Speed ​​God

Chapter 173 Superstar Aura
Elegant attire and dazzling lights illuminated the highest stage in Monaco.

However, the late-arriving lost lamb showed no signs of nervousness or unease. Upon its arrival, it easily drew everyone's attention.

F1TV's official photographer immediately noticed the change in atmosphere, and the live broadcast camera focused entirely on the young man who was sweating profusely, his face flushed, yet full of vigor.

Panoramic views, close-ups, extreme close-ups—approaching step by step, like Icarus flying towards the sun.

Completely absorbed in their own world, they stood too close, startling the young man who abruptly turned his head to look at them.

Their eyes met.

You look at me, I look at you, there's a brief pause, the photographer is stunned, unable to move, completely unable to react, but the next second he sees a smile blooming on that youthful face, looking confidently straight at the camera.

"I'm sorry to have disappointed you."

Just a single sentence, casually stated, seemingly nonchalant, yet carrying immense weight.

One stone caused a thousand waves!

boom!
In an instant, the media and social networks exploded. Everyone could tell that this was Lu Zhizhou's way of responding to the opposition.

Those trolls eager to witness Lu Zhizhou stumble for the third consecutive competition and continue his slump will have a painful weekend.

Not a provocation, but a display of strength; not a counterattack, but a declaration. In Monaco, the most special event of the year, Lu Zhizhou made a powerful entrance with an unparalleled and perfect performance, and declared his place in the paddock with dignity.

He came for victory!

In an instant, the crowd cheered and prostrated themselves in worship!
Standing in front of the television and witnessing this scene through the live broadcast, Lorenzo seemed to see Lu Zhizhou's transformation, from an intruder who recklessly enjoyed the game to a competitor who pursued victory and challenged for the championship. A high-spirited fighting spirit was quietly emerging in him.

Those haters and trolls will never know what they awakened in Monaco.

Cypreton could no longer contain himself. He raised his arms high and cheered at the top of his lungs, releasing all the surging passion in his chest. The thunderous sound instantly ignited a frenzy in all directions, engulfing the golden terrace and setting the entire city of Monaco ablaze.

"baby!"

"baby!"

The deafening cheers brought the atmosphere to its peak. Amidst the clamor of the crowd, Lu Zhizhou ascended the highest podium and the national anthem resounded over Monaco.

Magnificent, inspiring, and stirring.

The entire audience joined hands to witness the moment of ascension, as if they were being crowned emperor.

Amidst the clamor and frenzy, Cleary, Megis, and others escorted Lu Zhizhou to the swimming pool area opposite the Golden Terrace and onto the open-air balcony.

With the world spinning around them and no room to catch their breath, Lu Zhizhou's eyes were filled with doubt. "Really? Are you sure this isn't a prank?"

Cleary said seriously, "You're always the one playing pranks. Now that it's finally our turn, shouldn't you play along?"

In Monaco, the champion's dive into the water is a traditional celebration, but it is not mandatory; drivers can choose whether or not to join the collective celebration.

Before Lu Zhizhou could figure out what was going on, he was already led to the swimming pool by Claire and the others.

Looking up, you could see the entire open-air terrace was packed to the brim. Photographers, filming crews, and the Ferrari technical team had filled the space to capacity, with everyone raising their champagne glasses high and making low shouts of encouragement.

A bunch of guys who love to watch the drama unfold.

I don't know who dragged Ariwabé into this.

Arrivabene remained aloof and serious, completely out of place with the atmosphere around him. It was hard to tell whether he was annoyed by Lu Zhizhou's insistence on implementing Plan 5, or disappointed that Vettel had failed to capitalize on the opportunity presented by Ricciardo's power unit malfunction to overtake him.

Or perhaps both.

A thought flashed through his mind, and Lu Zhizhou stopped protesting. Entering the water was nothing special; he even started to stir up the atmosphere, like a high jumper urging the audience to clap and find their rhythm.
"Come on, give me some space, I'll do a somersault into the water."

