In an instant, the entire racecourse fell silent, except for the commentator's hysterical and passionate shouts. Indeed, as he said, ninety-nine percent of the people in the arena probably did not know how Chase Wind had managed to dodge.
After a brief silence, the vast racetrack suddenly erupted in thunderous cheers, the enormous sound waves rising higher and higher, seemingly about to tear the sky apart.
"Go! Go! Go!"
The unified cheers emanating from tens of thousands of horse racing fans ignited the atmosphere throughout the racetrack. Except for those in wheelchairs, almost everyone stood up, waving their flags and cheering for Chase.
Of course, in some private rooms, there were also people with interesting expressions. A middle-aged man who looked very gentlemanly in a suit and tie smashed his wine glass, spilling the scarlet wine onto the expensive carpet.
"How...how could this happen?"
Dr. Shu Wen was also stunned, but he was ultimately a horse lover, and seeing this result, he felt a great weight lifted from his heart and became more relaxed.
"Let's watch the replay..."
The director finally switched to the slow-motion replay. "Oh my god, didn't it already collide? Oh no, it was so close, so very close! Horse number six just barely grazed the rear of Chasing Wind. In the slow-motion replay, we can see that Chasing Wind suddenly increased its speed at that moment. Didn't it use its full strength before? No... let's put the commentator on for a bit, I need to watch the whole race!"
The commentator's words caused the audience to burst into laughter, because while fans could listen to the commentary while watching the game, the commentator couldn't; he had to keep his eyes on the screen when explaining the slow-motion replays.
Having narrowly escaped defeat, Chasewind seemed to unleash its full potential amidst the cheers of the crowd, overtaking the number one horse in front of it in just 100 meters.
Although the jockey of horse number three was desperately urging his horse on with the whip, it was all in vain. Even though his horse was foaming at the mouth due to exhaustion, it still couldn't stop Chase Wind from overtaking.
"It's overtaken! Chasing Wind... is in first place!"
The commentator's voice rang out amidst cheers from the crowd.
Chapter 1232 Anger
After overtaking horse number three, Chasing Wind's speed increased instead of decreasing, quickly widening the gap with the others. Even the shady players behind the horse racing club were now helpless against Chasing Wind, who was far ahead of the pack.
A unique sight was formed on the vast track: a figure as swift as lightning left the other dozen or so horses far behind.
The most recent racehorse was also 40 or 50 meters away from Chase Wind, which is a very rare distance in a 2,500-meter race.
All the way to the finish line, Chasing Wind showed no signs of slowing down, sweeping past the finish line with a gust of wind. Even Timur's repeated attempts to rein in Chasing Wind could not stop it.
"Horse number 12 has crossed the finish line. The winner has been decided. After a race full of twists and turns, the Akhal-Teke horse from the Inner Mongolian grasslands... Chasing Wind, has won the championship. It... truly deserves it!"
The commentators' voices turned the racecourse into a sea of joy. Although not everyone was focused on Chase the Wind, such a wonderful race was enough to make them remember it for a lifetime.
From initially taking the lead, to falling behind in the middle due to unfamiliarity with the rules, and then making a comeback to escape a trap and run away in a flash, this short minute or so allowed horse racing fans to enjoy a horse racing feast that might only appear in a movie.
Regardless of whether these horse racing fans bought tickets for Chase, this exciting race was worth the HK$10 ticket price. The high-speed storm Chase created on the track provided the fans with a great experience.
"Like a bell!"
After running a few hundred meters along the track, Chasing Wind finally stopped, raised its front hooves high, and neighed loudly. It was only because Timur was caught off guard that he was still able to sit on Chasing Wind's back.
The graceful Chasewind and the burly Timur staged a dramatic scene of swords drawn and horses charged across the horse track under the lights, with countless flashes capturing this unforgettable moment.
This photo was frequently featured in mainstream European media soon after. As the world's fastest horse, the small country of Kurmen, which had been little known since the collapse of the Soviet Union, became a hot topic because it is the birthplace of the speed-running bloodline.
Many clubs and private individuals flocked to Turkmenistan to select Akhal-Teke horses, thus ending the dominance of European Thoroughbreds in world sprint racing.
Am I getting old?
Dr. Shu Wen stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window of the private room, looking at the man and horse on the track not far away. He couldn't help but feel a little downcast. Perhaps his era was about to end.
Dr. Shu Wen's third horse, due to its early surge in the middle of the race, ran out of energy in the last 500 meters and was overtaken by the horses behind it, failing to even make the top five. This was a huge blow to Dr. Shu Wen.
"Well done, thank you for your hard work..."
After the race, Zhuang Rui came to the finish line from the other side of the field and hugged Zhui Feng tightly around the neck.
"Luffy..."
Zhui Feng hissed softly and affectionately stuck out its tongue to lick Zhuang Rui, making Timur, who was standing next to it, extremely envious. Although he had found a little bit of tacit understanding while riding Zhui Feng, Zhui Feng had not shown any enthusiastic behavior towards him.
