Chapter 195: Mutual Schemes
Wayne refused to believe Samantha's sincerity.
Any sign of weakness at this stage could be a smokescreen before the race.
What if Victoria was just playing weak?
"Don't think I don't know what you're up to behind the scenes. Aren't the underground betting odds manipulated by you people? Romantic Racing has no future anyway. If there's still a way to make a quick buck before walking away, why wouldn't I take it?"
Samantha put on a greedy facade, her eyes sweeping over Wayne from head to toe.
"Zack's treatment costs a fortune. As his best friend, of course I need to find a way to solve this problem for him."
Even though Samantha had been this blunt, Wayne still looked skeptical.
His deep blue eyes were unfathomable. After a moment's hesitation, he shook his head lightly and laughed heartily.
"Haha, I really don't know what you're talking about. As for PR manipulation, that's all the club's business. If you're considering joining Snake Racing as a team manager, maybe I could sign you on behalf of the club."
Having developed several championship drivers, Samantha's abilities as a manager were undeniable.
Whatever team she joined, there would definitely be a place for her.
Samantha shook her head with little interest and returned to her seat.
Romantic Racing didn't even attend the post-practice dinner. Samantha directly pulled Tina back to her room.
As soon as they entered, Zack looked over with concern.
"How did it go? Everything smooth today?"
According to their previous plan, today's practice race was supposed to be when Isabella and Tina switched identities.
Isabella would successfully complete the race, dispelling Wayne's doubts about Victoria's identity.
Samantha twisted open a bottle of water, gulped down half of it, and sighed deeply.
"Don't even get me started. If Isabella hadn't reacted quickly and changed the plan, we'd be in real trouble!"
Tina looked disappointed. "Our new strategy didn't work. Wayne didn't agree to cooperate with Samantha."
Cooperation between the two teams would mean binding their fates together, and it would also mean sharing secrets.
Wayne would have to reveal Snake Racing's dirty tactics, and they could legitimately gather evidence.
But now, Wayne hadn't played by the rules. He didn't trust them.
Tina was utterly dejected, as if she could already see their inevitable defeat in a few days.
Samantha was confident. She reached out and patted Tina's shoulder twice.
"Don't worry. Isabella has it all planned out. Everything will be fine."
……
It wasn't just Samantha's side that was gloomy—Wayne's room was equally clouded with tension.
"You couldn't even break into the top three today. Do you realize what you're doing?"
Wayne was furious. He kicked Zachary directly.
He couldn't believe he had such a cowardly team member.
Being paranoid was one thing, but on the track, he couldn't even outrun drivers from other teams.
If this performance continued, how could Zachary possibly win this race? How could they win this money?
"The big boss invested a full two billion dollars. Do you know how much we'll have to pay back if we lose?"
Wayne was agitated. He kicked Zachary again.
Zachary's body curled up in pain.
Just a few days ago, he had been the team's ace driver, the king in other drivers' eyes.
In just two or three days, Zachary had become a failure looked down upon by others.
He couldn't accept his failure, but Wayne's foot was on him, leaving no room for resistance.
"Wayne, give me one more chance. I'll perform well in the next practice race. I definitely won't let you down!"
Zachary practically crawled to Wayne's side, desperately clutching his leg as tears fell.
Wayne bent down slightly, grabbed his hair, and forced him to look up.
"You think you're playing a video game? That everyone else will sit around waiting for you to catch up? You think you're the main character of the world?"
"Two billion dollars is already in the prize pool. If we can't get it back, how are we supposed to magically return that money to the bosses' pockets overnight so they don't lose?"
The answer to this question was...
Just as Wayne was feeling frustrated, he suddenly remembered what Samantha had said this afternoon.
If the two teams cooperated and hyped up Victoria's identity before the race, finding ways to increase leverage...
Perhaps the bosses' two billion dollars could even double.
Wayne was going insane.
A sudden turn of fortune—another path appeared before him.
They didn't have to stick to the original plan and honestly win the race.
As long as Samantha's side cooperated and they manipulated things a bit...
Out of that two billion dollars, they could walk away with at least tens of millions.
A hint of manic laughter appeared on Wayne's face.
But he was still worried that woman Samantha was playing them.
When the other team members heard this crazy plan, their faces showed concern.
"Wayne, will this really work?"
"What if that woman is playing us again, or finds a way to actually win the race?"
Just as Wayne had said, they simply couldn't afford to lose this race.
Wayne cast a cold glance at Zachary.
"There's now a way for you to redeem yourself. If you can trick the truth out of Samantha, all your previous mistakes can be wiped clean. What do you say?"
Zachary looked up at Wayne in a daze.
"Wayne, those people are guarding against me like I'm some kind of threat. How am I supposed to get them to talk?"
Wayne shook his head lightly. "Are you stupid?"
He got up, retrieved a bottle of liquor from the dining room cabinet, and tossed it to Zachary.
"Go get them drunk. Haven't you heard the saying—drunk words are sober thoughts?"
"As long as you can get them drunk and extract the truth we want from them, that'll be enough."
Zachary held the heavy bottle, hesitating for a moment before shakily getting up from the floor.
"Wayne, I'll make it happen!" he declared loudly, then turned and walked out the door without hesitation.