Night.
Tanglingxue rode her modified Harley-Davidson Classic—a bike bought with years of saved allowance and lucky money—speeding along a suburban road. She held a legal license; held back a year in school due to family issues, she was older than her classmates and had reached the legal driving age just in time.
Though she loved riding fast, she kept her speed just within the limit. She was here to enjoy the ride, not to risk her life.
…Well, if a real race ever came up, she was confident she wouldn’t lose.
After fighting with her father, she learned to put on makeup.
When she discovered she was the daughter of her father’s mistress, she dyed her hair.
Stuck between her warring parents, she got her ears pierced.
When emptiness and restlessness became unbearable, she fell in love with motorcycles.
Perhaps this was how an ordinary girl became a rebel.
What? Why no cigarettes? Obviously—they’re bad for your health. Only idiots smoke.
“!”
At an intersection, she spotted a small group gathered under a streetlight. Boys and girls, all with their own bikes, dressed in expensive gear. A few waved at her.
“Hey, isn’t that Ling Xue?”
“Long time no see.”
“Where’s Zhangyuanzhou? Not glued to your side anymore? Haha!”
“Oh. It’s you guys…”
In short: street racers.
Only a few stretches near Haiking City’s coastal district were perfect for racing—and rarely patrolled by traffic police. Riding here often meant bumping into these crews, whether you liked it or not. Their bikes cost more than most young adults could afford. Spoiled rich kids chasing thrills, plain and simple.
Tanglingxue reluctantly stopped and greeted their leader—a handsome guy in his twenties wearing a clearly expensive leather jacket.
“Yo, Da Fei. Long time.”
“Long time. Where’s Zhangyuanzhou? Not clinging to you?”
“He got beaten up. He’s… well-behaved now.”
“Hah. That arrogant punk had it coming.”
Da Fei laughed heartily. He wasn’t a bad guy, and Tanglingxue didn’t dislike him. The problem was—
“Hey, Ling Xue! One lap?”
“Uh…”
The problem was Da Fei’s friend, A-Jin.
Nobody knew his real name. Though fluent in Mandarin, he didn’t seem Haiguoan. He rode the most expensive bike here, undeniably handsome, and relentlessly persistent. He claimed, “If I want something, I get it.” Since first seeing Tanglingxue, he’d confessed countless times—driving her crazy.
“Easy, A-Jin. Don’t push it,” Da Fei said, clapping his shoulder.
“If I win, you’ll be my girlfriend!”
“Hey…”
No one could stop him. Tanglingxue sighed. *This has to end. Time to crush his hopes.*
“Fine. Let’s race.”
She scoffed, pulling on her helmet.
“Seriously?! You said it! You said it!!”
“Yes, yes. I said it. Racing or not?”
“RACING!!!!”
No more words. They pushed their bikes to the start line. The route: straight down the road, loop around the hill ahead, then downhill through three consecutive turns to the finish.
“Ready? Sure about this?” Da Fei asked.
““Ready.””
“Then—on your marks… three… two… one… GO!!!”
Engines roared. Tanglingxue and A-Jin shot forward, dust swirling behind them.
…
…
…
“—F@CK!!!!”
Minutes later, A-Jin slammed his helmet to the ground (*CRASH!*), fuming.
“Guess it’s not meant to be.”
Tanglingxue removed her helmet, smoothing her slightly messy golden hair. Straddling her bike in leather jacket and pants, she looked effortlessly cool—even the girls couldn’t help staring.
“I enjoyed the race. Bye~”
She didn’t spare A-Jin a glance, revved her engine, and roared away.
A-Jin slumped toward Da Fei, frustration etched on his face.
“Da Fei-ge…”
“No forcing things, A-Jin.”
“But—”
“A bet’s a bet. You lost. I won’t help you pressure her—that’d be pathetic. Though,” Da Fei added, “if *she* lost and refused to pay up? I’d make sure she kept her word.”
“But I… lost!”
“Then go practice harder.”
“Tch…”
His mood ruined, A-Jin turned his bike around and left quietly.
He’d fallen for Tanglingxue the moment he saw her. An aloof aura that clashed with her high school uniform, yet flashes of girlish charm. A face one in a million could match. Who wouldn’t love her?
Pity he’d finally gotten a chance to win her over… only to fail because of his own weakness.
At a gas station, he bought a drink. Halfway through, a voice called from behind.
“Psst. Hey, handsome.”
“……Huh?”
He turned. A middle-aged man had appeared silently, startling him.
The guy wore baggy shorts, a conical straw hat, and an unlit pipe between his teeth. Hairy legs exposed despite the winter chill—he looked like a country bumpkin.
Yet—
The instant their eyes met, A-Jin’s mind went fuzzy. A jolt shot through his chest. The man’s gaze was like a surgeon’s scalpel: precise, sharp, cutting straight to his hidden desires. Nothing could hide.
“You… who are you…?”
“Name’s Zhao Daniu. Ya got lucky, kid. The First of the Four Primal Demon Kings came personally to grant ya a wish.”
“‘Demon’…?”
“Yeah. Demon. Like the ones who make deals with humans. Ah can feel it—ya crave power. Crave respect. Crave everyone lookin’ up at ya… Folks like us, we all do. And Ah’m yer shortcut.”
“Shortcut?”
“Ya pay a price. Ah give ya power. Deal?”
“Price… what kind?”
“Anythin’ valuable. Big stuff—life, soul, lifelong happiness. Small stuff—a few minutes’ memory, pocket change, a childhood toy. Bigger price, stronger power.”
“This… sounds too fantasy. What… should I give you?”
Logically, A-Jin should’ve called him crazy and walked away. But the man’s words carried an uncanny weight. He found himself listening.
“Ah’d love ya to hand over yer soul—*wishes* Ah could say that. But unlike some shady demons, Ah don’t cheat. Kid, dealin’ with demons? Moderation. Start small~”
“Like what?”
“Ya wanna impress that girl and yer friends. Ya wanna earn respect, right?”
“Yes… How’d you know? Can you help?”
“Easy. Ah *could* skip the process and give ya the result. But twistin’ hearts and souls? Heavy price.”
“So what should I do…”
“Settle for less. Wish for ‘better driving skills.’ Win their respect fair and square with that skill. Tiny price.”
“It works like that?”
“That’s right. So? Deal with Zhao Daniu?”
“Wait—are all demons… country uncles like you?”
“Don’t sweat it!”