After a moment of intimacy with Zhuang Rui, Zhui Feng suddenly turned his head and licked Timur's face with his tongue.
"This...this, Zhuifeng, you..."
Timur was somewhat flattered by Zhui Feng's unexpected action and tried to step forward to put his arm around Zhui Feng's neck, but this time Zhui Feng did not break free.
"Haha, Zhuang Rui'an replied, Zhui Feng has acknowledged me, haha!"
With his arms around the neck of the horse, Timur laughed as happily as a child. For the people of the grasslands, gaining the horse's approval was a very celebratory thing.
Timur knew that it was his actions on the field that made Chase Wind acknowledge him. Although he would not recognize him as his master, he would no longer be wary of him in the future.
"Hmm? Timur Anda, is Chasing Wind sweating again?"
After Timur and Zhuifeng separated, Zhuang Rui noticed that Timur's face and body were covered in blood. Looking down at himself, he saw that he was indeed covered in the same color.
Knowing this characteristic of Akhal-Teke horses, Zhuang Rui wasn't surprised. He patted Zhui Feng on the head and said, "Buddy, you really gave it your all this time. Otherwise, this distance of over 2,000 meters probably wouldn't have been enough to make you sweat, right?"
"Luffy..."
Zhui Feng hissed softly, licked Zhuang Rui's hand, and revealed a deep understanding in his eyes that only Zhuang Rui could comprehend.
Zhuang Rui knew that Zhui Feng didn't take those horses seriously, so he laughed heartily and said, "Well, you have the right to be smug today, haha. When we get back, I'll have someone go to the grasslands to gather some hay for you as a reward..."
"Mr. Zhuang, according to the race rules, your horse needs to undergo a urine test..."
Just as Zhuang Rui and Timur were talking around Zhui Feng, a staff member came over. However, when he saw Zhuang Rui and Timur's appearance, his eyes widened and he shouted, "They're injured! The horse is injured, and these two are injured too, their faces are covered in blood! Quick, a doctor! Where's the doctor?"
Zhuang Rui knew why Zhui Feng secreted red sweat, but that didn't mean others understood the characteristics of the Akhal-Teke horse. Before Zhuang Rui could explain, he was suddenly surrounded by a group of people.
"Hey, hey, it's alright, really it's alright. This isn't blood, it's sweat. Haven't you all read Jin Yong's 'The Legend of the Condor Heroes'? This is the sweat of a Ferghana horse..."
Zhuang Rui explained to everyone in his broken Cantonese, and it took a long time before the staff stopped trying to put him on a stretcher. Although the staff stopped, their gazes toward Zhui Feng became even more intense. The legendary Pegasus had appeared before their eyes and won the championship, which made Zhui Feng appear as a mysterious figure in everyone's eyes.
The so-called urine test for horse racing is not a real urine examination. What can you do if the horse doesn't urinate? The so-called urine test is just drawing some blood from the horse with a syringe.
Fortunately, Zhuang Rui was present throughout the entire process; otherwise, given Zhui Feng's temper, he would have definitely kicked the person who was drawing its blood over.
"Like a bell!"
After leaving the testing site, Zhui Feng, who was following behind Zhuang Rui, suddenly let out a long neigh filled with anger and charged towards the man and horse coming towards them.
"Wind Chaser, don't hurt anyone..."
Zhuang Rui didn't know what was going on, and before he could stop Zhui Feng, Zhui Feng had already run up to the pair, opened his mouth wide, revealing a fine white mouth, and was about to bite the other horse.
Whether it was frightened by the wind or not, the horse didn't even try to dodge, letting the wind bite its neck. As the wind shook its head, a piece of flesh was torn off, and blood splattered everywhere.
"What...what's going on?"
Zhuang Rui was alarmed. He hadn't expected Zhui Feng to suddenly go berserk. He rushed over and grabbed Zhui Feng's neck, while the horse knelt on the ground and let out a mournful cry.
While holding Zhuifeng, Zhuang Rui used his spiritual energy to treat the horse's neck wound. These thoroughbreds were worth a fortune, and since Zhuifeng had bitten it, he would definitely have to compensate for it himself, and he might even lose the prize money for this competition.
At this moment, the surrounding staff also gathered around and separated Zhuang Rui from the man and the horse. Fortunately, this was where the horse doctor was located, and a doctor was already treating the horse.
Timur examined the jockey closely, his expression darkening. He reached out and pulled Zhuang Rui aside, saying, "Zhuang Rui, during the race, they were the ones who tried to crash into us. I feel like they did it on purpose..."
"Huh? Did you do it on purpose?"
Zhuang Rui was taken aback when he heard this. When his gaze passed through the crowd and fell on the jockey, the foreign jockey was avoiding Zhuang Rui's eyes.
"Damn it, I'm hiding something. Someone's trying to set me up!"
Seeing the man's expression, Zhuang Rui was instantly enraged. He pushed through the crowd, grabbed the foreigner, and shouted, "Who told you to do this? Why did you resort to such a despicable method?"
