PCJ – Chapter 712 The Race

Zhang Jiaohua was also excitedly experiencing the new car. Driving a vehicle developed by his own team felt completely different. Beyond the novelty, it was exhilarating. The car’s dreamlike elements were overwhelming—just the fully transparent design alone could easily outshine those so-called luxury cars. And the comfort inside turned driving into pure enjoyment. On top of that, the highly intelligent assistance system made handling the car effortless.

In truth, the mountain road was far from smooth. Unlike the paved asphalt streets of a city, many sections were just bulldozed flat without being covered in asphalt or concrete. Though the bulldozer had leveled the surface roughly, the tracks it left behind were still clearly visible.

Yet when the new energy vehicle drove over such a road, there wasn’t the slightest bump felt inside. Not even a trace of noise could be heard. The windows were closed, yet the air remained fresh and clean. When sunlight streamed in, the car’s body filtered it so that no heat was felt at all—only the pleasure of enjoying the scenery under the bright sun.

“Assistant 01,” Zhang Jiaohua said softly.

“I’m here.” The smart assistant of the vehicle immediately appeared beside Zhang Jiaohua, hovering above the driver’s seat. It was just a projection formed by light, but it looked so lifelike.

“Check the endurance,” Zhang Jiaohua said.

“Under current conditions, the car’s water reserves can last at least one week. The nutrient solution can last over a month. Solar energy is continuously being stored, enough to maintain nighttime travel. Theoretically, this car can drive continuously without any mileage limitation.” The assistant reported the data, results so astonishing they were almost unbelievable.

A car that could keep driving indefinitely without needing fuel—just that alone would win over car owners across the country. After all, for most drivers, the constant drain of fuel costs during long trips was always painful.

Zhang Jiaohua, now fairly well-off and holding a high position, had had opportunities to experience so-called luxury cars. But compared to this new energy vehicle, the gap was enormous. No luxury car could completely eliminate noise during travel, nor the jolts caused by rough roads.

“Master, during travel, you can also connect to other new energy vehicles,” the intelligent assistant reminded him.

“Then connect us,” Zhang Jiaohua said.

“Connection requests have been sent. Please wait for the other car owners’ approval.”

Soon, more than ten cars were all linked together. Once connected, Zhang Jiaohua could freely see the conditions of any driver, video-chat with any of them, or even hold a group call with everyone at once.

“When we get back, I’m swapping my car for one of our new energy vehicles,” Zhang Yuanbao said.

“Dream on! Right now this car is still classified as our company’s top secret. At the very least, you’ll have to wait until we officially announce it before you can drive one on public roads,” Ji Jiaxin laughed.

“How long is that going to take?” Zhang Yuanbao groaned.

“First, the car has to go through regulatory approval for road licenses. Only then can we market it. Right now, we’re still in trial production, testing and verifying the equipment. So don’t even think about it for now,” Zhang Jiaohua said with a smile.

“Hey, how many laps have we done? When are we heading back?” Nie Tong asked.

His in-car assistant answered immediately: “Ten laps completed. Total distance: 237 kilometers. Time: one hour and thirty minutes. Average speed: 158 kilometers per hour.”

Nie Tong stuck out his tongue. And this was after everyone had slowed down once they connected. He glanced at his current speed—147 km/h. Out on real roads, he wouldn’t dare drive that fast.

“Doesn’t feel like we’ve been out long. Let’s circle a few more laps before heading back,” Qi Xia said, clearly unsatisfied.

“How about a mountain road race?” Zhang Yuanbao suggested.

“Why not? Perfect chance to test the performance of our new cars. But everyone be careful. If things go wrong, activate your talismans,” Zhang Jiaohua agreed, curious to push the vehicles to their limits.

These cars had multiple modes: city mode, highway mode, off-road mode, mountain mode… and even a hidden mode—racing mode.

Since all of these cars were prototypes, the racing mode hadn’t been disabled. Very quickly, everyone switched into it.

The dozen or so cars stopped together. Ji Jiaxin, Mei Qing, and the other women were given the front row. The men had no such privilege and had to draw lots for position. The mountain road was four lanes wide at its broadest, but narrowed to two in some sections. The starting line was set at a four-lane stretch, with four cars abreast and the rest lining up behind in rows.

Zhang Jiaohua was unlucky, ending up in the last row. Mute, however, was the luckiest, starting in the front row alongside Mei Qing and Ji Jiaxin.

But as soon as the race began, Mei Qing and Ji Jiaxin floored their accelerators, their cars roaring off like wild beasts. It was as if beauties and beasts were dancing together.

Mute was caught off guard, hesitating at the start and instantly falling far behind the two women.

Watching the system’s live map, Qi Xia saw Mei Qing and Ji Jiaxin already streaking far ahead, not slowing in the slightest. Frustrated, he muttered, “Whose bright idea was it to let Mei and Jiaxin skip the draw?”

Zhang Yuanbao chuckled. “Ask Jiaohua. Pretty sure it was his suggestion.”

Zhang Jiaohua laughed. “And didn’t you all agree? Who would’ve thought that our quiet, gentle Mei and Jiaxin would turn into maniacs on the road?”

“Zhang Jiaohua, I think I heard someone bad-mouthing us. By the way, why does this car even have a maximum speed limit?” Mei Qing’s voice came through.

“What do you think this is, a spaceship? Go too fast and you’ll fly right off the road. Don’t push it—if you hit a sharp curve, even your talismans won’t save you!” Zhang Jiaohua quickly warned.