Soaring Past the Constant Star [Rebirth] - Chapter 8

Under Jiang Yue’s relentless pressure, the car ahead, which had been comfortably profiting from the chaos, failed to pull away. As they entered the upcoming sequence of complex corners, the lead car began to show signs of fatigue during the intense back-and-forth of offensive and defensive maneuvers. Finally, at the exit of the last corner, Jiang Yue seized the gap and surged past.

Jiang Yue was back in P7!

A-Wei was ecstatic. This was the driver he had put his faith in! Grinning from ear to ear, he slumped back into his seat, only to realize his roommate had climbed down from his bunk and was standing beside him, staring at the laptop screen.

“You’re watching a car race?”

A-Wei nodded. Sensing his roommate’s interest, he didn’t miss the chance to recruit a new fan. “You interested?”

“Psh,” the roommate sighed, “What man isn’t interested in cars? Back in the day, I lived for Initial D…”

A-Wei didn’t catch the rest. On the broadcast, a normally consistent driver had just locked his tires due to an error. The commentators were busy analyzing the operational mistake and the possibility of a mechanical failure.

As that car slowed down to navigate the turn, the roommate suddenly pointed at the screen. “Why didn’t he drift? Wouldn’t drifting be faster?”

“My guy, we don’t do that here!”

A-Wei didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Taking advantage of a lull in the action, he gave his roommate a crash course in racing physics. He explained that all tires are provided by a single supplier and that regulations require drivers to use at least two different compounds during a race, necessitating at least one pit stop.

“Every pit stop costs at least a dozen seconds,” A-Wei explained. “Drivers spend the whole race trying to nurse their tires. If you tried to drift like you’re talking about, the tires would be shredded in one or two turns.”

Since everyone has a bit of a “teacher complex,” seeing his roommate nod in vague understanding encouraged A-Wei to keep going. “Tire management is a driver’s most vital task because wear drastically affects lap times. See how that driver locked up? That just shaved a massive chunk off his tire life.”

“Tires only provide maximum grip and speed when they’re at the perfect pressure and temperature,” A-Wei lectured. Seeing his roommate’s blank expression, he sighed. Most casual viewers expected the flashy, stylized driving seen in movies drifts, extreme environments, and heart-stopping crashes. That was why some people preferred Rally racing.

The truth was, an F1 race could be quite boring, especially in recent years. Forget newcomers; even a veteran like A-Wei occasionally drifted off to sleep.

So why did it still captivate people?

Perhaps it was the ultimate pursuit of speed, the constant shattering of historical records, the unexpected collisions, the wheel-to-wheel battles, the pit wall strategies, the teammate rivalries, or even the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it perfection of a pit stop. This sport always delivers an unexpected surprise at some point. You never know what will happen next, and that is its charm.

Unexpectedly, his roommate nudged him. “Move over a bit, let me get a good look.”

**

Jiang Yue held P7 steadily. He trailed the car ahead by about 1.5 seconds, close enough to be a threat but unable to overtake, even after setting his own personal fastest lap. When the pit window opened, his race engineer immediately issued the command to box.

Conditions on the track change in an instant, requiring the perfect alignment of timing and luck. The Aston Martin pit crew, whose performance was usually anything but consistent, pulled off a 3.5-second stop today. This allowed Jiang Yue to successfully complete an “undercut.” Five laps after his stop, when his rival emerged from the pits, Jiang Yue held a one-second lead.

This was a delightful surprise. Fans like A-Wei, especially those who usually had a bone to pick with the Aston crew, were practically ready to throw a party.

But for Jiang Yue’s fans, they thought the peak had been reached. Not only did he have to defend against the charging car behind him, but he was also six seconds behind the next car ahead. Overtaking again seemed impossible. A P6 finish would have satisfied them completely.

However, with five laps to go, everything changed.

The driver in P11 made a mistake and hit the wall!

The commentators and fans erupted in excitement. If a Safety Car was deployed now, it would be a massive advantage for Jiang Yue!

A Safety Car reshapes the entire landscape of a race. Once it appears, all cars must slow down and queue up behind it, with no more than 50 meters between them. The race remains neutralized until the stricken vehicle is recovered and debris is cleared.

Because everyone’s speed is suppressed, pitting during a Safety Car period is the ultimate “free” opportunity to gain time on rivals.

Jiang Yue’s position on the track was perfect for a stop. After an assessment by the Race Director, the signal was given.

The race engineer made a split-second call over the radio, which matched Jiang Yue’s own instinct perfectly. He dove into the pits for a set of fresh soft tires, the fastest compound available. He intended to launch an all-out attack the moment the Safety Car went in.