The crowd immediately stirred, with cheers and whistles rising and falling.

hoo hoo hoo!
Lu Zhizhou took two steps back, deliberately moving his wrists and ankles there, waiting for the atmosphere to rise steadily, his eyes constantly glancing at Alivabene.

Then, he started, stepped forward, grabbed Arivabené's right hand, and shouted, "Sir, let's party!"

Ariwabene: ?

It's clear that Arivabené's expression is one of utter astonishment, Mekes and his group's faces are filled with terror, Cleary is gloating, and Greenwood is practically terrified—it's like a commercial break after an episode of a TV series has ended.

game over!

But Arrivabene lost his balance and stumbled two steps before falling into the blue water of the swimming pool with a loud splash that stunned everyone present. The sound was cut off in their throats as they stared at each other in disbelief.

The next second, Lu Zhizhou surged forward with the momentum, and like a diver, he rolled forward and leaped over Alivabene's head in a spectacular somersault.

The entire audience: Wow!

The group was stunned.

He did a 360-degree somersault and then splashed into the water!

Water splashed everywhere! In an instant, the magic was broken, and everyone cheered!

Cleary took a small step back and pushed Mekes away, but Mekes was prepared and grabbed Cleary.

One after another, they jumped down into the water with a splash, like frogs entering the water.

Lu Zhizhou emerged from the water, looked around, found the figure in the crowd, slipped past, climbed ashore, went around behind him, and gave him a strong push—

Francesco Napi was completely unprepared and fell into the swimming pool. Everyone around him started splashing water, blurring his vision.

Lu Zhizhou then returned to the swimming pool, patted Napi on the shoulder, and said, "Don't stay so down. We'll need you to stay focused for the next game."

Napi had so much to say, but he didn't know how to express it.

Lu Zhizhou grinned and said, "We are a team. We face difficulties together and embrace victory together. We will face your mistakes together."

"However, I should try to avoid it next time. Do you know how hard it is for me to run on the track?"

With a single complaint, everyone around Napi splashed water on him, shouting "Punish him!" Napi was instantly engulfed by the water, and his previously gloomy and guilty mood brightened instantly.

This scene, witnessed by Megis, was truly admirable.

Lu Zhizhou possesses a kind of aura that firmly unites the entire team, turning them into a cohesive force, and showcasing his leadership qualities in subtle ways.

While they were still basking in the joy of victory, Lu Zhizhou had already set his sights on the big picture and looked to the future.

At Megis's invitation, Lu Zhizhou's entire technical team went into the water, crowding around the pool for a group photo.

Clearly, this was an unforgettable weekend.

Then, Lu Zhizhou found Ariwabene in the swimming pool. It was clear that he had relaxed a little and his expression was not so tense.

But the moment he saw Lu Zhizhou, the flame in Ariwabene's eyes reignited. "You know, no one has ever dared to push me into the water."

A sound devoid of any warmth is chilling.

Arivabene stared silently at Lu Zhizhou, the flames burning in his eyes, naturally exuding an aura of authority without anger.

He hadn't figured out how to handle the strategic conflicts and disagreements over instructions in today's match, and Lu Zhizhou actually added fuel to the fire by challenging his authority.

Amid the jubilation and commotion, the low pressure in Ariwabene became increasingly apparent.

Lu Zhizhou, however, looked relaxed. "There has to be a first time for everything. It's my honor to be the first to do this. Can we expect a second and a third time?"

Arivabene squinted, unable to believe his ears. "Are you kidding me? Do you even know what happened in today's match?"

Clearly, the swimming pool was not the best place to start a conversation, and Ariwabene knew this, but Lu Zhizhou's actions did indeed infuriate him.

It's rare for him to lose his composure.

Mekis noticed the anomaly immediately. He cried out in alarm when Lu Zhizhou dragged Arrivabene into the water; no one in the Ferrari team dared to treat Arrivabene like that.

Lu Zhizhou has gotten into trouble!

