Speed ​​God

Chapter 8 Trial Invitation

Lorenzo watched Malena turn and walk away gracefully. The red figure was hard to read, and he couldn't help but feel a burning desire. In the end, he couldn't resist.

Lorenzo darted forward and nudged Lu Zhizhou on the shoulder. "Buddy, what did you say to Malena?"

Lu Zhizhou turned to look at Lorenzo, his face serious. "I'm telling you, you actually have a crush on her, but you can't express it because we're good friends, and I'm afraid I can't keep my bet. But if she's interested in you too, she should give you a hint."

Lu Zhizhou gently raised his chin. "So, did she give you a signal?"

Lorenzo opened his mouth, hardly believing his ears, and tried to speak, "I...you...how...what is she...?"

It was rare to see Lorenzo looking so defeated, and Lu Zhizhou's lips curled up almost imperceptibly.

Lorenzo noticed them and was preparing to retaliate when he caught a glimpse of two figures out of the corner of his eye. He quickly braked, not wanting to expose his disheveled state.

Turning his head, Lorenzo's eyes widened, and he almost choked on his own saliva—

Jean Todt, a legendary figure in the world of motorsports.

He once led the Lotus and Peugeot teams to win the World Rally Championship; later he joined the Ferrari team and worked with Michael Schumacher and Ross Brawn to establish a dynasty in Formula One.

In 2009, after leaving Ferrari, Jean Todt became the president of the FIA ​​(Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile), a position he has held ever since. Under his leadership, motorsports of different levels and types have expanded globally, with Formula One becoming a top-tier sport.

Today, Formula One racing, along with the World Cup and the Olympics, is known as one of the "world's three major sporting events," thanks in no small part to the contributions of this prominent figure.

It's no exaggeration to say that this Frenchman is a godfather figure in the world of motorsports.

Of course, Lorenzo was no ordinary man who had seen the world. He recognized the legendary figure in front of him at a glance, quickly composed himself, and took the initiative to greet him, "Hey, Samuel, I didn't expect you to be here too."

Samuel glanced at Todd, and to be honest, he couldn't figure out what Todd was thinking, nor did he have any idea what was happening.

But seeing familiar faces still warmed his heart, and Samuel smiled. "Lolo, be careful your father doesn't find out about tonight's events."

Lorenzo, however, didn't seem to care and chuckled in response, "Then I'll need your help to keep it a secret." As he spoke, he put his finger to his lips, "Shh."

Samuel looked somewhat helpless.

Suddenly, someone interrupted without warning, "Samuel, aren't you going to introduce him to us?"

Samuel immediately realized, "Lolo, let's see; let's see, this is the Moretti boy, Lorenzo."

Lorenzo seized the opportunity and stepped forward, saying, "Jan, it's a pleasure to meet you, though it would be better if it weren't for this occasion."

Todt, sporting a soft beer belly and sparse white hair that fluttered in the wind, wore an innocent smile. "This kind of occasion is just right, it brings back memories of our youth. So, this driver looks a bit unfamiliar; I don't think I've seen him before."

A flurry of Italian words.

Lu Zhizhou couldn't understand a word, but he remained calm and outwardly composed, though he couldn't help but wonder to himself, "Do Italians dislike English that much?"

Lorenzo had already noticed and proactively switched language modes, "Lu, this is Jean, this is Samuel; Samuel, Jean, this is Lu Zhizhou."

Lorenzo turned his head and looked over. "Wait, is your name Lu or Zhizhou?"

Lu Zhizhou rolled his eyes. What a jerk!

Unexpectedly, Todd spoke first, "Zhizhou...right?" His words were slightly hesitant due to pronunciation issues, but the effect was better than expected.

Lu Zhizhou didn't hide his surprise. "Yes, Zhizhou is a name."

Todd chuckled twice. "I have some connection with China. You must be from China, right?"

Lu Zhizhou's expression relaxed as well. "I spent three days in Italy, and you are the first person to make an accurate judgment."

