A New World

Chapter 141 A New World
The outside world is in turmoil. Although the F1 season has ended, all sorts of news continue to stir up trouble, with one turbulent undercurrent after another. Looking back on 2017 and looking forward to 2018, the entire racing world is still spinning at high speed in a dizzying way.

At this point, Maranello’s advantage becomes apparent: it is far from the spotlight, secluded in a corner, like a secluded paradise, allowing it to remain focused.

If anyone thinks that the winter break is like a vacation where drivers can lie on yachts all day sunbathing and joking around, they are sorely mistaken.

Lu Zhizhou didn't know what Hamilton and Verstappen's winter break would be like, but he was certainly going to be busier than ever for the next period of time.

Feet not touching the ground, literally.

In fact, the FIA ​​has explicitly stipulated strict restrictions on testing and work during the winter break, mainly to prevent large, well-funded teams from continuously conducting repeated tests to gain a competitive advantage.

According to regulations, drivers are prohibited from driving the new season's car model during the winter break. If they want to test the car, they can only drive the old car from two seasons ago. In other words, if Lu Zhizhou wants to sit in the cockpit of an F1 car, it must be the 2016 season model.

Furthermore, time was strictly controlled. When the team was preparing for the 2018 season, they could only test the 2016 season car for a maximum of twenty days, and the two main drivers could only drive for a maximum of four days and no more than 1,000 kilometers.

Of course, there's also the opportunity to drive the 2018 season car during the winter break, as well as during the team's official promotional activities.

A maximum of two times, each time not exceeding 100 kilometers; and the use of race tires is not permitted, but rather special tires specifically provided for the promotional activities.

The FIA ​​has also arranged an official testing period, with all ten teams present at the same time. The testing will take place at the Barcelona circuit in late February or early March, with a total of three days of testing time. Each driver can allocate one and a half days to complete twelve hours of testing.

In other words, apart from the official FIA preseason testing, drivers have very little time to test the new cars during the winter break, relying entirely on simulators.

Logically speaking, the winter break should be a relaxing time; however, that's true for experienced drivers, but for rookies like Lu Zhizhou, it's bad news.

Lacking experience and practical experience, not to mention the brand-new car for the 2018 season, they are also "not very familiar" with F1 cars.

Perhaps the only thing to be thankful for is that Lu Zhizhou had previously participated in the entire development process of Ferrari's new 2018 season car as a test driver, including simulator testing and actual testing at the Fiorano circuit. What was unintentional before has now become a small advantage for Lu Zhizhou.

Even so, it's still not enough.

For newcomers to take to the F1 track next year, training and testing throughout the winter break cannot be relaxed; to be precise, both intensity and frequency must be increased by two levels.

After all, that's F1, the ultimate challenge in motorsport.

First and foremost, physical training should be doubled, no, tripled.

A GP3 race lasts only thirty minutes, at most forty minutes; but an F1 race requires continuous ninety to one hundred and twenty minutes at higher speeds and greater G-forces, resulting in profuse sweating in the high-temperature cockpit, and dehydration can easily occur if one is not careful.

Don't mistake this for an amateur mistake. Even professional drivers have to push their limits on challenging tracks like Spa and Singapore.

Aerobic training is the foundation of everything. If Lu Zhizhou wants to prepare for tough competitions, he cannot slack off in basic training.

At the same time, strength training and agility training are also essential.

As Mekiss previously stated, Lu Zhizhou has grown taller, and F1 racing is very sensitive to weight and center of gravity, so he must increase his muscle mass.

It shouldn't be too strong; instead, it needs to maintain its lines and agility.

Over the past year, Lu Zhizhou has persisted in rigorous training, and everyone at the Ferrari Youth Academy knows he is a devil.

However, even Lu Zhizhou has trained to the point of complete exhaustion more than once.

Strength and conditioning coach Carl Blasco looked at Lu Zhizhou, who was lying motionless in a pool of sweat, and smiled with satisfaction. "Today's training was perfect. Increase the intensity by 10% tomorrow."

Lu Zhizhou could hardly believe his ears, but now he couldn't move a single finger, and he didn't even have the strength to howl or protest. He watched Blasco turn around and walk away, and stared at the ceiling for a full five minutes, questioning his existence.

