Villa, Night—
The wealthy man leaned against the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of beer.
His gaze drifted toward the sofa.
His daughter—Vanessa Ming—was watching SpongeBob SquarePants with Blazing Wind by her side.
Every so often, the two girls, one big and one small, would burst into silly, goose-like laughter.
Ever since his wife passed away from heart disease, and his daughter was diagnosed with the same hereditary condition, he hadn't seen her laugh so freely in a long time. The last time she had smiled like that was when Derek Su and Stella won first place wearing racing suits printed with her photo. The camera had zoomed in on the suits at just the right moment, and the unexpected surprise had kept her happy for quite a while.
He had always felt he owed his daughter.
He was constantly busy. The entire Longteng Group revolved around him as its core.
To cure her illness, he kept a relentless eye on the progress of drug development, which meant sacrificing countless hours he could have spent with her.
Vanessa Ming's favorite thing to do was stay alone in her room and watch races.
Her greatest wish was to compete on the track with a Mecha Girl. And yet, she refused to contract any Mecha Girl.
She believed it would delay that Mecha Girl's future, even if signing a contract would bring in a great deal of money.
Between saving his daughter's life and spending more time by her side, Beto Ming chose the former.
If giving up the entire Longteng Group could buy Vanessa Ming a healthy body, he would hand it over without hesitation.
But that was nothing more than wishful thinking.
Even with today's advanced medical technology—capable of regrowing lost limbs—there was still no effective treatment for heart failure and its complications.
Although her heart could be removed and replaced with a mechanical core, Vanessa Ming refused. She wanted to remain human, not become a half-mechanical lifeform.
Beto Ming respected her choice.
As a result, every profitable project under the Longteng Group was redirected to support pharmaceutical research.
...
That night, Beto Ming let his daughter watch TV a little longer.
Until midnight.
Until Vanessa Ming's eyelids began to droop.
Blazing Wind carried the feather-light girl into her room and tucked her in.
She was so thin that Blazing Wind felt as though she were holding a wisp of cotton that might float away at any moment.
Standing by the bed, she watched the girl's peacefully sleeping face for a while, her expression growing softer and softer.
Better not disturb the little angel's sleep...
Just as she turned to leave, she heard a faint murmur from the girl's dreams.
"…Mm… You're not allowed… not allowed to bully Blazing Wind…"
"...The championship… it's okay… mm…"
Blazing Wind's nose stung, and her throat felt as though a lump of lead were lodged inside.
She rubbed her eyes, stepped out, and gently closed the door.
Beto Ming gestured to her from the living room.
They walked out onto the balcony together.
He had just taken out a cigarette, but after glancing at Blazing Wind, he put it away.
"Thank you for letting me stay the night," Blazing Wind said, lowering her head in gratitude. "If you hadn't helped me, I'd probably be sleeping under a bridge tonight."
In truth, her situation was even worse than she let on.
Without enough food to replenish her energy consumption, she couldn't deploy into vehicle form. That meant she could only rely on her own legs to get around. Once she was too hungry to walk, she would likely be picked up by some black-market boss—lured in with promises of room and board, then tricked into signing an underground contract to race in illegal competitions. Those contracts weren't protected by Mecha Island at all.
"It's nothing. My daughter likes you. You can stay here as long as you want."
Earlier that day, Beto Ming had taken his daughter for a follow-up checkup. On the way back, he happened to pick up Blazing Wind. He had initially been suspicious of her identity, but after a few casual questions, she had confessed everything through tears.
He knew she had already terminated her contract with Chloe Qin and was now free.
His subordinates had verified the information.
Every detail was true.
She had spent the entire afternoon trying to find a club, but not a single one was willing to take her in.
"What are you planning to do from now on?" he asked, glancing at the awkward-looking girl beside him.
"I… I don't know."
Blazing Wind shook her head timidly.
The man before her had eyes sharp as knives. She didn't dare meet his gaze.
It felt as if nothing she said could escape his scrutiny.
As though she had no secrets in front of him.
"I do have a suggestion," Beto Ming said calmly, looking at the traffic flowing below the balcony. "You know Stella Club, right? Its owner, Derek Su, is a friend of mine. If you're willing, I can introduce you to them. But I should tell you in advance—the Stella Club was just established and doesn't have many drivers. You might have to rest for a while after you join. Still, you can learn from Derek Su and build up your skills and experience. His character is trustworthy. When a suitable driver comes along, he'll assign them to you. He won't treat you like a tool the way Chloe Qin did."
Blazing Wind's eyes brightened.
Stella Club… the club founded by the man known as The Magician.
She had wanted to go there earlier, but she was afraid of being thrown out.
When she voiced her concerns, Beto Ming chuckled.
"Do you really think someone like Derek Su would blame an innocent Mecha Girl for a dispute on the track? Back then, Chloe Qin was your driver. Following her orders was your duty. There's no need to worry about being driven away."
Blazing Wind felt tempted. She was just about to agree when the image of the sleeping girl inside suddenly flashed through her mind.
If she went to Stella Club, Vanessa Ming would probably be alone again.
"Vanessa… can't she contract a Mecha Girl?"
"She can. She just doesn't want to." Beto Ming smiled helplessly, his eyes full of heartache. "She's stubborn. She's afraid of holding back a Mecha Girl's future, so she refuses to sign a contract."
"Is this illness really impossible to cure?"
"For now, yes. We can only keep her alive." Beto Ming shook his head. "She has to limit her water intake, avoid strenuous activity, keep her heart rate from rising too high, and avoid emotional extremes—no deep sadness, no overwhelming excitement. Otherwise, she'll suffer chest tightness, heart pain, and difficulty breathing. In severe cases, she could even lose consciousness. That's why she can't take a Mecha Girl onto the track. Given how much she loves racing, just sitting in the cockpit at the starting line might kill her from nervousness and excitement alone."
Blazing Wind lowered her head and pressed her lips together.
One was the thing she loved most in life.
The other was her fragile existence.
To have to choose between the two was unbearably cruel for Vanessa Ming.
"Alright, enough of the gloomy talk." Beto Ming forced a smile. "So? Shall I send you to Stella Club?"
Blazing Wind looked at him, then thought of the pale child resting in the bedroom. A sudden impulse rose within her.
"Actually, I… I…"
She hesitated, the words at the tip of her tongue yet impossible to articulate.
What had happened to her was simply too bizarre.
She had gone through a tornado without a scratch, while her driver had nearly died.
That alone was shocking enough.
Yet she had somehow changed from an ordinary Mecha Girl into a top-tier one.
Yes.
The moment Blazing Wind regained consciousness, she realized something unbelievable.
She had awakened a special skill.
...
If you'd like to support my work and unlock advanced chapters, you can follow me on p-@-treon.
p-@-treon/GhostParser (40 Chapters Ahead)
You can also follow as a free member to read a few advanced chapters.