"Boss, don't pay attention to the noise outside. Stick to your guns. Just run at your own pace."
In an instant, all eyes swiveled to Song Bo.
They thought this guy was heartless and carefree, lost in the novel experience of the paddock, but actually, Song Bo had been paying close attention all along.
Kai paused, turned around, tapped his temple with his finger, and a smile blossomed. "Trust me."
Understated words, yet brimming with confidence. The hustle and bustle of the paddock seemed to lighten instantly. By the time they reacted, Kai was already gone.
Standing outside, Shanghai's April was still chilly. Thin, dim sunlight sprinkled down feebly as the crowd battled against the gusty wind.
Kai took a deep breath. Since landing at Pudong Airport, the busyness hadn't ceased. Interviews big and small filled his schedule. F1 official activities, Ferrari official activities, from interviews to photoshoots to videos, everything was there. Even sleep time was severely compressed.
It might sound absurd, but Kai hadn't seen Lu Cheng or Jiang Mo's faces yet, only talking over the phone.
Pressure was ubiquitous. Without even logging into social networks, he could feel the wave of national frenzy, leaving no breathing room at all.
Originally, Kai thought he could finally see his parents in the paddock during the race weekend. He hoped to complete a wonderful race in front of Jiang Mo on his home track. But Jiang Mo still hadn't mentally prepared herself to watch the race live; the confrontation at 300 km/h was too stimulating for her.
So,
He would face it alone.
But he was ready. Maybe he sat alone in the cockpit, but he wasn't fighting alone.
Opening his shoulders slightly and straightening his back, Kai strode forward.
Behind him, Li Miaomiao had been watching Kai's back. In the blink of an eye, the surging crowd swallowed him. She couldn't help craning her neck to look, but immediately realized her loss of composure. Slightly embarrassed, she withdrew her gaze and peeked left and right, only then breathing a sigh of relief, she wasn't the only one.
Song Bo and Wang Lin were the same, eyes wide and shouting as if watching a live documentary. They watched helplessly as a camera crew quickly followed, surrounding Kai. Beside them, figures jumping and shouting Kai's name blocked the view in no time.
Even seeing it with their own eyes was still magical. Then, those boys started making strange gorilla noises.
Then, a dashing figure in a leather jacket appeared. According to his self-introduction, he was Lorenzo, Kai's friend in Italy.
Although Kai was too busy to get away, he didn't forget. He asked Lorenzo to help prepare a big gift bag of souvenirs for the classmates visiting the paddock today,
Song Bo was the first to tear it open impatiently. Inside were various official Ferrari merchandise. He immediately put on the number 22 red baseball cap.
"Eh, wait, this isn't signed. No good, no good, return it."
Aside, Lorenzo looked at the complaining Song Bo, puzzled. After Li Miaomiao actively translated, Lorenzo laughed directly. "Of course, no problem."
"After free practice ends today, we'll force that guy to be a laborer. In the past few days, his hand must have gone soft from signing, if not a thousand copies, then eight hundred. Last night in the hotel room, he was sitting on the sofa signing obediently."
Everyone imagined the meme of that child writing furiously amidst crying, and burst into collective laughter. Even Su Tong couldn't hold back.
Chattering, laughing, a group of young people lively as could be.
Amidst the noise, free practice was finally ready. The broadcast screen began to show the situation in the pit lane. Song Bo was the first to notice a detail.
"George Russell!"
Everyone was confused. Song Bo explained, "The only driver who could threaten Boss in GP3 last year, a Mercedes trainee. He should be running F2 this year; why is he here?"
On screen, Wolff was talking closely with Russell. So, was Wolff cultivating Russell, or understanding Kai's weaknesses through Russell?
Others didn't understand, but Song Bo and Lorenzo both realized the undercurrent surging in the air.
The broadcast switched. That red racing car slowly drove out of the pit lane. The engine sound wasn't a roar, but stable, deep, and rhythmic.
No extra words needed to know this was the most representative touch of red on the F1 field. The number "22" on the car grabbed attention instantly.
"Ah! Aaaaaah!"
Instantly, the main grandstand erupted with unbelievable sound. Massive red spread out, baring fangs and brandishing claws to swallow all other colors.
The burning air surged slightly. Hearts were uncontrollably swept into the storm, beating wildly, on the verge of exploding.