The key point is that this is just part of daily life, with all the time filled except for three physical training sessions in the morning, afternoon, and evening.

Simulator training, without a doubt, is essential for Lu Zhizhou to prepare for next year, given his inability to compete on the track.

On the one hand, practice the tracks to truly become familiar with all the tracks.

On the one hand, simulating real race scenarios, especially the part of GP3 where there is no pit stop for tire changes, is all unfamiliar to Lu Zhizhou. Therefore, he needs to familiarize himself with the starting line, pit stops, safety car pit stops, and other situations, as well as the various unexpected situations that may occur during the race.

If it were just an emulator, there would be no difficulty; you could treat it like a game and spend hours on each lap without noticing the passage of time. But an emulator is not a game; after each lap, you need to attend a technical meeting to communicate and summarize.

Data analysis, dialogue and communication, technical adjustments, and so on.

Most importantly, there are many topics that extend from this foundation, such as rules, the latest technical rules and competition rules; and strategies and tactics.

The biggest difference between F1 and GP3 is not speed or pit stops, but tactics.

Even something as simple as pit stop timing and tire strategy involves countless variations. How do you strategize based on your position, how do you adjust your strategy according to the ever-changing circumstances during the race, and how do you make the right choice in the shortest amount of time after weather, a crash, or the deployment of the safety car?

This is an art.

In GP3, there are only rough and simple tactics, basically just running to the end; but in F1, not only tires and engine can bring variables, but also the condition of the car can fluctuate in all kinds of ways during the long race, requiring drivers to adjust and tactics to be coordinated.

The ever-changing nature and endless possibilities are what make Formula 1 so captivating.

If it were just a race of speed, it would be all about flooring the accelerator on the straightaways and precise control in the corners—just like what onlookers would see.

"boring".

However, real racing is a game of strategy, involving not only teamwork but also driver skill. That's why Senna, Schumacher, and others were able to drive the second or even third fastest cars in the paddock to the top of the championship, just like in Go, unlocking the full potential of the car.

Physical training and simulator tests were already incredibly stressful, but the real challenge came from the tactical meetings.

How to strategize. How to play the game.

"A safety car appears now. The car has just completed eight laps on hard tires. Should it pit? What if it were on soft tires?"

"Why do we keep losing speed in the medium-speed corners here?"

"If the temperature drops suddenly, or if there is sudden rainfall, the tire window may shift..."

Careful observation, accurate judgment, and a comprehensive perspective are essential for making decisions and choices in the blink of an eye. This is the strategic maneuvering that cannot be seen on the live broadcast, but it is precisely the essence of racing.

It wasn't until now that Lu Zhizhou realized he had just stepped into the world of equations.

Whether it's street racing or GP3, it really relies more on instinct and talent. You don't need to think; just believe in yourself.

However, once you enter the world of F1, you'll find that talent is just the entry ticket. Here, everyone is a genius, not just the drivers, but also the mechanics team, which is full of talent. You can't pursue the ultimate and win the championship in the world of F1 by relying solely on talent. This is true for all competitive sports.

After racing relentlessly, Lu Zhizhou has finally stepped into the sacred hall of racing—

I've only just begun; a vast unknown awaits my exploration.

……

"what……"

Lu Zhizhou yawned again, his eyes barely open, feeling incredibly sleepy.

Song Bo, who was standing to the side, had been interrupted for the third time. He looked Lu Zhizhou up and down meaningfully, then nudged him on the shoulder. "Did you watch adult movies all night last night, boss? You're something else, but you still need to take care of yourself."

Lu Zhizhou yawned, tears welling up in his eyes, and laughed speechlessly, "I wish I had that time, but I'm currently too busy."

Time flies. Immersed in busy and fulfilling training, three months passed without me even noticing. It seemed like the time had flown by in the blink of an eye.

Three days ago, Lu Zhizhou finished his winter training break and returned to Shanghai to prepare for his final exams.

It wasn't just Lu Zhizhou; everyone at Ferrari knew about Jiang Mo's persistence. Marchionne and Arrivabene both supported him, not only allowing Lu Zhizhou to go home for the exam, but also, considering the busy schedule ahead, taking a few extra days out of their hectic training schedule to allow Lu Zhizhou to spend time with his parents at home.

