There was absolutely no room to pause this race halfway through.
Tony could only look at the empty road ahead, imagining how far ahead Mavuika might be.
Five minutes? Ten minutes? Considering the gap in their speeds, it would only be longer.
"Damn it..." Tony cursed softly, slapping the steering wheel with his right hand: "You don't have to risk your life just to win, do you?"
Before he knew it, half an hour had passed, and Tony had returned to the vicinity of the Villa along the road he came from.
From afar, he saw that striking flash of red.
Mavuika was already waiting there early.
The motorcycle was parked on the side of the road, and he was leaning lazily against it, his helmet already removed and hanging on the handlebars.
His golden-red long hair draped over his shoulders, seemingly glowing in the afternoon sunlight.
He stood with his arms crossed, one leg slightly bent, his posture as relaxed as if he were sunbathing in his own backyard.
Seeing that Mavuika was fine, the stone hanging in Tony's heart finally fell to the ground.
Although losing the race made him a bit unhappy, it was more of a relief that "thankfully nothing happened."
He slowly drove the car over and parked it next to the motorcycle.
Hearing the engine sound, Mavuika turned his head.
Seeing Tony's car, a bright smile appeared on his face, and he waved to greet him.
"Yo, I've been waiting for you for a long time."
After Tony rolled down the window, Mavuika said with a smile.
His voice was relaxed and cheerful, without the slightest hint of fatigue, as if the crazy race just now was just a walk in the park.
Tony rolled his eyes and opened the door to get out of the car.
He walked up to Mavuika and looked him up and down; he was dressed neatly, had no abrasions, and even his hair wasn't too messy.
This didn't look like someone who had just ridden a motorcycle at that speed for half an hour.
"How long have you been here?" Tony asked, his voice tinged with a sense of frustration he hadn't even noticed himself.
Mavuika thought for a moment and tilted his head.
The gesture was a bit playful, and paired with his exquisite face, it made Tony lose his focus for a moment.
"Hmm... not long," Mavuika said, his tone relaxed: "About ten minutes."
"..."
Tony choked, his expression stiffening.
Ten minutes? He was ten minutes behind? According to the speed difference just now, this meant Mavuika was at least thirty kilometers ahead of him...
He felt mocked.
No, not mocked; Mavuika's tone was very natural, just like saying "I had a cup of coffee," but it was precisely this normalcy that made Tony even more depressed.
"He looks quite rational, didn't expect him to be so crazy when riding," Tony muttered to himself, but didn't say it out loud.
He looked at Mavuika's amber eyes and suddenly realized that there was no arrogance or smugness in them, only pure joy, like a child who had had a good time playing.
This made it impossible for him to get angry.
Tony sighed and raised his hands in surrender: "Fine, you win. Tell me, what do you want?"
He remembered the agreement before the race: the winner could make a request.
Although Mavuika said he could think about it later, Tony didn't want to owe anything. Tony Stark could lose, but he couldn't go back on his word.
Mavuika smiled and shook his head, the smile sincere and warm: "It's okay, Tony, I just haven't ridden in a long time and my hands were itching, just for fun. No need to take it seriously."
He was telling the truth; this race was just a game to him, a long-awaited release.
Winning or losing wasn't important; what mattered was the joy in the process.
And he could tell that although Tony lost, his attitude was good; he didn't make excuses or get angry out of shame, which made his impression of this young man even better.
But Tony shook his head, his expression becoming serious: "That won't do. I'm not the type who can't afford to lose."
He paused and started thinking about what kind of prize to give.
Money? Too tacky. A gift? Don't know what Mavuika likes. Help? What kind of help?
Suddenly, Tony's eyes lit up; he thought of the most suitable thing.
"How about this..." Tony said, his tone becoming light.
"In the future, if your motorcycle has any problems, just come to me. Maintenance, repairs, modifications... I guarantee I'll fix it for you. The best technology from Stark Industries, and I'll handle it personally."
This proposal was very practical, and Tony could see that Mavuika truly loved this motorcycle, so ensuring it was always in top condition was the best gift.
Mavuika's eyes widened slightly after hearing this. He didn't expect Tony to propose such a prize, but upon second thought, it was indeed very appropriate.
This motorcycle was customized for him by Howard, but Howard was old after all and couldn't be responsible for maintenance forever.
And Tony... young, skilled, and seemed to be very good with machinery.
"Alright!" Mavuika no longer stood on ceremony and nodded readily: "Then I'll leave it to you, Tony."
He reached out, not to shake hands this time, but to pat Tony on the shoulder like a partner.
The action was very natural, like friends who had known each other for years.
Tony patted his chest, making a gesture of assurance: "Don't worry, compared to the Old man, my skills are only higher, not lower! Although the things he designs are good, they are always a bit outdated and conservative."
"I can help you make more optimizations, upgrade the ECU, adjust the suspension, and even install some interesting little features..."
Talking about technology, Tony's eyes began to shine, and his speech speed quickened.
He began to describe in detail the various modifications that could be made, from performance improvements to appearance optimization, from safety enhancements to comfort improvements...
Mavuika listened quietly with a smile on his face.
He looked at the young inventor in front of him, watching his focused and excited expression when talking about the things he loved, and suddenly felt that this son of Howard was much more interesting than he had imagined.
And Tony didn't know at this time what kind of trouble he had voluntarily taken on...
Seeing that Mavuika and Tony had both returned safely, Howard's heart, which had been hanging, finally fell back into place.
He stood at the entrance of the Villa, carefully looking the two of them over for a good while, and only after confirming there were no abrasions or abnormalities did his tense shoulders slowly relax.
The afternoon Sun had already slanted west, casting the shadows of the three onto the stone road, stretching them out long.
"Come in and rest for a while," Howard greeted, his voice carrying a fatigue of relief.
"Maria has prepared refreshments. You've been riding for so long, you must be thirsty."
When he said this, his gaze mainly fell on Mavuika, with clear concern in his tone.
Tony noticed this; his father's concern for Ms. Marvica seemed to exceed the scope of ordinary friends.
Mavuika nodded and stepped off the motorcycle, moving as lightly as a feather.
He hung the helmet on the handlebars and straightened his slightly messy long hair; the golden-red strands seemed to be plated with a layer of gold in the sunset.