The scent of racing had already quietly spread throughout the city. With just one week left until the F2 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Alex Sun arrived at the destination with Rebecca Lin and headed straight to their pre-booked hotel.
Outside the exclusive suite, fitness trainer Gary was already waiting. He was a veteran coach Rossi had personally brought over from Ferrari's junior development program to work with Alex Sun, and his professional credentials were beyond doubt.
Rebecca Lin efficiently completed the remaining check-in procedures. After a brief discussion with Gary about the day's physical training focus, Alex Sun followed him to the hotel's private gym.
The gym was fully equipped. Based on the Baku circuit's defining characteristics—long high-speed straights paired with narrow Old City corners—Gary designed a targeted core-strength training program specifically for Alex Sun.
Alex Sun cooperated throughout the session without missing a beat. Squats, core stability work, explosive power drills—the entire routine flowed cleanly and decisively, without the slightest hint of delay. In just one hour, he efficiently completed the full day's training load.
After a short rest, Rebecca Lin promptly brought over an electrolyte drink. Alex Sun accepted it and drank it down to replenish his energy, then parted ways with Gary.
Gary needed to organize and log the day's training data, while Alex Sun returned alone to his suite.
To help him fine-tune his track skills before the race, the team had already set up a professional racing simulator inside the suite. From the steering wheel and pedals to the display system, everything had been calibrated to F2 standards, fully capable of supporting high-intensity, specialized training.
Alex Sun put on his helmet, gripped the steering wheel, and immediately immersed himself in refining the Baku circuit. He precisely dialed in every line through the Old City corners and the acceleration rhythm along the high-speed straights, all to push his track familiarity to the limit and lay a solid foundation for the races ahead.
By the evening of the third day of training, after finishing his simulator session, Alex Sun received a work update from Rebecca Lin. Her report came through clearly over the phone.
"Boss, the core R&D team for the new outfit is fully in place. Matteo's aerodynamics team and the engine group coordinating with Rossi are all on standby at the Shanghai R&D center. Equipment calibration is complete."
Hearing this, Alex Sun immediately opened his laptop and organized the core development concepts for an F1-compatible ground-effect floor—derived from the system rewards—into a document.
After a quick review, he sent it to Rebecca Lin and instructed, "Share this with Matteo. Have him lead the team and focus on pushing the F1 project forward. The first round of research should center on optimizing the ground-effect floor."
Rebecca Lin acknowledged the instructions. After a brief exchange, the call ended. Alex Sun rested briefly, then continued with the planned high-intensity training the following day.
Gary followed the process closely, recording Alex Sun's physical metrics, muscle condition, and recovery status with precision every day. When the fifth day of training finally concluded, he looked at Alex Sun—who had just finished his workout and still looked brimming with energy.
Staring at his tight, well-balanced physique, completely free of fatigue or slackness, Gary couldn't help muttering, "This is ridiculous. The training load has increased day by day, and you never deliberately restrict your calorie intake. Yet your condition is always maxed out. Your body fat percentage stays locked in the optimal range, and there's not even a trace of fatigue-related decline. It completely defies logic."
Alex Sun casually grabbed a towel and wiped the light sweat from his temples, replying indifferently, "Born with a special constitution. No matter how much I eat, it doesn't affect my condition."
But he knew perfectly well that it wasn't just about physique. The system's Physical Endurance attribute had already quantified his body's state. Even with excess calorie intake or increased training intensity, his endurance stats would never drop. Naturally, there was no need for him to stress over weight control like other drivers.
After packing up, the two went their separate ways. Gary returned to his room to organize and archive the training data, while Alex Sun headed back alone to his private suite.
He took a quick shower, changed into comfortable training clothes, and walked straight to the racing simulator in the suite, preparing to complete the final round of track refinement for the day.
Just as his fingertips touched the cool steering wheel—before the simulator even powered on—the familiar system prompt echoed in his mind. The cold, mechanical voice announced the mission details:
[Side Quest: Conquer the Streets of Baku]
Requirements:
Free Practice 1 (FP1): Lap time ≤ 1:55.0, no mistakes, unlock exclusive setup;
Qualifying: Advance to Q3 and finish ≤ 3rd;
Two Sprint Races: Finish ≤ 5th in both;
Main Race: Finish ≤ 3rd.
Rewards:
FP1 completion: Unlock Baku-specific optimized setup concepts;
Cumulative completion in later stages: Free Attribute Points +6;
Full completion bonus: Resource Management +3, Emergency Reaction +3, Track Proficiency +10%.