He could only pray that Ariwabene would remain rational and not act recklessly; but to his utter surprise, it was Ariwabene who lost control first, his mind suddenly tensing up, worried that Lu Zhizhou and Ariwabene would have a dispute in public, and that they couldn't hide it from so many eyes, so he immediately stepped forward to play the role of peacemaker.

But the movements were still not fast enough.

Lu Zhizhou met Arivabene's eyes squarely and said, "I know. I have won."

Ariwabe felt a tightness in his chest.

Lu Zhizhou did not evade the question, saying, "If I had to do it all over again, I would still make the same choice."

The phrase has a double meaning; it not only refers to victory but also to disobeying the convoy's orders.

Before Arrivabene erupted, Lu Zhizhou took the initiative, asking, "Sir, do you want victory, or do you want Vettel to win?"

Arivabene's words were already teetering on the edge of his tongue, but Lu Zhizhou forcefully cut him off. However, he wasn't so easily defeated and refused to get caught up in Lu Zhizhou's rhythm. "This isn't something you need to worry about..."

“Of course,” Lu Zhizhou interrupted Arrivabene. “My mission was racing. I’ve accomplished my mission, so I want to celebrate with the team.”

He paused for a moment, then added, "Including my team leader."

With his composure and uprightness, Lu Zhizhou's aura caused the chaotic thoughts swirling in Ariwabene's mind to temporarily recede.

Arrivabene has always trusted Vettel, even unconditionally standing by his side, not because he likes Vettel—

In fact, Arrivabene and Vettel didn't have a good relationship either.

Everything was considered from the perspective of the team's overall blueprint. Arrivabene genuinely believed that Vettel was the hope to lead Ferrari back to the top of the world. All resources, strength, and energy needed to be focused on Vettel, and there could be no disagreements within the team.

But now?

Perhaps he should give this little guy more trust?
Lu Zhizhou flashed a big smile, instantly dissolving the tense and turbulent atmosphere, and shouted, "Monaco!"

Mekis, who had been closely watching from the sidelines, breathed a sigh of relief and quickly raised his hands high to shout, covering up the incident before the reporters noticed anything amiss.

The next second, everyone inside and outside the swimming pool raised their hands high and shouted in unison, "Champion!"

Lu Zhizhou looked at Ariwabene with a broad smile, but instead of staying put to continue the entanglement, he turned around, gave Megis a high-five, and joined the revelry.

Arrivabene's gaze remained fixed on Lu Zhizhou, watching him high-five and celebrate with everyone. This was something neither Vettel nor Raikkonen would ever do, but this energetic young man was firmly uniting the team.

Arrivabene began to waver for the first time. Was he trapped by his own arrogance and prejudice?
Passion burns in the air.

This continued until nightfall!

As dusk settles and countless lights illuminate the streets of Monaco, the festive atmosphere still lingers, the city pulsating with energy.

In the 2018 season, six Grand Prix races concluded, and Lu Zhizhou joined Hamilton's ranks, winning two races, a situation that was absolutely unexpected just a week ago.

Even the most die-hard, passionate, and loyal members of the Iron Buddha Temple are full of confidence, hoping that Lu Zhizhou will bounce back from rock bottom and repay their support with concrete actions.

But the champion?
This is still a surprise!

Especially in Monaco, from free practice to qualifying and then to the race, Red Bull dominated and was far ahead, with a clear advantage. Ferrari and Mercedes struggled slightly. As a result, Lu Zhizhou once again staged a comeback, driving a slightly inferior car to defeat the best car in the paddock and win the championship, creating an unexpected miracle and instantly igniting the fervor of the Iron Buddha Temple.

After two consecutive excellent performances by Mercedes, Ferrari has returned to the competition, avoiding a repeat of last season's situation.

So, what does this mean?
In the drivers' championship standings, Hamilton still holds the top spot with 104 points, Lu Zhizhou and Vettel are tied for second with 86 points, and Bottas is in fourth place with 68 points.

In the team standings, Ferrari and Mercedes-Benz are tied for first place with 172 points each.