Song Bo couldn't understand, "You've already entered F1, so you should be resting and taking a break during the winter break. If you can't relax during this time, when will you take a break? During the summer break?"

Lu Zhizhou chuckled, thought for a moment, and started counting on his fingers, “Morning run, physical training, simulator test, tactical meeting, psychological training, lunch.”

"Then, simulator training, tactical meetings, physical training, media training, game video training, dinner, physical training, and the day ends."

No further words are needed; the simple rhythmic storytelling already has a powerful impact. Song Bo felt as if his dislocated jaw was no longer his own.

"Wow. It looks like a hamster," Song Bo exclaimed.

Lu Zhizhou chuckled. "Very apt."

Song Bo blinked. "Forget about the rest, what's psychological training? What's media training all about? Boss, do you need any of that?"

So-called psychological training is actually about learning to cope with pressure, maintain focus, and handle mistakes. It includes internal and external aspects, as well as aspects outside of the competition and aspects within the competition itself.

F1 is a sport about confidence, where anything can happen in 0.01 seconds. There is no time to think or hesitate; it requires instinct and intuition.

When you are full of confidence, everything goes smoothly; however, once your confidence wavers, your performance may plummet.

Of course, this is often the case in all competitive sports, where everyone experiences fluctuations in performance. However, this is especially pronounced in the high-speed, low-forgiveness environment of F1.

Just like Vettel, when he's in good form he's unstoppable, but when he's in bad form he keeps drifting and spinning, and can even make mistakes when pitting.

Moreover, F1 is different from diving, short track speed skating, and other competitions where one mistake can ruin all the effort. There is room for recovery in F1, so the importance of on-the-spot response and follow-up is even more prominent. Rather than avoiding mistakes, the first reaction and subsequent handling after a mistake are more important.

At this point, the necessity of psychological training cannot be ignored.

Media training is slightly different. It's not just about dealing with reporters, but also about how to deal with sponsors. F1 is a sport that requires a lot of exposure. From drivers to team principals and even CEOs, they all need to constantly interact with sponsors and cooperate with promotional activities.

A simple and direct example is Verstappen. His racing talent has been widely recognized, but his social skills are almost nonexistent, especially when it comes to sponsors. As a result, his commercial value has never been high. Ricciardo is clearly a driver who is more favored by sponsors.

These matters, hidden from the spotlight in the paddock, are also part of an F1 career. Alonso's ability to wield influence at McLaren is definitely not due to his big head.

Therefore, the entire day's training is both mentally and physically demanding, with every minute and second fully packed.

Even Lu Zhizhou was finding it hard to keep up.

Moreover, Lu Zhizhou and Jiang Mo have similar personalities: either they don't do it at all, or if they do, they go all out to challenge their limits and try to do their best.

"Haha, right? I think so too." Lu Zhizhou didn't go into details with Song Bo, as Song Bo would probably be too tired to listen to those dry and boring things. "But there's no way around it, everything is brand new, and they want me to be fully prepared."

Song Bo nodded. "That's true. Jumping from GP3 to F1 is already incredible enough, but even Verstappen only went to Toro Rosso when he jumped, and spent a year honing his skills there. You, on the other hand, went straight to Ferrari. People are indeed different. The whole paddock must be watching you."

As he spoke, Song Bo turned to look at Lu Zhizhou, "So, what were you doing last night?"

"Let's do physics problems," Lu Zhizhou said.

Song Bo's jaw dislocated again. "What?"

Lu Zhizhou shrugged lightly. "I promised Mom I wouldn't give up my studies. I'll keep my word. But this time, I guess it's a little risky."

This time, Lu Zhizhou wasn't being modest.

The intensity and density of the winter break training far exceeded expectations, and the amount of information was enormous. After a full day of training, he even took the initiative to find Montfati for extra lessons.

The two of them watched past race videos together, analyzing the tracks, tactics, and driver styles.

Experience is Lu Zhizhou's weakness, and there is no shortcut to solve it. The only way is to continuously accumulate data and get his brain working.

