The Finish Line and You

"Whoa, an oasis! What a huge crocodile!" "Is it at all possible that's called a lizard?" Ji Jue sighed. Just how remote was the House of An? Never mind skipping high school, had she never even watched an episode of Animal Planet? Unfortunately, before Ji Jue could finish explaining, An Ning had already hopped out of the vehicle, nimbly crested a sand dune, and bounded toward the tiny oasis. She blended right in. The wild beasts gathered around the pool with their heads lowered to drink didn't even look up—or perhaps didn't dare to—as she yanked them up one by one to snap photos. Until even the oasis couldn't take her anymore. Amidst an earth-shattering tremor, yellow sand surged and parted to both sides. The oasis rose. A head resembling solid rock thrust out from between the stone crags. It seemed to look back, casting a glance in their direction, before several massive, boulder-like legs lifted a body spanning several kilometers. Carrying the pool and greenery on its back, it lumbered unsteadily into the distance. It seemed slow, but it moved with startling speed. In just a few short minutes, it vanished into the yellow sands, gone without a trace. Only An Ning, her face covered in sand, came bounding back in excitement. "Did you see that? Brother Ji Jue, it was alive! It was really alive!" "Indeed. Truly massive." Leaning back in the driver's seat, Ji Jue gazed softly in the direction the oasis had departed. It was the first time he had ever seen such an enormous creature. Experts said it was a type of calamity beast, seemingly a mutated tortoise, though of an exceptionally docile temperament. It could survive on dirt and sand alone, and its body grew continuously, leaving it with virtually no natural predators. Since it yielded no rare materials, no one bothered to hunt it. Its greatest passion was basking in the sun. With enough luck, one might occasionally stumble across its tracks in the desert. Perhaps it had soaked up enough sunlight and gone looking for a place to nap. Or perhaps it had sensed something. "The wind is picking up, An Ning." Ji Jue waved her over. "Let's get moving. A sandstorm is coming." Satellite imagery reported a massive cyclone sweeping north from the south. If they lingered where they were, they stood a good chance of being swallowed whole. They sped onward. An hour later, the winds were howling so hard that visibility dropped to zero. After repeatedly bogging down in the dense, swirling sands, Little Niuma switched to walking mode. Its eight mechanical limbs hopped deftly across the dunes, finally securing a shelter beneath an uncollapsed, weathered cliff. Under a pitch-black sky, the sandstorm's outer fringes shrieked past, pelting countless grains of sand and debris down like torrential rain. Buried underneath with its lights extinguished, the vehicle trembled as rumblings echoed from below, mingled with earth-shattering booms. It was as if the sea of sand was boiling. An Ning poked her head out in wonder, gazing wide-eyed into the gloom. Together with Ji Jue, she watched as a colossal creature slowly rose from beneath the vast desert floor, amidst the raging onslaught of dust and grit. Pillar-like limbs shot forth into the heavens, straight into the eye of the swirling storm. As if biting onto something, a deafening screech shook heaven and earth. The tempest grew all the more violent as a torrent of thick, viscous blood rained down through the sand. Soon, the bizarre, heaven-propping limbs retracted, most of them mangled and broken. Yet wrapped within those writhing members was a tattered wing, trailing chunks of carapace and twitching flesh. Swallowed by the sandstorm, it sank once more beneath the yellow sands, vanishing from sight. When the cyclone drifted deeper into the desert like a living thing, another half an hour passed before the gale subsided. The desert remained a desert, the wasteland remained a wasteland. It was as if nothing had happened. The savage clash between the two titanic calamity beasts seemed like a mere hallucination. "That was so magnificent," An Ning murmured in awe. "Yeah." Ji Jue was equally captivated by the grandeur of the spectacle. Flipping through the blurry photos on her camera, she sighed with regret. "Too bad it wasn't clearer." "That distance was the absolute limit. Getting any closer would've been asking for death." Ji Jue reached out, tapped her camera, adjusted the parameters, and cleared away extraneous visual noise. The image automatically enhanced, though it still fell short of crisp. It was a simple fix, something to leave her a keepsake. Yet as the image sharpened, Ji Jue noticed a whole heap of unflattering photos of himself that had been added without his knowledge... complete with shots of his face scribbled all over while he slept, and even someone playfully shoving a finger into