Time ticked by, second by second. The Hui Teng's speed had already exceeded 300 kilometers per hour.

But Xia Liang had no intention of slowing down. The entire road was a straight line; once cleared, all he had to do was accelerate. This was a pure contest of speed.

Either the car would arrive first, or the bomb would explode first. His right foot had already stomped the accelerator to the floor, almost pressing it into the fuel tank.

At this moment, the slightest mistake would instantly throw the car off balance. Perfectly stable? Only in dreams.

36... 35... 34...

"Xia Liang! All personnel and ships near Tianya have been evacuated. How much longer until you arrive?" Yun Long's voice crackled through the intercom.

"I'll be there before the explosion, of course."

Xia Liang knew how much pressure Yun Long was under. As the head of the Qingyun City Defense Bureau, if this situation wasn't handled properly, his future would be bleak.

"Are you really sure?"

Xia Liang didn't answer. He could already see White Stone Beach ahead to his right.

18... 17... 16...

The final acceleration! By now, police helicopters had already reached the scene.

Fire trucks had also worked quickly to set up layers of tires and water-filled barriers to create a deceleration zone. They all knew Xia Liang couldn't just stop the car and throw the bomb out.

There was simply no time! Behind the firefighters on high alert were the first journalists to arrive. Because time was so tight, those who got there first could only live-stream from their phones.

When a small black dot appeared on their screens, many viewers were already in tears. A simple driver had first negotiated face-to-face with criminals, and was now racing against time with a bomb about to detonate. If it were them, they were certain they would not have stepped up.

Even if they had the ability, they wouldn't have had the courage. Failure meant being blown to smithereens, not even leaving a complete body behind. Yet, for the sake of the people near the bank, Xia Liang had unhesitatingly shouldered all the risk himself.

He was like a firefighter charging into a blazing inferno, knowing full well it was a one-in-ten chance of survival. At this moment, he was the person most worthy of respect.

"He's here! Xia Liang has finally made it!"

"There are less than ten seconds until the explosion! Can he do it?"

"He must succeed! We believe in him!"

Putting the firefighters aside, the journalists who dared to stand here live-streaming were truly brave. It was a stark contrast to those clout-chasing, product-peddling anchors who wouldn't have shown up even with a knife to their throats.

The difference in character was obvious. For the entire nation watching the live broadcast, this moment captured every heart.

8...

7...

6...

Xia Liang, however, felt no tension at all. After all, it's not like I can die. His foot remained floored on the accelerator, not slowing down in the slightest.

But he repositioned his right foot, preparing for the final, most crucial braking maneuver. Pulling the handbrake would have been more convenient, but unfortunately, his right hand had to hold the bomb.

5...

4...

3...

Now! He slammed his right foot sideways onto the brake pedal and wrenched the steering wheel to the left.

In that fleeting instant, he simultaneously hurled the bomb out the passenger-side window. The bomb cut a graceful arc through the air as it plummeted over the edge of Tianya.

The Hui Teng, now almost completely out of control, drifted sideways and crashed directly into the deceleration zone. The layers of tires and water barriers scattered like flowers tossed by a heavenly maiden.

BOOM—

A violent explosion erupted from below the cliff, shaking the very ground. An immense blast of seawater and countless fish were sent flying onto the clifftop.

With such power, the casualties would have been horrific if the bomb had gone off at the bank or on a city street. Looking back at the Hui Teng, it had flipped an untold number of times before finally coming to rest amidst a pile of tires. Although it was a reinforced model, its chassis was still severely dented in multiple places.

"The bomb successfully fell below Tianya! No one was hurt! Report, no one was hurt!"

Outside the bank, hearing the voice on the intercom, Yun Long felt as if all his strength had been drained away. He leaned weakly against his car door as the surrounding personnel erupted in a thunderous cheer.

They hugged each other, weeping with joy, celebrating their safe passage through the crisis.

"What about him? How is Xia Liang?!"

Only then did Yun Long remember the most important detail. A reckless sideways drift at nearly 300 kilometers per hour. If you asked any professional race car driver about such a maneuver, the answer would be unanimous: it was a guaranteed death sentence. Without the barriers set up in the nick of time, the Hui Teng would have been reduced to scrap metal. Even with them, the car's body had sustained significant damage.

The hearts of the usually unflappable firefighters were utterly shaken. What kind of courage and determination does it take to gamble one's life in a race against time like that?

This wasn't just about bravery; it required absolute confidence in one's driving skills. If he couldn't make it before the explosion, the consequences would have been just as grave.

"Stretcher! Get the stretcher up here first!" Fire Brigade Chief Sun Hai shouted. "Once we find the driver, secure a zipline to the car and transport him down directly!"

"Time is of the essence! Everyone, move faster!"

Sun Hai led the charge, pushing forward with all his might, even as the jumble of tires underfoot made the path treacherous.

A hero! He must receive the respect he deserves!

CLICK—

The sound of a lighter.

"No need to bother. I'll walk down myself in a bit."

Before the astonished eyes of the firefighters, the heroic driver sat in his seat, casually lighting a cigarette. Xia Liang rarely smoked, but the scene seemed to call for one.

Blood from a gash on his head trickled down his cheek to his leg—a shocking sight. He had done it himself. After a crash like that, it would be too hard to explain if I came out completely unscathed.

No matter how tough someone's body was, this was just too absurd.

"The driver is injured! Why aren't the paramedics up here yet?" Sun Hai turned and roared down at the figures below. But the nurses had never walked on a mountain of tires, and they staggered forward one by one.

"It's nothing," Xia Liang said calmly. "Just a small cut. A bandage will fix it right up."

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