At the starting line, Derek Su could barely keep from laughing at the sight of Blazing Wind and Vanessa looking so dejected.
"Derek Su, just laugh if you want to. You don't have to hold it in."
Vanessa wrinkled her nose and said gloomily, "We failed the test, so we just won't compete."
"You two really want to enter the Knox Rally?" Derek Su asked deliberately.
"Of course. I think about it while I'm eating, while I'm pooping, and even in my dreams." Vanessa lowered her head with a heavy sigh. "But now, dreaming about it is all I can do."
Everyone fell silent for a moment. They exchanged glances, struggling not to laugh.
Blazing Wind and Vanessa looked at them in confusion, unable to tell what everyone was planning.
Derek Su cleared his throat and said calmly, "After discussing it, we've decided to let you and Blazing Wind enter the Knox Rally. You did hit the traffic cones, but that happened after the jump. Hmm... We can overlook that. It wasn't really a technical error."
Vanessa's eyes instantly lit up.
"R-really? We can really compete in tomorrow's rally?"
"Of course. I'm a man of my word!"
Vanessa's face flushed as her emotions surged.
Still, she had spent the past three months training specifically to control them with Blazing Wind's help. She pressed a hand to her chest and took several deep breaths, gradually calming herself down.
She also wanted to show Derek Su and her father that she had become much better at controlling her emotions and would not suffer an episode so easily anymore.
"But!"
Derek Su narrowed his eyes.
That single word made Vanessa jump twice in fright.
"That final jump was extremely dangerous. Until you've fully mastered jumping techniques, you are absolutely forbidden from trying it again. Go write a 2,000-character self-criticism and bring it to me before tonight!"
Vanessa immediately wilted.
A 2,000-character self-criticism? Wouldn't her hand fall off from writing that much?
Her joy at being allowed to enter the Knox Rally was instantly dampened.
In a way, this also helped bring her emotions back under control.
She wanted to negotiate with Derek Su, but his stern expression made it clear there was no room for discussion.
Blazing Wind discreetly nudged Vanessa's arm and gave her a meaningful look.
Vanessa immediately understood what she meant.
"What are you two whispering about?" Derek Su sneered, putting on the full authority of a club owner. "Blazing Wind, you're staying at the club until tonight. You are not to leave my sight. Thinking of helping Vanessa write her self-criticism? Dream on!"
Vanessa and Blazing Wind fell silent.
Vanessa trudged away to write her self-criticism.
She muttered something under her breath, but Derek Su pretended not to hear.
Rules existed for a reason. That jump had been far too dangerous, and he needed to make sure the girl learned her lesson.
However, one thing was undeniable.
Vanessa's talent was frightening.
Even considering that Blazing Wind could teach her some techniques and assist her while she drove, Vanessa was unquestionably a genius.
Her judgment of the track, control of her speed, and ability to respond to unexpected situations had clearly demonstrated her exceptional feel for both the car and the road. Those were not qualities that could be developed easily through training alone.
Some people passed the second and third stages of their driving test on the first try. Others failed more than a dozen times, or never passed at all.
Some people had an instinctive sense of speed and distance, allowing them to react immediately in an emergency. Others rear-ended cars constantly and froze whenever something unexpected happened.
Simple examples like these showed that everyone possessed a different feel for cars and roads.
Vanessa happened to be among the very best.
Given enough time, she would undoubtedly become an outstanding driver.
...
"So tomorrow, Vanessa and I will both be heading into battle."
Back in the conference room, Derek Su still found the situation rather strange.
Why did he suddenly feel such a strong sense of responsibility?
It was like a senior and junior heading off to compete together, with the senior expected to set a proper example.
"That's right." Stella clapped her hands and smiled brightly. "Tomorrow, Master will win a championship, and Vanessa will win one too. It'll be a double celebration for the Stella Club!"
Derek Su smiled.
A double celebration.
He would love to see that happen.
Vanessa's situation was settled, but Stella and Purple Lightning still needed one final adjustment.
Stella and Imperial Scale were already his Core Contract Mecha Girls, so they both knew about his special ability.
As for Purple Lightning, he had already convinced her with his earlier explanation.
Although they had not signed a Core Contract, there was no longer any need to worry about exposing his ability. He gathered all three Mecha Girls together, with Imperial Scale observing from the side.
First, he checked Stella's stats.
They had improved considerably after a month of training.
Without any Modules equipped, Stella's current stats were:
[Drifting: 51]
[Acceleration: 102]
[Cornering: 52]
[Boost Charge: 91]
[Stability: 77]
[Impact Resistance: 82]
[Endurance: 86]
Each stat had increased by one or two points.
Once the [Heart of Rock] Module was equipped, her Stability rose directly to 90.
The failure rate of her special skill, Sovereign Engine, was now only thirty percent. However, that was still not safe enough. Derek Su wanted to reduce it to around twenty percent, so he spent 25 of his remaining 57 MP points to raise Stella's Stability.
Her Stability increased to 82, or 95 with the Module equipped.
After applying the points, Derek Su waited to see Stella's reaction.
Stella merely stared at him with wide, innocent eyes.
After a moment of silence, Derek Su asked, "Um... Do you feel any better physically?"
"No." Stella shook her head and replied blankly, "I already feel good whenever I'm with Master."
"All right."
Derek Su sighed.
Stella was slow to notice such things.
Next, he checked Purple Lightning.
Her current stats were:
[Drifting: 90]
[Acceleration: 55]
[Cornering: 93]
[Boost Charge: 64]
[Stability: 59]
[Impact Resistance: 53]
[Endurance: 82]
Compared to a month earlier, both her Impact Resistance and Stability had improved.
Purple Lightning had endured a great deal over the past month. Aside from eight hours of sleep and one hour for meals each day, she had spent all her time training.
To improve her Impact Resistance and Stability, Derek Su had drawn upon training methods used by many top clubs and designed a specialized program specifically for her.
For now, at least, the results were impressive.
Whether it would remain effective after her body adapted was another matter.
"I'll raise Stability to 60 and put everything else into Impact Resistance."
Derek Su considered it for a moment. His remaining 32 MP points could only be exchanged for six stat points.
He placed one point into Stability, bringing it to 60, and the other five into Impact Resistance, raising it to 58.
With the [Heart of Rock] Module equipped, Purple Lightning's Stability would reach 73, while her Impact Resistance would reach 68.
Those figures were naturally much lower than those of a combat-type Mecha Girl like Imperial Scale.
However, among speed-type and skill-type Mecha Girls, they were already above average.
With all the MP points allocated, Derek Su looked over Stella and Purple Lightning's improved stats. He now felt even more confident about the upcoming Panlong Mountain Advancement Race.
"Master, did you improve my performance?"
Purple Lightning noticed the change immediately after the points were applied.
Blushing, she said gratefully, "My whole body feels lighter. Even breathing feels much easier."
Derek Su nodded.
Before Purple Lightning had been forced into underground black-market races, her Stability must have been much higher than it was now.
Because illegal modifications had damaged her Stability, even a modest recovery would feel especially noticeable.
"All right, everything is ready. We only need the final push." Derek Su sat upright with a serious expression. "But before we discuss our race strategy, we need to receive the provincial organizers' inspection and confirm that our club meets the competition requirements."
Imperial Scale frowned.
"Master, aren't we still missing a coach?"
"You call that a problem?" Derek Su raised an eyebrow.
Just as he was about to continue, his phone rang.
He picked it up and saw that the call was from the provincial race inspector.
"That's strange."
Derek Su frowned.
He remembered being told that the inspector would arrive in the evening.
Why had they shown up before noon?
...
...
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