F1: The Making of a Racing God

Chapter 27 [Photographic Memory]

Having successfully completed the physical education entrance exam, I was finally free from the daily 1000-meter run. It seemed that all my classmates had entered a state of focused preparation for the exam.

Shu Long didn't even have a chance to catch his breath.

The opening race for the KZ group will be held on April 19th in Sarno, Italy, the same track where I first encountered Max three years ago.

This time, unlike Verstappen's gas station tragedy, Shulong held a firm first place position from qualifying to the end of the final.

Because of the addition of gears, the driver needs to be more sensitive to engine speed and tire friction, which actually amplifies Shulong's inherent advantages, making the gap between him and the second place even larger than it was in the Rotax Max series.

Unlike other types of go-karts, KZ uses a static start, which means that as long as Shulong starts in the front row, the word "attack and defense" will almost never appear in his dictionary during this race.

Precise gear control, incredibly smooth throttle operation, and an explosive start-up response like a bullet leaving the barrel.

Faced with such an unbelievable scene where a player starts three car lengths ahead of the second-place team, the commentators initially exclaimed in amazement, but gradually became numb and simply said, "Oh, then let's focus on the battle for the back seats."

On May 24th at the Suera circuit in Spain, almost the exact same scenario unfolded, with the commentators having almost lost their passion for guessing who the champion would be.

When the outcome is completely predictable before it even begins, it's unlikely anyone would find it interesting.

In the previous few years of the competition, almost every year before the final match results were announced, everything seemed to be still uncertain.

Ocon, Alben, Leclerc, Verstappen, Zhou Guanyu, and Norris.

Almost every edition has a few strong contenders for the championship. It is said that the greatness of a warrior is supported by equally great opponents, and the same applies to race car drivers.

But it seems like there's a complete break in the competition in Shulong. After only the second leg, there's basically no chance of any other changes in the annual championship this year. So, is it that someone is too strong or the others are too weak?

This issue exists not only among spectators and commentators, but also among the team leaders and those in charge of the youth training systems of various Formula One teams.

This has led to a very awkward situation: a super rookie who should have been highly sought after by various organizations has inexplicably fallen into a state of being neglected.

It seems everyone is watching and waiting for a slip-up to occasionally emerge from beneath that impressive record.

Some people are saying, "Are those team leaders all idiots? Don't they even check the lap times?"
In fact, lap times are the most deceptive aspect, as track grip tends to increase first and then decrease over a maintenance cycle.

The fact that Shulong's lap time was faster than any previous edition may simply mean that the track's grip has now been increased due to the continuous accumulation of tire rubber.

As for why Shulong's competitors had slower average lap times than in previous years?
Most people would just think it's because they're bad at racing, and would only lament the decline and stagnation of European racing as a whole, without considering whether the aging of the tracks has led to a reduction in the upper limit of grip, because that doesn't explain why some people can achieve that speed.

Back in China, everything remained the same.

Even his former world championship title couldn't make much of a splash among his classmates, so two victories were naturally not enough.

Anyway, everyone's used to calling Shu Long the God of Cars, so it's normal to assume he's a great driver, right?

At most, there would be a brief commotion when the homeroom teacher announced the good news to the whole class, followed by a few boastful remarks that cost nothing.

Unfortunately, this competition only attracts a small number of seasoned racing enthusiasts abroad, and even fewer people watch it in China.

It's like one day your friend introduces you to someone who is a world champion in gateball. At first glance, you think, "Wow, a world champion? That's so awesome!" And then what?

A provincial champion in table tennis might resonate with most people, but racing is still too far out of reach for the average person. Right now, the high school entrance exam is clearly a more pressing issue.

Even though Shu Long enrolled in several intensive tutoring classes in the last month or so, even though he didn't actually need them, he mainly did it for peace of mind.

At least in the days leading up to the exam, I pretended to have studied really hard.

The exam was much easier than he had imagined. Shu Long felt relieved as he walked out of the exam hall. The next step was to estimate his score and choose his high school.

Along with the end of the exam, the long-awaited achievement of unlocking the "Photographic Memory" skill at 100% completion was also a perfect ending.

Putting aside any benefits, the first effect it brings to Shulong is exhaustion.

The overactive brain made it difficult for Shulong to sleep. Every night, even though he felt very sleepy with his eyes closed, the scenes that happened during the day would keep replaying in his mind.

