[TS] Formula One Streamer - Chapter 104

Midway through the race. A decisive overtaking maneuver changed the momentum of the race, which had been firmly in one driver’s favor so far.

The owner of the lead, held for 44 laps, was replaced.

Rallyking climbed up the nickname of Haerari, which had felt like the Wall of Jericho, and finally reached the top. The electronic scoreboard and system window were displaying his name at the top. It seemed as if they were praising his relentless determination and passion.

Name / Time / Laps

① Rallyking 1:38:840 0.540 44/78

② Haerari 1:38:300 44/78

At the coliseum, the name ‘Rallyking’ was placed at the very top.

It was a perfect blend of design, timing, and psychological warfare that led to this exquisite and dramatic outcome. If he hadn’t adopted a defensive stance for a few laps, if he had challenged at any other corner, if he hadn’t made such bold judgments…

The Wall of Jericho known as Haerari would have crushed him until the 78th lap, when the checker flag was waved.

For a mountaineer, a mountain that remains unconquered stays a mystery, but a mountain once conquered becomes something that can be climbed at any time.

Right now, that was how Rallyking felt after successfully conquering the peak.

Haerari was just a mountain that could be climbed at any time.

The momentum on the battlefield was akin to the unstoppable force of nature that no human could resist, so if Rallyking surrendered himself to the flow, simply riding along, the podium was already a joke.

There might even be a chance of winning with an overwhelming gap in lap times.

Thus, the situation was favorable enough to predict an easy victory for Rallyking.

If one side improves, it means the other side worsens. Just as there is no utopia in this world, this premise holds true.

Without even needing the word “on the other hand,” it meant that Haerari’s situation was flowing towards the worst.

The Monaco circuit, which becomes painfully aware of its value only after losing it, had no intention of easily returning the title of 1st place that it had taken from the complacent Lee Haeri.

No matter how hard she tried, there seemed to be no gap to penetrate. The strong shield provided by Monaco, which had been protecting her, now turned its steel surface towards her as the situation reversed, as if it wouldn’t allow her to be sheltered by it ever again.

Haeri belatedly sharpened the blade of her sword and struck the shield. She stabbed, sliced, and cleaved. However, after a few more laps, the situation had not changed. The shield remained intact, and only her sword felt dull.

As the madness began to show through her repeated futile attempts, Yooihyun, who was worried about Haeri’s mental state, was the first to comfort her over the voice chat.

KING: There will be opportunities if you just keep following. If you concentrate and can seize the moment when the mistakes happen…

Humans are foolish creatures who only come to appreciate the value of what they have lost after letting it go. While Yooihyun focused on Haeri’s mental care…

“Me? I’m perfectly fine!”

In reality, the troubled Haerari maintained a calm state of mind, almost as if she were unaffected.

KING: What if you’re perfectly fine? How can you be? Just, a little. Be concerned! Are you even human?

“I think it’s already too late to regret, teacher.”

KING: Then. Have you given up? Are you not going to catch up? Is that it?

“I haven’t really given up…”

KING: My disciple… talking back?

“Well, not really…”

KING: Shut up!!! You devil! Demon!

Yooihyun, exasperated by Haeri’s calm demeanor, poured out a deluge of unfiltered nagging even though his voice was being broadcast live to hundreds of thousands.

Most of it was scolding about her mindset. After being caught off guard so easily, she was still approaching the race with a complacent attitude. It was quite a condescending tone.

It resembled an absurd scene of a protagonist saturated with egotism, akin to those seen in martial arts novels, being admonished by a reclusive master.

The image of a scolding master and a disciple letting the words roll off her back was a classic in itself, causing the viewers to forget that a race was ongoing, engrossed instead in the chat.

[Hahaha, the ‘Ferrari’ driver is still talking back;;;]

[Why would a paying audience listen to her when she doesn’t even pay? Haha.]

[Shut up!!!!!!!!!!!!]

[Shut up, what’s with this shut up nonsense? You idiots, this isn’t the forum, it’s Kiwich!]

[Kiwich (was), current main base of the forum]

[Sorry to the Rallyking fans, but this time Haeri is right. It’s a lost game anyway, gotta take care of her mental state. That way, she’ll be able to play in the next game.]

[What does preparing for the next game have to do with not wanting to win this one? Shouldn’t you just try your best regardless? Are you really that stupid?]

[Seriously, this isn’t a personal tournament, and they should definitely fight hard in this master-disciple concept, it’s a lame game.]

[So, do they need to break their minds for not being professionals? This logic is childishly absurd.]

[Why are you all fighting…? Friends should get along nicely!]

[Hey, old man. There’s no such thing as ‘friends’ among forum members. There are only b*stards and those b*stards.]

Even the viewers were having a heated discussion about whether to let the game go or not. Meanwhile, Haeri, the main subject, was focusing solely on the race, seemingly indifferent to everything else.