"Here he comes! Here he comes!" Song Bo had just shouted out, and in a blink, he was drowned by the tsunami of the main grandstand. Only a roar remained on his eardrums.
Li Miaomiao held her breath, eyes unblinking. Even knowing nothing about racing, she could feel this moment was completely different from school life.
Then, the engine roar instantly filled the "field of view," as if speed could be captured by eyes,
F1, vivid and distinct, pounced on her face.
Before she could even react, Kai had finished the out-lap. The car whizzed past the main straight. The engine sound wave pierced the eardrums directly, breaking through the top of the skull instantly, pushing open a door to a mysterious universe.
Just a short while later, a string of data appeared on the big screen,
Sector 1, purple, Kai.
The auditorium erupted in cheers instantly. Every move of car number 22 on the track could affect the hearts of the whole audience; no one was an exception.
Although only the car could be seen in the broadcast lens, at this moment, that car was Kai. It seemed Kai's image could be seen on the speeding car, yet completely different from Kai in daily life. The posture immersed in professionalism radiated brilliance, making people unable to look away.
The car is the driver, the driver is the car.
Lorenzo was slightly stunned. Amidst the shock, a smile climbed to the corners of his mouth. This home court frenzy could wrestle with the Monza Tifosi.
However, Sector 2 turned green, only representing "personal best."
"Why did he slow down? Is this normal?" Li Miaomiao couldn't help blurting out.
The commentator's voice came from the broadcast. Rarely seen, the camera locked completely on Kai, paying close attention to his performance in free practice. The commentator explained entirely with qualifying specifications.
"Now it seems Kai is trying different braking points, especially the entry speed of Turn 13. He is carrying out different tests."
Coordinating with the commentator's voice, Song Bo and Wang Lin exchanged a look. Song Bo said, "Normal. Boss is always like this. Free practice is just warm-up, collecting data."
Wang Lin nodded repeatedly. "Previously in Melbourne and Bahrain, Boss's free practice performance was average. Actually... Ah!"
Words unfinished, pitch soared and changed, almost cracking.
Wang Lin stared at the screen dumbfounded, mouth wide open. Car 22 rarely shook slightly at the apex, the rear sliding out once,
Danger!
Instantly, breathing cut off. The heart rushed to the throat, blocking the windpipe deadly tight, unable to make a sound. Even the noise on the eardrums disappeared completely.
Sure enough, being on the scene to truly feel the vibration of the track and the temperature of the air up close, then watching the broadcast, the feeling was completely different.
However, fleeting.
Leaving no reaction time at all, the next second, Kai had steadily pulled the car back on track, seemingly anticipating everything before his eyes, firmly controlling the overall situation.
Su Tong looked up at the screen continuously, couldn't help asking, "Does he always play with heartbeats on the edge of danger like this?" Is street racing just like this?
Song Bo swallowed hard, but still subconsciously defended Kai. "This is called testing limits. Testing the limits of the track, the car, and himself."
Ten minutes later, Kai completed the long-distance simulation, and the car returned to the pit lane.
His calm voice came over the radio. "Rear tire temps starting to fade. Brakes need more margin under high load. Tire wear is higher than expected."
"Pit strategy needs to be proactive. Avoid pitting behind opponents and facing undercut danger. We need to strike first."
Actually, tire wear on the Shanghai track is relatively uniform, at least compared to Melbourne and Bahrain. But compared to Mercedes, Ferrari's car setup is unbalanced, favoring straights and high-speed corners, prepared to fully utilize their car's strengths.
This meant not only low-speed corners required skillful control, like roller skates on ice, but also the problem of rapid tire temperature rise in high-speed corners was relatively obvious.
This weekend, the tire management problem Ferrari faced would be more severe. Kai believed they should attack proactively, controlling the race in their own rhythm.
"Copy, Kai." Greenwood responded obediently as usual. "We continue with the second quantification."
Standing in front of the broadcast screen, the audience was confused, completely not understanding the situation. Kai sitting in the car, the car parked in the garage, that was all.
But Song Bo knew things weren't as calm as they appeared on the surface,
Kai was feeding back and communicating with the entire team, constantly recording data, confirming information, preparing for the next test run.
Full concentration, no distractions. This professional posture was completely different from usual, making people deeply feel that racing wasn't that simple.
Not just Ferrari, other pits were no exception.
