Their Mistake, Her Rise - Chapter 148: Chapter 148

No one could believe it—Zoe actually used the other cars as ramps, pulling off back-to-back jumps and rocketing straight into fifth place.
As the rankings flashed across the big screen, everyone realized that heart-stopping moment had really happened.
Zoe had just pulled off a move so wild and dangerous, no one else could even dream of matching it.
From now on, the racing world had a brand new technique to talk about.
"Damn it!" Daniel cursed out loud, unable to hold it in.
He thought, 'These idiots couldn't even take out a girl. Looks like I'll have to handle it myself.'
With less than a lap to go, the race had reached its most critical moment. Everyone thought Zoe would use this chance to blast past the four cars ahead of her, but what happened next left everyone completely stunned.
Zoe slowed down, sticking right on Daniel's tail and shadowing him for nearly half a lap, refusing to let him shake her.
Other people might not have caught on, but Daniel knew exactly what she was doing—Zoe was mocking him, and it pissed him off.
Daniel said, "I was saving this move for someone else, but you just had to push me. You're dead, you hear me?"
Daniel's eyes darkened. He locked onto his target, then suddenly slammed a button on his dashboard. A series of metallic clatters rang out from the back of his car.
Dozens of blinding spikes tumbled from Daniel's rear wing, scattering all over the track right in Zoe's path.
"Did anyone else see something flashing on the track?" Henry suddenly stood up in the stands, his voice cutting through the noise.
With his reminder, the rest of the crowd started scanning the track more closely.
"There is something there!"
"What is that?"
"That looks like spikes!"
The person speaking had already pulled out a pair of high-powered binoculars and could see the situation on the track clearly. Spikes on the racetrack were obviously cheating.
Zoe's car was still picking up speed. On the track, racers usually keep the pedal to the metal, going full throttle the whole way.
While a regular car might just get a flat from running over a nail, at these racing speeds, hitting a spike was a disaster.
"If she hits those spikes at this speed, the tires will blow out instantly. And with the car going so fast, a blowout means a fatal crash—she'd be killed on the spot."
Those spikes looked so ordinary, Zoe might not even notice she could die out there. Everyone's faces went ghostly pale.
"Charge at me!" Just then, Daniel's roar echoed across the track.
He didn't know if Zoe could hear his wild taunts, but yelling was the only way to let out his excitement.
He thought, 'That damn Clusian girl is about to crash and burn.'
But just as Daniel was thinking this, he suddenly felt a flash of fiery red streak over his head, like a blaze. The crowd went absolutely wild, screaming and cheering from the stands.
"She's flying!"
"Did that race car just take off?"
"Oh my god, what am I seeing? Someone pinch me—I must be dreaming!"
Everyone watched as that dazzling streak of red, under Zoe's flawless control, braked hard, then rocketed forward—sending all four wheels airborne.
Her car soared right over Daniel's roof, skimming low across the spike zone ahead.
She didn't just dodge his trap—she completely stomped Daniel under her wheels.
"No!" Daniel gasped, watching in shock as Zoe's car flew right over him.
He refused to accept what was happening right in front of him, so he let out a furious roar—but it was already too late.
Every dirty trick, every underhanded move meant to block her path had been unraveled by Zoe. While the other racers earned their spots through fair competition, Zoe had been targeted the whole way.
Given everything she had been up against, her taking first place was a sure thing—there was no suspense left. Even Diana, Brady, and Job, who had been leading, had to admit it.
But none of them expected that their top rival, Fox, wouldn't show up. Instead, they were beaten by a girl from Clusia whose skills could go toe-to-toe with Fox.
Losing to a girl was embarrassing.
In the end, Zoe overtook every car, holding onto her lead as she crossed the finish line. The Clusian racers erupted with wild cheers and screams as she claimed first place.
That flash of red became the most amazing sight on the whole track.
Even Diana, who finished second, was left far behind.
Seeing how Zoe parked at the finish, swung open the door, and stepped out so confidently — it all made Brady, Diana, and Job feel a strong sense of familiarity.
"The way she crossed the finish line reminds me so much of our idol, Fox."
A chilling thought flashed through all three of their minds, only to be quickly pushed away.
They thought, 'Zoe's just a normal girl—how could she possibly be Fox, that crazy legend?'
The three of them quickly pushed the idea aside.
As Zoe stepped out of the car, a wave of loud applause burst from the stands ahead. It was the Clusia racing team, and Henry, standing among them, was so moved he almost cried.
There was a time when Clusia was at the top in racing, but for years now, they had been looked down on by foreign teams. Today, finally, they could stand tall again.
Henry and the rest of the Clusia team had tears in their eyes as Henry raised his fist and punched it in the air.
At the same time, he shouted, "Our new champion—Zoe!"
With Henry's shout, the whole stadium exploded, everyone chanting, "Zoe!" The cheers were so loud.
Zoe had taken victory from the edge of danger. It was like a miracle, and everyone was completely convinced by her performance.
As Zoe's name echoed all around the racetrack, she quietly slipped away from the spotlight.
"Let's head out," Henry said to his teammates, standing straighter than ever, pride shining from him.
The rest of the Clusia team felt the same. Sure, Zoe was the one who won, but it felt like every one of them shared this victory. Their hearts swelled with pride.
As they were about to leave, those proud foreign racers who had looked down on them before moved aside, making way for the Clusia team.
Every member of the Clusia team knew: what they were given wasn't just a way out, but the dignity and pride that rightfully belonged to Clusia. They had finally taken back what was theirs.