After today's episodes were finished, they played yesterday's, and after yesterday's, they played the day before yesterday's. It was like a projector with an infinite loop, until Shu Long's spirit could no longer take it and he finally passed out on the bed.

Many people may have a misconception that muscle-related exercises are the most physically demanding. However, the truth is that the brain is the invisible calorie killer that kills calories every day, accounting for the highest percentage of energy expenditure in the body.

Muscles may truly rest when we rest, but whether we are exercising, thinking, or resting every day, even when we are asleep, our brains are constantly consuming the energy stored in our bodies.

Shulong's most direct feeling every day is that even though the physical sensations of various parts of his body are far from reaching the limit of tolerance, he just feels listless and unable to muster any energy.

It's like a V8 engine without fuel; no matter how high the specs are, it just won't start.

It wasn't until Zhang Xin suspected that her child's diet was too bland and lacking in oil and fat during his developmental period that the family prepared several large, meaty meals, allowing Shu Long to eat his fill for a few days, and his symptoms finally improved slightly.

When the term "friction control" was fully unlocked back then, it was more of a qualitative change where the sensory world was suddenly and completely overturned. In fact, once the cognition was refreshed, it was quite easy to get used to it.

In contrast, the effect of "Photographic Memory" is more like a debuff that continuously drains health. I don't think I encountered this kind of weird thing when "Sharp Eyes" was fully unlocked.

This may also be related to the fact that the speed limit of karting competitions is not high and the competition time is short. Under normal circumstances, a race can usually be completed in about fifteen minutes, so Shulong's physical strength can withstand it.

The second side effect of having a photographic memory might be that Shu Long suddenly becomes somewhat melancholic.

Because he can clearly remember the changes that happen to the people around him every day, the traces of time become too clear in Shu Long's eyes.

The three years of junior high school seemed a bit too short. It felt like I had just gotten used to being with this group of classmates when I was about to meet a completely unfamiliar group of people in the second half of the year.

Even though it's the same karting season, at least after this race I can share my joy with close friends like Yu Mujie and Teng Weifeng. But who can I talk to about the result of the next race?
When a memory has already left a deep enough mark on our hearts, we often only want to deepen the original mark, rather than harden our hearts and fill it with new memories to replace it.

On July 12th, during the summer holidays, the third round of the KZ2 European Series kicked off at the Genk Circuit in Belgium.

The team that usually dominated Shulong seemed to be under a spell this time, completely out of sorts for almost the entire competition. They finished third in their group in the qualifying rounds, and seemed to wake up a little in the preliminary rounds, but were brought back down to earth in the final rounds, ultimately finishing sixth in the finals, starting from the third row.

The commentators couldn't help but perk up, feeling a sense of relief mixed with a strange sense of melancholy at how quickly the legend had fallen.

Lights out. Run?
Contrary to his usual behavior, Shu Long not only failed to take the initiative from the start, but also stood frozen for a moment in front of the other race cars around him.

This caused him to drop directly from sixth to ninth. Realizing he had made a huge mistake, Shu Long felt a cold sweat instantly soak his back, and he woke up as if someone had suddenly poured a bucket of water on his head.

Fortunately, he already had the advantage of the panel's attributes, and his skills were far superior to those of the other riders in the same group. After 15 laps of intense racing, he finally returned to the front row and started leading the race.

But after running only a few laps, Shu Long's condition deteriorated to the point that he himself was unaware of how bad he was.

This is a state that lies between being sleepy and not sleepy, like the hazy illusion between life and death in Harry Potter. The body is still receiving information from the outside world and making corresponding responses, but the consciousness is already fast asleep.

I had basically adapted to the time difference in China to the point that it wouldn't affect my daily life, but this time when I came to Belgium, the jet lag immediately brought me back to my old self.

The roar of the engine seemed to come from the other side of the river, with a hazy echo, and the scene before us seemed to be veiled in a misty veil.

The dream seemed to overlap with reality, and the various racetracks I had run before began to appear one by one. Every now and then, I would have the illusion that I was driving hard in a torrential downpour.

The commentators also began to realize that something was wrong with Shulong. Shulong's lap times started to fluctuate, and his driving style on the track became unusually wild.

The second-place finisher, who had been closely trailing Shu Long, felt somewhat helpless.