his mouth. His blood pressure spiked in an instant! "Brother Ji Jue, what's wrong?" An Ning looked over with wide, innocent eyes, her pure smile bearing not the slightest trace of guilt. Ji Jue rolled his eyes, refusing to dignify her with a response. Little Niuma rose from the sand, shook off the grit, and set off once more. Bathed in the evening glow, the desert turned a soft shade of pink, washing away any memory of its earlier cruelty and terror. They even caught sight of a mirage. Talk about good luck. By daybreak, they had crossed the outer perimeter of Longyuan and reached the Haizhou checkpoint, the final stop of the journey. Once again, they were among the very frontrunners. They held a lead of over seven hours on the next closest team. The race wasn't officially over, but the final outcome was already beyond doubt. After another round of interviews, followed by a full day of rest, the final stage—S4—commenced at noon the next day. Whether it was a trick of the mind or not, Ji Jue thought he recognized several familiar faces in the crowd around the relay station as they lined up at the start. He even seemed to spot Lou Feng. Yet Lou Feng still wore that sour, displeased expression. Pulling a long face in the middle of the crowd, he took one look at Ji Jue, turned on his heel, and walked away. Their bond had clearly frayed; he hadn't even sent a single text to cheer him on. Ji Jue sighed in sentimental disappointment. After browsing through all the congratulatory messages on his phone, he conveniently created a separate contact group for everyone who hadn't sent words of encouragement, tucking them away to deepen their friendship another time. Entering Haizhou felt completely different from Longyuan. It was like leaping from dry land straight into the ocean. The air, which had been dry enough to cause nosebleeds moments before, instantly became suffocatingly humid. Half a day into the drive, mold was already growing on the bag of potato chips that had been sitting in the back for days. The sunlight grew increasingly savage, its scorching rays mercilessly roasting every patch of skin unprotected by sunscreen. At the same time, torrential rains poured down amidst thick, clinging mist. Across the marsh-strewn wilderness, vegetation grew denser, and snakes and insects grew uncomfortably friendly. Though navigating the terrain was more troublesome, compared to what came before, it was practically smooth sailing. Ji Jue was thoroughly accustomed to it; this was his home turf. Every now and then, passing near a settlement or small town, he would catch sight of familiar Huasheng and Radish models, only... they had been modified almost beyond recognition. Ji Jue stopped the car to stare, scratching his head in utter bewilderment. He couldn't wrap his mind around how the settlement gearheads had managed to slap caterpillar tracks onto three-wheelers. And some of those three-wheelers were linked together like a damn train... As for the rest, there was an entire parade of monstrosities illegally overloaded with cargo piled high above the truck beds, providing the original creator with an overwhelming dose of remix shock. Ji Jue felt as if his years of mechanical engineering studies were flashing before his eyes. In just over half a month, countless colorful transformations had blossomed across the wilderness. Even though he had started the trend, Ji Jue couldn't help but gawk in disbelief. At the same time, he felt a faint sense of shared pride. It was just a pity about all the precautions he had taken in advance... According to his original plan, he had intended to pull a train of pursuers, draw aggro, and settle the score right here on his Haizhou home turf. When the time came, every settlement along the wasteland would serve as his armory. With a flick of his finger, he could have treated his enemies to the shocking sight of a Haian Auto Works cold platter. Unfortunately, the Haizhou wilderness was now as peaceful as could be. The Security Bureau and local families had scrubbed the region clean so many times that if a stray rock appeared on the road, it would have been flattened and hauled away. As they drove, countless travelers on the wasteland watched them from afar, occasionally waving in greeting. Some recognized Ji Jue's face, while others, following the live broadcast, honked their horns in salute to get their moment on television. Still others merely smiled, watching from the distance to silently wish them a safe journey. The troubles of the wasteland had vanished without a trace. A journey originally estimated to take two days was finished in just a day and a half. In the distance, rising amidst the increasingly dense roads and architecture, the sprawling silhouette of Chaocheng began to take shape. The finish line was within sight. On both sides of the road, behind the mud-splattered