Their Mistake, Her Rise - Chapter 144: Chapter 144

The crowd was buzzing with excitement, fans shouting and cheering for their idols as the opening ceremony hit its peak.
Compared to the warm welcome for the other countries' racers, Zoe's team looked especially lonely—no one paid them any attention, as if the whole event had forgotten they even existed.
The Clusia racers were annoyed by this.
"Fox is from Clusia, right? How can they just ignore us like this?"
"Exactly! If Fox showed up, we'd be the stars of the whole place."
"Too bad Fox never appears at these ceremonies. All we know is Fox is from Clusia."
At that moment, Henry spoke up. "Prove yourselves on the track. Winning with your own skills is way better than hoping Fox will show up and win glory for us."
He added, "And let me remind you—Zoe is the key to us getting a good result this time. You all need to protect her. Don't give anyone a chance to pull any dirty tricks."
"We will."
Zoe couldn't care less.
She just glanced around calmly, as relaxed as if she were out sightseeing, completely unfazed by the pre-race nerves that gripped the other racers.
"Damn it, why are those foreign racers heading our way?" muttered one of the Clusia racers standing next to Zoe, his brow furrowing as a wave of unease hit him.
It was obvious nothing good would come of this; the foreign racers approaching the Clusia team were clearly looking for trouble, and even Henry grew visibly tense.
Racing goddess Diana, the ageless legend Job, Brady Kane, and other top racers from different countries all strode over.
"I heard you brought a tough little girl this year, claiming she's going to take first place," Brady said, his eight-pack abs on full display.
He spoke with an arrogant swagger that instantly set everyone's teeth on edge.
As team leader, Henry quickly stepped forward to shield his teammates. "The race is about to start, Brady. Are you here to stir up trouble?"
Brady, built like a tank, made Henry look almost comically small in comparison.
With a grunt, Brady reached out his massive hand and shoved Henry aside, then fixed his gaze on Zoe.
Zoe stood there, one hand holding her helmet, her posture proud and unbothered. Even in her racing suit, her figure looked strikingly beautiful.
Even standing before a giant like Brady, Zoe didn't flinch. She might look petite, but her presence was anything but weak.
Her calm and composure actually made Brady pause for a moment. He narrowed his eyes and sneered, "She's got more guts than the rest of you. No wonder you had to send a girl. What a joke."
He added, "How are you planning to get eliminated by me today? Maybe I'll send you packing in the very first lap."
The insults came hard. As soon as Brady finished, laughter exploded around them.
"Clusia morons, just get lost! This isn't your playground—better watch yourselves, or you might not make it out in one piece."
"When you losers go home, you cry to your mommies. You really think a girl will help you place higher? She should get fucked."
The jeers got even louder. A bunch of racers started shaking their hips and making lewd gestures at Zoe. The whole place erupted with laughter while Zoe's face darkened.
She used to show up at international races alone, never taking the official entrance, leaving no trace behind. But now, all these people mocking her and Clusia—they all deserved to pay.
Just as Zoe was about to speak, someone suddenly shouted, "Hey, look over there. It's Daniel! He's brought a massive team with him. Looks like he's dead set on winning the championship this time."
Everyone turned to look at the entrance. Daniel was strutting in, blowing kisses with both hands like some international superstar, playing up to his fans.
The crowd actually went wild for him.
"Daniel, I love you!"
"My dream guy!"
"Daniel, we're counting on you for first place today. I'm your biggest fan!"
Basking in the adoration, Daniel made his way over, looking absolutely pleased with himself.
"Hey, Diana, you look gorgeous as always. Brady, still as ripped as ever," Daniel greeted Diana and Brady like they were old friends.
Then he finally turned, locking eyes with Zoe—the one he'd been watching since the start. His gaze flashed with a sharp, predatory glint.
Daniel's eyes turned cold, full of unprovoked challenge. "You Clusian bitch ready to get destroyed by me?"
He added, "If you beg for mercy now and have sex with me tonight, maybe I'll forgive your arrogance and let you live."
If Zoe wasn't good-looking, Daniel wouldn't even bother saying so. As soon as he finished, everyone around burst out laughing.
Underneath all the glory, this was a world where wild racers saw women as trophies to be conquered. Daniel was the poster boy for that kind of man.
Zoe lifted her cold eyes, her expression icy enough to freeze the air. She said flatly, "We'll settle this on the track. I'll make you lose so badly you'll beg for mercy—and then you can go to hell."
Daniel had expected her to be scared—after all, she was just a woman. But when he didn't see the fear he was hoping for on Zoe's face, he looked a little disappointed.
"Alright, tough girl. See you on the track." Daniel chuckled and walked away.
Once Daniel left, the other racers also started to clear out. Only Diana paused at the door, glanced back at Zoe, and said, "Good luck."
The race was about to kick off, and all the teams were waiting for the referee to give the final rundown of the rules.
Over in the lot where the numbered race cars were parked, inspectors were busy giving each car a last-minute check before they hit the track.
No one noticed that, in a blind spot after the inspectors had left, a mysterious brown-haired man slipped into Zoe's red race car. A slip of paper was in his hand.
After a few faint clinks and clatters, Zoe's car had been tampered with. The man's moves were so quick and sneaky that even the final round of professional inspections couldn't spot a thing.
He stayed in the racer's seat for less than a minute before slipping out. A sly, sinister smirk tugged at his lips. "Clusia's star racer, huh? Let's see how you handle a car that's been tampered with."