Two races into the season so far, Ferrari won both, and was the only team where both drivers got on the podium in both races. Obviously, Ferrari was now the target the entire paddock yearned to defeat. Mercedes and Red Bull were sharpening their knives.
Starting from free practice, invisible calculations, games, and contests spread in the air.
Obviously, the broadcast team also realized this, frequently giving shots of Wolff and Russell. The two kept watching data and talking.
But what were they talking about? Watching Bottas and Hamilton's data, or Kai's free practice?
That was unknown.
Everything was as expected; free practice was for layout.
First free practice, Mercedes performed strongly, Hamilton and Bottas sweeping first and second.
Ferrari was still the same old way, one third and one eighth. Entering the third grand prix, everyone knew now that Vettel was responsible for brushing speed in front in free practice, while Kai conducted comprehensive tests leisurely behind. No one could see Ferrari's details.
Red Bull's performance remained stable, sweeping fourth and fifth, but seemed temporarily unable to find a gap to break through the encirclement of Ferrari and Mercedes.
The subsequent two free practice sessions were similar. Vettel competed with Mercedes alone, while Red Bull kept a low profile in the first group. The real key point lay in Kai's lap times being consistently mediocre, even lower profile than Red Bull.
At this time, even brainless haters had learned to be smart, not picking faults in free practice; while professionals in the paddock saw the clues,
Was Ferrari's testing burden gradually tilting towards Kai now?
As mentioned before, items needing testing and adaptation in free practice were numerous and complex. Rookie drivers often couldn't successfully complete all tests and adjustments, subsequently affecting strategy arrangements for qualifying and the race; teams often needed two drivers to cooperate to complete all tests.
But now?
Of course, this could be understood as Ferrari giving all the rough and tiring work to Kai, just like winter testing, so Vettel could relax,
Anti-fans could laugh to their heart's content at Kai playing the role of a servant at Ferrari.
But looking from another angle, this also proved Ferrari's trust in Kai. Arrivabene and Vettel both believed in the efficiency and results of Kai's test data. Kai's perception ability of the car and track had won the affirmation of professionals inside the team.
This was truly astonishing. After all, Kai had officially entered the F1 world for only a month at most, yet he had already gained a firm foothold?
Or perhaps, all the above guesses were wrong. Kai's poor performance in free practice was purely lack of experience; every track needed adaptation from scratch. The truth wasn't that complicated, nor were there so many conspiracies and tricks, completely just the adaptation process of the novice period.
So, how exactly to view Kai's free practice and Ferrari's smoke bombs was a matter of opinion. Keyboard warriors on social networks had diverse opinions, and the heat remained high!
Then, Saturday afternoon, qualifying, the answer was finally revealed.
The "Big Three", Mercedes, Ferrari, and Red Bull, indeed led slightly in comprehensive strength so far this season. Other teams temporarily hadn't kept up. Six drivers from three teams not only entered Q3 easily but also extended the suspense of victory until the last moment, playing with heartbeats.
Q1, Vettel fastest.
Q2, Hamilton topped.
Q3, Ricciardo exerted force first to refresh the fastest lap, the first driver in the field to enter within 1 minute 32 seconds, leading Renault's Hülkenberg previously ranked first by nearly 0.6 seconds. The advantage was obvious; one could see the gap in car performance at a glance. The Big Three were indeed a whole level ahead.
However, Ricciardo's fastest lap didn't last long, surpassed by teammate Verstappen immediately.
Everything seemed familiar. Just like Melbourne, Verstappen seemed about to take pole position. The first flying lap of Q3 ended but no one could surpass. Red Bull upset the siege ready to make a comeback, shaking off the shadow of the double DNF in Bahrain last stop. All pressure fell on the second flying lap,
Last stand.
Hamilton struck first, completing the overtake with a narrow advantage of 0.121 seconds, topping strongly, proving again with practical action that he was still the "King of Shanghai."
On the main grandstand, Hamilton's fans collectively lost their minds, ecstatic, weeping with joy!
So, the King returns?
Obviously, Hamilton had a vast fan base in Shanghai. Among fans who just started liking F1 in recent years, no one could refuse Hamilton.
And on this track, Hamilton had always performed excellently. This could also be seen in free practice; he always maintained competitiveness. After the painful loss of the championship in Melbourne and complete invisibility in Bahrain, the defending champion was ready to bounce back strongly in his lucky place and return to the peak.
