"Master, look. Eight-Armed Qin!"
Stella leaned in close to Derek Su, subtly pointing toward Chloe Qin, her eyes filled with disgust.
Eight-Armed Qin was the nickname Stella gave Chloe Qin. It was originally "Qin Octopus," but later she felt "Eight-Armed Qin" sounded better.
Back then, Chloe Qin had suffered a crushing defeat in a race and was terrified by a tornado, which led to a mental breakdown. Stella only learned about it afterward.
"I see her," Derek Su said with a curl of his lip.
What is she doing here? Someone like her actually got invited onto the island?
No way she got the same kind of one-tenth discount he did.
As if sensing his gaze, Chloe Qin glanced over.
The moment she saw Purple Lightning and Derek Su, her face darkened instantly.
"Ms. Qin, are you sure you want to participate in the AI technology integration trial? If so, please sign here. I've already explained the risks and precautions."
The functional Mecha Girl's voice pulled Chloe Qin back to her senses. She had been hesitating about whether to join the AI integration plan.
There was only one drawback.
In daily life, it had no effect.
But once she entered a race, if her performance failed to meet the AI's standards, the AI would directly take control of the mechanical core and complete the race for her.
At first glance, it sounded great. Let the AI handle the race.
But thinking about it more carefully, it was unsettling. It was as if the AI replaced the driver entirely, leaving her as nothing more than a physical shell.
Chloe Qin had been extremely wary of this.
But when she saw Derek Su and Purple Lightning,
she realized that if she could not defeat Derek Su, she would spend the rest of her life with eight mechanical arms, ridiculed by others.
That thought pushed everything else aside.
"I'll join. I'm joining the AI integration plan," she said through clenched teeth.
The functional Mecha Girl's smile grew more genuine.
"Then please follow me. We'll arrange the procedure immediately. May Mecha Island Technology light your path in racing."
Chloe Qin nodded and glanced sideways at Derek Su and Purple Lightning, a cold resolve forming in her heart.
This was her last gamble. She had poured all her money into this and turned herself into something barely human.
So she would take her revenge on the track and prove one thing.
Her title as Queen of the Track was not just for show.
...
Derek Su watched Chloe Qin, her face full of resentment, follow the staff into a restricted side entrance of the tower. A security line blocked the area, and more than a dozen Mecha Girls in combat suits stood guard, making it clear that entry was forbidden.
"What is Chloe Qin up to?"
Derek Su frowned. Something about her secretive behavior felt off.
He glanced at Purple Lightning and found her completely calm. Stella and Imperial Scale stood beside her like guards.
Looks like he had underestimated her mental resilience.
He had expected her to react strongly upon seeing Chloe Qin.
But then again, Purple Lightning had endured long-term pressure and manipulation. Without a strong mind, she would not have lasted this long.
"Master, is Eight-Armed Qin here for the AI tech too?" Stella asked, blinking suspiciously.
"Who knows." Derek Su shrugged and said casually, "Maybe she's here to install AI driving into herself. Her skills are terrible, after all."
"Then if Eight-Armed Qin copies our techniques, wouldn't that be bad for us?"
Stella crossed her arms, her expression serious. "We need to stay alert."
"Alert for what?" Derek Su chuckled and ruffled her hair. "Stella, remember this. Human strength comes from creativity and the evolution of the mind. AI is just a product of technology. It can improve efficiency, but it will never replace us."
Stella nodded, though she still looked a bit confused.
Derek Su smirked, keeping his real thoughts to himself.
What he said was mostly nonsense.
The real reason AI cannot replace humans is simple.
Machines are expensive. If they break, repairing them and restoring data costs a fortune.
Humans are different. They can work for low pay and still hesitate to take time off even when sick.
What could be cheaper than that?
So AI will always remain AI.
There is a saying. AI may have no upper limit, but intelligent life has no lower limit.
When things get messy, AI is not necessarily the winner.
"Alright, let's go take a look." Derek Su looked at the futuristic building ahead. A glowing sign read [Smart Machinery AI Technology].
"I want to see just how capable this AI driving really is. Let's see if it can impress me, the so-called track emperor."
...
At the top of the tower.
A room filled with screens.
Each screen was locked onto a driver and their Mecha Girl. None of the invited participants knew that from the moment they entered the island, as long as they stepped outside the hotel, every movement was being monitored.
Hidden cameras covered every corner of the curved glass structures.
In fact, the entire complex functioned as one massive surveillance system.
A cold-faced Mecha Girl sat before the control panel.
She leaned back, her right hand supporting her chin, while her left hand tapped a remote.
One screen zoomed in.
Chloe Qin had already been anesthetized. Her eight mechanical arms had been removed, and she was being placed onto an operating table.
A faint scoff escaped the Mecha Girl as she switched the feed.
Now the screen showed Derek Su leading the Stella Club members into the exhibition hall.
Her expression sharpened instantly. A strange light flickered in her pale golden eyes.
"The Magician has arrived."
After waiting so long, he was finally here.
Competition footage alone was not enough to train a powerful AI.
They needed The Magician himself.
They needed his data.
For this moment, they had planned everything, pulling every string available.
They had even spent massive resources to renovate the island, completing the tower in just two months.
The plan had begun two years ago.
They had waited and waited for that one special person.
Now he was finally here.
The King of Knox.
The father of drifting and launch control techniques.
The Magician.
Within their faction, he was also known as:
The one who holds hope in his left hand and miracles in his right.
The Son of God.
The Mecha Girl picked up a communicator, barely suppressing her excitement.
"Begin the operation. Everyone proceed with extreme caution. This mission is designated. Code Name: Torch."
"This may be our only chance."
...
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