Zhuang Rui was truly furious. If he didn't want Zhui Feng to win, he could have simply refused Zhui Feng's participation in the competition. But this person's methods were designed to cripple Zhui Feng! If Zhui Feng hadn't dodged at the last moment, who knows what the outcome would have been?
"I don't know what you're talking about? I don't know, let me go..."
The short, foreign jockey struggled desperately, but dared not meet Zhuang Rui's eyes.
This scene left the staff on site dumbfounded. What was supposed to be a horse duel had turned into a live-action battle, and they didn't know what to do. The scene was chaotic.
"Mr. Zhuang, please release him. We will give you an explanation for this matter..."
Just as the scene was in chaos, the fourth wife's voice rang out.
Upon hearing Fourth Wife's words, Zhuang Rui threw the foreigner aside, looked at Fourth Wife with hostility, and asked, "Fourth Wife, do you know what's going on?"
In fact, when Zhuang Rui heard Timur say that the person did it on purpose, he had already analyzed it in his mind. Chasing the wind to win the championship could only affect the interests of those gambling groups, and Fourth Sister was just one of them.
Fourth Mrs. gave a wry smile and said, "Mr. Zhuang, I really didn't know about this matter. However, Mr. He was also very angry when he watched the game just now. He said he would give you an explanation..."
Upon hearing what the fourth wife said, Zhuang Rui's expression softened slightly. He knew that neither SJM nor the fourth wife's new company had participated in the illegal betting organized by the Macau gaming group, so it shouldn't have much to do with them.
Chapter 1233 Controlling Anger
"Fourth Wife, how are we going to explain this?"
Zhuang Rui's face was so dark it could drip water. His voice wasn't loud, but it revealed barely suppressed anger. "Luckily, Zhuifeng is alright, otherwise... I'd make those people pay with their lives." Although Zhuifeng hadn't been with Zhuang Rui for long, every companion who followed him felt a connection with him. Zhuang Rui had never treated them as animals. To lay a finger on them was like touching Zhuang Rui's child—it was his Achilles' heel.
"Zhuang, you...you mustn't act impulsively. Mr. He will give you a satisfactory explanation. This is Macau, you mustn't do anything..."
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Fourth Wife was genuinely startled. In Macau, no one knew Zhuang Rui's background better than her. Although Macau, like Hong Kong, had a high degree of autonomy, it was still Chinese territory, and the mainland's influence could still reach here.
Behind this incident are three multinational gaming groups. If Zhuang Rui really uses his family background, it will be a disaster for the Macau gambling industry.
It should be noted that those gambling groups are controlled by some foreign gambling tycoons. They don't have much concern about Zhuang Rui's mainland background. If they are attacked, they will definitely retaliate. Fourth Aunt also knows some of their methods. Basically, they will stop at nothing to assassinate or carry out assassinations.
If something were to happen to Zhuang Rui, it wouldn't just be a problem for a few casinos; the entire Macau gambling industry would likely face the wrath of the Ouyang family, which is definitely not something Fourth Wife wants to happen.
Zhuang Rui took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, and said, "Fourth Aunt, I won't do anything. I'll be back on the Xuanrui ship in a bit. But I hope that before I leave Macau, someone can explain to me what happened on the field..."
Although Zhuang Rui has never advocated using violence to solve problems, if this series of events was indeed orchestrated against him, Zhuang Rui wouldn't mind letting Peng Fei teach those people what the law of the jungle is.
"Alright, Mr. He has already gathered those people, and I believe the results will be available soon. Zhuang, you must restrain yourself..."
Fourth Wife can only try to appease Zhuang Rui for now, as she knows that Zhuang Rui is not as harmless as he appears on the surface.
Although others may not know, Fourth Wife knows very well that Zhuang Rui's men had killed someone during the terrorist attack in the United States years ago, and the gruesome manner of that person's death kept Fourth Wife from eating for several days.
After hearing what Fourth Wife said, Zhuang Rui nodded and said, "Alright, Fourth Wife, I won't attend the awards ceremony. Please explain to the elders..."
According to the rules of the competition, an awards ceremony should be held for the winning horse, which should be attended by the owner and the groom. The horse should also be awarded a big red flower as a reward. However, Zhuang Rui is obviously not in the mood to participate in this event.
However, this horse race was jointly organized by the Hong Kong and Macau Jockey Clubs and several gaming companies in Macau. Zhuang Rui could be rude to the Macau side, but the bigwigs on the board of directors of the Hong Kong Jockey Club were all his elders, so Zhuang Rui still had to explain a few things.
Fourth Aunt felt relieved when she saw that Zhuang Rui had agreed not to add any more money. She immediately nodded and said, "Okay, you go back to Xuanrui first, I'll go and talk to them..."
As for Zhuang Rui and Zhui Feng not attending the awards ceremony, that's a minor matter. They can simply say that Zhui Feng was injured during the competition but has recovered; after all, several cameras captured footage of Zhui Feng with blood on him earlier. ...