After a full day of training, I was completely exhausted when I got home, and I had no time or energy left to do practice problems.

Therefore, after returning to China, Lu Zhizhou did not rush to go to school to report. Instead, he stayed at home doing practice questions and trying to adjust his state through test papers and questions in order to prepare for the final exam.

Perhaps the only saving grace is that the senior year exams didn't include much new content; it was all material we had already learned, requiring only in-depth exploration and consolidation of knowledge.

But Song Bo clearly didn't believe it, patting Lu Zhizhou on the shoulder and complaining, "No way, you're Lu Zhizhou, taking exams is like eating and drinking for you, you'll be first in the grade in no time..."

"Eating, drinking, and eating." Lu Zhizhou seized on a key word and burst out laughing. The more he thought about it, the funnier it became, and he couldn't help but hug his stomach and bend over backward.

"Haha, hahaha." The hearty laughter filled the air.

Song Bo: ...I have no will to live.

With a flick of his foot, Song Bo tried to kick Lu Zhizhou, but Lu Zhizhou dodged and ran away, and the two began chasing each other on the school playground.

They ran and chased each other all the way, entering the classroom one after the other, laughing and joking as they walked towards their seats.

Lu Zhizhou couldn't stop laughing. "Doctor, you should be a stand-up comedian, really..."

But then he noticed that Song Bo's expression was a little strange and his words stopped. Lu Zhizhou also noticed that the rustling noise around them was gradually subsiding. The whole process could be clearly heard, just like the homeroom teacher sneaking in through the back door, making people unable to resist looking back.

Until everyone quieted down.

There was no morning hustle and bustle, no anxiety about the upcoming exams; everyone seemed to have pressed the pause button, frozen in place, dumbfounded.

Furthermore, all eyes were focused on Lu Zhizhou, without exception.

Lu Zhizhou looked left and right, then chuckled and pointed into the air, "Squad leader, watch out, flies!"

Li Miaomiao suddenly covered her mouth, her face full of astonishment, but the next second she saw Lu Zhizhou with his eyes full of smiles and Song Bo who couldn't help but laugh, and she realized that it was a joke.

Li Miaomiao quickly lowered her hands, but didn't know how to respond.

Just then, a girl with long black hair, wearing a navy blue dress, appeared at the door. She was pretty and graceful, with fair and delicate skin. She peeked her head inside.

"Lu Zhizhou, could you come out for a moment?"

Li Miaomiao was momentarily stunned, feeling no sense of reality whatsoever.

Lu Zhizhou, the absolute star of the past six months, joined Ferrari in a historic move and will soon be wearing the red jersey on the F1 track next season.

Overnight, the phenomenon exploded, with people discussing this young man who seemed to spring from the cracks in the rocks on social media every few days. He was like a peerless hero descending from the sky on auspicious clouds, shrouded in a mysterious halo, standing at the crossroads of creating history and writing miracles.

However, Li Miaomiao could never connect the Lu Zhizhou on the internet with her real-life classmate Lu Zhizhou. Only when she was maintaining order during self-study or passing by during breaks, and inadvertently glanced at the empty seat next to Song Bo, a flood of chaotic thoughts would surge up again, silently reminding her that Lu Zhizhou might really be racing on the track.

All those absences and those long leave requests could be explained. The story was slightly different from what they had guessed and imagined about "Initial D." Lu Zhizhou was chasing his dream on another track. His unrestrained and dashing figure had broken free of constraints and shackles and entered a brand new world.

Racing cars. Ferrari. Formula 1.

Those distant and absurd keywords floated lightly onto my heart, conveying a faint power that gently pulled my fantasy back to reality.

Lu Zhizhou has appeared again today, the third time in a year, quietly and unremarkably.

His demeanor was as if nothing had happened; he remained an ordinary student, never missing a class or taking an exam.

Not only Li Miaomiao, but all the other students in the classroom were also stunned. The whole feeling was very strange. It was still Lu Zhizhou, but it seemed different.

Then--

"Is that Su Tong from Class Two?"

"What does Su Tong want with Lu Zhizhou?"

"How did Lu Zhizhou and my goddess meet? I'm so envious!"

The rustling and chattering went on and on, the discussions never stopping.

