Season End

Chapter 139 Season End
Irritability, depression, anxiety.

In fact, Shi Yiying was not in a good state either. Her mind was filled with a jumble of chaotic thoughts, so noisy that it was almost about to explode.

However, Shi Yiying managed to control herself and grasp a sliver of reason amidst the chaos—

They've already missed one opportunity; they absolutely cannot afford to miss a second one.

"Teacher Wong……"

"Teacher Wong!"

Shi Yiying quickly chased after him. Wang Yang was clearly furious and was walking at a breakneck pace. Just as he was about to get into his car and leave, she managed to catch up with him and called out to him from beside the car door.

Wang Yang's face was extremely grim. "Xiao Shi, stop talking. There's absolutely no way this is possible. How could we possibly have a collaborative filming project with a local TV station?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Yang realized that his words were barbed. "I didn't mean to target you, it's just... they're just having wild ideas without understanding the situation."

Shi Yiying finally caught her breath and waved her hand to indicate that she didn't mind. "Teacher Wang, we all know what happened, how could we blame you?"

"But, Mr. Wang," he changed the subject, getting straight to the point, "the racing program has never received much attention at the station, right? Forget comparing it to football, basketball, or volleyball, in the last two years its status has been similar to tennis, and even rally racing gets more resources, isn't that right?"

Not only do sports need to consider commercial sponsorships, but television stations do too. Whichever sport has market value will naturally receive more resources.

Despite CCTV's continued efforts to broadcast F1 over the years, F1 has yet to achieve a breakthrough. This is partly due to the absence of Chinese drivers in the paddock, and partly because F1, benefiting from Honda engines, focuses more on the Japanese market, thus keeping the potential of the Chinese market largely untapped.

Therefore, F1's position on CCTV has never been elevated.

If different races are taking place at the same time, F1 is often the one sacrificed, with other races being broadcast first. That would be bad enough, but what's worse is that the parts that weren't broadcast live are not rebroadcast in full at other times. It's like an orphan left unattended.

As Shi Yiying said, although both are racing, rally racing may now have a higher priority than F1 because rally racing has Chinese drivers and Chinese teams.

Wang Yang felt a lump in his throat, his anger burning fiercely. "What do you want to say?"

Shi Yiying took a half step back to create some distance. "Teacher Wang, I didn't mean to attack you."

"What I mean is that Mr. Wang likes F1 and sincerely hopes that F1 can be promoted and loved by more people; and he still has a pure heart, hoping that our own drivers can stand on the highest stage to compete and even fight for the podium and the championship."

"That's why Teacher Wang rushed to Maranello as soon as possible, right?"

“Because I love it.”

Wang Yang stared at Shi Yiying, his expression unwavering, remaining vigilant, but ultimately refrained from speaking up to stop her.

Shi Yiying knew that she had taken the first step.

"In some ways, he is right. We all have our own limitations."

"You have a complete team, but no creativity or story. I guess the station is unwilling to spend more energy and resources to persuade Ferrari. Next year is the World Cup, and almost all resources are tilted towards football. Italy still hasn't gotten a ticket this year. All the attention is on football. F1 is not even in the running."

Wang Yang's heart skipped a beat—

They came to Italy with a football reporting team, and the motorsports industry has fallen to such a sorry state.

Fortunately, Shi Yiying didn't observe closely and continued talking, so she probably didn't notice.

"And I'm not much better off. We have an experienced and enthusiastic team, but we don't have enough funds. One person has to do the work of three. We are willing to spend time and effort to persuade Ferrari, but we obviously lack persuasiveness."

"but."

"If we cooperate, it will be a perfect combination, and one plus one will be greater than two."

Shi Yiying took a small step forward, her eyes sincere.

"Teacher Wang, have you met Lu Zhizhou in person?"

Wang Yang choked, shifted his gaze, and refused to answer, but the answer was already obvious.

Shi Yiying said, "In my humble opinion, his entry into Ferrari was not due to luck."