Before eyes was the best proof.
Verstappen's seemingly unreachable lap time was squeezed to second place under Mercedes' wheels. The main grandstand was in an uproar.
Cheers, screams, tears of joy. Finally found a brief outlet for sweating for Hamilton's season that hadn't gone according to plan so far.
However, the surging emotions couldn't be fully released. They held their breath immediately, one by one remaining standing, watching other drivers' performance closely on pins and needles.
Before the broadcast camera locked on, a cry of surprise came from the pit lane. Gazes gathered bustlingly towards the big screen,
Sector 1, purple, Kai.
Hiss!
Instantly, everyone sucked in a cold breath, hearts stopped beating. The broadcast camera followed that red number 22 Ferrari thoughtfully, leading the audience to fly on the Shanghai track with the home hope. The engine roar and airflow boom formed a storm sweeping everyone in.
Light, smooth, agile, like flowing lines of ink painting. Ferrari's advantage in straights and high-speed corners this season was displayed vividly.
Unbelievably, Kai utilized the track space to the extreme. Although debuting here for the first time in his career, there was a natural silky feeling.
Sector 2, purple again!
The main grandstand was in commotion, simply unable to believe their eyes. From Verstappen to Hamilton, the constantly refreshed lap times were already excellent; resultantly now, the fastest lap times of the first two sectors had all fallen into Kai's hands. Did this mean...?
Hearts beat wildly, mouths dry, blood boiling. Everyone stood on tiptoes craning their necks, looking towards the right end of the main straight.
On the scene, clearly vision couldn't see that car temporarily, but the roar coming from the air vibration made hearts hit the chest uncontrollably hard, harder and harder, more and more intensely. Unease and expectation raced fast like a spiral in suspense, almost breaking through the forehead.
Until,
Here he comes!
A touch of red light shadow at the end of the main straight dragged rolling heat waves pulling a long wake whistling over. The sound of the main grandstand erupted instantly but was extinguished completely in a blink. Silence, holding breath, completely forgetting to breathe. That red residual shadow had already sped past majestically, grabbed by peripheral vision drilling into the vortex at the other end. The soul seemed to be sucked into a black hole, body trembling.
Subconsciously looking at the starting big screen.
First, Kai, 1:31.182.
Second, Hamilton, 1:31.675.
Third, Verstappen...
Consciousness returned to the body, turning into a stormy sea before having time to think. The audience on the main grandstand all raised their arms and shouted, roaring heartily.
Ah! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah!
Collective frenzy.
Hamilton's fans were swept into the storm instantly, dizzy, lost, not knowing whether to be sad or happy for a moment,
Kai, continuing the season's strong performance. The transformation from free practice to qualifying, like Superman taking off his glasses, became a scene in the paddock.
Kai not only surpassed Hamilton but also had an obvious advantage. Did this really mean that in the race, the local sole seedling had hope to ascend to the highest podium?
Such a huge gap reminded people of Hamilton's oppressive pole advantage in Melbourne. Now the positions were reversed instantly.
Instantly, the air boiled.
Immediately after, the second Mercedes crossed the finish line. The frenzy on the main grandstand paused briefly, then exploded fully multiply.
Bottas, ranked second.
He surpassed Hamilton, but failed to surpass Kai.
This situation was jaw-dropping. If Kai defeated Hamilton, they could say Ferrari possessed the fastest car in the paddock, Mercedes helpless; but Bottas defeating Hamilton in qualifying for the second consecutive stop, things weren't that simple.
Looking at each other, chaotic thoughts simply too late to sort out clearly. Hearts stuck in throats, all looking at the last car on the field,
Ferrari number 5, Sebastian Vettel.
Whether the Shanghai track could historically welcome the first home pole position, all suspense fell on the shoulders of another four-time world champion.
Undoubtedly, the start of the 2018 season wasn't the picture Vettel envisioned. From Melbourne to Bahrain, he could feel the all-round impact and pressure from Kai, even clearer and stronger than Hamilton, because they drove the same car.
Vettel didn't expect that coming to this year, he still needed to prove himself on the track.
But, no problem, he would prove himself. Not proving he could defeat teammates, but proving he was still a championship contender, proving he should be mentioned in the same breath as Hamilton, proving he should be the protagonist of the 2018 season.
Full concentration! High morale!
In Shanghai, the ignored and disregarded Vettel, with high morale, exploded with unprecedented combat power, excluding all noise.
