Chapter 152: Chapter 152: Truck Explosion
Eight’s heart was in its throat.
It probably had to be the most stressed-out system manager in existence, bar none!
"You scared me to death!"
Eight’s voice sounded like it was on the verge of tears.
Chloe Sinclair was a little amused. "Didn’t I tell you I’d already calculated everything the moment the 3D map appeared?"
Eight was stunned for a moment, a little embarrassed.
It had been so scared before that it had completely missed what she said.
"But what if your calculations had been wrong?" Eight asked, its voice lacking conviction.
Sure enough, upon hearing this, Chloe Sinclair raised an eyebrow, her eyes full of playful mockery. "If I miscalculated something like this, then what would be the point of having the God of Study System?"
Eight was silent for a long time.
Just as Chloe Sinclair thought the little guy had deflated, she suddenly heard Eight let out a long sigh from within the system.
"As long as you’re okay."
Chloe Sinclair froze, then suddenly gave a wry smile. "Eight, have you noticed? You’re becoming more and more human."
This time, Eight truly didn’t respond, as if it had vanished without a trace.
Chloe Sinclair knew Eight didn’t want to talk about it right now, so she didn’t press the issue.
’Even though I have so many questions... there’s still plenty of time.’
With that thought, Chloe Sinclair turned her gaze back out the window.
The truck’s speed had now dropped to 100 km/h.
The drivers of the cars following behind breathed a collective sigh of relief when they saw the large truck suddenly reduce its speed.
However, some of the more technically knowledgeable drivers were in a state of utter shock. Even though they were buckled in, they were so excited by the drift they had just witnessed that they almost jumped out of their seats.
"Holy shit, was that a Scandinavian Drift? I can’t believe I’m seeing a drift that clean in Zenthia."
And in a semi-truck, of all things!
You have to understand, pulling off such a clean drift without the support of CFRP, a powerful engine, or a proper suspension system should be completely impossible.
On top of that, this wasn’t a national highway or a racetrack. To attempt that maneuver on an unfamiliar road is no different from asking to die.
And the most, most, most important point: this was a fucking semi-truck!
"Could that young woman be a professional race car driver?"
Only a professional would have the guts to execute such difficult techniques with that level of skill and audacity.
"How old can she be? Besides, forget about whether she’s a pro or not! The main highway is right up ahead! If that truck can’t stop, it’s going to be a huge disaster!"
The moment the person in the passenger seat finished speaking, they let out a sudden cry, their trembling finger pointing ahead, unable to utter another word.
Just as it was about to enter the main road, the massive truck, which had been driving steadily, suddenly veered off course.
A long, drawn-out SCREECH followed, and then the surrounding glass shattered on impact.
Before the onlookers could even get out of their cars, they saw a pair of long, slender legs kick the truck’s door open. A figure emerged, carrying a soot-covered person on her back.
Chloe Sinclair’s face was fraught with anxiety. Seeing the crowd of people approaching, she shouted as she ran, "Stay back! The fuel line’s ruptured!"
Due to the distance, the crowd couldn’t make out what Chloe Sinclair was shouting.
Chloe Sinclair felt a pang of frustration but could only focus on running forward as fast as she could.
"BOOM—"
Suddenly, the massive truck, which had already come to a stop, erupted in a violent blaze.
A wave of heat washed over Chloe Sinclair’s back as shrapnel from the exploding truck flew in all directions.
Fortunately, the system’s directional prompts allowed Chloe Sinclair to smoothly dodge the airborne debris.
Running faster than she ever had in her life, Chloe Sinclair made it to a safe distance.
At this point, neither the ambulance nor the police had arrived on the scene; only a crowd of well-meaning people had gathered around.
Chloe Sinclair was exhausted. Large beads of sweat dripped continuously from her chin.
Her throat was parched. "Don’t get too close," she rasped. "There could be a secondary explosion."
She was pale. To prevent the truck from careening onto the main road, she had been forced to crash it into a tree. She just hadn’t expected both the fuel line and the fuel tank to rupture.
And to make matters worse, the truck had been carrying a large shipment of flammable materials.
Chloe Sinclair lay on the ground, gasping for breath.
A moment later, someone in the crowd cried out, "Your arm is bleeding! Are you okay?"
Hearing this, Chloe Sinclair instinctively looked down. She then noticed that her elbow was completely scraped raw. Small beads of blood were oozing out, and the wound was caked with dust.
She paused for a moment. ’I must have scraped it on the ground back at the airport, when I was helping that mother and son.’
However, Chloe Sinclair’s expression remained neutral. She wiped at it casually and shook her head. "I’m fine. The driver, though, I think he had some kind of medical episode. When is the ambulance getting here?"
Just as Chloe Sinclair finished speaking, she saw a large group of paramedics running toward them.
Due to the suddenness and perceived urgency of the incident, the hospital had dispatched a large medical team.
Several police cars arrived right behind them.
They had received numerous emergency calls before arriving and had expected a catastrophic scene. The fact that their imagined tragedy hadn’t come to pass was a great relief to the officers.
They had the injured driver sent off with the paramedics. Just as they were preparing to inspect the vehicle as per procedure, a soft voice suddenly came from the crowd.
"Don’t go near it. The truck will explode again in five minutes."
Only then did the traffic cop notice the young woman in the crowd.
He was taken aback for a moment when he saw what she looked like.
Her skin was fair, and her now-disheveled hair framed a delicate, palm-sized face. A pair of large, clear eyes stared at him, filled with a resolve that inspired an inexplicable sense of trust.
But when the officer’s gaze fell on Chloe Sinclair’s elbow, his expression changed. "How did your arm get injured? Why didn’t you leave with the ambulance?"
Chloe Sinclair’s skin was so fair and delicate that even a small scrape on it looked painful.
Then he remembered what she’d said. "What did you mean just now? What’s this about the truck having a secondary explosion?"
Chloe Sinclair’s face was perfectly calm. "The fuel line and tank are both ruptured. The heat from the initial fire has already reached the flashpoint. It’s already exploded once, and the second explosion should happen in less than a minute."
She paused, intending to check the time, but when she reached into her pocket, she froze.
Chloe Sinclair: "..."
’Right. My luggage is still at the airport.’
She was about to speak again when the semi-truck, which had been smoldering with black smoke, suddenly erupted with a deafening BOOM.
The crowd: "..."
In that instant, the way they looked at Chloe Sinclair completely changed.
The onlookers stared at the truck as it exploded again, their eyes wide with disbelief. "It... It really blew up?"
She’s incredible!
And so, all eyes turned to Chloe Sinclair in unison.
---
「Police Station」
Chloe Sinclair held a cup of warm water, the wound on her elbow now wrapped in thick gauze.
Across from her, a police officer exclaimed in disbelief, "What did you just say? That young woman is the one who stopped the semi-truck and prevented the accident?!?!"