Many eyes rushed toward Song Bo, only to find that he also looked bewildered. Immediately, some people couldn't contain their curiosity and ran out in a flash.

Action precedes thought; regardless of the consequences, just get on board.

In a flurry, the bustling crowd all rushed out, and in the blink of an eye, the classroom was almost empty.

It was too late when Li Miaomiao tried to stop them. She was a little annoyed and quickly chased after them, saying, "The exam is about to start. You all need to go in."

Unfortunately, at this moment, curiosity took over, and the class monitor's authority was severely lacking; everyone pretended not to hear.

Li Miaomiao rushed to the front, trying to use brute force to push all the naughty guys back, but out of the corner of her eye she saw Lu Zhizhou and Su Tong standing on the stair platform between the floors.

Su Tong is not only beautiful but also intelligent. She is always among the top three in her grade and a strong contender for first place. She also plays the piano very well. Because of her aloof and cold temperament, she always keeps her distance from her classmates. The boys in the grade, whose hormones are raging, call her the Ice Queen behind her back.

However, a slight blush appeared on the iceberg's cheeks, and where was the powerful aura that usually kept strangers at bay? The cold frost had long since melted into water, and a pair of beautiful doe eyes, bright and shy, secretly sized up Lu Zhizhou.

Li Miaomiao was taken aback and stopped in her tracks, temporarily forgetting to stop the group of guys in front of her.

She couldn't hear what Lu Zhizhou said, even if she strained her ears, but Su Tong's eyes quickly filled with tears, and her cheeks turned bright red.

She took a deep breath, forcefully wiped away her tears with the back of her hand, pushed Lu Zhizhou away hard, turned around and strode upstairs. She saw Li Miaomiao and those guys who were peeking around. Her bright eyes were slightly red, and the fragility and sadness in her eyes were pitiful to see.

Li Miaomiao was about to explain that she wasn't spying.

But Su Tong didn't give him a chance. He straightened his back slightly, strode away with his head held high.

The onlookers stared blankly at Su Tong's graceful yet strong and proud back, without making a sound, until someone broke the silence.

"What are you doing here?"

Upon hearing the sound, they all turned around, their eyes wide with anger as they glared at Lu Zhizhou, like a herd of furious bulls.

Lu Zhizhou was about to say something when he paused, looked ahead, and showed a hint of surprise and panic. He quickly bowed and greeted, "Good morning, teacher."

In an instant, the onlookers scattered like birds and beasts, hurriedly turning around and entering the classroom.

Song Bo and Li Miaomiao stared in astonishment at the empty corridor behind them, where was the teacher?

Lu Zhizhou patted Song Bo on the shoulder and said to Li Miaomiao, "Class monitor, let's go back to the classroom and get ready for the exam."

Li Miaomiao was stunned. On impulse, her emotions broke free from the shackles of reason, and the words slipped out, "Lu Zhizhou, are you really going to become an F1 driver?"

Lu Zhizhou stopped, a smile appearing in his eyes. "Everything hasn't started yet. We still need to stay calm before we actually sit in the cockpit and step onto the track."

Li Miaomiao took a deep breath, her heart pounding, "Go for it!"

Lu Zhizhou looked into Li Miaomiao's eyes, paused, and said sincerely, "Thank you, I will. Good luck to you, class monitor, I hope you can get into Fudan University."

Li Miaomiao's heart skipped a beat. How did Lu Zhizhou know about her dream university?
However, Lu Zhizhou did not stop; he and Song Bo returned to the classroom side by side.

Song Bo lowered his voice and asked, "What does the Ice Queen want with you?"

"She asked me a physics question, and I said I didn't know the answer," Lu Zhizhou said seriously.

Song Bo didn't believe it at all, and raised his right hand to elbow Lu Zhizhou.

Lu Zhizhou shoved Song Bo aside, baring his teeth, "I'm serious, that question was really hard. If you can do it, then you do it!"

Actually, Su Tong came to confess her feelings and invite Lu Zhizhou to her birthday party.

But Lu Zhizhou refused, saying that he had no plans to date at the moment.

Clearly, Su Tong hadn't expected her first attempt at confessing her feelings to backfire so badly, and her eyes welled up with tears before she knew it, unable to control herself.

