"What? Ye Qiu doesn't have a racing license yet?"
Ye Qiu's thoughts were interrupted by Luo Bing's exclamation. Through the rearview mirror, he saw that Luo Bing, after saying something to Xu Lei, was now looking at him in disbelief.
"Ye Qiu, is what Teacher Xu said true? You really don't have a racing license yet?"
Luo Bing asked.
The racing license is issued by the Automobile Guild to drivers who have passed their assessments, and it's different from a regular driver's license.
Only with the racing license issued by the Automobile Guild can one's status as a driver be recognized by the Professional Racing Alliance. Only then will competitions, record-breaking points, and other achievements be registered, and they will be added to the driver's personal accomplishments.
Looking at Luo Bing's astonished face, Ye Qiu recalled when Xu Lei had asked him just now what level of driver he was. He casually mentioned he didn't have a license, knowing Xu Lei must have told Luo Bing just now, so he nodded and said, "Yes, I currently don't have a racing license."
What Ye Qiu said was actually true. He really didn't have a racing license at the moment. His previous license was with the American Alliance, but after he announced his withdrawal, the Highway Heroes Club somehow managed to get the racing association to cancel his racing license.
Naturally, all his past honors, etc., vanished, and Ye Qiu as a person also disappeared from the Professional Racing Alliance.
His previous license level was SSS-level, the pinnacle for drivers, but now he truly no longer had one...
"No way, how can it be? Your driving skills are so good, and you don't have a racing license."
Luo Bing couldn't believe it: "If you had a racing license, at the very least you should be an A-level driver, no, an S-level driver."
Hearing Luo Bing's words, Ye Qiu nodded without saying anything.
Seeing Ye Qiu not speaking, Luo Bing's large eyes rolled, and she asked: "Ye Qiu, do you want to become a professional racing driver, do you want to join a team?"
"Huh? Join a team?"
Ye Qiu was taken aback, glancing at the expectant face of Luo Bing.
At this moment, Xu Lei said: "Luo Bing is the daughter of the chairman of the Automobile Guild, and she is also the honorary captain of our H City Level 5 team, the Fiery Sun Team."
"Teacher Xu, don't tease me," Luo Bing said somewhat embarrassedly: "My driving skills really don't stand out in the team."
Ye Qiu was surprised to hear that Luo Bing was the honorary captain of a Level 5 team, and even more surprised to learn that she was the daughter of the Automobile Guild's chairman.
Although she was only the daughter of a city-level Automobile Guild chairman, her strength was not to be underestimated either.
"Join a team?"
Driving the Porsche, Ye Qiu looked out at the rapidly passing street scenes with flickering eyes.
"So, Ye Qiu, do you want to join a team? If you want, I can introduce you and let you directly enter the Level 5 team."
Luo Bing seemed very eager for Ye Qiu to join the team. After speaking, she looked at Ye Qiu expectantly.
Seeing Ye Qiu not respond, Xu Lei advised, "Yes, Ye Qiu, with your driving skills, it's truly a waste not to join a team. It's really wasting your racing talent. Given your skills, if you join that Level 5 team, you might become a key player."
Amused by Xu Lei's words, Ye Qiu chuckled inwardly. He thought, with the system enhancing my attributes now, my strength has greatly increased. Even before, when I was part of the American Professional Racing Alliance, I was a top member of an elite team, even potentially its ace.
It's not that Ye Qiu looked down on his country's teams, but as he saw it, a Level 5 team in a city, with its most capable leader at best reaching SSS-level, and as far as he knew, this team's leader was currently at SS-level. So to let him join such a team as a key player?
If he joined, he might sweep through it directly!
Seeing the two expectant eyes through the rearview mirror, Ye Qiu shook his head: "I'll think about it..."
"Ye Qiu, what are you still thinking about, such a good opportunity, you have to seize it..." Xu Lei said anxiously.
Luo Bing's expression dimmed a little: "Ye Qiu, please think it over again, don't waste your talent."
