Chapter 129: Zhou Guanyu in the Rain
Handing his cup of hot cocoa to Zhou Guanyu, Qin Miao was completely oblivious to the ideas this rebellious son had during the race, and he still cheerfully said, "See, the paddock is not just about fighting and killing; there's some human warmth too."
Zhou Guanyu, somewhat surprised, took the hot cocoa from Qin Miao. At first, he had no idea where Qin Miao got this from.
But now seeing the Ferrari Prancing Horse logo on the cup, and knowing that the news of Qin Miao signing a contract with Ferrari hadn't been announced yet, Zhou Guanyu instantly understood.
This guy Qin Miao sneaked off to the Ferrari garage during the red flag period.
Taking a sip of the cocoa to warm himself up, Zhou Guanyu curiously asked, "By the way, isn't Ferrari not ready to announce that you've joined? Aren't you worried that people will get suspicious when you just waltz into the Ferrari garage like that?"
Qin Miao casually replied, "What's there to worry about? After all, I'm just a Ferrari junior driver; if anyone asks, I can just use that as an excuse."
Zhou Guanyu shook his head, "You've got quite the care-free mindset."
Qin Miao seemed indifferent about these things, "Why worry so much about everything? Let's not even talk about other people's thoughts; as long as I can find my most comfortable state of living, that's enough."
Zhou Guanyu advised, "Seriously, Qin Miao, it's one thing to be laid-back in private, but now it's the race; you never know when the camera might show us. It's best to maintain a high-spirited appearance. After all, the fans surely want to see an energetic racer, not someone like you who looks so lackadaisical and nonchalant."
To be honest, Zhou Guanyu's words came from the heart. He genuinely hoped Qin Miao could have a great future.
But Qin Miao gave Zhou Guanyu a glance, "Mind your own damn business."
Zhou Guanyu: ...
Cracking a joke, Qin Miao put his hand on Zhou Guanyu's shoulder and, looking at the rain in front of them, said, "Honestly, I think life is just a few decades long. As long as this journey feels worthwhile, then it's good enough.
Being so concerned with others' opinions doesn't hold any meaning for me. When others praise me, I just enjoy it for a bit and move on. As for those haters, just glance at them and forget about them."
After saying this, Qin Miao stood up.
Zhou Guanyu was curious, "Where are you going?"
"Breaking up with you. After what I just said, it hit me that our worldviews don't quite align," Qin Miao turned back and grinned.
Zhou Guanyu rolled his eyes dramatically. If he were wearing his home slippers instead of racing shoes, he would have undoubtedly thrown one at Qin Miao's face.
"Just kidding," Qin Miao shrugged, "I feel like it's about time; the race should start soon. If we drag on any longer, F2 will become the 'rain-no-race Grand Prix.'
Hearing this from Qin Miao, Zhou Guanyu also stood up from the crate, tossed his empty cup into the trash, and nodded at the kind photographer.
Qin Miao smiled and nodded at the photographer as well before heading back to his car.
Seeing Qin Miao back in his car, Sui Wentao inserted the F2 car's starter rod into the rear of Qin Miao's car, igniting the car's engine.
Just as Qin Miao had suspected, after the two jogged to their cars and restarted their engines, the race director announced that the race would resume in five minutes.
However, since it's still raining with a lot of standing water on the track, the race would initially be led by the safety car.
The number of laps was reduced from 40 to 36 due to the red flag period.
If it were dry tires, Qin Miao might squeeze a full race out of a single set of soft tires.
Following the safety car, they drove for 4 laps. The rain on the track subsided, and with four laps completed, some of the racing line had dried. Although there was still water on the track, it was foreseeable that the track conditions would gradually improve as the race proceeded.
On the fourth lap at T7, the safety car lights went out, signaling the race was about to resume.
Qin Miao, uncharacteristically, backed up the field, and Zhou Guanyu, behind Qin Miao, anticipated this and positioned himself on the other side of the track to avoid the spray from Qin Miao's car. Since rain tires were being used, there was no worry about losing grip if driving into standing water.
As for Qin Miao, although he didn't slow his car so much that it nearly stopped on the track, he did wait until the safety car had entered T9 and the entire car had disappeared in T9 before suddenly flooring the accelerator.
The race began.
And just at that moment, Qin Miao made a mistake.
His attention was mostly on Zhou Guanyu's car to his right rear, so he wasn't fully focused and instinctively accelerated as if it were a normal dry track, which naturally resulted in applying too much throttle. This caused a brief spin of his rear wheels, making the car's body start to wobble. Inevitably, Qin Miao might just end up spinning on the spot, inadvertently announcing to all F2 fans worldwide that although Qin Miao dominates on dry tracks and is akin to a legendary warrior, he's nothing but a newbie in the rain, messing up the race start.