The battle was fierce and evenly matched, making the tension and close contest of the season immediately apparent.

For Ferrari, their ability to adjust during this season's difficulties is impressive. Unlike the second half of last season, they did not collapse after falling into difficulties. Instead, they quickly adjusted and regained their competitiveness, withstanding the encirclement and suppression from Red Bull and Mercedes-Benz with an absolutely tough stance. This is enough to let them start partying.

It wasn't just Tiefo Temple; all the other racing fans in the paddock were no exception.

Besides fans of the three major racing teams, other motorsport enthusiasts want to see competition, suspense, back-and-forth chases, and relentless duels, keeping the championship uncertain. The Monaco race fulfilled all their expectations.

Red Bull's surge ahead, Ferrari's breakthrough against adversity, and Mercedes' struggles mean that the start of the new season will see fierce competition among the Big Three, with the outcome guaranteed to be suspenseful and adrenaline-pumping in every game.

Furthermore, the competition and rivalry among Force India, Haas, Renault, and McLaren in the midfield positions is also quite exciting; Toro Rosso, Sauber, and other lower-ranked teams have also performed well, making it a spectacle in itself. Currently, only Williams is struggling in the midst of endless hardship.

Hoo hoo hoo, ah ah ah!
With cheers and songs sung freely, racing enthusiasts celebrated the weekend together.

Sepreton was trapped in the crowd. She kept trying to find Lu Zhizhou. She just wanted to see Lu Zhizhou's smile after his victory, but unfortunately, she was swept away by the tide of people and drifted to an unknown corner.

Inadvertently, my gaze fell upon a few figures with 44 painted on their faces. Weren't they the Scottish racing fans I met by the track today?

It didn't matter that Lu Zhizhou wasn't available; it wouldn't spoil the good mood at the Cypresston party. She raised her hands high and ran towards the Scottish car enthusiasts, shouting at the top of her lungs—

"The stroller driver is here!"

Immediately, a wail was heard, and Sepplayton's smile widened. This was the taste of rubbing salt into a wound!
So, who's the real star of tonight's party?
……

"Champion! Champion!"

"Player of the season! A beautiful win!"

"Zhizhou! Lu! Zhi! Zhou!" Cheers, shouts, and screams filled the air. The fans who had already left the paddock could see a young figure taking the stage on a skateboard, his unrestrained youthful energy easily igniting the frenzy in the street.

That was Lu Zhizhou, the champion of this year's Monaco Grand Prix.

The residents of Monaco were quick to learn that the young driver had settled in Monaco, making today a semi-home game. To make up for the regret of missing the championship by a hair's breadth in their true home arena, they all joined the party, burning with energy to celebrate Lu Zhizhou's exceptionally precious victory.

Cheers erupted along both sides of the street and wherever the eye could see.

Lu Zhizhou responded with a smile and sped away through the heatwave.

At this moment, he had no time to linger; he was chasing after Leclerc.

After the race, Leclerc came to congratulate him immediately. Later, after finishing his business with Sauber, Leclerc went to the Ferrari pit area to wait for Lu Zhizhou. However, after finishing all the press conference, interviews, team meetings and other things, Leclerc had already left when he came out.

He was somewhat worried about Leclerc.

Not long ago, he had just experienced such disappointment and bitterness in Shanghai, and now Leclerc is suffering a setback in Monaco.

A small group of people could be seen diagonally ahead, leaving. Hearing the sound behind them, they turned around and spotted Lu Zhizhou soaring in the wind on the street.

A child who looked about five or six years old suddenly broke free from his father's left hand, raised both hands high, and his little face sparkled with joy.

"Number twenty-two!"

The childish voice could not break free from the clamor, and her eyes were fixed on Lu Zhizhou's figure.

But Lu Zhizhou noticed a vehicle coming from the other direction. The game had just ended, and Monaco's traffic must be disastrous at this moment.

Lu Zhizhou's expression changed, and his smile vanished instantly. "Watch out!"

