Extreme sports are more than just a physical activity; they're a brand new source of creativity.
It offers a sensory thrill, with a unique depth and breadth.
This is why they're so beloved by extreme sports enthusiasts.
To surpass oneself through adventure is to transcend life itself.
Chloe leaned against the wall, panting, her eyes filled with fervor.
—
Before she knew it, the weekend evening had arrived. Chloe told her family she was leaving and headed out.
Outside the villa was a network of crisscrossing roads. She hailed a car and was at the university gate in no time.
Chloe was dressed casually today in a loose, black hoodie, gray sweatpants, and a pair of white Puma sneakers.
Summer Beckett was already waiting at the university gate. As soon as he saw Chloe get out of the car, he rushed over to meet her.
"Chloe, let's go to Westwood to check out the course first. Otherwise, I'm afraid you won't be familiar with the layout."
Even though he knew what Chloe was capable of, Summer was still worried.
After all, being unfamiliar with the course was a huge disadvantage. He wasn't expecting Chloe to take first place, but he did hope she would be able to keep herself safe.
Chloe didn't object. "Let's go then."
With that, they hailed a taxi and made their way to Westwood, about ten kilometers away.
Westwood was Kennet's old district, home to many abandoned factories and industrial sites.
The spot Wilder Rhodes and his crew had chosen was an abandoned steel mill. Since no one wanted the property and the government hadn't bothered to acquire it, it had become a popular playground for young parkour enthusiasts.
To facilitate better competitions and practice sessions, the group had even set up a dedicated race course.
Wilder Rhodes must have been serious about winning that million, as he'd scheduled the race for the evening. The only illumination came from a few streetlights that could barely provide light, which greatly increased the difficulty.
Chloe began observing her surroundings the moment she arrived.
The steel mill was vast and surrounded by overgrown weeds, but in its center lay a race course nearly three hundred meters long. The track, constructed mostly from the mill's old equipment, was packed with obstacles and looked extremely difficult.
After just a brief glance, Chloe was already mentally calculating how to clear the course in the shortest possible time.
Seeing Chloe standing frozen in place, Summer, who was beside her, assumed she was scared by the sight of such a course.
He understood that parkour was incredibly dangerous; it was perfectly normal for a girl to be scared.
So he comforted her, "It's fine. It's no big deal if you don't compete later. If we lose, we lose. It's not like I'm short on cash."
Chloe's lips twitched. 'This isn't about the money,' she thought.
After a moment's silence, she finally said, "If I win, we split the money fifty-fifty."
Summer was taken aback that Chloe was actually going to compete.
"Fine! If I get first place, I'll split it with you too."
"Well, well, if it isn't Mr. Beckett."
A mocking voice suddenly came from behind them.
The two of them instinctively turned around to see a group of young men and women behind them.
The man who had spoken was tall, but he had an air of unshakable gloom about his features.
Chloe recognized him: Wilder Rhodes, Summer Beckett's cousin. In her past life, he had been the one to seize control of the Beckett Group.
"Tsk, tsk. Mr. Beckett, got that one million ready?"
Despite his powerful build, Wilder Rhodes spoke in an unsettlingly soft tone that grated on the ears.
Chloe clicked her tongue in imitation. "Summer, why is it so noisy all of a sudden?"
Summer froze for a second before catching on. "Yeah, it's awful."
He even made a show of cleaning out his ears.
"What do you mean by that?" Wilder Rhodes was furious. If the other guy wasn't the official young master of the Beckett Family, he would have thrown a punch by now.
But the two in front of him were looking back with expressions of pure innocence, as if they hadn't been the ones speaking at all.
It was the first time Wilder Rhodes had ever lost face in front of his cousin. His body tensed, looking like he was about to erupt at any second.
"I hope Mr. Rhodes brings his A-game later. Otherwise, don't blame me for not warning you when you lose spectacularly."
Chloe offered a picture-perfect smile, momentarily dazzling the onlookers.
The girl's face was small and fair, and she spoke in a soft, gentle voice. Her eyes, dark and full of life, were so beautiful that it was hard to look away.
But Wilder Rhodes quickly snapped out of it, laughing loudly. "You?"
"What, are you scared?"
Chloe had a petite frame and was a head shorter than most of the people there. This was especially true for Wilder Rhodes, who cast a shadow over her just by standing in front of her.
But Chloe's gaze was deep, and though her voice was soft, she carried an aura that was impossible to ignore.
"Fine, we'll compete," Wilder Rhodes suddenly said, dropping the argument. "Since we're doing this, let's make it interesting."
"The course is three hundred meters long. Besides getting past all the obstacles, how about we add a trick competition to the wager?"
"What?"
Before Chloe could answer, Summer at her side couldn't take it anymore. "Wilder Rhodes, have you no shame? This is just bullying!"
An obstacle race is already exhausting enough, let alone adding a trick component.
A full-speed, three-hundred-meter sprint would leave anyone breathless, never mind one with dozens of obstacles in the way.
Most guys couldn't do it, let alone a girl.
Even the people behind Wilder Rhodes looked a bit surprised.
All eyes were on the two of them.
In their eyes, the two were sure to be intimidated by such a demand.
However, the girl simply uttered a single word in a placid tone: "Sure."
What!
Everyone thought they had misheard.
Even Summer Beckett was stunned.
"Chloe, this is no joke. We already agreed on the rules beforehand; we can absolutely refuse."
But Chloe just shook her head. Under the orange glow of the lights, she appeared surprisingly gentle. "However, I have a condition of my own."
Wilder Rhodes paused, then raised an eyebrow. "Fine."
"I want to raise the bet to five million."
An uproar went through the crowd.
This time, they completely lost their minds.
They had never seen such a brazen woman, and that went double for Wilder Rhodes.
Although he was Summer Beckett's cousin, his family wasn't particularly wealthy.
His father had started his own company, but it had always relied on the Beckett Family for support. While they'd made a fair amount of money over the years, it wasn't even one percent of the Beckett family's wealth.
He'd won plenty of money off Summer Beckett in the past, but he spent a fortune maintaining his persona as a rich second-generation heir.
The reason he'd asked Summer Beckett out this time was that he had a new girlfriend he wanted to buy a car for, and that's when he thought of his personal cash cow.
And five million was a huge sum of money for him.
A glint of greed appeared in Wilder Rhodes's eyes.
He looked at the frail girl before him. 'Winning this will be a piece of cake,' he thought. "All right," he said. "You're on."