Chapter 45 - 9: Unavoidable Collision

Chapter 45: Chapter 9: Unavoidable Collision

Sid was in charge of negotiating sponsorships, with Aunt Martina handling the final review, so Wu Shi didn’t have to worry about it. He only needed to focus on whether he could continue his winning streak in the upcoming races.

The fourth race was held in Lonato, in the Brescia Province. This was in the northernmost part of Italy, near the mountains.

During the practice session, Wu Shi noticed after just a few laps that there seemed to be a minor issue with the engine. He reported it, and the mechanic made some quick repairs.

He tried a few more laps. The slight problem was still there, but it wasn’t serious. At least it wasn’t losing any horsepower—it just lacked smoothness.

For an ordinary kart driver, this would have been an incredibly difficult issue to manage.

To Wu Shi, however, it was a trivial matter. He could perfectly sense the engine’s state. Even if the engine itself wasn’t running smoothly, he could still make it perform as if it were.

After uneventful qualifying and final races, Wu Shi once again took the lead and won, securing all the points.

Dionysius was numb to it by now. He couldn’t compete with this monster, and he never wanted to see the guy again. As for his earlier provocations, he decided to just let them go, forgotten like the wind.

The television commentator felt much the same as Dionysius. Though he continued to ramble on, he no longer denied that Wu Shi was an exceptionally talented driver.

Four consecutive victories had left many people feeling numb. The excitement of racing had been completely snuffed out; a predictable result was simply boring.

Of course, this was only true for casual spectators who just wanted a spectacle. In fact, many fans loved seeing crashes and would even risk their safety to tirelessly collect fragments of debris from wrecked karts—something that happened often in higher-level series.

But after he secured four victories with a consistent lead, it was no longer just small brands approaching him for sponsorships. Even major players like Tony Kart, Vortex, and TM came calling.

The most surprising offer came from a familiar company—the LT Kart brand, a partner of the corporation his father, Wu Zhenlin, worked for. LT primarily sold kart chassis and non-powertrain components.

Wu Shi was about to give the sponsorship to LT directly, but Sid advised him, "Don’t give them an answer yet. Pressure them first. Make them go through your father. That’s how you make this count."

Clearly, this was an opportunity to boost his father’s performance metrics.

However, Wu Zhenlin was working in the Chinese District market at the time and couldn’t make it over on short notice. Ultimately, the owner of LT flew to Hua Country, and after seven days of negotiations, they reached a three-year partnership agreement.

Because Wu Shi’s role in this deal was so critical, Seth, the C.D Speed Team principal, didn’t dare to propose a profit split as he would with an ordinary driver. If he had, he was certain a bigger team would sign Wu Shi away by the next day.

And the buyout clause?

What major team couldn’t afford a buyout of a few hundred thousand euros?

Seth’s attitude left Martina quite satisfied. The Laya Team would never have made such a huge concession.

As a result, starting from the fifth race, the livery on Wu Shi’s kart became much more colorful, plastered with the logos of several major brands. It was a sight that made many other parents green with envy.

Wu Shi didn’t disappoint his sponsors. He won the fifth race in August and followed it up with a victory in the sixth race in October.

Just when everyone assumed the genius teenager would cruise to another uneventful victory in the seventh race, the rain came down during the main event.

That’s right. Everyone’s luck had been incredible this year; not a single race, from the start of the season to the end, had been on a rainy day.

Commentator: "According to reports from our on-site journalist, a light rain has started to fall at the track. All drivers are being required to switch to wet tires."

Guest Analyst: "The rain isn’t heavy, but the track surface is completely soaked, with standing water in several spots. We might see some unexpected developments in the Mini category today."

The commentator’s energy picked up. "Given Wu Shi’s skill, even the rain shouldn’t be much of a problem for him, right?"

Guest Analyst: "Track conditions in the rain are vastly different from a dry day. The racing line is affected, too. Wu Shi loves to take more extreme lines that other drivers usually can’t follow. Do you know what that implies?"

The commentator shook his head, admitting he didn’t.

Guest Analyst: "The parts of the track off the main racing line are covered in rubber debris from the tires. On a dry day, it doesn’t really affect grip. But in the rain, that rubber debris makes it feel like you’re driving on marbles."

The commentator’s eyes lit up with understanding, his voice growing excited. "Oh! I get it! This means Wu Shi won’t be able to use his unique understanding of the track to leave everyone in his dust! If he has to stick to the conventional racing line, he might not be able to build a significant lead. He might not even take pole position in qualifying!"

The guest analyst nodded. ’That’s one theory, but it assumes Wu Shi isn’t skilled in a Rain Battle.’

In the pit area, Seth, dressed in a raincoat, asked Martina worriedly, "We’ve barely done any training in the rain. Is he going to be okay?"

Martina thought for a moment. She’d heard that Wu Shi had competed in a Rain Battle back in Hua Country and performed exceptionally well. "He should be fine," she said.

And just as Martina predicted, Wu Shi smoothly secured pole position.

Back in the broadcast booth, after watching the qualifying session, the guest analyst remarked, "I think Wu Shi will be taking home the win for this race after all."

The commentator didn’t reply. ’Does this kid from Hua Country have no weaknesses?’ he thought.

Soon, it was time for the main race.

A wet start is always unpredictable and dangerous. Wu Shi, of course, knew this.

Due to the limited grip, even he couldn’t launch with the same speed as on a dry track. So, after completing the formation lap, he kept a close watch on the rivals behind him.

As he drove onto the starting straight, the misty air made it difficult to see the lights clearly. But this didn’t affect him much, starting from the front row. It was the drivers further back in the pack who would struggle, unable to get a clear read on the lights.

The lights illuminated, then went out. Wu Shi carefully controlled the throttle, kicking up a thick spray of water.

He got a perfect start, but the same couldn’t be said for the drivers behind him.

Only a few seconds into the race, the sound of a collision and screams from the crowd could be heard.

’There’s been a crash behind me,’ Wu Shi realized. As he entered Turn 1, he glanced back at the starting straight.

He shouldn’t have looked. What he saw made his heart leap into his throat.

A kart was hurtling straight toward his side, having completely missed its braking point.

"Shit!"

Wu Shi cursed. If he got hit, his perfect record would be ruined.

Commentator: "Driver 378 has lost control of his kart! He didn’t brake in time! Oh! My god, he’s heading straight for driver 398 in the lead! Can driver 398 get out of the way?

"No, it’s too late! A collision is unavoidable! It’s very likely 398 will be forced to retire from the race!"

The commentator’s words came out in a rapid-fire blur.

Martina and Louise instinctively brought their hands to their mouths. The crash on the starting straight was severe, and they couldn’t bear to imagine what would happen when Wu Shi was hit.

Sid, Seth, and the rest of the team members had their eyes glued to Turn 1.