Monica clenched her jaw. "Watch your tongue, Raymond. You haven't won yet."
"Haven't I?" Raymond laughed again, his voice like a dull saw. "Look around, Dear. I have Dubois! A Le Mans champion! He's raced against Hamilton! And you have... who is this? Nathan the beggar? Does he even have a driver's license?"
Dubois nodded, his lips curled in a haughty smile. "This will be a very embarrassing day for you, Mademoiselle," he said with a thick French accent. "I hope you are prepared for the humiliation."
Monica's former driver, a man with a shifty face named Rio, emerged from behind Raymond. "He's right, Monica. This guy didn't even know how to fasten his harness properly earlier. You've been fooled by his nonsense. You should just give up now."
Nathan, still seated in the cockpit, finally opened his eyes. He didn't look at Raymond or Dubois, but at Monica. "It's very noisy here," he said, his voice calm yet clear. "Like dogs barking before the slaughter."
Raymond hissed, his face reddening. "How dare you—"
"Raymond! Dubois! Time for the group photo with Grandpa!" a team manager called from a distance.
Raymond immediately changed his expression to sweet and obedient. "Right away, Grandpa! I'm coming!" He glanced at Nathan one last time. "Enjoy our dust, beggar."
They left, leaving an even more tense atmosphere behind.
Monica approached Nathan, her voice low. "Nathan... I..."
"Trust me," Nathan cut her off, giving her a deep, reassuring look. "I won't let you lose to scum like that."
The drivers entered the grid. Nathan's metallic red Ferrari with Monica's gold stripes was parked in third position, while Raymond/Dubois's black and silver car was on pole position. Dubois's car looked menacing and dominant.
In the main grandstand, Old Man Lim sat in a plush chair, surrounded by attendants. Raymond was already by his side, fetching him tea, fanning him, and constantly whispering about how great Dubois was.
"Grandpa, look! Dubois has been leading since the warm-up lap! He's a true legend!" "Grandpa, don't worry, the company will be in safe, professional hands."
Old Man Lim only nodded, his sharp eyes fixed on the grid, specifically on car number 12, Nathan's car.
The starting lights came on... yellow... and GREEN!
Dubois shot off from pole position like an arrow, taking the lead perfectly. The driver in second place tried to chase, but Nathan, from third, made a far more spectacular start. His reaction was lightning-fast, his clutch and throttle control perfect, causing his Ferrari to nearly nudge the bumper of the car in front before he deftly moved to the inside, taking second place in the first corner!
"YES!" Monica shouted from the pit wall, punching the air.
Raymond in the grandstand gasped. "N-Not bad for an amateur's start! But Dubois will crush him!"
But Nathan didn't just sit behind Dubois. He shadowed him, like a clinging ghost. Every time Dubois tried to build a gap, Nathan stayed within 0.3 seconds, applying relentless pressure.
"Team radio for Dubois," Raymond's engineer whispered over the radio. "Car 12 is staying right behind you. Don't worry, save your tires."
Dubois replied rudely in French, "He's like a fly! I will destroy him in sector two!"
But in sector two—a series of fast S-curves—a miracle happened. Dubois took the perfect line. But Nathan took a near-impossible line, braking later, and sliding out with higher speed, gaining a slight advantage on every corner.
The time difference shrank: 0.2s... 0.1s...
On the final fast corner, Nathan pulled his car alongside Dubois. The two cars ran wheel-to-wheel, tires almost touching, engines screaming with fury.
The grandstand roared. Monica held her breath. Raymond stood up,his face pale.
"Car 12 is attempting an overtake! He's insane!" Dubois's engineer yelled.
Nathan wasn't insane. He was brilliant. He used the perfect slipstream, and as Dubois widened slightly to defend his line, Nathan found a narrow gap on the inside—a gap most drivers wouldn't even have seen.
With dizzying courage, his Ferrari squeezed through, two wheels on the grass, but he maintained control!
He exited the corner ahead of Dubois!
"NO!" Raymond yelled, nearly dropping his binoculars.
Old Man Lim leaned forward, his eyes sparkling for the first time. "My goodness..."
Now Nathan was in the lead. And once he was leading, it was an execution. His Schumacher skills shone. He managed the pace ruthlessly, building a gap second by second. Every lap time was consistent and perfect, faster than his own qualifying time!
Dubois, shocked and angry, began making mistakes. He locked up his tires in a corner, ran wide, and lost more time. His angry shouts in French filled the team radio.
With two laps to go, Nathan was already 8 seconds ahead. His victory seemed undeniable.
Raymond called someone. He decided to cheat. He hadn't considered this before because he thought his driver would surely win.
Just as Nathan felt victory was within reach, suddenly, from behind, the safety car was deployed! Another car had spun and stopped on the track.
"Safety car! Safety car!" Monica's team yelled. "This is Dubois's last chance!"
All the cars bunched up behind the safety car. Nathan's comfortable gap was gone. Dubois was now right behind him, ready to attack at the restart.
Raymond smiled. Things were going according to his plan. He got excited again. "Yes! Here it is! Dubois will crush him on the restart! The amateur will crack under pressure!"
The safety car came in. The green lights flashed. Nathan, waiting behind the safety car, didn't rush. He controlled the pace perfectly, then as they passed the start-finish line, he performed a move that left everyone stunned.
He didn't immediately go full throttle. He feinted—pretending to slow down slightly, tricking Dubois into thinking he wasn't ready.
The hungry Dubois took the bait! He swerved left to try and overtake, but Nathan, with supernatural reflexes, instantly hit full maximum throttle, leaving the tricked Dubois behind, who lost all momentum.
The Ferrari shot forward like a rocket, building a 2-second gap in just one straight!
It was a masterclass move, a perfect piece of psychological gameplay.
Dubois was shattered. He couldn't even fight back. Nathan drove on unchallenged to win the race, crossing the finish line with a lead of over 5 seconds.
Raymond was out of tricks.
Jubilation erupted in Monica's team pit. The mechanics screamed, hugging each other. Monica herself,usually so controlled, was now jumping up and down, tears of joy streaming down her face.
In the grandstand, Raymond slumped listlessly, his face as pale as paper. Old Man Lim slowly stood up,offering slow, respectful applause. His eyes were fixed on car number 12 doing its victory lap.
Nathan entered parc fermé and took off his helmet. His face was sweaty but filled with the calm of a true champion. He hadn't just won a race; he had proven something.
Monica ran towards him, ignoring protocol, and without a second thought, she hugged him tightly. "You did it! You really did it!" she yelled into Nathan's ear.
She pulled back, her eyes shining with gratitude and something else—deep admiration. "You... were amazing."
Nathan smiled, a genuine smile rarely seen. "A promise is a promise."
He looked towards the grandstand. Raymond was being berated by Old Man Lim, who was clearly furious at his obvious incompetence and cheating. Monica's former driver,Rio, had already disappeared, probably saving himself from Monica's wrath.
Nathan had done more than just win a race. He had toppled a corrupt dynasty and raised up a worthy heir.
And tonight, his prize awaited. Not just the billion dollars the system had already transferred, but the acknowledgment from a powerful woman that he, Nathan the miner, was a true winner. The victory on the track was just the opener for the other victory yet to come.