Wang Yang snorted coldly, "Of course. Ferrari is a team, even Leclerc couldn't get in smoothly, but this kid beat him to it."

Shi Yiying nodded slightly. "Yes, that's right. So I believe that perhaps he can bring more possibilities."

“Teacher Wang, we all hope to see a bright future for racing, and we can’t miss this opportunity. If you don’t believe me, you can meet Lu Zhizhou in person.”

Wang Yang looked back, a hint of confusion in his eyes, "Is that kid really that special?"

Shi Yiying shrugged.

Wang Yang joked, "Could it be because that kid is handsome that you're showing favoritism?"

Shi Yiying smiled helplessly, "Teacher Wang, he's only seventeen. Seventeen!" But then she changed the subject, "However, I think he's more charming than Leclerc."

Wang Yang's eyes widened. "Such a high evaluation?"

Shi Yiying said, "Seeing is believing. Teacher Wang can personally verify it."

After a moment of contemplation, Wang Yang's anger and irritability gradually subsided, and his thoughts became clear again. "If we're going to collaborate, who should be the producer?"

Shi Yiying is a smart person. "Of course, it's Teacher Wang. As for the executive producer, we'll handle that. We'll be responsible for the creative concept, the story, and the theme, etc. From now until the winter test, we need to build a complete storyline to let people see his charm and the charm of racing."

Wang Yang fell into deep thought, exhaled a soft breath, but did not immediately nod in agreement. "I'll think about it first."

Shi Yiying stopped there, saying, "Of course!"

Although Wang Yang did not agree immediately, Shi Yiying understood that this was no small matter. Wang Yang needed to discuss it with the TV station, and she also needed to have a detailed discussion with the TV station. Even if both parties agreed, how to divide the work would still be a headache.

However, Wang Yang and Shi Yiying reached a consensus on one thing: speed is of the essence in war.

Everything happened suddenly, with little time left before the end of the season. If they wanted to capture Lu Zhizhou's sprint toward F1, they had to start filming immediately, the sooner the better, as wasting even a day was a waste of footage.

Otherwise, as Nicholas suggested, the best course of action would be to simply give up.

Then--

The project actually succeeded. Incredibly and unbelievably, the two major television stations joined forces for the first time at the crossroads of history.

Furthermore, without wasting any time, three days later, the photography team had already followed Lu Zhizhou to the ART motorcade to begin filming.

Because Nicholas is still mediating with Ferrari.

In fact, not only Nicolas, but Netflix's team also got stuck with Ferrari.

Everything went as expected.

Ferrari has become the toughest nut to crack, and both the F1 paddock documentary and Lu Zhizhou's personal documentary are stuck here, at a standstill.

The winds rise and the clouds surge, the tides ebb and flow—

People can vaguely sense that the footsteps of history are gradually approaching, and they are standing at the crossroads of fate, where a choice may be the difference between heaven and hell.

Netflix, a streaming service, in the North American market.

Lu Zhizhou, the disruptor, the Asian market.

Undercurrents continue to surge.

However, the key lies in who dares to take risks, who has vision, who can make decisions, and who can create waves at the right time.

Everything is churning restlessly, and then, due to different judgments and choices, people embark on different journeys. Before the future gradually brightens, no one can be sure whose judgment and choice are correct.

Netflix encountered a wall and got stuck.

Unexpectedly, but also logically, Ferrari wasn't the only one; Mercedes-Benz and Red Bull also had reservations about Netflix's project plans.

The most pressing issue is technology secrecy.

Ferrari and Mercedes-Benz are the top teams vying for the championship in 2017, while Red Bull is currently the only team in the paddock that can threaten them. They are both worried that the filming crew going deep into the pit lane may expose technical details or strategic decisions, affecting their competitive advantage.

Secondly, there is the issue of business philosophy.

As a traditional powerhouse, Ferrari is not very open to the media. Despite Marchionne's do-or-die attitude towards young drivers, he has always been conservative in his media publicity and prefers to maintain an air of mystery to protect the brand image.

