"What in the," he said as he put away the binoculars. The car window on his side was suddenly knocked and he almost got a fright.

"Fuck! Where the hell did you come from?" he yelled as he rolled down the window. In front of him was a stunning beauty dressed in black as well with a piercing gaze that could lure sailors to jump to their death at sea.

"Sorry ma’am. We are kind of busy," said the other officer and Jolie smirked while leaning into the car.

"Oh, I know you are. I just wanted to inform you that you should stay away from that coward over there... our boss isn’t done with him yet," she said and the two men sneered.

"Don’t you know that we can handcuff you right now and take you down to the station?" said one of them while the other agitatedly rubbed his nose.

Jolie found it very funny. She couldn’t help but laugh mockingly before saying, "Who? Just the two of you? Take a look at where you are first before talking about taking me to jail."

The officers looked around and sure enough, the people they thought were just ordinary people were actually with her. They had done such a good job concealing themselves.

"I have an army and you, well... you are just the two of you so be good. You should probably turn a blind eye to this one," she said and the two of them were at a loss.

"Oh here, I heard you guys love doughnuts so I brought the best for you," she said before placing a pink box with so many colourful doughnuts on their car dashboard.

"Are you trying to bribe us?" asked one of them and Jolie chuckled.

"What bribe. I am just an honest hardworking citizen who is very grateful for what the hardworking law enforcement men and women are doing for us. I am just showing my appreciation," she said before turning to leave.

The other officer glared at her as she walked away only to hear the sound of the box being opened and his partner taking a bite.

"Seriously? You are going to eat bribe doughnuts?" he asked and his partner replied,

"What? She really did buy the expensive kind from west street.... mmmph, it tastes so good."

The other officer was tempted but he was an upstanding man with morals and values. Unfortunately, his partner was like the devil whispering in his ear.

"It will go to waste anyway... There are plenty of hungry people on the street yet you waste food," his partner said forgetting to mention that they could give them to homeless people on the street.

Their IQ seemed to be squashed by those doughnuts. "Here... no one is gonna know. It’s just a doughnut."

Well, the devil definitely won that day because he lost the good fight.

***

Qie Xieling revved the engine of his sleek, black and green stock car, the roar filling the air as he prepared for another lap on the empty race course.

"Remember to watch your time... and have fun," said Bo Ailun trying to encourage him.

Qie Xieling sighed as the wind whispered through his hair. He gripped the steering wheel tightly, his eyes focused on the track ahead.

He was the reigning champion of drifting, but Jolie told him to return to his character’s roots in stock car racing. He didn’t understand why but he trusted Jolie. She had her reasons.

With each lap, Qie Xieling aimed to hone his skills, pushing himself to the limits and rediscovering the thrill that this character initially had that drew him to the world of racing.

As the timer started, the black and green car shot forward, its tires screeching against the asphalt. Qie Xieling’s heart pounded with anticipation as he manoeuvred his car with precision. The familiar rush of adrenaline surged through his veins, fueling his determination to beat his previous time.

The first few turns went smoothly. Qie Xieling expertly navigated the twists and curves of the race track. His car hugged the corners, maintaining the perfect balance between speed and control.

"Keep up keep up good... steady... not too fast on the turns," said a nervous Bo Ailun in his ear almost wishing he could be in the car with him.

Qie Xieling’s focus intensified, his mind merging with the mechanics of the vehicle but fate had a different plan for him. On this particular lap, this didn’t go as planned.

As he approached a sharp bend, his eyes widened in alarm as his car began to skid, the wheels losing traction with the road. Time seemed to slow down, his heart pounding in his chest as he fought to regain control.

With a gut-wrenching thud, Qie Xieling’s car veered off the track, spiralling into the soft gravel at the side. Dust and debris filled the air, obscuring his vision momentarily. The silence that followed was deafening, broken only by the distant hum of the engine that had abruptly come to a halt.

Qie Xieling took a deep breath, his hands trembling ever so slightly. Despite the unexpected turn of events, he felt a surge of relief wash over him. At least he was unscathed. He heard Bo Ailun yelling in his ear in worry as he ran over. Qie Xieling’s ear hurt from it so he said, "I am fine just stop yelling," before taking the earpiece out.

As he stepped out of the car, Qie Xieling assessed the car while he could hear Bo Ailun and the rest of the team running over in his direction.

Bo Ailun pulled him up and looked him up and down his face ridden with worry. "Did you break anything? Does anything hurt?" he asked seeming really concerned like he was the one injured.

"I am okay really. Just check if it’s okay. I heard something knock," he said and the chief mechanic checked underneath the car with a flashlight.

After a while, he got up and wiped his hands with a cloth while saying, "I have already told you. It’s almost time to retire this bad boy. One more race and you might overturn on the third lap."

"Damn... What are we going to do?" asked one of the pit crew.

Qie Xieling let out a soft throaty laughter before saying, "Well, I am going to finesse someone for a new car."

Everyone, "..."