Wu Shi changed back into his regular clothes. Although Peng City wasn't particularly cold in February, wearing a racing suit was ultimately uncomfortable.
While the adults discussed business, he sat in front of the second-floor floor-to-ceiling windows, watching the track below. Some drivers were running laps, while others tinkered with their cars in the pit lane. There was also a child who hadn't clocked a good lap time and was being scolded by a coach pointing a finger at him.
In truth, the racing profession was incredibly cruel, especially for children from Huaxia. Just as they achieved one good result after another on domestic tracks, before they even had time to become complacent, they would go abroad only to realize they were nothing special. Furthermore, true talent was only verified in higher-level competitions. After all, lower categories didn't yet require a battle of raw talent; hard work alone was enough to make up for a significant gap.
Stepping onto this path meant a future of ceaseless, unrelenting running. Even though he had walked this path in his past life, the thought of doing it all over again made Wu Shi feel both challenged and... exhausted. After all, not everyone was like that terrifying racing machine, Verstappen, who drove on the track for work and then went home to play racing games on a simulator to unwind!
"Hi! Wu Shi, I..." Louise stood next to him, wanting to chat, only to remember that she couldn't speak Chinese.
"Hmm?" Wu Shi feigned a look of confusion. At his age, he supposedly wouldn't know any foreign languages. It absolutely wasn't because he just didn't want to chat with a little kid and pretended not to understand.
"Ah!" Louise felt like she was going crazy with frustration. She ran over to the adults and said to Martina, "Mom, I want to learn Chinese, too!"
Watching little Louise scamper off, Wu Shi silently counted to three in his head.
"WAAAH!"
He knew it. Even though it wasn't a formal business setting, making such a fuss and causing a disruption would definitely earn her a scolding from Aunt Martina. Then, the wronged little Louise would inevitably burst into tears. Children at this age were just like that—their emotions were constantly brewing and constantly dissipating. They would be fine once they grew up a bit.
Wu Shi didn't care what his father had come to discuss; it wasn't his place to care anyway. Once the adults finished their discussions, they had dinner and dispersed.
"Son, racing is very tough," Wu Zhenlin said on the way home, the glow of streetlights flashing continuously across his face.
Looking at the passing scenery outside the window, Wu Shi replied, "I know. Doesn't everyone say I have great talent? Then I'll give it a try."
"Alright. Then starting tomorrow, you'll be coming here every day to train."
During this era of domestic karting, the so-called training wasn't particularly intense. It primarily consisted of two aspects: driving, and repairing or tuning the kart. With the experience from his past life, Wu Shi was even more skilled in this regard than the mechanic instructing him. However, he didn't deliberately show off. Instead, he simply acted like a smart kid who picked things up the moment he was taught.
Consequently, Boss Chen and the mechanic praised him profusely, repeatedly commending his talent. By late March, he managed to obtain his E-Class Racing License through special channels. Normally, acquiring this required participating in several domestic junior races. But right now, domestic karting competitions were pitifully scarce, leaving Wu Shi with absolutely no time to enter any beforehand.
This was because on April 21st, the first round of the 2007 CKC Championship was set to kick off at the Peng City Extreme Speed Racing Circuit.
Led by his father and Boss Chen, Wu Shi arrived at the venue. It wasn't exactly bustling, but it certainly wasn't deserted either. There were very few drivers in the lower age categories, but quite a lot in the higher ones. Wu Shi hadn't hit his growth spurt yet and was easily swallowed up by the crowd.
"Wu Shi," a staff member called out.
"Here!" Wu Zhenlin raised his hand, bringing his son over to the desk for sign-on.
"Alright, no problems here. This is your number plate; remember to stick it on properly." After a brief glance at the karting license and health certificate, the staff member completed the check.
"Old Chen, I took a peek. There aren't that many people in Group A, are there?" Wu Zhenlin asked.
"Yeah, not many this year. Twenty-one people in total. That means they go straight to the pre-finals," Boss Chen nodded.
The NCJ-A category was divided into free practice, qualifying practice, heats, pre-finals, and finals. Ultimately, only thirty-four drivers from each category could enter the pre-finals. If there were fewer than thirty-four competitors, it meant everyone simply had to complete the qualifying practice and heats normally to advance.
It was actually normal for the lower age groups to have fewer participants. In 2007, the domestic karting championship was still in its wild, pioneering era. It was only followed by a small niche group of people, and even the sports channels rarely reported on it. Of the few who did follow it, those without substantial family wealth couldn't afford to compete. After all, the entry fee for the entire year was at least 3,000 yuan. If a driver refused to display the organizers' advertisements, it jumped to 8,000 yuan. Of course, one could choose to participate in just a single round, with prices ranging from 800 to 1,500 yuan.
One had to realize, this was 2007! And that was just the entry fee!
Drivers had to provide their own karts, preparing a chassis, two engines, a carburetor, and so on. Engines in the NCJ-A category were restricted to the YAMAHA KT100SD series, with a maximum cylinder capacity not exceeding 100cc. In short, racing wasn't something commoners could afford to play; it required at least a middle-class background. Just look at Hamilton, who was still just Xiaohan at the time. His father had to work multiple jobs just so he could afford to race.
Fortunately, as a senior executive at a large company, Wu Zhenlin had solid financial backing.
"Alright, the sign-on procedures are all done. Do you want to join the free practice?" Boss Chen walked over.
"I don't think I'll need to," Wu Shi shook his head.
Back when Aunt Martina returned to her home country, he had actually entertained the thought of persuading his father to send him directly to Europe. The prestige of domestic events was simply too low, falling far short of the championships in Europe. He thought that if he went there this year, he might even run into Verstappen.
His feelings toward that terrifying racing machine were complicated. His death in his previous life was the result of his own reckless advance combined with Verstappen's deliberate blocking. In that sense, they could be considered enemies. However, as a fellow F1 driver, he could understand the reasoning behind such moves.
"Hello, are you in Group A too?" A kid walked over.
"Yes, I am. Hello."
"My name is Lin Cong. This is my second time competing."
Wu Shi didn't say anything, waiting for him to continue. He noticed that the other boy's parents hadn't intervened.
"Zeng Tianyi and Ling Kang over there are both really strong. They competed last year too, so I was wondering if we could team up," Lin Cong said.
"Aren't we entering an individual competition?" Wu Shi asked, puzzled.
"You—I'm telling you, they drive incredibly fast. If we don't obstruct them during the qualifying practice, we won't have a chance to win," Lin Cong continued.
"Thanks, but I don't need to do that."
"You! So arrogant, I..."
"Lin Cong! Let's go!" The parent behind him finally spoke up, offering an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that. Lin Cong just wanted to make friends with you."
"Mhm," Wu Shi let out a noncommittal grunt and turned to leave.
"The race hasn't even officially started yet, and they're already playing dirty tricks..." Wu Zhenlin shook his head. Sure enough, it was the same everywhere. For the sake of personal gain, some people would stoop to anything.
"Heh, these people. I know Zeng Tianyi and Ling Kang. Last year, their final times were both around 11 minutes and 17 seconds. As for that Lin Cong, he finished third, but he was a full ten seconds slower," Boss Chen remarked.