Their Mistake, Her Rise - Chapter 142: Chapter 142

His insults were full of contempt, and he kept pushing his luck, making it look like he might hit Zoe any second.
Henry couldn't take it anymore. He stepped forward, his voice cold. "Brooke, don't go too far."
Brooke looked at Henry, then burst out laughing. "Still remember what it felt like crawling under me last time, Henry?"
The guys with Brooke all laughed, while Henry's face got dark.
Seeing the Clusia team acting just as timid as always, the foreigners started shouting more insults.
"Stop acting tough in front of us. Go crawl back to your own country!"
"Little girl, do you really think you belong here? Racing is a man's game. Are you here to race or just to keep us company at night?"
"She's pretty cute. It'd be a waste if Daniel killed her. Wouldn't it be fun to mess with her first?"
The rude comments kept coming, and Zoe's face turned dark.
Suddenly, she stared right at Brooke and his crew, her eyes sharp like knives.
She said coldly, "This year's racing championship belongs to Clusia—because I'm going to take first place. Get lost."
Her words were cold and proud when she told everyone how she faced Daniel before.
She had broken one of Daniel's fingers, which made everyone gasp. They couldn't help but stare at Zoe.
They thought, 'Damn, this girl's got guts. She pissed off Daniel, and now she's provoking Brooke.
'Brooke is just as big a name as Daniel in racing. Is she really set on walking the road to ruin?'
Zoe made herself famous for real this time.
Everyone started wondering, 'How badly is this girl going to get hurt on the track?'
With maniacs like Brooke and Daniel around, they'd know the answer.
Brooke burst out laughing. "I like girls who aren't afraid to take risks. You caught my eye. Let's see who wins on the track."
Hearing that, Henry felt worried. He knew Brooke wasn't really as easygoing as he looked.
Usually, anyone who crossed Brooke would get payback on the track. Even Henry didn't expect Zoe to be this brave to provoke him.
It had been less than two days, and she had already made her two biggest rivals in the international racing world angry. Henry started to regret bringing Zoe to this race.
He wasn't sure if Clusia could really win first place like Zoe said.
Someone from the crowd suddenly said, "Hey, do you think Fox—the legendary king of racing—will show up today?"
People who race know Fox well. But no one has ever seen what Fox really looks like.
Every time Fox showed up, Fox had hidden behind the helmet and racing suit. Even the best paparazzi had never taken a picture of Fox's face.
Fox's crazy driving skills made Fox special. Fox pulled off miracles that no one else can even imagine, especially in those incredible comebacks.
That was why racers saw Fox as the top of the game—Fox was the idol everyone wanted to beat but no one could catch.
As soon as Fox's name came up, everyone forgot about Zoe and started talking about Fox instead.
"If only Fox would show up! Fox is my favorite racer. I can die for one race against Fox," Brooke said.
The crowd got even more excited, their voices loud and crazy.
"I'd give up twenty years of my life just to see Fox in person!"
"Fox probably won't be here. Fox is always secretive, and it's been ages since anyone has seen Fox. Fox hasn't been at any recent big races."
"Some say Fox is already old, so maybe Fox has done racing."
Hearing all this, Brooke stepped up and said, "My hero is not retired. I heard from the Eminence Nexus that Fox was seen at some small track in another country not long ago."
"But didn't they prove that was just some amateur copying Fox? Not the real deal," someone argued.
"Why doesn't Fox come out anymore?"
"Anyway, no one matches Fox's racing skills."
"My favorite thing about Fox is the crazy acceleration."
"I love the 720-degree lightning drift!"
"Those comeback moves—overtaking everyone at the last second—made Fox a legend."
All this talk made Henry and other top racers from Clusia look at Zoe, trying to see if she showed any feelings.
But she stayed totally calm, like Fox had nothing to do with her.
It was strange. Zoe had done a bunch of Fox's famous moves on the track. Even if she wasn't Fox, no true fan could stay so chill when her idol was being talked about.
Henry was totally confused. Just then, all the racers were called to get ready.
In the locker room, Zoe was changing into her racing suit when Henry came over, looking worried. "Zoe, I know you're amazing and I really believe you can shock everyone out there. But you can't take on all those sneaky racers alone."
Henry added, "Our country isn't like others. For us, safety comes first—winning is second. Even if you don't win, we won't blame you."
That was what made Clusia special. As long as she gave her best, even if she lost, her country would always support her.
Zoe nodded as she put on her racing gloves. Just then, her phone started ringing loudly. She picked it up quickly.
A cold, strange voice came through the line. It was hard to tell if it was a man or woman—someone using a voice changer so Zoe couldn't tell who it was.
"Zoe, you're not allowed to win, and you're not allowed to challenge Daniel. The winner of this race is Daniel.
"If you don't listen, you'll make an enemy of the arms tycoon in Yaniston. You and your team won't go back to Clusia."
It was a clear threat, cold and full of arrogance. As soon as the words finished, the call ended with a beep.
Hearing this, Henry and the other Clusia racers all felt a chill run down their spines.