Chapter 49: P1!

On lap 15, Song Zhe pitted first, attempting an undercut strategy to leapfrog ahead.

The Maple Grove Racing Team reacted swiftly, calling Feng Miwan in on the next lap.

A clean and efficient pit stop! The tire crew completed the operation in a blistering 3.8 seconds!

Feng Miwan emerged from the pits right in front of Song Zhe! The tactic had worked perfectly!

“Perfect pit stop! Little Wan, you’re in the lead now! Keep the rhythm!” Feng Yuxiao’s voice brimmed with excitement over the radio.

With fresh tires, Feng Miwan immediately set the fastest lap of the race upon exiting, extending her lead to over 1.5 seconds.

Song Zhe pushed hard in the early stint on his new tires, but Feng Miwan gave him no chance.

Xiong Yibai didn’t fully grasp the intricacies of racing strategy, but she could see that “P1” remained steadfastly next to Feng Miwan’s name on the leaderboard.

She could feel the mounting anticipation in the stadium for the imminent champion.

In the final ten laps, Feng Miwan’s lead solidified.

Song Zhe’s tires appeared to be wearing more heavily, his pace dropping as the gap stretched beyond three seconds.

The drivers behind posed no threat.

Yet Song Zhe refused to give up.

His deep blue racecar clung tightly to Feng Miwan on the straightaways, exploiting the slipstream effect to search for an opening.

He knew this was his last shot, a glint of desperate resolve in his eyes.

“Song Zhe is closing in tight, his lap times are improving!” Feng Yuxiao warned over the radio.

“Copy that.” Feng Miwan glanced at the blue shadow trailing her in the rearview mirror.

They entered the decisive final lap!

Before the long straight, Song Zhe wrung every ounce of potential from his car, hugging Feng Miwan’s rear to close the gap using the slipstream.

The two cars were nearly bumper-to-bumper, drawing gasps from the stands.

“He’s making his move at the end of the straight!” Feng Yuxiao’s voice tensed.

Sure enough, at the straight’s end, Song Zhe’s car darted sharply, attempting an inside pass.

It was an extremely risky maneuver, with virtually no margin for error at the track’s edge.

“Danger!” someone shouted from the crowd.

To create space for the overtake, Song Zhe braked far too late.

At such high speed, the deceleration exceeded the tires’ grip limit!

The blue racecar’s four wheels locked up, blue smoke billowing as it slid like it was on ice, completely losing steering control!

“Oh no!” Song Zhe realized the peril, but it was too late.

The out-of-control car veered straight off the track, slamming into the tire barrier at high speed!

Bang—!

A dull thud echoed, accompanied by violent shaking of the tire wall and rubber debris flying everywhere.

The front nose wing was utterly destroyed, the front suspension clearly damaged. The safety car deployed.

The crowd fell silent in shock at the sudden incident, gasps replacing cheers.

Song Zhe’s car was wedged deep in the tire wall, unable to extricate itself, forcing his retirement from the race.

Meanwhile, under the safety car’s pace, Feng Miwan’s Maple Leaf Red race car held position and crossed the finish line first!

The checkered flag waved for her!

P1! Champion!

The Maple Grove Racing Team pit area erupted in celebration!

Feng Miwan shouted excitedly over the radio, her voice choking with emotion.

She drove back to parc fermé, stood on the car, and pumped her fist, soaking in the crowd’s adulation.

She glanced once more toward the VIP section in the main stands. Though she couldn’t see clearly, she flashed a brilliant smile in that direction.

The big screen displayed a shot just for Feng Miwan.

“Rain Battle Goddess! Dry Land Queen!”

“Feng Miwan is too cool!!!”

Cheers, applause, and the lingering roar of engines intertwined, celebrating the champion who had proven herself on the dry track as well.

Song Zhe, by contrast, looked dejected.

His car was towed back to the Zhe Speed Team pit area, heavily damaged, but with a spare available, he could still compete in tomorrow’s Race 2.

After speaking with the race stewards, Song Zhe left the paddock without a word.

Xiong Yibai stood by the VIP railing until Feng Miwan began celebrating amid her team’s entourage. Only then did she turn and leave the stands.

She didn’t go backstage to congratulate her, as her watch reminded her of an upcoming seminar on systemic infection control in severe trauma cases, starting in forty minutes.

As one of the key visiting members, her participation and input were crucial.

She took a cab to Modu Central Hospital.

Upon arrival, she changed into her white coat and headed straight to the conference room.

The meeting started on time, and Xiong Yibai quickly immersed herself, offering constructive suggestions on managing resistant strains that earned nods from the attending experts.

The session lasted nearly three hours.

When she finally returned to her temporary office for a breather, night had fallen outside.

Only then did she pick up her phone again.

Several messages from Feng Miwan lit up the screen, sent during celebration breaks.

Feng Miwan: “Yibai! Did you see it? We won! P1! (^▽^)”

Feng Miwan: “Aaaah so happy! All that pressure before feels worth it now!”

Feng Miwan: “Did you leave? Wanted you to taste the champagne too (even though you might not like it lol)!”

Feng Miwan: “[Picture] (a selfie drenched in champagne)”

Gazing at the photo radiating pure joy, Xiong Yibai’s expression softened under the lamplight.

Her fingers tapped lightly as she replied:

Xiong Yibai: “I was busy earlier. Saw it. Great race. Congrats.”

The response came almost instantly.

Feng Miwan: “You’re done with work? I knew you were busy!”

Feng Miwan: “Tomorrow! Starting from 10th, watch me charge through the field! (★ ω ★)”

Xiong Yibai: “Okay. Stay safe.”

Feng Miwan: “No worries! Oh, Yibai, you’ll come tomorrow… right?”

Feng Miwan’s message ended with a tentative puppy emoji awaiting a reply.

Xiong Yibai eyed the message, then glanced at her rescheduled schedule on the desk, with tomorrow morning cleared.

Xiong Yibai: “Mm.”