Kai was a little too excited.
The moment he imagined Ferdinando Monfardini standing there, stunned into silence and maybe even tearing up, his fingers tightened around the cake tray and his heartbeat picked up. It was hard to suppress the urge to jump straight out and ruin everything.
He cradled the cake with both hands, carefully angling his body to shield the candlelight, doing his best to hide himself and keep the surprise intact.
"Fifty meters."
"Countdown."
His heart pounded louder than it ever did in the cockpit. The thrill was different from racing, sharper and more immediate. His smile crept upward as he subtly straightened his knees, easing the tension so his legs would not betray him at the crucial moment. His entire body coiled like a drawn bow, ready to burst forward at the signal.
Then, without warning, the plan derailed.
"One!"
Wait. What?
Before Kai could react, the door in front of him flew open. Moonlight poured in, mixed with the glow of waving light sticks, slicing through the darkness like a waterfall.
"Surprise!"
A wave of heat and sound crashed into him, swallowing him whole. Goosebumps rose across his arms as his body shuddered involuntarily.
Standing right at the front of the crowd was Monfardini himself. The calm, unreadable expression he always wore was gone, replaced by a smile Kai had never seen before. Monfardini raised both arms high and jumped into the celebration, cheering alongside the sea of joyful faces around him.
Kai had always believed he was composed under any circumstance. But in that moment, he realized how helpless he was.
His mind went blank. He only felt hands at his back as the others who had been hiding inside ushered him forward. He stumbled out beneath the stars, merging into the roaring crowd as they closed in around him in a loose circle.
Rosanna stepped forward and took the lead, waving her glow stick high as she sang at the top of her lungs.
"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you. Dear Zhizhou, happy birthday to you."
Everyone joined in. In the hazy light, blurred silhouettes turned into radiant smiles, pushing back the night.
Without warning, Kai felt his nose sting. The emotion caught him completely off guard.
The moisture in his eyes had not yet formed tears when Monfardini stepped forward. Kai thought he was about to receive a hug. Instead, Monfardini grabbed the cake, lunged forward, and slammed it straight into Kai's face before he could even blink.
Cream exploded everywhere.
Paper fireworks went off in rapid bursts, whistles and cheers layering over one another as laughter surged through the courtyard.
"Hey, Zhizhou, smile!"
Someone shouted from the crowd. Kai instinctively turned toward the voice, raised his right hand in a V sign, and grinned. His neat white teeth were framed by whipped cream, frosting clung to his eyebrows and nose, and the result was unmistakable.
He looked exactly like Santa Claus.
Click.
The flash went off, freezing the moment forever.
The lights finally came on. The strings of small bulbs Kai had personally hung that afternoon lit up alongside the warm yellow lamps in the yard, and the world snapped into brightness.
Emotion surged in his chest. He scanned the crowd, his knees suddenly weak, still unable to believe what he was seeing.
"David. Jock. Silvia. Simona. Enrico. Corrado. Diego…"
"Oh my God."
The sight of Kai staring skyward in disbelief sent everyone into hysterical laughter. They could not have been more satisfied.
Rosanna shouted again, her voice ringing through the yard. "Zhizhou, welcome to Ferrari."
Cheers erupted.
In the middle of the noise, Kai spread his hands and struck a dignified pose. "Opportunities like this don't come twice. I authorize everyone to collect evidence now and blackmail me once in the future."
The crowd howled. His exaggerated "come at me" stance broke the last bit of restraint, and one by one they actually lined up to take selfies with him.
Kai stared at the growing queue, dumbfounded. "I finally understand how Santa Claus feels now. This is what it's like."
He did not surrender quietly. Without warning, he launched himself forward and wrapped Rosanna and Monfardini in huge hugs, smearing cream everywhere. Screams and laughter exploded as frosting was shared liberally, and the courtyard instantly turned into a full-scale cake war.
Absolute chaos.
It took a long time before things settled down. Kai was finally forced inside to clean up and change clothes.
When he came back out, whistles, applause, and cheers greeted him all over again.
Rosanna had prepared a mechanic's uniform for him, complete with a lollipop sign. The pit stop paddle.
Kai stepped into the yard holding it like a prop from Halloween, instantly blending in with the team as if he had always belonged there.
He found Rosanna and Monfardini in the crowd and pulled them both into a hug. "Thank you," he said sincerely. "Honestly, I forgot it was my birthday."
That was the truth. Kai was terrible with dates. He barely remembered anniversaries, let alone his own birthday.
Rosanna's eyes crinkled with laughter. "This is your eighteenth birthday. That means you can officially hold a Super Licence. That deserves a celebration."
"And a big one," she added. "So, did we fool you?"