Ye Qiu still shook his head: "I'm sorry, I haven't made up my mind yet, please let me think it over?"
Hearing Ye Qiu say this, Xu Lei and Luo Bing exchanged glances, then sighed softly.
Seeing the disappointment on their faces, Ye Qiu felt helpless. It wasn't that he was arrogant and looked down on this Level 5 team, but because he had been hurt by a team before, betrayed by his brothers, and before joining a team again, he needed to understand it.
Ye Qiu did not want to go through past events again. One heartbreak was enough...
As Ye Qiu refused once again, silence fell inside the Porsche, with only the sound of the Porsche's engine and the scenes of the street outside swiftly passing by.
Ye Qiu leaned one arm on the window, steering with the other, a faint sadness evident in his expression as memories of the past emerged, bringing sorrow to his heart again.
Sitting in the back, initially, Luo Bing was somewhat displeased by Ye Qiu's two refusals to be honest. But upon seeing the faint sadness in Ye Qiu's demeanor, her heart trembled.
"Why is there such sadness in the eyes of this boy? What kind of past has he experienced?"
Thinking this, Luo Bing hesitated a bit before speaking up: "Ye Qiu, your driving skills are so good, who did you learn from?"
Xu Lei also noticed the sadness in Ye Qiu's eyes, and seeing Luo Bing speak up, she turned her gaze to Ye Qiu as well.
Although Ye Qiu had explained to her before, everything that's happened made her increasingly unable to see through him.
"Me? I learned from my dad..."
Interrupted from his thoughts, Ye Qiu said it casually, memories of a scruffy old man appearing in his mind. Suddenly thinking of something, his expression changed slightly, and he thought to himself, "Oh no, it's already midnight, will the old man be upset that I'm coming home so late?"
Thinking this, Ye Qiu immediately increased the speed of the car considerably.
Luo Bing felt the car suddenly speed up, feeling puzzled, but she still asked: "Ye Qiu, do you like watching racing?"
"Yes!" Ye Qiu replied.
"Well, which racer do you like then?"
Without hesitation, Ye Qiu said: "Lin Xirou."
"Ah, you like Lin Xirou, too? What a coincidence, I quite like her as well. But what about that genius boy from Huaxia who was with her, I wonder if you like him?"
Having said that, Xu Lei also looked at Ye Qiu.
"Ah, are you talking about Ye Qiu? Of course, I like him..."
Ye Qiu said, "And he even shares my name."
"Yes, that is quite a coincidence!"
Said Luo Bing, while Xu Lei narrowed her eyes slightly, watching Ye Qiu.
"Ye Qiu, how old are you this year?"
After Ye Qiu answered, Luo Bing remained silent for a long time before finally asking this.
"How old are you?"
Ye Qiu was taken aback and blurted out, "I'm 18..."
After speaking, he saw Luo Bing's smile through the rearview mirror, furrowing his brows, feeling something was off.
"So young..."
Luo Bing chuckled and then leaned back in the seat, muttering softly, "That genius, Ye Qiu, seems to be 18 this year too... if he didn't lie about his age..."
Ye Qiu didn't hear Luo Bing's mumbling, but Xu Lei beside him did. Her eyes suddenly lit up, and she looked at Ye Qiu with a curious look.
...
Whoosh...
The Porsche stopped in front of a high-end villa in H City, Luo Bing got out of the car and then came to Ye Qiu's car door. The window rolled down, and Ye Qiu looked at Luo Bing, saying, "Hurry back, it's getting late."
"Mm..."
Luo Bing nodded and then said, "Ye Qiu, you still don't have a driver's license. Come find me this Saturday; I'll take you to the Automobile Guild for the test."
Speaking, Luo Bing stepped forward, getting very close to Ye Qiu.
Ye Qiu was startled by Luo Bing, blushing at the youthful scent emanating from Luo Bing.
He wondered if he was going to get a kiss.
"These young people nowadays..." Xu Lei shook her head awkwardly at the scene.