In this respect, Marchionne and Arrivabene reached a high degree of consensus.

Mercedes-Benz, on the other hand, is a little different. Wolff is a businessman who knows the importance of commercial promotion and marketing, but he also knows the importance of staying focused during the season. He is worried that filming may interfere with the concentration of drivers and mechanics, and it's not just the filming team that's interfering; the social media feedback after the work is released may also overwhelmingly invade their daily lives.

Moreover, Ferrari didn't seem interested, and Wolff didn't want to expose himself.

Of course, what Wolf didn't say was that the gossip about Hamilton and Rosberg's falling out had become a hot topic of conversation, and he didn't want Hamilton and Bottas to repeat that.

Red Bull doesn't seem to mind at all. Horner's way of running the team is through high-altitude ropes, which is high-risk and high-reward; he's a gambler at heart.

Horner believes they should embrace the times. If someone can't withstand the pressure, then they're eliminated. There will always be others. Those external distractions would still exist even without Netflix.

Finally, the issue of control.

On this point, Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz, and Red Bull are in complete agreement; they want more control over the content of the filming in order to shape the team's brand image.

Netflix and Omnicom Studios insist on an "all or nothing" approach to ensure the authenticity of the documentary. They either don't make it at all or they entrust it entirely to the production company. Ries has no intention of making a promotional video for the racing team. If they do make one, then they must provide genuine material. Their attitude on this is particularly firm.

The back-and-forth tug-of-war and game of strategy have reached a stalemate.

The same applies to Lu Zhizhou's personal documentary.

CCTV and Five Star Sports are preparing to film mainly this year, specifically the part from GP3 to F1. They hope to showcase Lu Zhizhou's feat of entering the paddock as an introduction, allowing more people to understand Lu Zhizhou and maintain their expectations for F1. His daily training in Maranello is only a small part of the film.

As for filming an entire season, neither CCTV nor Five Star Sports currently has the resources for that; they lack both funding and manpower.

However, Netflix is ​​different.

They have the funds, the manpower, the ambition, and the goals. They don't care how Lu Zhizhou became an F1 driver; their focus should be on Lu Zhizhou's first season in the paddock.

Naturally, Netflix needed to go into Ferrari's service area to really follow Lu Zhizhou closely, using the camera to keep a close eye on his every breath.

Ferrari refused Netflix access to its service area, also fearing that the constant 24/7 focus on Lu Zhizhou's camera might cause distraction, stress, and affect performance, ultimately creating a vicious cycle.

Ferrari is not Red Bull. Marchionne spent so much effort and energy promoting Lu Zhizhou, not just for an experiment. He genuinely placed high hopes on him and believed that Lu Zhizhou could shoulder the responsibility for Ferrari's future. Therefore, they could not force him to grow too quickly.

And so, things stalled.

Fortunately, Five Star Sports' project planning was entirely focused on Lu Zhizhou: how to train, how to prepare for competitions, how to integrate with the team, and how to balance racing and academics.

Even after a full day of training, students still need to keep up with their studies by studying late into the night.

Ferrari isn't the focus; Lu Zhizhou is. Although Ferrari is in the background, it indirectly showcases Ferrari's brand image and heritage.

This plan was approved by both Marchionne and Arrivabene. Nicolas eventually persuaded them to grant them a small amount of access, allowing CCTV and Five Star Sports to record Lu Zhizhou's daily life.

So one team stayed behind, following Lu Zhizhou on his final journey to the F1 circuit.

However, Netflix completely blocked it.

The larger the project and the greater the ambition, the more difficult it is to coordinate and control the situation. There are not only issues of authority but also the division of interests, making things exceptionally complicated.

For smaller racing teams, the lack of miscellaneous bonus income means they are more in need of Netflix's revenue sharing than marketing promotions.

They were well aware that after the Netflix documentary aired, the larger fleets would reap the greater market benefits. However, the opportunity now presented itself was to use the larger fleets to attract viewers and generate profits, while their smaller fleets would follow behind and get the scraps, because Netflix promised to share all the profits equally.

