The smoke from the Bahrain Grand Prix had barely cleared, but the FX paddock was exploding again.
Monday morning. Pre-Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) race week.
The atmosphere in the team hospitality area was weird. Team Hawk, which should have been celebrating its first-ever victory, had its doors shut tight. Inside, Team Principal Koma was screaming into his phone, his voice so loud it vibrated through the walls.
"This is discrimination! This is a targeted attack! Why did nobody care when Max Vesper cut the line? But when Ye Tian drifts a little, he gets banned? What is 'abnormal grip driving'? Which rule in the FX book says drifting is illegal?!"
Outside the door, dozens of Western media outlets had their cameras ready, waiting for the joke.
Hans, the German reporter from The Daily Speed who had been slapped in the face in Bahrain, was now wearing a band-aid on his face (he claimed he fell, refusing to admit it was from the naked run). He was waving a freshly printed GIA (Global International Auto) Technical Directive, smiling with pure schadenfreude.
"See?" Hans gloated to the camera. "The GIA finally acted. Technical Directive TD-001/25: Drivers are strictly prohibited from using sustained rear-wheel sliding to gain aerodynamic advantages in corners.
This is basically the 'Ye Tian Clause'! Without that wild driving style, let's see how long that Chinese kid can be arrogant."
The British reporters around him nodded in agreement.
"That Hawk tractor... without that tire-killing drift, it can't even turn."
"He's been exposed. The so-called 'Chinese Miracle' was just a farce of exploiting loop-holes."
"I heard Crimson Energy and Scuderia Fire sent emails to the GIA President all night. The pressure was huge..."
BANG!
Suddenly, the door of the motorhome was kicked open.
The loud noise made the reporters jump.
Ye Tian walked out. He was wearing sunglasses and his team kit, a lollipop in his mouth (to quit smoking), hands in his pockets.
There was no anxiety on his face. He looked lazy, like he just came back from a vacation, not a driver facing the biggest crisis of his career.
"Yo, so lively?"
Ye Tian scanned the crowd and stopped on Hans. He smirked.
"Mr. Hans. Is your skin okay after the naked run? The sun in Jeddah is stronger than Bahrain. careful of sunburn."
Hans' face turned purple. He angrily shoved the GIA document in Ye Tian's face.
"Stop with the trash talk! Ye! Look clearly! This is the latest ban! Starting from Jeddah, any cornering deemed as 'unnecessary sliding' will be considered dangerous driving. Black flag immediately!"
"That means your drifting is banned!"
"Now, driving the slowest car on the grid, how are you going to win? With your mouth?"
Dead silence.
Every camera focused on Ye Tian's face, looking for panic, anger, or helplessness.
For a rookie, a specific GIA ban was a death sentence.
However, Ye Tian just glanced at the document.
Then, under everyone's gaze, he pinched the A4 papers with two fingers.
RIP—
A crisp sound.
The document was torn in half.
Then shredded.
Ye Tian threw the white confetti into the air. It fell like snow on Hans' face.
"You... you dare to tear a GIA document?!" Hans was stunned. This was contempt of authority!
Ye Tian took the lollipop out of his mouth. He stepped closer to Hans, his aura forcing the large German man to back up until he hit the Hawk truck.
"Listen. I only say this once."
Ye Tian took off his sunglasses. His black eyes shone with a cold light.
"The strong change the rules. The weak adapt to rules. And trash..."
He patted Hans' face. Disrespectful to the extreme.
"Trash only uses rules as a shield."
"You say my drifting is exploiting a loophole?"
Ye Tian sneered. He turned to the cameras, his voice booming like thunder.
"Tell Crimson Energy. Tell Scuderia Fire. And tell those old men in the GIA office."
"I drifted because that was the only way to make this garbage car keep up with them. I was giving them face. I didn't want them to lose too ugly."
"Since you can't afford to lose and want to ban it..."
Ye Tian spread his hands, revealing a set of white teeth.
"Then in Jeddah, I'll use a different style."
"A style... that will give you nightmares."
He turned and walked back into the garage, ignoring the exploding media.
SLAM. The door closed again.
Inside the garage, the domineering aura vanished.
Ye Tian felt a familiar electric buzz in his brain.
[DING!]
[Host subjected to unfair treatment. Rage Meter Full!]
[Main Quest Update: Shadow of Fear]
[Description: The Jeddah Corniche Circuit is the fastest street track in the world. Average speed 250km/h. No run-off areas. Only cold concrete walls. The GIA wants to ban your technique? Then use pure speed and guts to destroy their psychological defense!]
[Objectives:]
Take Pole Position in Qualifying. In the Race, force at least 3 rivals to yield or make mistakes due to psychological pressure.
[Reward: S-Class Skill Card — Ayrton The Legend: God of Qualifying (Trial Card · 30 Minutes)]
[Hidden Reward: Unlock "Car Modification Authority" Lv.1 (Allows Host to make tiny, undetectable physical adjustments to the car)]
"Ayrton..."
Ye Tian's heart skipped a beat.
Ayrton The Legend. The God of Qualifying. His magic at Monaco was still a myth.
Using his card on a street circuit?
This was a max-level player slaughtering the novice village!
"Ye! You were too impulsive!" Koma was pacing around. "Tearing the paper felt good, but what about the race? If you don't drift, the VF-25 can't grip in the high-speed S-curves! You'll fly into the wall!"
Gary, the engineer, looked pale. He pointed at the simulation data.
"Ye, look. Jeddah is 6.1 km long. 27 corners. All high speed. Our car lacks downforce. If we follow the standard racing line, we lose 1.2 seconds to Red Bull in Sector 1."
"No drifting means death."
Ye Tian walked to the data console. He tapped the keyboard, looking at the snake-like track map of Jeddah.
"Who said I'm following the standard racing line?"
"What do you mean?" Gary paused.
Ye Tian pointed at the white line on the edge of the track, and the cold, hard concrete wall right next to it.
"Since they banned tires sliding on the ground."
"Then I will..."
Ye Tian narrowed his eyes. His finger traced a dangerous arc along the wall on the screen.
"Borrow the wall."
"Borrow... the wall?!"
Koma nearly knelt. "You mean... you want to scrape the wall? This is an FX car! The suspension snaps if you touch anything! You are committing suicide!"
"That's your skill level."
Ye Tian turned around. He could feel the soul of Ayrton merging with him.
He picked up his helmet. His eyes burned with a crazy anticipation.
"Get ready. Increase the camber on the right suspension by 0.5 degrees. Thicken the tire sidewalls."
"This race, I'm going to show Max Vesper..."
"What a 'Death Dance' looks like."