets! Bet on him to win at five to one odds." Someone started organizing gambling entertainment.
The 'him' naturally referred to Ye Fan, but they didn't know Ye Fan's name, so they could only use 'him' as a proxy.
"Tch, only a fool would bet on him to win, bet on the car god, bet everything on the car god."
"Exactly, the car god is definitely going to win without fail."
"Young Master Chen dares to set up a casino; we have to make him lose his shirt, haha."
Many people started placing bets, not too concerned about winning a lot of money. The prize would just be enough for a lavish outing. All present were either wealthy young ladies or rich young masters, people who could spend a fortune with a single gesture regardless of their status.
Chen Xiangsheng was the initiator of the betting, originally named Chen Xiangsheng, he was also a wealthy figure. Usually fond of gambling occasionally, he naturally couldn't resist the itch to set up a small wager at the event to liven up the atmosphere.
As he watched everyone bet on Huang Feipeng to win, Chen Xiangsheng's face darkened.
"This isn't right, you can't play ; as the saying goes: better to be safe than sorry. What if he actually wins?" Chen Xiangsheng complained. If fewer people bet, he could handle the loss as entertainment, but with everyone betting on the car god winning – although it was Huang Feipeng's birthday event – wasn't this too much of a favor to the car god? If he had to pay out, it would be quite a substantial loss.
"The odds have changed, ten to one now. Bet on him to win. Even if not betting on Ye Fan, at least bet on Zhao Mingyuan or Ma Junqing to win." Chen Xiangsheng raised his voice helplessly.
A young woman giggled and retorted, "We all know the car god will definitely win. He's a no-brainer; as for Ma Junqing and Zhao Mingyuan, they're just there to highlight the car god; betting on them is even dumber than betting on him."
"Haha, exactly." Everyone laughed and echoed.
"I bet a million on the car god, just for fun. Usually, Young Master Chen enjoys a wager here and there. This time, he's likely to lose everything he's got. But you're Young Master Chen, so you can't back out and change the odds. Besides, even if the odds were a hundred to one, nobody would bet on him." A young man chuckled in a teasing tone.
"Sigh, you all gloat at my misfortune. If I'd known, I wouldn't have played." Chen Xiangsheng regretted in his heart, wishing he could chop off his hand while mumbling to himself, "Why couldn't you resist? You love gambling but hate losing."
For a gambler, losing is taboo. It was all his fault for not being able to resist the urge, resulting in setting up a sure-losing bet. It truly was foolish.
Now, Chen Xiangsheng was stuck in a predicament. Canceling the bet? No way; he couldn't afford to lose face. He had no choice but to brave through it.
Moreover, there were a few people he usually didn't get along with making snide remarks, which he couldn't endure.
"Alright, alright, place your final bets. Don't make it a ruckus. No more bets on the car god; if you want to bet, place it on someone else at ten to one odds. This opportunity won't come again." Chen Xiangsheng shouted brazenly.
By doing so, he was already implicitly admitting defeat. A momentary temptation could lead to a long-lasting regret.
"Young Master Chen, are you afraid you can't afford to lose? You set up the bet but now won't let anyone wager; what sense does that make?" The young man teased.
"That's right, if you can't stand losing, cancel the bet. Don't make a fool of yourself." The young man's partner added fuel to the fire.
"Young Master Chen, gamble with them. No matter how much you lose, we got your back." Chen Xiangsheng's close associates couldn't stand it any longer and stood by his side, offering him full support both mentally and financially.
"Okay." Chen Xiangsheng gratefully glanced at his comrades.
Initially, it was just a small bet to enjoy and liven up the atmosphere, to satiate the urge to gamble. But as it unfolded, it turned into a high-stakes gamble.
Gathered were wealthy young ladies and young masters, all acting on impulse. Despite minor conflicts in the past, here they were more than willing to risk it all for the sake of pride.
Thus, a high-stakes gamble was set up.
"Bastard, last time at the banquet you showed me no respect, made me lose face in front of the famous Chen Yifei. This time, I'm going to make you pay double. Had it not been for this gamble, I wouldn't have found such a good chance. Blame your gambling nature; I won't worry about not having a chance to get back at you." The young man laughed smugly.
"This bet, isn't it a bit too large?" Chen Xiangsheng forced himself to remain calm, but he wasn't feeling well inside. His companions also felt anxious looking at all those numbers.
Very soon, the race began.
"Car god, go for it."
"Car god, for the win."
"Car god, I love you."
"Car god, happy birthday."
Crowds squeezed on both sides of the track, gathering around the cars and shouting with raised voices.
Inside the car, Huang Feipeng listened to the echoing cheers and smiled complacently.
Ma Junqing had already coordinated with others to give Ye Fan a tough time on the track.
Zhao Mingyuan and Kong Rou were in the same car. Kong Rou asked puzzled, "What's the matter with you? Since you saw him, you've become so quiet, almost like you're afraid of him. He doesn't eat people, so what are you afraid of?"
"You don't understand," Zhao Mingyuan replied bitterly. "He's not simple. He surely knows we will all target him in the race, yet he agreed as if it was nothing. It shows he has something to rely on."
Thoughts about Ye Fan's identity, he dared not utter a word.
"You're overthinking. I don't see anything extraordinary about him," Kong Rou said dismissively with a soft laugh.
"I really wish I were overthinking," Zhao Mingyuan said, filled with complexity.
Inside Ye Fan's car, Xu Qianqian reminded, "Cousin-in-law, remember what I said, find a chance to escape if you lose. Winning isn't worth it, prioritize safety."
"Alright." Ye Fan gave a vague reply, unable to convince Xu Qianqian of his skills, and could only wait to prove it with facts.
"Could he really be that amazing?" Xu Qianqian couldn't help but doubt.
The time was up, and the race started.
"Zoom, zoom, zoom." With the starting signal, the cars on the line darted forward along the track like arrows.
The engines roared, and the motors howled.