Riding his skateboard at full speed, he waved his hands at the vehicles ahead, shouting warnings, "Brake! Brake!"

Gliding along, sideways, I scooped the little one into my arms and continued on, reaching the other side of the road—

Successfully landed!

Not only Lu Zhizhou, but others around him also rushed out, waving their hands to signal. The Bentley braked and stopped in time, and the driver leaned out of the driver's seat.

"Is everything okay?"

A false alarm.

The next second, applause and cheers erupted from all directions, accompanied by whistles and shouts, creating an incredibly lively atmosphere.

Lu Zhizhou had no time to be shy. In the moment of crisis, he had completely forgotten his nervousness. His eyes and mind were filled with nothing but this little one. He loosened his embrace, looked at the child in front of him with concern, and asked simply in the few French phrases he knew, "Are you alright?"

Unexpectedly, the child showed no panic or tension, his bright eyes remaining fixed on Lu Zhizhou without wavering for the entire time.

As a result, Lu Zhizhou was slightly taken aback, not expecting to see those innocent eyes as soon as he looked up.

Then, the child raised his right index finger, making a "first" gesture, and said in a tender, childish voice, "Champion!"

Lu Zhizhou: ...

"Haha." After a moment of surprise, Lu Zhizhou burst into hearty laughter, "Champion!"

Jan-Plus felt his heart stop beating, his knees buckled, and he stumbled over, finally kneeling before Lu Zhizhou, pulling the child into his arms, unable to utter a sound.

Another figure swept past Jan-Plus like a gust of wind and crashed into Lu Zhizhou's arms.

Lu Zhizhou, who had been squatting, lost his balance and fell to the ground with a thud, but he held the little guy tightly with both hands, using his embrace to cushion the fall and prevent another disaster.

Maria gasped, staring at Lu Zhizhou lying on the ground, and exclaimed, "Oh, God!"

Lu Zhizhou thought she was worried about the child, "He's fine! He's fine!" But his French was really not good, and he could only repeat the same sentence over and over again.

"Zhizhou, are you alright? What happened here!" Leclerc, who was also on a skateboard, had just heard the crowd talking and hurriedly turned back.

Lu Zhizhou used his core strength to sit up straight again, letting out a long breath. "Xia Er, I need some French translators. Could you tell them that the two children should be alright?"

Leclerc was completely bewildered. "And what about you?"

Lu Zhizhou waved his hand, "I'm fine, don't worry."

After a flurry of activity, the chaos finally subsided, and the Bentley slowly drove away, but it couldn't get very far; the terrible traffic left it stranded a few meters behind.

Maria kept apologizing, and Leclerc had to relay her message: "She sincerely hopes you're alright. Today was her children's first time watching F1, and because they really, really like you, they kept trying to get close to you after the race to ask for your autograph, but the crowd was too big, and for safety reasons, they had to leave. Just now, both children were throwing a tantrum, but then they saw you, and that's when they lost control."

It turned out to be the case.

Lu Zhizhou waved to the Plath couple, indicating that they didn't need to worry, and squatted down again to keep his eyes level with the two children.

Looking at their two rosy little faces, completely unaware of what had just happened, their bright eyes were filled with hope as they stared intently at him.

Lu Zhizhou thought for a moment.

He took off his baseball cap and his Ferrari jacket, borrowed a pen from someone nearby, looked at the two little ones, asked their names in basic French, signed their names, put the baseball cap on the younger one's head, and draped the jacket over the older child's shoulders.

"Marco Rocco."

Thank you. See you tomorrow?

Lu Zhizhou was somewhat uncertain and turned to look at Leclerc.

Leclerc couldn't help but laugh, acting as the translator, "See you next year. He said he hopes to see you all again next year."

Lu Zhizhou let out a long breath, patted the two little ones' heads, and stood up. "I'm sorry, please forgive my French. I will continue to work hard."

Jan-Plass and Maria were completely bewildered. Everything had happened so fast that they had no idea what was going on. They were in a daze, feeling like it was all unreal, and then they watched as Lu Zhizhou and Leclerc left side by side.

