033 The Passion of Speed

"I want to work with you," Zhong Yun proposed.

Chen Wen's heart leaped, barely containing his wild delight as he hastily agreed, "No problem." He wasn't joking—this was someone capable of cultivating the legendary 'Seven Fairies'.

"However, I have one condition: no one can know my identity."

"That’s fine." He had expected something harsher, but it was only this. Truly, the discreet manner suited someone from a secretive lineage.

"What are you two scheming about?" Tian Hai listened in confusion from the side. "What cooperation? Why can't others know your identity? Are you hiding something from me?"

"Zhong Yun wants to plant flowers in my family’s garden, but he doesn’t want others to know," Chen Wen explained.

"Why?" Tian Hai was even more puzzled.

"I'm a bit short on cash lately, so I want to earn some extra money," Zhong Yun said.

"Huh? Earn money by planting flowers? Don’t you remember those pots in your backyard? After half a month, nothing grew at all."

Zhong Yun shrugged. "They all grew, and they’ve bloomed. I sold them."

"How much did you sell them for?"

"Five hundred million," Zhong Yun decided to be honest. Sooner or later, Tian Hai would find out. After their time together, Zhong Yun felt Tian Hai was a trustworthy friend.

"Five hundred million?"

Tian Hai stared at him in disbelief, then suddenly reached out to touch Zhong Yun’s forehead. "You’re not feverish, right?"

Seeing how serious Zhong Yun looked, Tian Hai turned to Chen Wen, worried. "Oh no, Ah Yun’s gone mad from wanting money too much."

"He’s not mad," Chen Wen replied.

"He’s not mad?" Tian Hai looked at his two friends, then slapped his own forehead. "Then I must be the one who’s mad."

Suddenly, he patted Zhong Yun’s arm hard. "Alright, April Fool’s is over. Stop joking."

Zhong Yun and Chen Wen remained silent.

"Five hundred million, heh." Tian Hai laughed twice, but seeing their expressionless faces, his smile faded. "You’re not joking?"

Both shook their heads.

"Really five hundred million?"

Both nodded.

Tian Hai clutched his chest and groaned, "Am I dreaming?"

Zhong Yun couldn’t help but give him a playful knock. "Five hundred million scares you like this? If it were five billion or fifty billion, you’d probably drop dead on the spot."

"If I had five hundred million, I’d buy a mansion, hire two or three maids, buy every gun model available—two of each, one to take apart and one to keep." As he spoke, a silly smile appeared on Tian Hai’s face.

They really were best friends, even their dreams matched. Zhong Yun couldn’t help but think.

"I regret to say, I’ve already spent it all," Zhong Yun said helplessly.

"What?" Tian Hai looked as if he’d been struck by lightning, staring blankly at Zhong Yun. "What did you say?"

"I spent all five hundred million," Zhong Yun repeated.

Tian Hai pointed at him, trembling, utterly incredulous. "Impossible, that’s five hundred million, not fifty. How could you just spend it?"

Zhong Yun paused. The line sounded familiar. He remembered saying something similar to Zero.

"You wastrel!" Tian Hai’s hopes were dashed. In barely ten seconds, he’d soared to heaven and plunged to hell. The contrast was too much to handle.

Zhong Yun quickly comforted him, "Look at it this way, you can always earn more money. Right, Chen Wen?" To bolster his argument, he recruited Chen Wen.

"Absolutely," Chen Wen chimed in. "With Zhong Yun’s abilities, earning another five hundred million isn’t difficult."

Tian Hai looked up, eyes brimming with tears. "Really?"

"Really," Zhong Yun assured him, patting his chest. "If I can earn five hundred million once, I can do it again."

Tian Hai’s eyes lit up, his spirits immediately revived. Truly, his optimistic nature made his moods rise and fall so swiftly.

Just then, the driver’s voice sounded in the car, "We’ve arrived."

As they got out, Zhong Yun asked Chen Wen, "Do you know where to find some rare items?"

"Rare items? Mingzhou has several such places. I’ll take you tonight," Chen Wen replied.

Outside, Tian Hai called, "What’s taking you two so long? Hurry up!"

The two exchanged smiles and climbed out.

Zhong Yun glanced around and asked, "Where are we?"

"You’ll see once we go in," Chen Wen replied.

With that, Tian Hai strode ahead toward a nearby building.

They were in the outskirts, where buildings were sparse; only a single five-story structure stood ahead. In front of it, a cluster of shuttle cars was parked—rare and famous models, lined up in several rows. Anyone unaware might think it was a car show.

Inside the entrance, the hostesses wore matching white skirts, exposing long legs, and their professionalism was unexpectedly high.

When Zhong Yun and his companions entered, a short-haired girl welcomed them with a sweet smile. "Welcome. What service do you require?"

Of course, she addressed Chen Wen. The hostesses here had sharp eyes; Chen Wen was not only the most handsome, but his manner radiated the poise nurtured from childhood in a noble family.

As for the ordinary-looking, plainly dressed Zhong Yun and Tian Hai, she classified them as followers—best left to cool their heels elsewhere.

Chen Wen said, "Take us to the garage."

The short-haired girl smiled, "Please follow me," and led them to the elevator.

The elevator descended continuously, and seconds later, it stopped. As soon as the doors opened, Zhong Yun saw an enormous garage filled with all kinds of dazzling vehicles.

Zhong Yun paused, his expression dazed. For a moment, he felt as if time and space had overlapped. Gazing at the familiar shapes of the cars, countless memories hidden deep within his mind surged forth.

"Ah Yun, never seen cars like these, have you?" Tian Hai’s voice pulled him back to reality.

Zhong Yun scoffed, "They’re just cars with four wheels, meant for running on the ground. You think I don’t know?"

Indeed, these vehicles were not shuttles. Shuttles flew in the air, had no wheels, and were fully sealed—since their speeds could reach thousands of kilometers per hour, if someone were exposed to the air, the wind alone would tear them apart.

The cars before him not only had four wheels underneath, but were all convertibles. For someone who’d come from the era of automobiles, not recognizing them would be absurd.

"Pick one, today I’ll show you the thrill of speed," Chen Wen said, taking the lead by choosing a sleek black sports car, expertly starting it up.

"My brother’s here for the first time, teach him," Chen Wen instructed the attendant.

Tian Hai headed straight for a sky-blue sports car with a mech-inspired front, waved to him, and drove off amid the roar of the engine.

When both cars had disappeared, Zhong Yun turned back to the fleet of vehicles. His eyes settled on a fully red sports car.

It resembled the red Ferrari from his previous life, and he was instantly smitten. He circled it, then jumped into the seat, gripping the steering wheel. A wave of familiarity surged through him, as if he’d returned to those fiery days of youth.

"Please fasten your seatbelt," the attendant’s voice sounded in his ear.

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