Because the wheelchair speed-god video had gone viral, Longjing Mountain had become famous among the cycling community in Wulin City.
Many riders now came here under the banner of 'paying pilgrimage,' while also enjoying the mountain road itself.
During the day, people were trapped at work like corporate drones. When the sun finally set, becoming a rider of the night was the choice of many cyclists.
And right now—
A group of four riders was heading downhill together.
"Didn't expect this," one of them said to his companions. "We came here to worship the wheelchair god, but turns out this Longjing mountain road is actually great to ride."
"Yeah," another agreed, glancing at the tea trees lining both sides of the road. "This road used to be super obscure. Didn't think the pavement would be this good, and the environment's nice too."
"Holy sh*t—there's someone riding a public bike downhill!"
The rider at the back suddenly shouted.
The other three turned around, and sure enough, a yellow public bike was descending the mountain.
"Isn't that exhausting? We're on road bikes and even we get tired," one rider joked.
Road bikes were a specific category of bicycles, designed for paved roads. Lightweight frames, low wind resistance—machines built purely for speed. They were also far more expensive than ordinary bicycles.
"How long would it even take to ride a public bike like that? Way too slow," another rider chimed in, his tone full of disdain.
As riders who casually spent thousands—or even tens of thousands—on road bikes, they naturally looked down on public bicycles.
"Hey… don't you think something's off?"
The only female rider in the group suddenly spoke up.
"What is it?" The other three immediately turned their attention to her.
"That public bike… it's going really fast."
Her mouth hung slightly open, disbelief filling her voice.
"Fast? How fast could a public bike possibly be?" One of the men scoffed, turning his head—
But whatever he was about to say got stuck in his throat, turning into just two words:
"Holy sh*t."
The other two riders also noticed it.
"That actually looks crazy fast. How many kilometers per hour is that?"
"Looks like over fifty!"
"Is that even possible for a public bike?"
"That's insane—he's about to pass us!"
"Quick, take your phones out! What are you spacing out for?!"
The group hurriedly pulled out their phones to record.
The yellow public bike blasted past them in a flash, leaving behind only a clean, carefree silhouette.
"There's another expert!" One rider exclaimed while filming.
The previous expert, of course, was the wheelchair god.
"Who would've thought this tiny Longjing Mountain could produce both a Hidden Dragon and a Young Phoenix?" Another companion shook his head in amazement.
"Last time it was the wheelchair god racing in a wheelchair. This time it's a public bike—damn. I'm posting this in the group."
Unable to wait, the female rider immediately uploaded the video to the chat.
"Pretty girl posted a video—quick, let me see!"
"+1"
"+1"
"…"
In a group with far more men than women, she was always showered with attention the moment she posted anything.
"Ah… it's not a selfie? Disappointed."
"Disappointed my ass—this video is fire!"
"Holy sh*t, that public bike looks like it's about to take off!"
"Insane. That's gotta be over 50 km/h."
"Where was this filmed?"
"Longjing Mountain," the female rider replied.
"Again?! Longjing Mountain?"
"Wasn't the wheelchair god racing there last time too?"
"Longjing Mountain: Hidden Dragon, Young Phoenix."
"Post more!"
The video instantly blew up the entire group. The hype it generated completely outclassed even the usual pretty-girl posts.
...
After riding all the way down from the summit, Lu Yang stopped at the foot of the mountain and let out a long breath.
On the descent, both his mind and muscles had been under extreme tension. He hadn't even had time to check his mission progress.
Only now did he finally look.
[ Mission Progress: 10 / 50 ]
He had overtaken ten cars in total this run.
At this rate, he'd need four more runs to complete the mission.
After recovering his stamina, he mounted the public bike again and headed back up the mountain.
The uphill climb was a brutal test of endurance. If he hadn't completed the physique mission—and if his body weren't naturally light—there was no way he'd have enough stamina for a second climb.
By the time he reached the top again, it was already late at night.
Under the streetlights, the road was still brightly lit. The Longjing convenience store sign glowed, though the shop itself was closed.
He went inside, grabbed a bottle of Red Bull from the fridge, and downed it in one go.
Then Lu Yang went upstairs and gently knocked on the door of Lu Qiangqian's room.
No response.
He carefully pushed the door open and peeked inside.
Qiangqian was fast asleep. The window was half-open, and the summer night breeze, mixed with the chirping of cicadas, drifted in—but didn't disturb her at all.
Seeing this, Lu Yang's heart gradually settled.
In this parallel world, his life had been reduced to numbers. Fail a mission once, and he could die.
It was impossible not to feel anxious.
But all those worries slowly faded as he watched his sister sleeping peacefully.
In his previous world, Lu Yang had been completely alone. He had never had a sister.
That was why Qiangqian's existence felt especially precious to him.
"Stupid big brother… no selling the shop… no selling… the shop…"
Qiangqian turned over in her sleep, mumbling with a bit of drool at the corner of her mouth.
Lu Yang smiled faintly and whispered so softly it was almost inaudible:
"Good night."
After closing the door, he returned once more to the world where survival meant giving it everything he had.
Once his stamina recovered, he put the mask back on, mounted the public bike again—
And charged down Longjing Mountain yet another time.
With experience from the first run, he rode even faster this time.
In his previous world, he had been a motorcycle rider. Two wheels were still two wheels—many principles carried over.
This time, he pushed his speed past 50 km/h much sooner, overtaking cars with even greater ease.
Then—
Another familiar curve.
Lu Yang leaned the bike in early, pressing down hard.
But as he entered the bend, he suddenly saw—
A car coming from the opposite direction, crossing lanes to overtake.
A blind corner.
No visibility.
An overtake.
The driver of the oncoming car was reckless.
Lu Yang didn't even have time to curse.
He reacted instantly.
First, he forced the bike upright, stopping the lean. At the same time, he braked and shifted his line toward the side.
Longjing's mountain road didn't separate motor and non-motor lanes, and the road wasn't wide to begin with.
The car cutting the corner also spotted Lu Yang's public bike—but it was too late to brake.
They were about to collide.
Gritting his teeth, Lu Yang twisted the handlebars with all his strength—
Forcing the bike off the road and plunging straight into the tea bushes.
Compared to smashing into a metal car body, he'd rather crash into tea shrubs.