Lu Zhizhou was completely at a loss, not knowing what to do.

Su Tong clearly did not believe Lu Zhizhou's explanation but refused to listen to any further clarification, and turned to leave.

Following Su Tong's departing figure, Lu Zhizhou could see the bustling crowd of onlookers. He couldn't help but worry that if it affected his performance on the upcoming exams, things would get really bad.

Right now, the only important thing for Lu Zhizhou is the final exam.

As he said, he was not confident this time and felt uncertain. This was the first time he had been in such a situation, and he was very anxious and uneasy.

That sense of tension lasted until the exam was completely over.

In the past, Lu Zhizhou would have a clear idea of ​​his test results after the exam, but this time his mind was a complete blank, and he had no idea what to do with them.

"Ah, this is quite a strain." Song Bo stretched out a big yawn, looking even more tired than Lu Zhizhou.

Lu Zhizhou was about to rest his head on the table when he keenly noticed that something was wrong: crowds were pouring into all four classroom doors.

There aren't many at the moment, just a few here and there, and they haven't formed an encirclement yet, but Lu Zhizhou still sensed something was wrong.

"Doctor, let's go." Without hesitation, Lu Zhizhou quickly swept everything into his backpack, patted Song Bo on the shoulder, and got up to leave.

Song Bo was in a daze, and before he could even finish yawning, he was stumbling and being pulled to his feet.

Despite his confusion, Song Bo quickly packed his things and followed Lu Zhizhou without hesitation, only then having time to ask what was going on.

Lu Zhizhou lowered his voice, "There's no time to explain. Relax and just do your own thing." Then, he raised his voice, "Is the first question B or D?"

They looked like ordinary students discussing exam papers.

Song Bo understood immediately and deliberately made a big fuss, "C, it's clearly C, I remember the teacher said that last time."

While they were chatting, Lu Zhizhou had already dragged Song Bo to the back door.

Just as they were about to leave the classroom, they noticed that three or five more people were appearing in the corridor, and Lu Zhizhou's face was right in front of them.

Lu Zhizhou immediately slammed on the brakes, turned around, and hooked his arm around the neck of a bystander at the door. "Hey bro, who are you looking for?"

The boy's eyes searched rapidly like radar, quickly scanning the entire area, but he was blind to what was happening in front of him. "Lu Zhizhou."

"That Ferrari driver."

Song Bo instantly held his breath, pressed himself against the wall, and tried his best to make himself invisible.

Lu Zhizhou, however, appeared remarkably calm. "Oh, him? What happened to him?"

The boy continued his greedy and eager search. "Nothing much, I just heard he came to the school to take an exam, and I want to see what he looks like in person."

"That's a Ferrari driver. And I think he's China's first F1 driver."

I was so excited that I could hardly contain myself.

Lu Zhizhou sighed softly, "Ah, I see. We're used to it. He doesn't have three heads and six arms, so I don't think there's anything special about him."

The boy seemed a little excited and turned to look at him. Lu Zhizhou cleverly closed the distance, entering the blind spot to the side of his vision, hiding in the shadows on the side of the boy's head. He slightly turned his face to the side and heard the boy excitedly say, "I heard he's a super handsome guy. I think the Ice Queen confessed to him yesterday."

Song Bo clung to the wall like a gecko, completely concealing his presence. If he relaxed even slightly, he might scream out loud.

"Really?" Lu Zhizhou seemed to be getting into the swing of things, exchanging pleasantries and making sarcastic remarks. "I think he's just so-so, nothing special."

"If you don't believe me, see for yourself."

Lu Zhizhou quickly scanned the area, appearing to be looking for a target, but in reality, he was looking for small groups of people gathered together.

"Look, there he is, right there, surrounded by three or four people. He's the one right in the center, probably showing off his Ferrari again."

"I won't join in this fun. If you want to take photos together, I suggest you do it as soon as possible."

After saying that, Lu Zhizhou patted the boy on the back, gave Song Bo a look, and the two of them quickly turned around, lowered their heads, and disappeared into the crowd.

A voice of thanks came from behind, "Thanks, brother," but Lu Zhizhou and Song Bo didn't stop and quickly left.