At this moment, Vettel seemed to have found his peak state.
Passing the last corner, like a light arrow, piercing the main straight, leaving only a residual shadow speeding past. The world quieted down briefly.
All gazes focused on the official timer, including Vettel and the pit wall without exception, until the moment the real-time ranking list refreshed.
First, Vettel, 1:31.095.
Pole position belonged to Vettel.
An uproar!
The audience on the Shanghai track main grandstand all held their heads, looking at the scene before them with admiration, surprise, and astonishment, minds agitated wildly.
A four-time world champion is indeed a four-time world champion. Sebastian Vettel suppressed the heroes!
This was Vettel taking pole position for the second consecutive stop, topping Kai with a narrow advantage of 0.087 seconds. After losing to Kai in Melbourne qualifying, achieving a small two-game winning streak.
Thus, qualifying ended completely.
Row 1, Ferrari.
Row 2, Mercedes.
Row 3, Red Bull.
So, was this a standard ending?
Undoubtedly, the Shanghai track is one that exceptionally tests car aerodynamic balance. Car performance is crucial. The three best-performing teams of the season so far occupied the first three rows respectively, precisely showing the competitive pattern of the paddock.
However,
Kai lost to Vettel, Hamilton lost to Bottas, Ricciardo lost to Verstappen. Were there some clues hidden in these three groups of comparisons, foreshadowing variables in car setup, race, and qualifying?
Even so, social networks detonated instantly.
Kai!
The moment Vettel crossed the finish line, the minute gap of 0.087 seconds made people sigh with regret. Complaints and complaints beating chests and stamping feet filled the vision instantly; but these regrets and unwillingness didn't last long. Turning around, they all began to celebrate the historical moment before their eyes.
Career first home battle! Also the first time in history the Shanghai track welcomed a local driver! Amidst the cheers of the home audience, bravely snatching second, starting from the front row, creating history again!
Indeed, missing pole by a hair was a fact; but continuously creating history with a rookie posture was also a fact!
If previously the media touted and rendered the atmosphere of Kai getting on the podium or even winning the championship, the onlookers were still maintaining a wait-and-see attitude; then after qualifying ended, expectations broke the chart instantly. From the grand occasion of Kai occupying the top three of the hot search list simultaneously, one could deeply feel the continuous heating of fanaticism.
On this land, F1 had never received such a level of attention. Even CCTV News unprecedentedly moved out thirty seconds in the news broadcast to report. Just a mere thirty seconds flashed by, but one could still clearly feel the attention from top to bottom, unprecedented importance.
Collective madness! A frenzy!
Spotlights on, media reporters rushing forward shoulder to shoulder packed the mixed zone water-tight. No words needed to explain to know they came for Kai,
This was home court treatment. Even Vettel and Hamilton were overshadowed. Thousands of gazes were all waiting for only one figure.
When Kai appeared, the scene lost control. Overwhelming flashes were like daylight. Since Bahrain, facing such a battle array for the second time was still maladaptive, but at least no longer unexpected.
One could vaguely detect some regret between Kai's brows, but soon he showed a smile to welcome the long guns and short cannons before him.
After a burst of congratulations, praise, and questions about creating history, a reporter threw a question with a gentle tone.
"Kai, since the new season, your qualifying performance has been excellent, but ranking second in all three consecutive stops, always seeming to lack a bit from pole. What do you think about this?"
Kai looked towards the voice and saw Shi Yiying from Great Sports at a glance. He remembered Shi Yiying had left paddock reporting for many years.
Reuniting in the paddock at this time had a special flavor.
Kai wasn't angry. Not only not, but his smile bloomed. "Very regrettable. Honestly, I hoped I could do better today."
"But, this is F1, a competition decided by tenths and hundredths of a second. I think the gap from second to pole is the part I need to make up now. Not just experience, but many others. This also means I still face many challenges and subjects."
"This is a good thing. I will continue to challenge. Hope in the near future, I can make up this gap and truly become a top driver."
Kai was still Kai, bravely welcoming all challenges with a generous posture.
Shi Yiying's compassion moved slightly. Were their expectations for Kai too high?
For any driver, ranking second in qualifying for the first three races of their career was already an inconceivable achievement, yet they were still unsatisfied?
