Chen Fan understood.
It seemed Han Tong's supercar circle had been challenged again, hence the request for his help.
As the waiter served exquisite imperial dishes, Chen Fan picked up his chopsticks and said, "I don't have time for racing."
"Don't say that, brother, you are my real brother."
Han Tong pleaded, "I know you're busy with important matters, and I wouldn't dare trouble you with something as trivial as racing. If my sister found out, she'd definitely scold me severely."
"But we've truly lost face badly, being beaten five to zero. Yang Di's group is laughing at us!"
Chen Fan ate casually and asked, "Who are they, to have beaten you so thoroughly?"
"You can say that again," Han Tong said with a wry smile. "At Yanping Mountain bends, ten cars, five on each side. Their team took the top five spots."
Chen Fan couldn't help but show a hint of surprise. While Han Tong and Wei Bingying's driving skills weren't top-tier, they were considered first-class among non-professional racers.
Yet, they were all swept aside?
Was there no one in Beijing's supercar circle who could salvage even a shred of their pride?
It was no wonder Han Tong was so anxious.
However, Chen Fan still had no intention of getting involved, merely asking, "What's their background?"
"We don't know!"
Han Tong replied with a bitter smile. "They call themselves the 'Sihai Racing Team'. Their drivers are all professional-level, and they even have foreigners, from Ao Lai Country and Sakura Country. Among their top five drivers, only two are from our Xia Country."
The name sounded exceptionally familiar to Chen Fan.
"Their leader is a guy named Ye Sihai, one of those two domestic drivers. He's incredibly arrogant, saying he'll crush Beijing's supercar circle and that we have no talent, calling us all trash..."
As he spoke, Han Tong's face contorted with emotion.
He was also a young master from Beijing and couldn't tolerate such humiliation, but his skills were inferior, and he was completely outmatched.
Ye Sihai?
The name made Chen Fan pause again.
If he remembered correctly, the leader of the Sihai Gang, who once dominated Beijing and Tianjin, was named Ye Sihai.
That man was also a legend, though he eventually met a violent end.
Could it be a coincidence that at this particular juncture, someone named Ye Sihai suddenly appeared?
"Oh, right, we mentioned you."
Han Tong looked at Chen Fan cautiously.
"What did they say?" Chen Fan wasn't surprised by this.
Last time at Yanping Mountain, he was called the 'Car King'. It would be strange if Beijing's supercar circle didn't bring up his name.
"They said you don't even dare to show your face, that you're a... piece of trash. That 'Car King' is just a joke, a frog in a well!"
"If you dare to race them, they'll make you kowtow and beg for apprenticeship."
"..."
Chen Fan looked at Han Tong with a half-smile.
"Han Tong, are you looking to die?" Chen Xing'er slammed the table and cursed.
Han Tong wiped the sweat from his brow. "It wasn't me who said that, Xing'er, I swear. It was those arrogant brutes who spread it. I've lost all face and dignity this time. Actually, if Brother refused to race, I wouldn't mind. I'll just quit racing then... But, brother, I really can't stand this insult."
Chen Fan continued to eat, unfazed even by Han Tong's embellishments.
"Brother?" Han Tong looked at Chen Fan expectantly.
Chen Fan said, "You haven't set a time yet, have you?"
Han Tong quickly shook his head, "If you don't agree, how could I dare to set a time?"
Chen Fan asked again, "Tell me more about their characteristics. By the way, did you guys get into a fight?"
Han Tong's mouth dropped open, looking at Chen Fan in surprise.
Then, with great difficulty, he admitted, "Brother, you know us too well. We got into a fight with them, and the result was that we didn't win."
Chen Fan let out a scoff.
This outcome was not unexpected.
Han Tong and his peers were all proud and arrogant second-generation rich kids. After repeated humiliation, how could they swallow such an insult? It was natural for a racing defeat to escalate into a brawl.
However, to lose even in a fight, that was truly embarrassing.
"Their characteristics, you ask? It's that their origins are unknown. There are drivers from Ao Lai Country and Sakura Country, and a blonde, blue-eyed female driver who is also very skilled."
"The leader, Ye Sihai, seems very familiar with the Beijing area and appears to know the identities of many of us?"
Chen Fan narrowed his eyes. "Arrange a time with them."
"Does this mean, brother, you've agreed?"
Han Tong asked, his face beaming with joy.
Chen Fan nodded. "Since it's a race, there must be stakes. We'll discuss it then."
"Okay, okay!"
Han Tong agreed readily but then hesitated. "Brother, you're not going to lose, are you?"
"Losing is losing, it's just a race."
Chen Fan said with a smile, "I'm not that interested in racing anyway, and I have plenty of my own matters to attend to."
Han Tong's face immediately fell again.
"Alright, let's eat."
The meal didn't last long. After enjoying the traditional imperial delicacy, the three of them headed downstairs.
As they descended the classical Huali wood stairs, they saw a group of people coming up from the opposite direction.
The architecture of the Water Pavilion was purely classical Chinese. The stairs descended from the east and west sides of the second floor, converging in the middle to lead to the ground floor lobby.
Chen Fan and his companions, as well as the group coming down, were face-to-face, clearly seeing each other's appearances and figures.
There were five people in the group. One of them was a familiar face to Chen Fan: that day's Ye Wang.
However, Ye Wang wasn't in the lead but rather behind someone.
The man was about twenty-eight or twenty-nine years old, tall and slender, with an imposing presence. His face was handsome, steady, and resolute.
Almost as soon as Chen Fan saw him, the man seemed to sense it and looked towards Chen Fan. His gaze was sharp, as if a divine light flickered within his eyes.
With just one glance, Chen Fan could tell this person was a martial artist with extraordinary cultivation.
Seeing Chen Fan, Ye Wang paused for a moment and whispered something to the person ahead.
The leading man also stopped, his eyes fixed on Chen Fan, a flash of killing intent crossing his gaze.
The other three, two men and one woman, looked at Chen Fan with surprise and curiosity.
Chen Xing'er sensed something and also looked over.
Han Tong, however, remained completely unresponsive.
"Chen Tianjiao!" the man in front said in a deep voice.
Han Tong looked up at the sound, his expression surprised.
"Who are you?"
Chen Fan asked.
"Zuo Tian Ce of the Zuo family from Jinbei!" The man turned a ring on his finger and smiled. "I had been wondering when I would have the chance to witness Brother Chen's prowess. I didn't expect to meet by chance in such a place; it's quite fate."
While the name Zuo Tian Ce was unfamiliar to Chen Fan, he wasn't entirely without recollection.
He must be the son of Zuo Lishou from Jinbei, the Young Master of the Hero Alliance!
"I'm afraid it's a fated encounter, not a good one."
Chen Fan said calmly, "A place like the capital is not where your ancient martial arts world should come to cause trouble. Be careful you don't get stuck here."
Zuo Tian Ce's gaze turned cold for a moment, then he smiled. "Brother Chen sees clearly. This is indeed not a fortunate meeting. Our paths differ, so we cannot conspire together. Please."
Saying this, he made a gesture of invitation.
Chen Fan smiled, did not linger, and walked out of the Water Pavilion's main entrance.