Todd: "Oh, my pleasure. It seems we're quite destined to meet, aren't we? Destiny, you believe in destiny."

Lu Zhizhou was even more surprised. Clearly, Todd's connection with him went beyond just "some" ties. Without pausing, Todd pulled a business card from his pocket, smiled, and handed it over. "I'd like to invite you to a trial in Maranello."

"Please rest assured, I am not a fraudster, even though this business card has nothing to do with Maranello."

After saying that, Todd laughed at himself.

Lu Zhizhou glanced down at the business card—

Jean Todt, President of the FIA.

Slightly startled, Lu Zhizhou finally realized that he had always felt that the person in front of him looked familiar, but he couldn't remember him for a while. Now, his memory was awakened.

When he was a child, he watched Formula One (F1) live on CCTV-5. It was Ferrari's peak period, and the combination of Todt and Schumacher wrote countless glories. But as a child, he was ignorant and his eyes were all on Schumacher. He would easily miss the short old man behind him.

But to my surprise, the people on TV appeared right in front of me tonight.

All the clues connected, and Lu Zhizhou's lips curled up slightly. "Formula racing? That's a sport for the rich. I don't have the money to play with it."

Refused?
Lu Zhizhou actually refused?

Lorenzo nearly swallowed his tongue, choked on his own breath, and coughed incessantly beside him.

Samuel couldn't believe his ears. "Do you know who you're talking to?"

Todd tried to stop Samuel, but was too late, and let out a sigh of relief.

Lu Zhizhou, however, remained remarkably calm. "So, is there a difference? No matter who it is, the result is that my wallet can't handle it." He patted his empty pocket as he spoke.

Todd: "Ha."

Without warning, Todd laughed. He had only extended the invitation with a try-it-out mentality, but Lu Zhizhou's reaction now further confirmed his guess.

That intuition, or inspiration, is becoming clearer and clearer.

Todd's eyes brightened, filled with anticipation. "I'm sorry, please forgive my rudeness."

"Let's get back to the main topic. I liked your racing tonight, not just the racing itself, but also your strategy, technique, judgment, and the timing of your offensive and defensive choices—very clever."

"People always think that racing is all about speed, but that's not the case for top-level racing. Or rather, it's more than that."

"I'd like to invite you to Maranello for a trial run, all expenses covered, plus a bonus, regardless of the outcome. What's your stake for tonight's race?"

Todd looked at Lorenzo.

Lorenzo's eyes darted around. "Eight thousand euros."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lorenzo secretly broke out in a cold sweat, almost biting his tongue. Lu Zhizhou, you must thank him properly afterward. He went through fire and water for his brother.

Todd glanced at Lorenzo but didn't expose him. He then looked back at Lu Zhizhou and said, "How about eight thousand euros?"

Samuel couldn't believe his ears. He still couldn't understand Todd's intentions. No matter how hard he thought about it, he couldn't figure it out. His friend of over thirty years couldn't help but turn to look at Todd. "Maranello trial? Regardless of the trial results? You're even paying him eight thousand euros?"

What an absurd story!
Todd didn't even glance at Samuel, but stared at Lu Zhizhou and nodded slightly. "Yes, that's it. The world is willing to break the rules for a genius, and perhaps tonight will be an exception."

Lu Zhizhou pursed his lips and pondered for a moment, "Will one day be enough for the trial training? My flight back to Shanghai is the day after tomorrow afternoon."

Lorenzo's jaw has been completely dislocated.

Todd snapped his fingers without hesitation. "Tomorrow is enough. Go to Maranello yourself. The trial starts at nine o'clock tomorrow morning. Can you make it?"

"Or... do you need me to escort you there?"

　A struggling author is begging for support! I implore all readers to add this book to your collections, write comments, and vote with your monthly tickets. This fledgling racing author desperately needs your support; I'm so worried I can't sleep at night. Please keep reading! Please keep reading! Please keep reading!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)