Luo Bing noticed Ye Qiu's blushing face, her own face reddened, then she rolled her eyes at Ye Qiu, saying, "I'll lead you to the driving test, and we can even use the back door."
"Huh?"
Ye Qiu was stunned.
"Haha, dummy..."
Seeing Ye Qiu's astonished look, Luo Bing laughed like a nightingale, hopping towards the villa. When she reached the door, she looked back at the still dazed Ye Qiu and shouted, "Don't forget, come to me this Saturday, use the back door..."
"Uh, use the back door?"
Ye Qiu scratched his head and only looked away after Luo Bing entered the house. Then he awkwardly smiled at Xu Lei, who was staring at him from the back seat, saying, "Teacher Xu, I'll take you home now."
"Let's go eat, I'm a bit hungry!"
"Uh, eat, at this hour?" Ye Qiu looked at the darkening sky.
"Let's eat."
"Alright then." Ye Qiu was helpless to Xu Lei's domineering manner, and soon started up the Porsche and left.
Then, the two found a 24-hour fast food restaurant, had a quick meal, and Ye Qiu sent Xu Lei to the teachers' dormitory, leaving the car keys with her.
Xu Lei was puzzled, and Ye Qiu explained, "Teacher, I actually have a car. I can't take this one home; I'll drive my own car home."
"You have a car?" Xu Lei was curious.
Ye Qiu nodded, then said, "It's the car I use to make deliveries daily; I need to drive it home after school."
"Oh, I see, you better hurry back then," Xu Lei said.
Ye Qiu nodded, said goodbye to the teacher, and turned away, walking briskly. Xu Lei watched Ye Qiu's back until his figure disappeared into the night, then glanced at the Porsche keys and turned back home.
...
In the school's underground parking garage, the area seemed quite empty now, with only a few scattered cars parked inside.
Among them, a white "Classic" pickup truck stood out.
The dimensions of this white Classic truck were: 5540mm in length, 1700mm in width, and 1640mm in height.
Two gigantic headlights took up almost two-thirds of the front, and the peeling paint on the hood exposed the truck's advanced years, despite it being valued at only 50,000.
Four massive tires made the Classic seem towering, especially with an extra cargo box at the back filled with iron containers for transporting goods.
Thud, thud, thud.
Ye Qiu quickly ran to the Classic, and seeing this outdated pickup that even ordinary folks wouldn't buy, a smile appeared on his fresh face.
He patted the hood, took out the car key, and twisted open the car door.
Watching the door make a creaking sound when opened, Ye Qiu shook his head with a bitter smile, got in without saying a word.
Creak.
As soon as he sat on the seat, the springs let out a piercing noise. However, Ye Qiu was clearly used to it, not panicking, but instead sitting still for a few minutes before finally exhaling in relief.
"That stingy old man dad is really tight-fisted, won't even replace a seat, and doesn't allow me to change it. It's just exasperating..."
Ye Qiu shook his head, closed the car door, then inserted the key into the ignition and started the engine,
Vroom, vroom,
The Classic's engine roared twice but didn't start.
"Oh..."
It seemed Ye Qiu had gotten used to this, as he got out of the car and went to the hood, then vigorously slapped it twice...
He got back in, twisted the key again, and it roared twice before the old Classic finally started up.
"It's getting late; wonder if that old man dad is asleep yet. If not, I'm definitely getting scolded again!"
At the thought of possible scolding upon returning home, Ye Qiu felt a little helpless but still started the truck. The Classic's exhaust spewed black smoke and then took off.
If Xu Lei or Luo Bing knew Ye Qiu was leaving a 7 million yuan Porsche unused and driving a decrepit pickup worth less than 50,000 now, they'd probably call him peculiar.
And if those who knew Ye Qiu's identity discovered that this former prodigious professional racing genius chose not to drive a supercar but a nearly scrapped pickup for daily deliveries, they'd likely be dumbfounded.
But Ye Qiu couldn't think much about it now. He just drove this rundown pickup at high speed towards his home, fearing his old man dad might lash out at him otherwise.