What followed was nothing short of exhilarating.

The man ahead of Jiang Yue was Chris, a seasoned veteran who immediately sensed Jiang Yue’s intent. Once the Safety Car left the track, Chris went on high alert. Experience was on his side; his defensive techniques and spatial awareness were world-class.

But he couldn’t overcome the raw pace of Jiang Yue’s new soft tires.

Jiang Yue reeled him in relentlessly. Chris’s medium tires finally began to fail under the strain of the defense. Finally, on the penultimate lap at the end of the long straight, Jiang Yue saw his opening and struck.

Ultimately, Duan Xingheng crossed the finish line first, as expected.

And behind him, Jiang Yue finished in P5.

It was the best result of Jiang Yue’s professional career to date!

Fans were ecstatic. A-Wei jumped from his seat, cheering while giving his roommate a massive bear hug.

At the team’s celebratory party, Jiang Yue was pressured into drinking quite a bit. He spent a long time hunched over a toilet, and as the adrenaline faded, he felt a mix of nausea, vertigo, and a lingering sense of unreality.

Fifth place. Only two spots away from the podium.

While luck played a large role today, in his previous life, he hadn’t achieved such a result until after Duan Xingheng had already retired.

The Team Principal was grinning so wide his face looked distorted. At the party, he slammed a massive hand onto Jiang Yue’s shoulder, laughing drunkenly and unable to form a coherent sentence of praise. After all, it had been three years since Aston Martin had scored this many points in one go.

While Jiang Yue was surrounded by staff, his teammate John was having a rougher time. He had finished outside the points in P13. The gap between them was glaring, and though the team hadn’t said anything yet, the pressure on the underperforming driver was palpable.

Jiang Yue, however, had no energy left to worry about that.

By the time he finished vomiting, it was long past midnight. He showered and curled up on his bed, but sleep remained elusive. He opened a social media app and found his name trending.

The comments were mostly positive, noting that his progress was visible and his potential was worth watching. Many fans claimed they had “known all along” and that his result today was earned, not just a fluke. Some fans were so baffled by Aston Martin’s sudden surge in performance that they began spinning conspiracy theories about the team hiding their true pace.

Of course, there were dissenters who claimed he just got lucky and warned others not to get their hopes up.

The old Jiang Yue would have fixated on those few cynical comments, ignoring the mountain of praise. But the current him had long since let that go. Perhaps it was because he had been through much worse in his previous life.

He gave a self-deprecating smile, put his phone down, donned an eye mask, and tried to force himself to sleep.

Yet, despite the exhaustion, the more he lay there, the more awake he felt. Ten minutes later, he reached for his phone again and opened his chat app.

His aunt had sent her congratulations right after the race. Jiang Yue had called her, and her voice had been thick with emotion. “You were amazing,” she had said, “I knew you could do it.”

His chat with his mother was much more subdued:

Jiang Yue: [Mom, I got fifth today.]

 Mom: [Yes, I saw the news.] 

Mom: [The temperature is fluctuating lately, be careful not to catch a cold.]

Ever since his uncle died in a racing accident, his mother had been vehemently opposed to anything involving cars. Only after his aunt’s persuasion and his own persistence had she reached a reluctant compromise. Jiang Yue loved his mother and knew she loved him; otherwise, she would never have respected his choice while living in the shadow of such grief.

The rest of the messages were from various friends.

And then there was Duan Xingheng:

[I remember you used to struggle with technical sequences, always missing the timing on the throttle and finding it hard to attack in those sections. But you did it today, baby. Incredible. I guess you were well-prepared when you challenged me?]

[Those last five laps were perfect. I’m so proud of you. Celebrate properly when you get back ^^]

When the message had arrived, Jiang Yue had been busy being fed drinks at the party. Now, several hours later, he stared at the text. A smile tugged at his lips. He typed and deleted several replies before finally sending a sticker of a sleeping kitten.

Unexpectedly, Duan Xingheng’s reply popped up almost instantly.

[Not asleep yet?]

Jiang Yue: [Can’t sleep.]

[Did you drink too much? Is your stomach bothering you?]

Duan Xingheng followed up with a GIF of someone patting a cat’s head.

Jiang Yue hadn’t eaten much at the party and had been drinking on a nearly empty stomach. Aside from the discomfort, he felt a hollow ache in his gut. He thought back to the photo of the noodles Duan Xingheng had sent earlier.

He typed: [I want to eat the noodles you cook.]

The moment he sent it, he tried to unsend it, but it was too late.

Duan Xingheng: [I’m coming over.]

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