Considering various variables, she navigated the corners while being mindful of the dirty air on the straight sections and working on distance control. She concentrated her senses on her feet and fingertips as she operated the pedals and steering wheel.

It was clear that her will not to miss any difference arising from those subtle sensations could not be described as giving up on the race.

Yes, Haeri had never given up on the race. Although she fell into temporary despair when she relinquished her position, it was merely disappointment in her own complacency and did not equate to giving up.

The current state was, so to speak, a temporary lull. A long-awaited ceasefire ended the bloody battle with Rallyking over the 44 laps, allowing her to take a moment to reflect on herself and her opponent after releasing the tightly wound tension.

“Just once. It seems like an opportunity might present itself…”

Haeri was cooling her heart, which had been burning hot, and was trying to assess Rallyking—his race car condition, driving habits, weaknesses, and strengths. Knowing your enemy and knowing yourself guarantees victory in a hundred battles. If the level of difference is too great, that might not be possible, but Rallyking wasn’t that kind of opponent.

It didn’t feel like a comeback was too far out of reach.

And on the 56th lap…

[Tires will be changed to SS, Super Soft.]

A pit stop occurred earlier than Rallyking’s.

*

*

*

Despite the title of a newcomer, Won-jin joined the project in under an hour.

Even though the system design process had surpassed the midpoint, Won-jin, based on his incredible understanding, skimmed through the previous steps and was raising the productivity to levels comparable to the original members.

Processing complex formulas, he shared opinions with others and sought better solutions. Dozens of ideas scribbled across the whiteboard faded away repeatedly. The surviving ones were numbered and aligned on the left side, while those that didn’t make it awaited their potential use on the right.

Ideas rose like the sun and set like the moon. In this repetitive cycle, both creative ideas emerged, and the familiar revealed the unfamiliar.

Like shining stars filling the void of the universe, the whiteboard slowly filled with black letters. Just as the universe happened, a small universe was being created in that moment.

Won-jin, Enrique, and other engineers and mechanics organized everything swiftly and logically as if they were managing the underworld.

Each member of the team, driven by their individual passions, moved in unison with maximum efficiency. It raised the question of whether one could find a more ideal example of collective intelligence than this.

“Alright. Let’s stop here and get to work individually. Please share results immediately. Mr. Won-jin, I’ll care for you.”

Just as ideas began to dwindle, Enrique tidied up his area.

“I’m not coming back until I find something really good this time.”

“You said the same yesterday, and it seems you won’t come back today either.”

“That guy is just doing it on purpose. He’s probably gone back to the accommodation and sleeping. Take his keys.”

“Caught red-handed…”

Other engineers responded playfully to Enrique’s remarks, who held a team leader role.

Even as a newcomer parachuting into the team, the reason why he received such treatment from his teammates was undoubtedly due to his skill. Enrique was rightfully acknowledged for his talent as he managed a project. No matter how important experience was, it’s a fact that skill is prioritized in F1, and that alone equates to power.

A driver who leads the team to victory and an engineer who builds the winning car for the team—the two have statuses in the ruthless F1 world that could be likened to that of an emperor.

“Alright, then let’s get started.”

With a clap, Enrique settled the noisy atmosphere and immersed himself in work. Won-jin assigned the part he wanted to take on to him. Based on his earlier brainstorming, it seemed that he perfectly understood the design and its purpose, so there probably wasn’t a need to interfere.

Thus, as the engineers mingled with their time, it became a moment to create beautiful planets that would fill the vast universe.

Enrique approached Won-jin, who was studying the blueprints with a satisfied expression. Traditionally, it was an unspoken rule not to interrupt engineers when they were focused, but since Won-jin was a newcomer, and younger and still a minor, his status as a protector carried more weight than the strict rules of engineers.

“Mr. Won-jin, how’s the atmosphere?”

“Oh, yes. Everyone is very kind and explains things well, so it’s really great.”

After checking Enrique’s face, Won-jin responded with a bright smile. Despite the higher rank, he felt a sense of kinship in that both were relatively new to the job.

Moreover, with his attention to detail and good looks, it was impossible not to feel a human affinity towards him.

Recalling his words to feel free to talk about anything, Won-jin asked Enrique with a relaxed mind.

“It’s good…”

Enrique raised his eyebrows as Won-jin trailed off.

“Go ahead.”

“By the way, who came up with the idea for this rear suspension? Not the design, but the suspension’s functional principle. It’s amazing for handling cornering and straights with an automatic conversion system, but I think it might be a bit inefficient…”

“…”

Since he was in charge of this design, Enrique had laid down the fundamental framework. It might be easier to say that he established the main trunk, and the other engineers added the branches.

In that sense, Won-jin’s words could imply that the root was flawed. Even though Enrique felt that his established foundation was being denied, he firmly held his silence and listened to him.

It was the instinct of an engineer.

And that instinct had never been wrong before.