Immediately afterward, the team system tasks appeared as well:
[Core Main Quest: F1 Customer Team Creation Plan]
[Long-Term Side Quest: F1 Car Technology Accumulation Plan]
Alex Sun paused for only a moment before returning to his usual composure. His eyes remained steady as he committed the tasks to memory, lightly tapping his palm—already treating full completion as a foregone conclusion.
He was thoroughly accustomed to this type of race mission. Unaffected, he proceeded as planned and started up the simulator.
Two days before the race, the main contingent of the Prema Racing team officially arrived at the Baku circuit. Alex Sun, who had already been there for several days preparing, headed straight to the paddock team lounge upon hearing of their arrival.
The moment he pushed open the door, René Rosin—who was checking the Pirelli tyre allocation chart and verifying the weekend's tyre distribution—caught sight of Alex Sun out of the corner of his eye. His expression darkened instantly. He set the documents aside and strode over, lowering his voice as he vented his frustration. His tone was thick with pent-up anxiety—careful not to let neighboring teams overhear, yet unable to hide his concern about the work ahead.
"You're really something else! I knew you were preparing for F1, and I didn't stop you from taking your own people—but you could've spared a thought for me too.
Your dedicated race engineer and core technicians have already followed you through two rounds. They understand the track data and your driving habits better than anyone. We can hold things together this season, but once it ends and they all go to F1 with you, where am I supposed to find such a perfectly matched, high-quality team to replace them next year?"
The more René Rosin spoke, the more agitated he became, tapping the tyre allocation sheet on the table with his finger. "In F2, each driver already gets their own race engineer. I'm not worried about new drivers adapting—worst case, it takes a few extra rounds.
But top-tier track teams aren't something you can just find anywhere. Core personnel who understand circuits like Baku—high-speed straights mixed with tight corners—and can precisely match a driver's rhythm are scarce across the entire paddock. I simply can't recruit the right people!"
Alex Sun leaned back against the sofa, offering no rebuttal. His calm voice carried a hint of apology as he first acknowledged Rosin's frustration.
"I understand your concerns. This was my oversight. These people will stay with me for every race this season and fully cooperate with the team on setup work and data analysis. I'll make sure it doesn't affect the team's position in the standings.
They'll be compensated at the top industry rate, and they'll follow team scheduling completely—there won't be any distractions from my F1 preparations."
As he spoke, his gaze swept over the Baku circuit map on the wall. The apologetic edge faded, replaced by a relaxed yet confident sharpness as he broke the stalemate. "Alright, complaining won't solve anything. How about we make a bet?"
René Rosin raised an eyebrow, tapping the table with a note of weary sarcasm in his voice. "A bet? You've already locked in the core crew. What's there to bet on? Are you going to keep them here somehow?"
The corner of Alex Sun's mouth lifted slightly. His eyes were sharp and unwavering as he laid out the wager.
"Let's bet on whether I can win the F2 Drivers' Championship this season. If I don't take the title, I'll stay with Prema for another year. My race engineer and core technical team will stay as well, and I'll help you bring in two experienced race engineers to completely solve your staffing problem for next season.
But if I win the championship, you agree to let me buy this season's car—just as a keepsake of our time working together."
René Rosin stared at him for several seconds. His expression shifted from surprise to careful calculation. Keeping Alex Sun for another year, along with a top-tier team, was far more appealing than fretting over immediate personnel losses.
In the end, he relented, rolling his eyes as he spat out, "Fine. I'll take the bet. My real worry has never been new drivers adapting—it's finding a core team capable of supporting a top-level driver.
You and your people must stay rock-solid this season. Every race has to produce usable data. Team strategy can't afford any delays."
With that, he turned back to the desk and resumed checking the tyre allocation, his footsteps carrying a trace of unspoken expectation.
Alex Sun left the office and headed to the lounge area outside. He took out his phone and called Rebecca Lin, briefly explaining the bet he'd made with René Rosin.
"Continue the F1 team preparations according to plan. Ferrari engine integration parameters and FIA registration documents should proceed as normal.
Also, help me shortlist three to five race engineers with more than two years of F2 track experience and send their profiles to René Rosin.
No matter how the bet turns out, help him secure his core personnel for next season. Consider it making up for my oversight."
"Understood," Rebecca Lin replied promptly.
Time flew by. In the blink of an eye, it was the day before the race—the paddock open day.
As per F2 tradition, drivers were required to participate in autograph sessions, group media interviews, and track experience activities to engage fans and sponsors. Alex Sun changed into his race suit emblazoned with sponsor logos and arrived at the designated area right on schedule.
...
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