Kai raised both hands in surrender. "Completely. When you all shouted 'surprise,' my heart stopped."
The self-mockery sent another wave of laughter through the group.
A softer voice spoke up nearby, accented heavily in French. "We were just as nervous. You have no idea how cold it was hiding out there. When it was time to shout, I nearly jumped straight out and ruined everything."
The English was halting and uneven, the humor flattened by his delivery, but the sincerity was unmistakable.
Kai turned and saw a middle-aged man wearing oval black-framed glasses. His dark hair curled in every direction as if gravity had lost the argument, and streaks of gray ran through his beard, lending him a distinctive charm.
Kai had never seen him before. He was the only unfamiliar face at the party.
Rosanna immediately stepped in. "Zhizhou, this is Laurent Mekies. Next season's deputy team principal and vehicle performance director."
"Laurent, this is Kai Zhizhou."
So who was the real guest of honor tonight?
Laurent Mekies was a pure engineer by training. He entered motorsport in 2000 and became a race engineer at Minardi within three years. After the team's acquisition, he stayed on, rising to technical director. His most famous moment came in 2008 at Monza, guiding Sebastian Vettel to his first career victory in the rain.
In 2014, Mekies moved to the FIA, serving as vehicle performance director, later as safety director and deputy race director. This year, Ferrari successfully brought him back.
His exact responsibilities were still being finalized, but the move alone sent shockwaves through the paddock. Mekies had seen every team's secrets at the FIA. Whether Ferrari truly did not understand the implications or simply did not care was another question entirely.
According to Monfardini, Mekies would act as a bridge between technical director Mattia Binotto and team principal Arrivabene, improving communication and decision-making.
Ferrari's car had been competitive in 2017. Championship-capable, even. Strategy errors and internal mismanagement had squandered that potential.
That was where Mekies came in.
And crucially, one of his key responsibilities was Kai.
Helping him adapt. Helping him grow. Helping him turn potential into reality.
Ferrari was still aiming for both titles next season. Marchionne had chosen risk over comfort, and that meant placing immense trust in Kai.
This party was not just about a birthday.
It was about introductions.
Mekies raised his champagne glass again. "Happy birthday."
Kai smiled. "If I remember correctly, my mother celebrated it two weeks ago. But thank you."
Mekies nodded. "I know. Double Eleven. Easy to remember. But we were preparing for the finale then."
Kai tilted his head. "That's part of it. But I think the real reason is you."
Mekies raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
Kai gestured toward Rosanna and Monfardini, who had vanished on flimsy excuses. "They look like friends in a comedy movie who arrange a blind date, pretend it's an accident, then quietly disappear."
Mekies blinked. "American comedy, or French?"
Kai almost choked. "French comedy exists? I thought France only did sarcasm and art."
Mekies laughed. "Then the answer is Hollywood."
He studied Kai. "Why assume this was arranged rather than just a party?"
Kai smiled faintly. "Because everyone here belongs to Kimi's full garage crew. That's too neat to be coincidence."
He was right.
Engineers. Strategists. Designers. Mechanics.
This was Raikkonen's entire team.
Next season, they would be Kai's.
Before official work began, a party like this broke barriers and built trust.
Mekies looked at him with open appreciation. "You already remember everyone's names?"
Kai replied solemnly. "Wait, sir. Your name is…"
Mekies went still. "Joking with your superior at your first meeting is questionable."
Kai winced. "Ah. I messed up."
He thought seriously for a moment. "So when is joking allowed? If you give me a schedule, I'll plan carefully."
The absurd seriousness doubled the comedic effect.
Mekies failed to hide his smile.
Before he could respond, a bald head popped in.
"Zhizhou, are you free tomorrow? We've adjusted the brakes you mentioned. You should test it."
Jock Clear. Kai's technical engineer.
Kai answered instantly. "Tomorrow afternoon. Two o'clock."
"Perfect."
Clear was gone as quickly as he arrived.
Mekies did not mind being ignored. "New setup?"
"Baseline," Kai replied. "My braking style is different from Kimi's."
That told Mekies everything.
Kai adapted. He read conditions. He adjusted.
Much like Vettel in his youth.
Mekies understood why Ferrari wanted him.
"Looks like a lot of work ahead," Mekies said lightly. "Your sensitivity will be amplified in F1."
Kai glanced at him. "Unfair. You already know me."
Mekies smiled. "Get used to it. People will study you. Not just to beat you. To break you."
Kai raised his chin. "Like zombies spotting a living human in a cave?"
Mekies laughed.
This, he realized, was why Kai fit so easily.
The winter break began in Maranello.
And somewhere beneath the laughter, the storm was already gathering.