"Mom, Mom! Look, the signature is number twenty-two, oh yeah oh yeah!" The child's cheers finally brought the Plaths back to their senses.

It wasn't just an autograph; there was even a jacket?
Maria looked at her husband, only to find Jan-Plass looking somewhat embarrassed as he shifted his gaze to the sunset on the distant horizon, trying to hide the stinging in his eyes.

Maria took a deep breath, a smile crept onto her lips, and happiness bubbled up in her chest, bursting forth one after another.

Perhaps this is just a beautiful dream, with Lu Zhizhou descending from the sky like a superhero on auspicious clouds, lighting a ray of dawn for them.
The sunset had never been so magnificent, a deep orange glow shrouding the horizon, and hope remained bright even as night fell.

"...Thanks for your help! Whew, I don't know what I would have done without you. I haven't fully mastered Italian yet, and now I have to face the challenge of French. It seems that I can seamlessly make arrangements after the school exams are over."

Lu Zhizhou patted Leclerc on the shoulder to express his gratitude, then changed the subject, "So, how are you feeling? Or are you planning to immerse yourself in your own world and have some peace and quiet?"

Leclerc was completely unprepared and gasped, blinking. "So direct? No build-up, just cutting straight to the point? Are you trying to comfort me or inflict further damage?"

Get straight to the point, get to the heart of the matter—

Leclerc was completely unprepared and gasped in surprise, nearly falling off his skateboard.

Seeing this, Lu Zhizhou said seriously, "So, do we need to do it again? I'll be more polite this time."

"Get out!" Leclerc rarely used a swear word in French.

Lu Zhizhou shrugged slightly, a smile appearing in his eyes. "Being secretive doesn't mean being more gentle."

"Believe me, I know what it's like to keep things bottled up inside, to not find the right way to express them, and that's really painful. Pascal just came over with the Leclerc brothers to celebrate, and they're genuinely happy for me, but they're also really worried about you."

Leclerc made his first appearance on the Monaco stage in his professional career, playing on home soil, with his entire family present. Although Hervé was unable to witness this moment, they still stayed by Leclerc's side, witnessing his dream come true.

That's why Leclerc is extremely eager to perform well.

Although it was a Sauber car, Leclerc was in great form, scoring points in Baku and Barcelona. Sauber had not shown such competitiveness for a long time, and he was eager to continue his strong performance, score points for the third consecutive race, and realize his dream at home.

Unfortunately, a rear-end collision on lap 72 ruined his entire race, and he was just a hair's breadth away from the end.

Forget about points, they didn't even finish the race.

The frustration was indescribable.

The pressure was there, but Pascal and the others dared not speak of it, each pretending to be at peace, lest they touch upon Leclerc's bleeding wounds.

Lu Zhizhou had no way of judging which situation was worse.

"After overcoming numerous difficulties at home and struggling all the way to finally catch up to second place, only to miss out on the championship" vs. "After facing severe challenges at home, struggling and chasing hard to finally get close to the points zone, only to have everything vanish before the end of the game"—which ending is more heartbreaking?
If possible, one would prefer neither, but unfortunately, in reality, both often happen.

Therefore, Lu Zhizhou did not shy away from the issue, but instead pointedly exposed the wound. He believed that a short, sharp pain was better than a long, drawn-out one, and that Leclerc was still immersed in his emotions.

Those emotions need to be released.

Leclerc continued on his skateboard. He had just been sitting in the Ferrari service area waiting for Lu Zhizhou. Sitting alone in a corner, his mind was filled with all sorts of wild thoughts, almost to the point of exploding, so he chose to leave.

It wasn't because he was impatient, nor because he was envious or jealous; it was simply because he needed to breathe fresh air and stop blaming himself.

He cannot let those negative emotions drag him into the abyss of darkness.

Only now did he finally have the chance to say, "I hate it."

He let out a long sigh. "I hate this feeling. I've given it my all, left my soul on the track, but it still let me down. I'm not sure if I let my dad down or if the race car let me down."