The road ahead seemed full of flaws to him, and every time he thought it was an opportunity to overtake, he would be startled by unusual movements ahead, breaking out in a cold sweat, fearing that this madman would force his way past him.

Finally, before a series of right and left turns, car number 385 could not resist the temptation and squeezed onto the inside line. However, Shu Long made an illogical braking maneuver and blocked the car on the outside of the left turn.

It's a bit like blocking a knight's move in chess. His position was blocked, preventing him from entering the corner and accelerating immediately. The engine stalled, resulting in an irrecoverable loss of rhythm. By the time he remembered to downshift to salvage the situation, Shu Long was already more than ten meters away.

This was a defensive play that could almost be described as dirty. Although the player did not actively try to cut into the opponent's lane, it still had the suspicion of dangerous driving.

However, the culprit who caused all of this was completely unaware of his own actions, and even said that he was not quite clear about what he was doing.

On the penultimate lap, Shu Long even thought he saw Kakarot and Vegeta fighting each other flying on the track ahead, and had to struggle to avoid the huge craters on the road caused by the two Super Saiyans.

Finally, a sudden, amplified energy wave, which he couldn't dodge in time, jolted Shu Long awake from his sleep once more.

"Holy crap!"

The dodging action in the dream was reflected in reality. Shu Long, who was sprinting on the straight road, suddenly and inexplicably tugged at the steering wheel. In a panic, he could only use the inertia of the car's center of gravity to pull back and save the car. The race car crossed the finish line first, sideways.

"Stan, is this the kind of drama you've been hoping for?"

"Well, I have to admit that the first half of the game was very exciting, but this unusual ending was not something I had planned."

“That’s right. We’ve noticed that Long’s performance in this round of the competition has been somewhat inconsistent. As far as I know, he travels nearly 10,000 kilometers from China to compete here each time. Hopefully, it’s just that the frequent jet lag has affected his current performance.”

When someone is completely elevated to a divine status, all the people will want to drag them back down to earth.

However, Shulong is still on its way to the summit, and it holds infinite possibilities. As a commentator who has watched Shulong get to where it is today, I still have some mixed feelings of anticipation and uncertainty.

It's a bit like being afraid that your brother is suffering, but also afraid that your brother is driving a Land Rover.

Arrogance and prejudice certainly exist, but this arrogance does not equate to unreasonable hostility.

Just like the inclusiveness ingrained in the bones of Chinese culture, isn't this also a kind of absolute arrogance?

It is precisely because we sincerely believe that our culture, which has been passed down and evolved over thousands of years, is the most awesome, and that no matter how much we accept new things, they will never affect the core of our civilization, that we have this magnanimous spirit of embracing all rivers.

The European commentators likely share a similar mindset.

They already have no shortage of glorious history and legendary drivers, and sometimes they are happy to witness the growth of some new seedlings until they grow into towering trees and stir up the stagnant waters of the racing world.

Perhaps one day they will find that their position is truly threatened, and then they may show a completely different face.

Shu Long was completely oblivious to these expectations; all he felt now was that he had committed a terrible crime.

I don't have many opportunities to perform to begin with, so how could the situation just now have happened?

That was definitely a very basic mistake. Even though he won first place in the end, who knows if it would become a point deduction in the eyes of those influential people in the racing world behind the stands.

Georg's reaction completely baffled him. Judging from what this foreigner was saying, most people at the scene actually took that act of passing money sideways as a declaration of their absolute power?!
Am I that flamboyant? Won't I get beaten up if I go out like this?

Of course, this is not the most pressing issue for Shu Long right now. As the annual champion, he has once again qualified for the World Championships, which will be held in two months.

How to resolve this negative situation during this period is perhaps even more crucial than improving driving skills themselves.

　The content of this chapter may be somewhat exaggerated, but it is based on my own personal experience.

　　Honestly, I don't know if it's related to my past experiences with sleepwalking.

　　Last year, during my F1 24 driving career, I was incredibly sleepy one day while driving the entire Abu Dhabi race. Around lap 20, I lost consciousness with my eyes open. Despite having all assists turned off except for the lane markings, I managed to stay calm and steady until lap 36 or 37 before suddenly waking up.

　　It drove incredibly smoothly while I was asleep, but when I woke up, I was slammed against the wall. My mental state at that moment was similar to that; it was just incredibly strange.

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　　Goodness gracious! I almost ran out of space to write what the author was saying.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)