"You still have time to continue challenging more possibilities. Hamilton didn't take his first pole until the sixth stop. Verstappen is still chasing his first career pole until now." Shi Yiying tried to cheer for Kai.
The corners of Kai's mouth rose gently. Those bright eyes seemed filled with stars and sea. "I'm trying to walk a path belonging to me. I'm not sure of the result, but I believe in my own pace."
Confident, flamboyant, that youthful vigor burned unreservedly, making bystanders' hearts surge too,
He wasn't Hamilton, nor Verstappen. He was Kai, a unique existence, opening up a brand new world with his own steps.
Obviously, this wouldn't be a smooth road, things wouldn't be easy, but fortunately, they would grow with Kai and write history together.
Involuntarily, Shi Yiying also showed a smile. "Good luck in the race."
Kai laughed heartily. "Haha, let's see together if the third time is excellent luck."
That vigorous vitality blooming from the inside out quietly ignited the hope of these old fritters on the scene.
In the racing world, they had waited too long, waiting for a Chinese person, an Asian person to stand on the highest stage and compete with those top masters, yet returned disappointed time and again amidst hitting walls, so much so that they began to doubt and lose faith themselves.
Even subconsciously denying the possibility.
Until now, not only seeing the first Chinese driver in the paddock but also a top driver truly possessing impact and competitiveness.
Looking at each other, the blood silent for a long time seemed to start boiling again.
Sunday, morning.
When feet truly stood in the Shanghai track pit lane, Jiang Mo regretted it, having an urge to turn around and flee in panic.
In her memory, she had never been so uneasy.
Because before, no matter what she encountered, she faced it herself. She always had a chance to fight, always able to bring things under her control.
However, before her eyes, she couldn't exert force at all. She could only watch, opening her wings, letting Kai face all difficulties and storms alone, yet unable to help at all.
Heart beating wildly, unable to stop, that unease trembling slightly in the blood.
Zhang Qiaomu sensed it, reaching out to hold Jiang Mo's left hand. Ice cold, without a trace of warmth. Her heart also trembled along.
Jiang Mo showed a bitter smile, mocking her own wretchedness. "I feel like standing here is a burden. Not helping is one thing, but helping backward."
"Haha, this shows we are old, should exit the stage. Next, it depends on the young people." Zhang Qiaomu appeared very free and easy. "Jiang Mo, we came here to support Little Zhou, right? We need to let him know he isn't facing the storm alone."
Actually, Jiang Mo still didn't have the courage to watch the race on site. She couldn't control worry, nor could she control the endless wild thoughts in her mind.
However, Song Bo said after they came to watch free practice on Friday, traffic on social networks continued to climb. Kai faced unbelievable pressure. High school students in school rarely prepared to watch the race on Sunday, witnessing their classmate's competitive contest on the Shanghai track.
The pressure that should have been invisible was climbing continuously in a visible way.
However, Kai said nothing in front of her, always facing everything strongly and confidently, and ready to meet challenges.
Jiang Mo felt somewhat guilty. Her son was so tough and tenacious, while she hid at home turning a blind eye, trying to cover her eyes and ears to continue escaping.
This wasn't her.
So, Jiang Mo came. Despite fear and dread, she mustered courage to step forward, standing on the track, cheering for her son.
Since childhood, Jiang Mo educated her son like this: regardless of difficulties or storms, challenge bravely. Maybe not every time he could overcome difficulties and break through himself, but fighting with all strength to the end, leaving no regrets, facing all results with head high, this was the correct attitude.
She should also lead by example now.
Taking a deep breath, Jiang Mo found her smile. "Of course he isn't alone. Not just me, didn't you guys come to support him too?"
Zhang Qiaomu smiled. "You mean Dr. Song? He's worrying about having no excuse not to do homework. The test papers this weekend are piled up like a mountain; let's see what he does when he goes back."
A joke, and both mothers laughed.
Then, facing them, they could see Kai welcoming Lu Cheng, Song Bo, and the others. Jiang Mo patted Zhang Qiaomu's right hand. "Let's go over too."
Jiang Mo showed a smile, waving greeting.
Standing in the crowd, Kai saw his mother's figure at a glance. He was stunned, completely unprepared for such a surprise. Steps paused, standing blankly on the spot. Various mixed emotions surged up all at once, like a punch hitting the nose hard, a mouth full of flavors difficult to describe accurately.
Surprise, this was absolutely a surprise.