"Then, I began to question every choice I made."

"Was I too aggressive against Hartley? My braking point selection? My line selection? My timing of the attack? Did I really know this track as well as I thought? Or was my pride blinding me and causing me to miss the real key?"

Suddenly, Leclerc stopped and shouted uncontrollably, not at Lu Zhizhou, but to express his dissatisfaction with himself.

"Jesus Christ, I've even started to question myself: am I really suited to be an F1 driver?"

However, he could not tell his mother or his brothers these words, because he carried the hopes of his entire family on his shoulders, and because this was the path he had chosen.

Not far away, the sounds of singing and cheering could still be heard. The whole city was immersed in the party atmosphere, which only highlighted Leclerc's helplessness and bitterness.

Lu Zhizhou did not interrupt Leclerc, remaining patient and playing the role of listener.

After Leclerc had completely vented, Lu Zhizhou shrugged gently, "I know this wasn't easy, right?"

That concludes the discussion.

Leclerc paused, then asked, "And then?"

Lu Zhizhou blinked. "And then?"

Leclerc looked at Lu Zhizhou speechlessly, "Aren't you going to say something inspirational to motivate me so we can continue fighting or something?"

Lu Zhizhou: "No, no, no, that's not how it is. You should know my philosophy of life: there's no need to put all your eggs in one basket. Life is full of infinite possibilities. If we limit our own potential, we'll never know our limits."

"Who knows? Maybe you'll become an astronaut or a singer instead of a race car driver."

Leclerc's expression was very strange. "No, you don't want to hear me sing."

"Hahaha." Lu Zhizhou laughed heartily.

Leclerc looked exasperated. "How can you comfort someone like that? Are you trying to persuade me to give up?"

Lu Zhizhou's smile widened. "If I advised you to give up, would you really give up?"

Leclerc instinctively wanted to retort, but the words got stuck in his throat.

At this moment, Lu Zhizhou's smile faded. "We all know this isn't easy. Hervi, Lolo, my father—they all tried to achieve this dream, but all failed. Arthur is struggling now too, right?"

"Leaving aside those who haven't entered the paddock yet, those who are already in the paddock are the same: Max, Daniel, Pierre, Lewis, and Sebastian. They all yearn to pursue the ultimate speed and aspire to become legends like Senna and Schumacher. Everyone is chasing that."

"However, things are not that easy."

“We chose this path not because it is easy, but precisely because it is difficult. We are pushing our limits, both our own and the limits of the race car and the track.”

"Since there are difficulties, setbacks and frustrations are inevitable. What really matters is not the failure itself, but how we respond after the failure occurs."

"So, Ciel, what is your response?"

Unhurried and calm, yet the tranquil voice concealed a sense of composure and confidence, a carefree attitude towards life's storms.

It was like this back in the Ferrari youth academy, and it's still the same for Lu Zhizhou now.

Leclerc looked at Lu Zhizhou quietly, his turbulent emotions subsiding imperceptibly. He didn't even realize that a smile was playing on his lips. "Are you waiting for me to worship you? After withdrawing from Baku and Barcelona, ​​are you going to stage a triumphant return in Monaco?"

"Thank you, Charles. I know you're a good friend." Lu Zhizhou patted Leclerc on the shoulder, appearing humble and modest.

Leclerc could hardly believe her ears. "Wow, I really didn't expect you to be like this, Lu Zhizhou. You're just deliberately rubbing salt into my wounds, aren't you?"

Lu Zhizhou nodded earnestly, "Charles, work hard and believe me, one day you will also be able to stand on the highest podium in Monaco." He clenched his fist with a "Go Leclerc" expression to cheer him on.

After saying that, Lu Zhizhou actually rode away on his skateboard... and just like that... he was gone...

Leclerc was left standing there dumbfounded, staring blankly at Lu Zhizhou's back, completely bewildered. So what just happened?
Wait, was he fooled by that guy?

(End of this chapter)