Chen Long arrived faster than a 4S shop, parking directly on the auxiliary road and opening the car door to call the two people shivering by the roadside into the vehicle.
"Get in and warm up. Tell me, what happened to the car?"
Chen Long's gaze swept over the black rubber marks left on the road by tire friction. He could vividly imagine the speed of the turn and couldn't help but gasp. It was no wonder Liu Chen had asked him to come alone; if Liu Fang saw this, she'd be heartbroken.
Liu Chen got into the car and took a deep breath. She knew she couldn't panic or let her thoughts run wild.
But she couldn't control it. She even wondered, if she hadn't had a lucky charm on her, and hadn't quickly placed one on herself and Jiang Di at the last moment, what would have happened now?
"The brakes failed. I pressed the brake pedal, but the car didn't slow down at all. To stop the car, we were about to get on the elevated highway. I worried that the speed would be even faster when descending. So, I had to crash into the roadside greenery."
Recalling the feeling when the brakes failed, Jiang Di, as the driver, still broke out in a cold sweat.
After speaking, he couldn't help but shiver.
Listening to Jiang Di's description, Chen Long, to avoid frightening the two children, suppressed his own shock and continued to inquire, "Liu Chen, try to recall. When you drove to Phoenix City this morning, were there any problems with the brakes?"
Liu Chen leaned her head against the car window, her eyes fixed on the SUV whose front end was now embedded in the tree trunk.
Immediately, Liu Chen's brows furrowed, and her gaze locked onto the black liquid slowly flowing down from the greenery.
"Uncle Chen, back the car up!"
Without any hesitation, Chen Long turned around, released the parking brake, pressed the accelerator, and the car quickly reversed, stopping at the next intersection.
Chen Long then turned sideways, his left hand still on the steering wheel, and asked Liu Chen, "What is it?"
Liu Chen was about to speak when a "Bang!"
The deafening explosion sounded as if it were right beside them. Even with the car glass blocking the sound, Liu Chen's ears went completely deaf for a few seconds, followed by a ringing in her ears.
However, Liu Chen paid no attention to any of this. Her eyes were fixed on where the car had been.
The tree that had stopped the out-of-control car was now directly cut in half by the sudden heat and blast wave from the explosion, engulfed in raging flames.
Liu Chen swallowed, as if asking herself, "Is this a coincidence?"
What if there hadn't been the lucky charm? What if she hadn't pulled Jiang Di out of the car? What if, after getting out, she and Jiang Di had stood nearby waiting for the 4S shop's tow truck?
In this explosion, her own body would likely be lying on the ground.
Even more likely, she might not have been whole.
Liu Chen's words were clearly heard by Jiang Di and Chen Long in the quiet car.
Jiang Di's teeth were chattering. This was the first time in his life he had faced such a close brush with death.
"If, if it weren't for good luck, we might, might have really..."
Jiang Di didn't utter the last word, though everyone understood it meant death.
Chen Long looked at the entire car consumed by the fiery red flames, his brows furrowed, a look of apprehension in his eyes. Despite this, he said, "It's just a coincidence, don't dwell on it. Great fortune follows great disaster. I'll handle this."
Liu Chen didn't question Chen Long. By the time the fire was extinguished, the car would likely be nothing but a burnt-out frame. How would he handle it?
Liu Chen knew that the person who did this wanted her dead.
The fire raged for over ten minutes, with intermittent explosions. Only then did the 4S shop's tow truck arrive.
Seeing the raging fire in the distance, the tow truck stopped far from the intersection and began making calls.
Chen Long had no patience to deal with the rescue personnel. He immediately rolled down the window, "It looks like you're not needed for rescue."
The person from the tow truck was startled upon seeing Chen Long, then quickly asked, "Sir, did you witness the incident?"
Liu Chen also rolled down her window, "We've already escaped. However, we will be suing you in court on grounds of vehicle malfunction."
"Madam, judging by the skid marks on the ground, it seems your driving was involved."
Before the other party could finish, the sound of approaching police sirens could be heard. The rescue personnel understood that with police involvement, his personal statement would be useless. Moreover, he actually believed that the driver of the vehicle was not in a sound state of mind. Otherwise, who would suddenly perform a C-shaped drift on an empty road and crash into the greenery?
The arrival of the police also increased Liu Chen's sense of security.
"Who called the police?" Two young police officers in uniform got out of the police car, looking at the two vehicles parked side by side.
Liu Chen pushed open her car door and got out from between the two cars. "Officer, I called the police. Our car's brakes failed while driving. I'm reporting this vehicle for quality issues."
Previously, Liu Chen had been sitting in the car, and due to the overcast weather in City C, the road rescue personnel sent by the 4S shop hadn't gotten a clear look. Now, after Liu Chen got out, the two police officers and the road rescue personnel recognized her immediately.
"You, you're Liu Chen!"
At this, the road rescue worker who had been about to argue immediately shut his mouth. What a joke! This was the newly rich woman who casually gave out hundreds of thousands in gift bags to friends!
If it were true that she had chosen to crash into the roadside greenery because the car's brakes had failed...
In that instant, both the police and the 4S shop staff sensed something unusual.
Meanwhile, the fire department arrived and began firefighting. Soon, the flames were extinguished. Fortunately, because most of the interior was made of leather and the car's frame was stainless steel, much of the original vehicle remained.
The two road rescue workers from the 4S shop also called their store to explain the situation. Upon hearing who was involved, the boss immediately told them to return, stating that she would have the car manufacturer's representatives handle it.
The car manufacturer's representatives, upon hearing about the incident, immediately dispatched professional repair technicians from the company to the scene and instructed the concerned parties not to move the vehicle.
The repair technician arrived at the scene, confirmed there was no risk of reignition, and then meticulously inspected the entire vehicle with a magnifying glass.
After taking photos, he climbed out of the wreckage and, pointing to one of the photos, said to the two police officers and the vehicle's owner present, "Look, although it's been burned by the fire, this area appears to have been cut short with a tool. This is because our brand's brake line is made of a high-temperature resistant stainless steel composite wire. And as you can see, the cut is very clean, indicating it was deliberately severed by human intervention."
Hearing the vehicle brand's expert assessment, the two young police officers suddenly realized that Liu Chen's initial intention was not to sue the car manufacturer, but to obtain evidence!