Netflix lives up to its reputation, immediately seizing the small team's weakness and winning the support of more than half of the ten teams.

Furthermore, Netflix persuaded Red Bull that this was the perfect opportunity for Red Bull to increase its market share, not only in energy drinks but also in the racing market. If Ferrari and Mercedes-Benz refused to participate in the filming, then Red Bull would be the star of their documentary, the absolute protagonist.

What no one knew was that Netflix had secretly made Horner a promise: he could choose the male lead.

Ricardo, or Verstappen?

Netflix will edit a storyline according to Horner's request, making the driver the true protagonist of the documentary and the biggest beneficiary.

Then, Red Bull got on the bus.

After a long and drawn-out negotiation, Netflix ultimately failed to convince Ferrari and Mercedes-Benz, but all eight other teams signed contracts.

Naturally, Ferrari also rejected Lu Zhizhou's personal documentary.

And so, the wheels of history began to turn slowly forward. In 2018, Netflix will enter the paddock and pit area to record the behind-the-scenes stories of racing up close.

However, at this moment, no one knew whether this was a good thing or a bad thing, and a mix of anticipation and tension quietly spread throughout the paddock.

With two months left in the 2017 season, changes for the new season have already quietly arrived. Although F1 experiences numerous changes and uncertainties every year, the uncertainty surrounding the upcoming 2018 season seems unprecedented. ...

"The match is over!"

"Bottas won his third race of the season, concluding the Abu Dhabi event and also the 2017 season."

Lewis Hamilton won his fourth Drivers' World Championship, and Mercedes came from behind to win their fourth consecutive Constructors' World Championship.

"An incredible season!"

"In the first half of the season, Ferrari launched a strong offensive, leading the driver and team standings and giving people hope for Ferrari's revival; however, in the second half of the season, the positions were completely reversed, with Mercedes' runaway lead highlighting Ferrari's struggles and predicament."

"In the year-end Constructors' Championship standings, Ferrari is in second place; meanwhile, in the year-end Drivers' Championship standings, Vettel and Raikkonen occupy second and fourth place respectively."

"Believe me, this is definitely not a bad result."

"However, considering Ferrari's lead in the first half of the season, the team points deficit to Mercedes was a staggering 146 points, which shows the huge gap between the two teams in the second half of the season. If Ferrari wants to challenge Mercedes' dominance, it needs to seriously reflect on its performance."

"despite this!"

“We still need to congratulate Hamilton! His fourth Drivers' World Championship, equaling Vettel's record, puts them tied for third in history with 'The Professor' Alain Prost, behind only Michael Schumacher's seven championships and Juan Manuel Fangio's five.”

"Right now, Mercedes and Ferrari are undoubtedly the most competitive teams in the paddock. Hamilton and Vettel will both be aiming for their fifth world championship next season. A fiercely contested season is already foreseeable, and perhaps we are about to witness history."

"At the same time, Red Bull, which is eyeing the field, should not be underestimated. The combination of Ricciardo and Verstappen is undoubtedly the most youthful and energetic driver lineup in the paddock at present; coupled with Force India, which has created the best season for the team and finished fourth this season, their performance next season is worth looking forward to."

"Let's wait and see what the new season brings."

"Ladies and gentlemen, the 2017 F1 season has come to a close. See you in Australia next March."

Amidst the hustle and bustle, the fleeting moments, another Formula One racing season has come to a close, with the grand finale taking place in Abu Dhabi.

All eyes were focused on F1, but clearly, the paddock was attracting attention from more than just that.

In F2 racing, Leclerc, whose performance this season was outstanding, won the championship without any doubt. However, Leclerc's teammate in the Prima team, Foucault, who also came from the Ferrari junior academy, performed poorly and finished only eighth, causing Prima to lose the team championship.

The Russian Time team, relying on a more consistent and balanced performance, narrowly won by 15 points to claim the team championship.

The GP3 series, however, lost its suspense early on. Perhaps the only remaining question is whether the ART team can sweep the top four positions in the year-end driver standings.

