The Racer’s Downfall

Grayson watched me do all of this, his eyes rimmed with tears.

After all, the only two sets of equipment I could use now had been destroyed by my own hands.

“Finn, what do we do now?”

I took the phone and glanced at it.

As expected, fans had already flooded my comment section, speaking up aggressively for Jasper.

[Weren’t you acting all arrogant before? Jasper has released everything. If you won’t do the same, is it because you’re not good enough? Just withdraw from the race already!]

[In past races, Finn’s style was really similar to Jasper’s. Could he have been copying him all along? Now that data has to be made public, he’s panicking!]

…

In just a few lines, some fans had already convicted me.

Meanwhile, my gaze landed on a message from my girlfriend, someone who hadn’t spoken to me for days.

[Stop messing with those mechanical parts. Come out and have some fun with me tonight.]

I had never told her what I was doing.

She also knew that before a race, I needed absolute focus and never chatted with me.

Yet this time, she kept sending message after message, coming up with different excuses to force me out of the garage.

She even sent a voice message, her voice trembling with sobs. “Finn, give up. If you keep going like this, you’ll die.”

I simply turned off my phone and smiled lightly at Grayson.

“It’s fine. There’s still time. I’ll make another set.”

I took a deep breath and turned on “Do Not Disturb”.

Then I sat back down at the workbench.

Starting from scratch, I drew the plans based on the parts I could find and began assembling.

This could even be called the simplest setup I had ever made. It took just two hours to finish completely.

While organizing the data and sending it to Grayson for review, I lit a cigarette and sorted through my thoughts.

On the surface, this setup could only be considered average, something a rich kid might use as an entry-level toy.

However, I had changed the most critical part.

On the outside, this car was beginner-level. In reality, because of my modification, the moment it entered a professional track, its performance would spike to its absolute peak.

This method was something I had painfully figured out during the ten years of humiliation I endured on a hospital bed.

It was dangerous, but the final result would be dazzling.

Jasper would never have that experience, let alone see through its secret.

Yet, the very next second, I refreshed my feed and saw a “special announcement” from Jasper’s team.

[We’ve heard that some fans who like Jasper want to get into racing. Before the competition, Jasper had this beginner-friendly version specially prepared for everyone. If you’re interested, don’t miss it!]

The moment I read that line, my hands started shaking.

I didn’t even dare open the message Grayson had sent.

How could there be such a coincidence?

I had just finished mine.

Jasper, who had been out enjoying himself all afternoon, had immediately produced one as well. Even the functions, strengths, and weaknesses were exactly the same as mine.

Clenching my fists tightly, I tapped into the detailed data.

Everything was the same!

Still, a sliver of hope remained in my heart.

As long as Jasper hadn’t discovered the most critical part and continued using his previous version during the race, I could completely clear myself of suspicion.

With that thought, I opened the official website without hesitation.

The data flashed before my eyes, but in the next second, the page suddenly displayed: Under Maintenance.

“Bang!”

Grayson slammed his fist into the wall, furious. “Damn it, Jasper!

“He’s definitely pulling tricks again!

“Once data is uploaded, it can’t be changed. Yet he can get the organizer to help him under the table again and again, and no one does anything?! I’m going to find someone and deal with him!”

I lifted my head from the scattered parts on the floor, my expression dark.

“No. I need to deal with the organizer personally.”