While the grown-ups talked business, Wu Shi focused on eating his stir-fried beef. 'If I don't appreciate this now, there won't be much delicious, spicy food like this once I get to Europe.'
"Cheers!"
Over the back and forth at the dinner table, the men hammered out a general framework for their plan.
Wu Shi listened the whole time without offering any opinions. He was just a kid. Even if he made an insightful point, the adults wouldn't accept it, so it was better to just stay quiet.
Besides, his father would face many more situations like this once they went to Europe.
Being a kart racer wasn't just about having a driver.
For high-level karting competitions, everything from purchasing the chassis, engine, tires, and various small parts to joining a team and accepting sponsorships and endorsements required a dedicated manager.
Wu Shi didn't know how his father would arrange things later, but he knew his father needed to be well-versed in this area.
"Keep it up, young man! I'm rooting for you." Chief Editor Zhang patted Wu Shi's shoulder as he was leaving.
"Okay!"
"Take care, Chief Editor Zhang!" Wu Zhenlin and Boss Chen said as they saw the two men off.
"Xiaowu, you heard that, right? Win the next three races, all of them, and Big Eye Sports Media will give us a hundred thousand in sponsorship money directly. If you get good results abroad, Chief Editor Zhang will introduce me to the head of the foreign trade and commerce department at Big Eye News," Boss Chen said, his face flushed red and his breath reeking of alcohol.
"Don't feel too much pressure, son." As his father, Wu Zhenlin's tone was more gentle.
"Pressure is motivation! Go for it! Go kick some ass, Xiaowu!" Boss Chen roared with laughter, full of bravado.
"Yeah, I'll do my best! I'll aim to win them all!"
"Good! That's the spirit, kid!" Boss Chen let out a drunken hiccup.
Under the night sky of Peng City, the lights of distant skyscrapers shone brightly, looking like hidden beasts peering down upon the mortal world through a thin layer of fog.
Bringing one's gaze back to the immediate surroundings, vendors selling snacks and toys looked around under the flashing neon signs. The food stalls had just opened for business, far from the true start of the nightlife, but the aroma of stir-fried beef noodles and charcoal barbecue already filled the streets.
...
After less than two weeks of classes back at school, Wu Shi took another leave of absence. He and his technician traveled to Nan'an, a port city that had been the world's number one port since the Yuan Dynasty and possessed a unique atmosphere.
There weren't many junior drivers in the NCJ-A group here. Wu Shi noticed Ling Kang hadn't come, and Zeng Tianyi didn't know what was up with him either. Ye Zhaohui and his sister, however, had come together, though they were accompanied by three unfamiliar adults—two men and a woman.
"Boss, we meet again!" Ye Ningning skipped over happily.
"Hey~" After greeting her, Wu Shi glanced at a sullen-faced Ye Zhaohui.
The guy's eyes, glaring as if at an enemy, seemed to be saying, 'Stay away from my sister!'
"I admit you were brilliant in Zhuhai! But I've been practicing here for a month, and you haven't even shown up! I also know you've never raced here before, so this time, I'll definitely win!" Ye Zhaohui declared, throwing down the gauntlet.
"There's nothing impressive about winning like that," Ye Ningning pouted from the side.
"Ningning!" Ye Zhaohui cried out in exasperation.
"Haha, see you on the track. It really is my first time on this circuit, so please, go easy on me." Wu Shi extended his hand.
"Hmph!" Ye Zhaohui turned and walked away.
'What a proud guy.'
Wu Shi just smiled without saying a word.
Sure enough, he came back a moment later. "Ningning! Come on."
"Nuh-uh! I'm not going! I want Boss to teach me how to drive a kart!" Ye Ningning made a face at him.
"You—!" For the first time, Ye Zhaohui understood what his mother meant when she said, 'You'll be the death of me!'
"Haha." Even Zeng Tianyi couldn't help but laugh at the scene.
Of course, Ye Zhaohui couldn't just leave his sister and go, not even with two bodyguards watching her.
"Boss, I've started practicing at home! My coach says I'm really talented, hehe!" Ye Ningning said to Wu Shi.
"Oh? That's awesome."
Wu Shi praised her casually. In the world of racing, there were indeed some female drivers, but it was incredibly difficult for them to succeed.
Innate physical and other bodily disadvantages made it exceptionally hard for them in a sport of breakneck speeds. Even the female drivers who had made it to top-tier events throughout history had never achieved remarkable results.
"But I don't get how to overtake. Every time I try to go around someone, they just end up faster than me," Ye Ningning said, frustrated.
"Overtaking on the outside requires a car with superior performance; otherwise, it's very difficult. Look, think about it this way: you have to travel a much longer distance than the other person. They'll get through the corner before you and can start accelerating sooner."
"Then how do you overtake?"
"Generally, you can late-brake and cut to the inside of the corner, like this." Wu Shi used his hands to demonstrate and continued:
"You can also change your racing line in a series of corners. Force your opponent to defend on the first corner, which then gives you the advantageous line for the second one..."
Wu Shi became engrossed in his explanation. 'It's a good review of the techniques for me, too.'
"But, while those are the principles, things change in an instant on the track. A lot of it depends on your own thinking."
The other kids listened intently. There were certainly a lot of subtleties to it.
CLAP CLAP CLAP~!
Just then, a few coaches standing nearby began to applaud.
"Well said!"
"An incredible young driver."
"Sure enough, there's a reason he's won three races in a row."
"What? He's won three races in a row?"
Because each event had local drivers who didn't pay much attention to the other races, they looked at Wu Shi in shock.
TWEET! TWEET!
The officials' whistle blew. Drivers who had completed their administrative and vehicle checks could now head out for today's untimed practice session.
Since Wu Shi had never driven this track before, he naturally had to participate.
Ye Zhaohui and Ye Ningning didn't go. The former wanted to see how his exceptionally talented rival would adapt to the track, while the latter simply wanted to watch her "boss" race.
As with any practice session, Wu Shi spent the first few laps finding his braking points and getting a feel for the track surface. Once he had gathered enough information, he began to slowly pick up the pace.
His first time soon appeared.
43.679.
"Not even in the 42s? Is this the genius you were all hyping up?" A local Nan'an coach and his young driver couldn't help but jeer.
To get pole position in this race, you needed to be in the 42-second range at least.
But soon, his second valid lap time came in.
43.225.
"Still no good," someone gloated. If this was the best the champion of the last few races could do, then their own chances were looking much better.
"Are you blind?! Didn't you see someone just blocked his path?" Ye Zhaohui couldn't stop himself from yelling back.
"Who the hell are you?!"
"I'm your daddy!" Ye Zhaohui, influenced by his father, was polite in front of adults, but in reality, he had a fiery temper.
"You!"
"Hey kid, watch your mouth..." An adult, annoyed by him, started walking over to teach him a lesson.
The two men behind Ye Zhaohui looked over. The adult gave an awkward laugh and backed down. They were two hulking, muscular men, well over six feet tall—he clearly wouldn't win that fight.
While they were arguing, the third lap time appeared.
41.928!
"Holy shit!"
"Who just saw that?!"
"What just happened?"