guardrails, the spectators grew thicker and thicker. By the end, it was a veritable sea of people. Before the cameras, they shouted with excitement, waving their hands, with some even vaulting over the railings to swipe a hand across the passing vehicle. Even if it meant getting splattered from head to toe in mud. Little Niuma honked its horn enthusiastically. Having never received such passionate cheers and attention, its rear end practically wiggled as it ran, picking up speed and pulling off a drift at the bend that elicited a roar of delighted screams. Immediately after, flying clods of mud gagged the wide-open mouths in the crowd. Yet the thrilled onlookers took no offense at all, reveling in the chaos. Just like that, under the flash of countless cameras, the speeding off-roader burst through the finish line. The Haian staff waiting nearby surged forward, their faces flushed red as they cheered like madmen. Watching from afar leaning on his crutches, Yan Jian was already weeping tears of joy. Elation saturated every inch of the air. It was the first time Ji Jue had ever seen so many smiling faces. While crossing the line hadn't stirred much emotion in his heart, standing there now, he felt momentarily lost in a daze. He didn't come to his senses until the car was parked safely inside the garage. Not until a soft, wistful sigh came from the passenger seat. "It's over." "Yeah." Ji Jue nodded, tapping his fist gently against her head. "Thanks for all your hard work along the way." "What a pity." An Ning pouted, then her eyes suddenly lit up. "How about... we do another lap!" [?] Ji Jue stared blankly for a good while, nearly chuckling. "The rally's already over. Where else could we go?" "We ran the course vertically, so we can run it horizontally next, right?" An Ning declared excitedly, "After we run it horizontally, we can drive in circles! Besides, even if we finish the Federation, there's still the Mid-Continent, and the Empire! This is just the beginning! A real race means conquering the whole world on four wheels!" Ji Jue's eye twitched helplessly. "Setting aside how tires are supposed to drive over water, you just want to play, don't you?" "Huh? Aren't you the same, Brother Ji Jue?" An Ning shot him a sullen glare. "You were having a blast, too!" "Still, one has to go home eventually, right?" Ji Jue sighed softly and shrugged. "No matter how much fun you're having, there's always work to be done. There's a massive pile of problems waiting to be dealt with." "..." An Ning fell silent. She looked at him. Her gaze held confusion, perhaps even a hint of indignation. "What's wrong?" "I don't get it. I've never understood, from before until now." Folding her arms across her chest, An Ning couldn't hold it back any longer. She demanded crossly, "Brother Ji Jue, there's always been something weird about you... Why do you always have to be doing something? What could possibly be so important that you can't put it down, that it has to be done by you and nobody else?" Ji Jue shrugged. "If..." An Ning shook her head, cutting him off. "Does everything you do have to have meaning? How far do you have to go before it's enough? How much will it take for you to finally be satisfied?" "..." In the quiet garage, Ji Jue said nothing. It was as if he didn't grasp her meaning—or perhaps he had understood it long ago, but had no idea how to answer. Relentlessly chasing purpose and results, running ragged day after day just to push forward, stumbling uphill without a moment's breath... Did that kind of life really have an end? After countless achievements and meanings, would there really be any true meaning or achievement? He didn't know. Yet if he didn't live like that... "Honestly, as long as you're happy, that's enough, isn't it?" An Ning leaned closer, her eyes wide. "Even if you just find a tree you like, lie down, and sleep under it all day without doing a single thing, that's fine too. Happily hunting for good food, joyfully idling the day away—nobody ever made a rule saying how a person has to live, right?" "...You're talking like a kid again." Ji Jue sighed, but before he could say more, the words died in his throat. An Ning had reached out. After thousands of kilometers on the road, she gathered her courage and finally crossed the final short distance separating their seats. Rising onto her tiptoes, she pulled him into a gentle yet solemn embrace, pressing his face against her chest. A breath as light as a soap bubble enveloped Ji Jue. Dreamlike, ethereal. "You've worked really hard already." Stroking his hair, An Ning whispered to him, "It's okay to take a break once in a while." Ji Jue froze in place. For a long, long time, until she finally let go. An Ning slowly turned her head. She looked out the window. Her soft gaze turned frosty, filled with utter disgust as she stared at the silhouettes