The answer is yes.

Lu Zhizhou, Russell, Han Shilong, and Yu Beier swept the top four spots with a clear advantage, and all four drivers surpassed 100 points in the annual standings.

Clearly, the start and development of this season did not go according to plan. Neither Han Shilong, who had been patiently waiting for his chance, nor Russell, who was ambitious, were able to win the championship. They watched helplessly as Lu Zhizhou, who emerged from the cracks in the rocks, stole all the attention and rose to the top in one step.

Sweeping across thousands of troops, undefeated and unrivaled.

Lu Zhizhou became the first driver in GP3 history to win the annual driver's championship with a perfect record in the main races of the season without any suspense. He also maintained an amazing dominance in the sprint races. Apart from the cancelled Monza race, he won four out of seven sprint races, and only failed to reach the podium in the sprint race in Hungary.

It was a championship, but it was more than just a championship. This was undoubtedly the most successful, glorious, and dominant season in GP3's recorded history.

Shock and shock filled the air in the paddock. It may take some time for people to process what happened in the past season. Even now, with the season over, it still feels unreal, as if they are floating in mid-air, unable to touch the ground.

Russell was no exception. Despite his calm personality, he was only nineteen years old and, standing at the crossroads of life and dreams, was bound to lose his way.

Turning his head, Russell could see Han Shilong, looking dejected and fleeing in a sorry state. The gazes and stares coming from all directions were a torment to him.

Russell also had an impulse to dig a hole and disappear on the spot, to drown himself in shame and humiliation.

But he didn't.

Russell controlled himself. He didn't want to become Han Shilong. He needed to face his setbacks and failures honestly. This was the only way to overcome himself.

So Russell walked up to Lu Zhizhou and extended his right hand, saying, "A fantastic season!"

Lu Zhizhou grasped Russell's right hand, a smile spreading across his face. "This isn't the end, is it? This isn't like you at all."

Russell slightly raised his chin, his beautiful and delicate face expressionless, yet revealing a resolute determination. "Of course. I will be entering F2 next year, and I will continue to work hard and strive. You'd better hold on for a while and wait for me in the paddock. I will catch up, and then we'll have a competition."

Before Lu Zhizhou could speak, Russell repeated, "You must not disappoint us and be kicked out of Ferrari after just a few games."

Lu Zhizhou's smile, which had been lingering at the corner of his mouth, finally blossomed into a full smile. "Okay, I'll wait for you."

“But,” Lu Zhizhou paused, a hint of mockery in his eyes, “George, keep it up. You can’t beat me with just words.”

Russell was stunned and didn't have time to respond before Lu Zhizhou turned and left. Was that guy showing off? A real man never looks back at an explosion?
A breath caught in his throat. Russell was racking his brains, trying to think of a way to respond. He couldn't just stand by and watch that guy show off.

Unexpectedly, the guy turned around without warning, his face beaming with a wide smile, "Baby, baby, baby, oh..."

Russell: ?

Haha, hahaha, everyone burst into laughter.

Lu Zhizhou's smile was completely on full display. He even made a heart shape with his right hand and gestured to Russell with his eyes. His eyes and actions were clearly a provocation: What, are you sure you don't want to stage a "sexy comeback"?
Russell was completely dumbfounded. He looked down at his feet, which were stuck to the ground and he couldn't move.

On the sidelines, reporters and paddock staff watched this scene, clutching their stomachs and laughing uproariously, almost laughing until they cried. Compared to those seasoned F1 veterans, these unpolished youngsters were clearly much more entertaining.

Russell stood there, looking utterly dejected, hands on his hips, completely helpless.

Bokolać of the Trident team is ranked fifth in the year-end driver standings; Alesi, also from the Trident team, is ranked sixth.

However, neither driver managed to break 100 points at the end of the year; Bokolaci's 99 points was the limit.

Indeed, there is no harm without comparison.

ART team was far ahead, turning the 2017 season into a one-man show for them, with everyone else playing supporting roles.