In the classroom, Wang Lin's mind was a jumbled mess of thoughts he couldn't sort out, and a feeling of frustration he couldn't quite explain was stuck in his chest—

It can't be swallowed, and it can't be spat out.

Even now, Wang Lin still can't believe it's true. Lu Zhizhou is really about to become a Ferrari driver. It turns out he was the joke.

It's one thing that he's everywhere on social media, but now the whole class is talking about him during their free time.

"Lu Zhizhou this, Lu Zhizhou that," Lu Zhizhou, who was their classmate just the day before, has transformed into a red Ferrari racing suit.

Just imagining it made Wang Lin so uncomfortable that he couldn't eat. His mind was filled with all sorts of chaotic thoughts, and he was completely distracted during the exam. He felt like he might have messed up. After the exam was over, he sat in his seat feeling utterly hopeless, filled with anger but unable to find an outlet to vent it.

Now, almost all the classmates have "betrayed" him, leaving only a few of them to maintain their pride and refuse to shamelessly fawn over that guy.

"...He's nothing special, he's just like everyone else."

"He's just pretending. Anyone can do that; he just looks like a total green tea b*tch right now."

"It hasn't even officially hit the track yet, but they've already set it up."

They started complaining back and forth, and Wang Lin, who hadn't said a word until now, was finally ready to vent his anger.

But he was interrupted, "Lu Zhizhou, can we take a picture together?"

Wang Lin couldn't believe his ears. He pushed aside his friends, stuck his head out, and his face darkened like Bao Zheng's. "Who are you talking about? You are Lu Zhizhou, your whole family is Lu Zhizhou."

The string of reason snapped, and rage erupted forth in a ferocious display.

boom!
The entire classroom instantly exploded with energy, erupting like a volcano.

On the playground, Lu Zhizhou and Song Bo heard a sudden burst of sound, turned around and looked over, and could see their classroom transformed into a honeycomb.

The classroom was completely surrounded by a dense, bustling crowd, so dense that not even a mosquito could get out.

It's hard to imagine what it's like inside. They're probably suffering from severe oxygen deprivation and difficulty breathing. The overwhelming crowd has no way to dissipate the pressure. They're probably even more confused right now. Everyone is looking for Lu Zhizhou, but the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd completely blocks their view, making the search for Lu Zhizhou an impossible task.

Just imagining what it would be like to be there sends chills down my spine.

"Lu! Zhi! Zhou!"

A thunderous roar erupted from the classroom, audible even on the playground below, but was quickly swallowed up by the rustling noise.

Lu Zhizhou and Song Bo exchanged glances and high-fived each other in celebration. Luckily, Lu Zhizhou was quick-witted and sensed something was wrong immediately, otherwise they would be in trouble now. The two of them turned around and left the school quickly, laughing and joking. In the blink of an eye, their figures had merged into the crowd and disappeared.

Clearly, Lu Zhizhou is the focus.

Not just in the class, not just in the grade, but throughout the entire school, they are bathed in the spotlight, truly standing at the center of the world.

It even alarmed the school leaders, who personally went to Class 6 of Senior Three to try to visit Lu Zhizhou. After a lot of trouble, they realized they had come up empty-handed. Everyone had worked for nothing and stood there looking at each other, not knowing how to react. They were all stunned.

And... what about Lu Zhizhou?
Later, the principal and the homeroom teacher personally visited the family, but to their utter surprise, they found no one there. They learned that Lu Zhizhou had returned to Maranello to continue preparing for the new season. They looked at each other, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, completely bewildered.

After a brief period of noise and commotion, the small house finally regained a brief moment of peace.

However, both Lu Cheng and Jiang Mo knew that this was just the beginning, and the uproar would likely continue to intensify after the new season started.

At midnight, Lu Cheng got up to relieve himself, only to find the bedside empty.

He opened the bedroom door and entered the living room. A lamp was on, its light gently falling on Jiang Mo, who was sitting quietly at the dining table, lost in thought.

Surprisingly, there was no computer or files on the desktop, so it seemed that Jiang Mo wasn't working overtime.

Lu Cheng hesitated for a moment, then walked over. "What's wrong? Can't you sleep?"

(End of this chapter)