that had appeared in the corner of the garage at some point. "Don't mind us. Carry right on." "Just pretend we aren't here." "Ah, youth, I tell ya..." Standing at the garage entrance were two middle-aged men clad in classic tourist attire—loud floral shirts, baggy shorts, identical sun hats, oversized sunglasses, and flip-flops—clutching armfuls of souvenirs. They had erased their presence so completely that no one could tell when they had even arrived. An Neng and An De. They were cracking melon seeds, watching the sweet youthful romance with avid delight. Their grins made their weathered faces look like a withered blossom paired with a battered willow branch. "Tch, the family's here..." An Ning clicked her tongue, turned back, and looked at Ji Jue. "I have to go, Brother Ji Jue. Don't you have anything to say to me?" Ji Jue stayed silent for a long time before telling her, "Go home quickly. Don't drag your feet." "And?" An Ning pressed. "..." After another beat of silence, Ji Jue sighed and bowed his head sincerely. "Thank you." "And then? What else?!" An Ning's anticipation grew. Then, she watched as Ji Jue got out of the car, retrieved a package he had instructed his subordinates to prepare in advance, unwrapped it, and piled a thick stack of textbooks and practice test papers for mathematics, biology, physics, chemistry, and history right into her arms. A veritable mountain of study materials. "Study hard and work on curing your illiteracy!" Ji Jue declared solemnly, "Take these books and practice problems back. Study at your own pace and aim to get into a good university." [???] An Ning stood dumbfounded. She stared at the fresh pile of textbooks and exams in her arms, then back at Ji Jue, back and forth, until her anger boiled over. "I knew it, you're the worst!" "Mm." "Lying to me right to the end!" "Mm." Ji Jue nodded. Just as he went to speak, his collar was seized. Roughly. She yanked him forward, forcing his head down. Then An Ning stood on her tiptoes. Those eyes, shining with starlight, drew close. Before he could react, something soft pressed firmly against his lips. It was nothing like the gentle touch from before. Instead, it carried the raw ferocity of a predator. A wolf that had lurked in the shadows leapt out, pouncing on its unwary prey, seizing its throat, and feasting with abandon. She didn't let go until they were both nearly out of breath. Watching her prey gasp for air, her lips curled into a silent, triumphant grin. She raised a finger, wiped away a trace of blood from the corner of her lips—unclear whose it was—slipped it into her mouth, and savored the taste. "You got one thing wrong, Brother Ji Jue. I like you." She stared into his stunned face, enunciating every word: "Even if you aren't anyone's possession, I still like you!" "..." In the silence, Ji Jue remained frozen. Several times he tried to speak, but found no words. In the end, he could only ask as a deflection, "Are you lying about that, too?" At that, An Ning beamed. "Take a guess." Looking at that smug grin, Ji Jue couldn't read her at all. "You really are annoying, An Ning." An Ning's smile grew brighter. Stepping back twice, she turned to leave. Yet after a couple of paces, she spun around and dashed right back. Catching Ji Jue off guard, she snatched his phone, typed in the password she had peeked at earlier, entered her number and contact info, and thrust it back into his hands. Then, catching him unawares once more, she grabbed his collar. And kissed him again. "Next time you want to go out and have fun, come find me, Brother Ji Jue." Releasing her grip, she took two steps back, admired the look on his face, and gave a tender smile. "Anytime, anywhere!" Ji Jue stood frozen, completely at a loss for words. Instinctively, he looked up at the two men grinning by the garage entrance, filled with disbelief and shock. Wait a minute—your underage niece is dating, kissing a guy on the mouth several times right in front of your eyes, and you're just standing there watching?! Where are your brass-buckled leather belts?! Whip them out, damn it! Yet An Neng and An De just went on smoking and shooting the breeze, entirely unbothered. Noticing his gaze, they flashed a disdainful smirk. Our niece is just dating someone, it's not like some scumbag seduced and abandoned her. Why the hell should we be furious? Back when the two of us were rocking out, who knows where you were still floating around! This is how we White Stags roll, kid! Do you know what freedom means? Ji Jue had nothing left to say. Just like that, he watched An Ning leave with them. She disappeared from sight. She hadn't even remembered to say goodbye. In the quiet garage, he collapsed onto the textbooks An Ning had dumped behind, inexplicably stunned. I mean, sure... I get the logic, but isn't your White Stag clan a little too damn free-spirited?