Some might say that the GP3 is a standard model, so how could there be such a big difference? Is this really normal?
This also proves that in lower-level formula racing, due to limited funding and resources, an excellent team and an excellent driver can often exert greater power.

In the annual team standings, ART team unsurprisingly topped the list. Moreover, ART's team points were slightly higher than the combined points of the second-placed Trident, third-placed Janzer, and fourth-placed Alden.

The advantages are simply not on the same level.

No wonder the voices questioning Lu Zhizhou in the paddock never stop. Look at Leclerc, who still shows dominance while driving the second fastest car in the paddock; and look at Lu Zhizhou, who easily reached the top in the only Mars rover in the paddock, but overtook others to take the lead because of his Asian face.

Regardless of the car's specifications or the technical team's capabilities, with ART Team's car setup this year, any driver could easily reach the top.

The noise continued incessantly, like blah blah blah.

However, none of these voices mattered to Lu Zhizhou.

Because he knows that arrogance and prejudice are like this: in the face of preconceived notions, no matter what he does, those voices will always find negative emotions. The battlefield to fight back and prove themselves is not on social networks, but on the race track next year, where they will decide the winner.

More importantly, he knew that those keyboard warriors filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred might just be a group of unemployed people living in their parents' basements. He didn't need to care; the only important thing was himself, the tangible things he could see, touch, and hold firmly in his grasp—like a bonus check.

At the end of the season, ART, in high spirits, wrote Lu Zhizhou a check for 850,000 euros, rounding it up and making it straightforward.

This bonus was earned by Lu Zhizhou drop by drop of sweat in the simulator, on the track, and in the car; it was his first paycheck.

Exactly one year ago, Lu Zhizhou accepted Lorenzo's invitation to secretly go to Rome for racing in exchange for a prize of five thousand euros, never expecting it to become a turning point in his life.

Now, all things considered, Lu Zhizhou has personally earned his first million euros.

So, does this mean I've made it into the ranks of millionaires?

However, this is not the end.

A new season, new challenges, a brand new blueprint is about to unfold, writing all possibilities.

After a brief celebration of the GP3 team and driver championships, Lu Zhizhou had no time to play the tourist in Abu Dhabi and returned to Maranello immediately to prepare for the new season.

This clearly disrupted Lu Zhizhou's plans.

F1 cars are extremely sophisticated. To improve speed by even 0.1 seconds, every detail needs to be carefully designed and meticulously crafted, with very little room for error.

For example, racing seats.

The driver needs to work with the team's engineering team to tailor a solution using 3D scanning technology to ensure comfort and safety, while also optimizing driving posture to improve handling precision.

Previously, during Spa's first free practice session, Lu Zhizhou drove Kimi Räikkönen's car. The seat was not custom-made for his height and weight; adjustments were made using foam, cushions, pedals, etc. Lu Zhizhou relied more on his own intuition to control the car on the spot.

That is precisely why Lu Zhizhou's performance in the free practice race was so impactful.

Following Lu Zhizhou's signing, Ferrari has officially finalized its driver lineup for the 2018 season.

Vettel partnered with Lu Zhizhou.

It was from that time that bespoke tailoring began to gradually unfold, including cockpits, helmets, pedals, racing suits, gloves, and shoes.

Two months have passed in the blink of an eye. Lu Zhizhou thought that all the preliminary preparations were complete, but now it seems that his judgment was clearly wrong.

Lu Zhizhou felt a little regretful. Looking at Rosana in front of him, he muttered a childlike complaint, "...Is there anything we've forgotten?"

Rosana chuckled. "What, so eager to leave Maranello?"

Lu Zhizhou could taste the sarcasm in her words and retorted, "You want to escape Maranello after less than three months on the contract? Rosana, don't frame me. I'm ready to make a name for myself in the new season."

Rosana said earnestly, "It's not the first time anyway, have you forgotten your past offenses?"

Seeing Lu Zhizhou's wide eyes, Rosana could no longer contain herself and burst into hearty laughter.

