Ten seconds isn't a long time in daily life, but in the world of racing, that's a gap spanning several levels.
It was the kind of gap you'd only see in a smaller domestic championship. Normally, in a race with spec cars, the distance between the frontrunners wouldn't be stretched this wide.
In the afternoon, after the vehicles passed inspection, the official list of competitors was confirmed. Racers with free time were on the track for untimed practice sessions.
"Son, something came up at the company. I have to run," Wu Zhenlin said apologetically after taking a call.
"Okay, go ahead, Dad." Wu Shi smiled.
"Alright. Be careful." Wu Zhenlin patted his son's head and hurried away.
"What a busy man," Boss Chen remarked.
"Yeah." Wu Shi nodded. The fact that his father had taken time out of his busy schedule to help him register showed how much he cared.
"You're really not going to practice?" Boss Chen asked.
"No." Wu Shi shook his head. 'I've practiced a lot these past few months.'
"Alright then. Get a good night's rest tonight."
After leaving the racetrack and returning to his hotel, Wu Shi flopped onto the bed.
'Ah, this is the life!'
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!
But he had barely gotten comfortable when a knock came at the door.
'Who could that be?'
'If it were Boss Chen, he would have just shouted my name.'
He peered through the peephole and saw a familiar face.
CLICK!
"Aunt Martina, Louise, what are you two doing here?" Wu Shi asked as he opened the door.
"My dear Little Wu Shi, Zhenlin was worried about you. I happened to be in Peng City recently, so he asked me to drop by and check on you," Martina said with a smile.
"Hel-lo (*´▽｀)ノノ! Wu... Shi," Louise called out, her Chinese pronunciation clumsy.
"Hello, Louise." Wu Shi welcomed them inside.
"Such standard pronunciation," Martina teased. She brought their small bags into the room and said, "Auntie and Louise will be staying here. That's not a problem, is it?"
"Not at all. Thank you for coming to take care of me, Auntie," Wu Shi said with a smile. 'Dad was worried I'd be too lonely, but he doesn't know I've been living like this for a long time.'
"Mamu! What are you two talking about!" Louise demanded, watching them converse and unable to stop herself from butting in.
"Oh, I forgot Little Louise can't understand," Martina said, putting on a surprised expression.
"Hmph ╭(╯^╰)╮! Mamu, you have to translate for me! I want to talk to Wu Shi too," Louise said, still a little petulant.
"I can't do that. You haven't paid the translation fee, so Mama can't translate for you. You'd be better off studying Mandarin properly," Martina said.
"Ah! It's too hard! Too hard!" Louise cried, looking crestfallen.
"Please excuse her," Martina said to Wu Shi.
"It's nothing." Wu Shi scratched his cheek. 'This auntie seems to think I can understand English perfectly.'
"Wu Shi, if you're serious about becoming a professional racer, Auntie suggests you come with us to Italy," Martina said.
Wu Shi was taken aback. He hadn't expected such an abrupt change of topic, but Martina's suggestion was exactly what he had been thinking.
"Don't overthink it. We can talk after your race tomorrow," Martina said.
"Okay."
Because of the race the next day, the lights in the room were turned off early.
...
The next morning, after the drivers' meeting, Wu Shi and his technician filled the kart with fuel, got the tires, and finished tuning the vehicle.
For the timed practice session, everyone started from the pit lane. Once a driver completed their warm-up lap and crossed the start-finish line again, the starter would wave the green flag, officially beginning the session.
Although it was called a "timed practice," the format was more like a "lap-count practice." The session lasted for only ten minutes or three laps.
On this track, ten minutes was clearly enough time to run ten laps, so drivers often finished their three laps and left the track after only four or five minutes.
The buzz of engines filled the pit lane.
"Safety is the top priority," the technician said.
"Wu Shi, go, go!" Louise shouted.
"Drive well, and be careful," Martina said with a slight nod.
"Okay."
Wu Shi pulled down his visor, stepped on the gas, and the kart slowly drove out of the pit lane.
After exiting the pit lane at the speed limit, Wu Shi weaved left and right to warm up the tires slightly before clattering forward.
Just then, a kart covered in various advertisements pulled up beside him. The kid driving it flipped open his visor, shot Wu Shi a look, and then sped ahead with a VROOM.
That must be the Lin Cong from yesterday.
Wu Shi didn't know what he was trying to prove, but he felt a little wary.
The spec karts for the championship had two front bumpers. If they were knocked off in a collision, the driver would receive a five-second penalty for each one.
According to the race regulations, a penalty would be issued regardless of the reason for the dislodging, and reattaching them during the race was forbidden. Any such action would result in disqualification and a black flag.
VROOM VROOM!
One after another, the karts completed their warm-up laps and began setting times. Two minutes later, the first valid lap time was posted.
46.232 seconds.
"That's Fang Yan's time. It's an improvement from last year, but unfortunately, he's still just along for the ride," a coach said.
"Sigh," a parent sighed.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
Immediately after, three more lap times appeared.
46.565 seconds
46.211 seconds
45.556 seconds
"A 45-second lap! Go, Ye Kaihua!" a young woman exclaimed, clenching her fists.
"He'll need to do a few more hot laps. A 45-second time won't be enough for pole position," a coach said, dampening her spirits.
WHOOSH!
44.201!
"Who's that?!" a parent exclaimed upon seeing the lap board, their eyes darting to the track.
"Ling Kang! Last year's runner-up! From the Extreme Speed Team."
Most of them had been racing for a year or two, so they recognized him from his familiar helmet design.
"So fast!"
"Yeah, if my kid could go that fast, I'd be content."
"Hey, look. Whose kid is that, still driving so slowly?"
"No idea. Looks like a rookie. Probably just started karting. He must have gotten scared by the crowd and is afraid to push it."
"Heh heh..."
WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
Another kart sped across the finish line.
44.200.
"*Hiss!* That's a tiny gap."
Someone sucked in a sharp breath. A gap that small just comes down to luck.
"Zeng Tianyi. Also from the Speed Racing Team."
"As expected, those two are the strongest this year. They're in a league of their own!"
"Yeah, but they'll be moving up a class next year. My kid might have a shot at a top-three finish then."
Off the track, the parents watched anxiously while the coaches jotted down notes, preparing to correct the young racers when they returned.
As the two fastest laps were set, the atmosphere at the track grew more lively.
Louise leaned on the railing, her eyes following Wu Shi's kart. She said urgently, "Mamu! Why hasn't he started his hot laps yet?! After this, he'll only have one lap left!"
"Why are you more anxious than the driver?" Martina sighed, pressing a hand to her forehead. Then, as if a thought struck her, she teased, "Little Louise, you haven't developed a crush on Wu Shi, have you?"
"Huh?!" Louise's arms, which had been propping her up, suddenly went weak. She puffed out her cheeks and stammered, "Mamu! Don't say things like that! I... I..."
Her eyes darted around, and she quickly came up with an excuse. "Mama, you said it yourself! An older brother looks out for his younger sister, so of course the younger sister is going to worry about her older brother!"