Chapter 146 - 68: Can’t Turn It Down, It’s CCTV

Chapter 146: Chapter 68: Can’t Turn It Down, It’s CCTV

The race unfolded much as Wu Shi had expected. After the formation lap, the race began.

A collision occurred right on the starting straight. Thankfully, it was the cars behind him, so he wasn’t affected.

He pressed on, intentionally drifting toward the outside. After the starting grid, the dry path on the outside line was wider, which would allow him to brake late.

Soon, as he neared Turn 2, he caught sight of a white car on the inside line out of the corner of his eye. It seemed to be Jack Dennis’s. The driver had started in seventh, yet had somehow already dropped back to run alongside him.

But that was to be expected. Because he was on the outside, he was braking later than everyone else. The momentary speed advantage catapulted him to around fourth or fifth place.

Just as he was about to make his move, he saw the white car—he couldn’t tell if it had hit the wet inner line or been forced out by someone else—cut the corner wide!

It carried way too much speed into the turn, and after running over the kerb, it slammed directly into the second-place driver, Bromquist.

Wu Shi reacted instantly, trying to squeeze to the inside. He figured a collision at that speed would send both cars sliding toward the edge of the track, creating a traffic jam on the outside line.

But the inside line was already packed with cars, and the other drivers were slamming on their brakes because of the sudden incident.

His attempt to cut in failed. Wu Shi was trapped on the outermost line, and as the pack compressed, he was brought to a standstill.

Wu Shi couldn’t stop himself from yelling into the team radio, "FUCK! Can these guys get out of the way already!"

The margins on this track were already razor-thin. Every second he was stuck here was a second lost!

Alan TR: "Stay calm. A safety car will likely be deployed, so the gaps won’t open up."

Wu Shi slapped the steering wheel twice. ’Too bad there’s no horn,’ he fumed. The drivers on the outside had to wait for all the cars behind them to pass before they could reverse and extricate themselves from the jam.

Alan TR: "Safety car confirmed."

Wu Shi didn’t reply to Alan. The safety car was already pulling out from the side of the track, stopped at the exit.

He felt a headache coming on. The safety car wasn’t the problem anymore. Since he’d been stuck on the very outside, by the time he got moving again, he was already near the back of the pack.

This was definitely going to cause him problems.

The train of cars was so long that Wu Shi couldn’t even see the safety car up ahead. He had anticipated a potential incident, but nothing like this.

If he had known, he would have stuck to the inside line to avoid getting completely boxed in on the outside.

But he wasn’t a psychic; he had no way of knowing how the incident would unfold.

The safety car stayed out for five laps. In the short time since the race had started, three cars had already retired.

On lap six, the race restarted. Without even getting a clear look at who was beside him, Wu Shi blew past them.

Now, he faced the arduous task of climbing back up the order.

...

At Mercedes-Benz Headquarters, Toto had called a rare team meeting about a matter unrelated to the race.

His expression was grim, like a lion restraining its fury.

"Everyone, I don’t know where these rumors started, but they’re creating a toxic atmosphere on the team."

As he spoke, his sharp eyes swept over several people. Some immediately looked down, others pursed their lips, and one just stared blankly, blinking rapidly.

He glanced at Niki Lauda beside him. The old legend was also furious.

"Since this is such a hot topic, I’ll be blunt. Yes, the team has signed an agreement with Wu Shi. He has joined the Mercedes Driver Development Program, and he is now one of us."

Toto’s words didn’t shock anyone. Instead, the employees sat up even straighter, their expressions turning as grim as Toto’s, creating an atmosphere of the calm before the storm.

"The agreement does, in fact, stipulate terms for him joining the Mercedes F1 Team."

The room erupted.

As soon as he said it, many people shifted uncomfortably in their seats. Some held their heads in their hands, unable to believe the long-standing rumors were true. Others’ expressions grew more solemn, while a few watched with detached indifference.

But regardless of their individual thoughts, upon hearing Toto’s statement, everyone instinctively looked toward Hamilton and Rosberg.

At this point, Toto changed his tune. "We have a good car this year. So good, in fact, that it allows our two drivers to battle each other for the lead with no holds barred."

Hamilton watched Toto, his eyes gleaming. Rosberg fiddled with his fingers.

"I do not want to see this happen again in the coming races. We are one team, a single team, not two separate teams and two separate factions!"

Rosberg rubbed his nose. Hamilton kept his gaze fixed on Toto.

The sharper people in the room had already figured it out. Toto’s open admission of the agreement with Wu Shi was actually a warning to his two lead drivers to stop their cutthroat battles on the track. This was a team order.

Issuing such an order directly would be pointless as long as the two drivers were so evenly matched. In a critical moment, a driver will trust their own judgment, not the team’s.

After all, a World Championship was on the line! It was a battle for the highest honor in F1!

A deferential mindset is destined to lose the World Championship.

Rosberg glanced up at Toto. He didn’t think Wu Shi would replace him. After all, he was currently leading the championship, and he was a veteran who had been with the Mercedes Team since its inception.

Both Toto and Niki Lauda held him in high regard.

And he did take some of Toto’s words to heart, but...

He glanced at Hamilton, his former best friend, and wondered if he would take it to heart.

Toto went on to emphasize a few other points and spoke for a while about the preparations for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Finally, he said:

"Everyone, not even Vettel could set a pole-position-worthy lap time during a practice session."

With that, Toto waved a hand, dismissing the meeting.

Hamilton and Rosberg left at the same time. Once they were out of the conference room, Rosberg said, "I don’t think our relationship has gotten that bad, has it?"

Hamilton raised an eyebrow, then smiled after a moment. "You’re right. We’re still on great terms, aren’t we?"

They clasped hands.

Peter, watching from behind, finally breathed a sigh of relief. He wanted to find Tony to discuss the matter, but he couldn’t keep up with his colleague.

...

WHOOSH!

Wu Shi shot across the finish line. ’What a rollercoaster of a race,’ he thought. It was a shame, but in the end, he couldn’t catch Verstappen and O’connor up ahead.

Still, by carving his way up through the field, he had provided plenty of exciting highlights for the race broadcast.

In the post-race interviews, Wu Shi and Verstappen were once again the center of the reporters’ attention. O’connor, who had finished second, stood off to the side, shrugged, and said to the camera, "I don’t know why the runner-up is less popular than the guy who finished third."

But his complaint was drowned out by the post-race headlines.

"Max Verstappen Snatches Two Wins From the Terrifying Wu Shi! The Norisring Counterattack!"

"Wu Shi Loses Two Crucial Races!"

"Post-Rain Norisring Exposes Wu Shi’s Fatal Flaw! Did the F1 Teams Back the Wrong Man?"

The bizarre headlines were as sensational as they could be. Wu Shi, with his fifteen victories, had been cast as the villainous dragon, and everyone seemed delighted to see him finally slain by Verstappen.

Amidst a storm of controversy, Wu Shi returned to his home in Italy.

The next race was on July 11th, and the one after that on August 1st. With only one race in the entire month, July was practically his summer break.

He had barely settled in at home when he got a call from his father.

"You have an exclusive interview."

"Huh? I’m on a break right now. Can we postpone it?"

Wu Shi said. He didn’t really need a lot of exposure right now and wanted to take it easy. Besides, he never liked dealing with this stuff anyway.

"Can’t be postponed. It’s CCTV."

"Uh..."

Wu Shi was speechless. Finally, he said, "You’re right, can’t postpone that. But why are they looking for me?"

"That’s a question for them. It’s scheduled for the day after tomorrow. I’ll be there too."

"Okay!"