As a result, Lu Zhizhou's lips curled up, and he began to explain, "This is not the first time I have left Europe, and it is such an exotic place. I originally planned to stay for a day as a tourist, to ride a camel into the desert and see the landscape that I had never seen before."

F2's schedule follows F1's global route; but GP3 ​​is different. The entire season only has one race that leaves Europe, heading to Abu Dhabi, where it joins F1 and F2 to conclude the season.

Lu Zhizhou couldn't help but be curious.

Rosana gently patted Lu Zhizhou on the back of the head. "The opportunity will come next year. Travel the world with the team. A different time zone every week. It'll be so exciting and thrilling. I guarantee you won't be bored all year round. You'll be busy from March to November, with exotic scenery everywhere you go."

The vivid and lively tone of the voice, full of laughter and scathing remarks, made Lu Zhizhou burst out laughing.

At this point, Rosana explained, "This time it's the steering wheel."

"Don't tell anyone that I'm the one who leaked this information. Ferdinand has prepared a surprise for you, a steering wheel specially made for you as a little F1 surprise."

Lu Zhizhou was stunned, completely unexpected that Montfaldini had prepared a surprise gift.
But isn't Monfatini the technical director of the youth academy? He shouldn't be able to command the F1 technical team, right? Did Monfatini use his personal connections?
Rosana noticed the emotion in Lu Zhizhou's eyes and patted him on the shoulder, "So, we're going to prepare a surprise party for Ferdinand today."

Monfatini thought of him and designed a custom steering wheel; Rosana also thought of him and prepared a surprise party for Monfatini.

Despite living in Maranello, this was the first time in his life that he had left home to live independently, but throughout that year, he could always feel lonely and helpless.

The reason has always been here.

Lu Zhizhou felt a slight soreness in his nose. The opportunity in F1 was once in a lifetime, but his time in Maranello was also an irreplaceable memory.

Rosana immediately noticed and broke into a big smile. "Oh dear, is our stroller driver about to cry? Wait, I should record this on my phone."

Lu Zhizhou hung his hands down, speechless, looking up at the sky, pretending to look up at the sky at a 45-degree angle to avoid tears falling. "If you're going to take pictures, hurry up, otherwise all the tears will be held back, and there won't be another chance to take them."

Rosana burst into laughter.

The surprise party was arranged at Rosana's house. Lu Cheng and Jiang Mo had spent the Lunar New Year there earlier this year. Her front yard was a spacious yard planted with grapevines, warm in winter and cool in summer, with picturesque scenery, making it undoubtedly the best place for a party.

So Lu Zhizhou spent the whole afternoon at Rosana's house, blowing up balloons, hanging banners, preparing fruit, and setting the table.

Of course, he wasn't the only one busy; Rosana's family, a small group of youth training academy test teams who had sneaked out, and a small group of F1 team technicians were also involved.

Lu Zhizhou couldn't help but sigh, "As expected of Rosana, every party she throws is a big deal, the scale is always different."

Everything was ready by nightfall.

Lu Zhizhou carried a large cake with candles on it, but they weren't lit yet. All the partygoers hid in every corner of the house, inside and out, turning off the lights and candles, holding their breath, and bathing in the bright moonlight, waiting for the main character to appear.

A moment later, Rosana lowered her voice and signaled from behind the grape trellis, "Falcon appears. One hundred meters."

Lu Zhizhou sat at the entrance, using the curtains and door panels to cover himself. He took out a lighter and lit a candle, then quickly shielded the candlelight with his body. Despite the tension and excitement, his hands did not tremble, and he even felt a little excited.

Rosana called out in an even lower voice, "Fifty meters, we're counting down."

Lu Zhizhou stood up slightly, bent his knees, and prepared to push open the door and rush out at any moment.

But at that moment, Rosana, omitting the countdown, exclaimed, "One!"

Lu Zhizhou: ? ? ?

Huh? No, no, no, something's not right. How did the countdown just reset to zero?
(End of this chapter)