Alex Sun straightened in his seat, his expression becoming more focused. His hands, which had been resting on his knees, folded together lightly as his gaze settled on the tablet in Rebecca Lin's hands. The relaxed air around him faded, replaced by the seriousness he carried during work. He quietly waited for her to present the driver plans.
Rebecca Lin noticed the subtle change in his demeanor and a faint smile flickered in her eyes. She tapped the screen and switched precisely to the driver planning section of the presentation.
"Our first driver target is to invite Button to join the team as the No. 2 driver."
She paused, tapping lightly beside Button's profile.
"We're a brand-new team with very little foundation. What we need most right now is an experienced F1 veteran to anchor the lineup."
"Button has plenty of race experience. Not only can he deliver stable performances, but his connections in the paddock and real race experience will also help the team quickly adapt to the rhythm of F1."
Her finger slid across the screen, switching to the next page. She looked up at Alex Sun and continued.
"Our second driver target is to approach Ye Yifei and invite him to become the team's reserve driver."
"The reserve driver will mainly handle car testing and act as the primary substitute. This strengthens the team's depth, prevents manpower shortages, and ensures we have sufficient personnel prepared for competition."
After explaining the driver plan, Rebecca Lin returned to the overview page of the team's main objectives.
"Besides that, there are two additional foundational goals we need to push forward at the same time."
"First, we must prepare for the new regulations in advance and fully understand the FIA requirements so we can gain an early advantage."
"Second, we'll focus on helping you apply for your Super Licence, ensuring you can enter F1 as the team's main driver."
After listening to the plan, Alex Sun frowned slightly. His eyes dropped to Button's photo on the presentation as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Invite Button? Why him? We're a new team. Would he even be willing to join us?"
Rebecca Lin had clearly anticipated this question. Without hesitation, she switched to Button's detailed profile.
"This decision came from Rossi. He contacted several veteran drivers in the paddock beforehand and spoke with them individually. At the moment, Button is the only one who has clearly accepted our invitation."
She glanced down at the contact records on the screen.
"If Button can't join for any unexpected reason, then we'll have to settle for a second option and select the No. 2 driver from the current F2 grid."
She looked back up at Alex Sun, a hint of concern in her tone.
"But we're already a brand-new team, and you yourself will be coming up from F2 as the main driver. If the second driver is also a rookie, having two inexperienced drivers would make the adaptation period difficult. That wouldn't be ideal for the team's early development, and it would be hard for us to establish ourselves quickly in the paddock."
Alex Sun nodded slowly. His brow gradually relaxed as his eyes returned to Button's photo.
The more he looked at it, the more familiar it seemed. Suddenly, something clicked in his mind.
Wasn't this the teammate HMS always chose in every new season video?
The moment that thought appeared, memories from his previous life rushed back.
HMS had been the content creator who first introduced him to Formula 1. Back then, he had stumbled upon one of their videos by accident, and that was how he first became fascinated with the sport.
The creator's humorous commentary and passionate race analyses had ignited his love for motorsport and planted the first idea of touching a race car.
Because of that passion, he had gathered the courage to begin practicing on a simulator. Day after day, he trained on virtual tracks, studying every detail and refining his skills, always dreaming of one day driving a real race car.
Unfortunately, in his previous life, his talent had never quite been enough. No matter how hard he trained, he remained stuck in the simulator world, never able to take the step onto a real track. That dream stayed buried deep inside him.
And that creator—no matter what season's team video he made, no matter how the lineup or circuits changed—always chose Button as the No. 2 driver.
Because of that, seeing Button's photo and hearing his name now felt strangely familiar to Alex Sun.
It felt like seeing an old friend, or like meeting the teammate he had spent countless hours racing alongside in the simulator.
More importantly, he knew Button's salary demands were reasonable, his skills were excellent, and his value was extremely high. For a new team like his, Button was an outstanding choice.
If they could sign him, it would not only stabilize the team lineup, but Button could also teach him real F1 racecraft and driving knowledge, perfectly filling the gap between simulator experience and real-world racing.
At that thought, a faint light flashed in Alex Sun's eyes.
This could finally give him a stable way to trigger the long-unused mentorship attribute bonus.
The last time it had triggered was when Guanyu Zhou patiently taught him cornering techniques and various driving details at the Bahrain round, which had significantly improved his abilities.
Then another idea surfaced in his mind.
As he recalled, HMS had not yet started making the career-mode series that later became their most famous content.
A bold thought appeared.
What if, when the new team started its promotion later, he approached them for a collaboration?
The idea made his eyes brighten even more. If the collaboration worked, it would not only boost the new team's exposure but also fulfill a small wish from his previous life.
Back then, he could only watch career-mode videos on a screen and simulate team management on a simulator.
Now he was actually driving a Formula car and building his own F1 team—and might even have the chance to collaborate with the very creator who inspired him.
After a moment of thought, Alex Sun looked up at Rebecca Lin.
"No need to consider other options. Button is the right choice. Have Rossi push forward with the negotiations immediately. Don't waste any time."
With that, he reached out and took the stack of documents Rebecca Lin handed him.
He quickly flipped through them, confirming the details before picking up a pen and signing each page methodically.
Page after page, document after document.
His movements were smooth and precise, and before long he had completed all the signatures required for the day.
Rebecca Lin stood up and collected the signed documents, carefully organizing them before placing them into her folder.
The serious expression on her face softened as the work atmosphere faded.
She turned to say goodbye to Alex Sun. Without the sharp professionalism she had during work, her expression became gentle again. Her eyes curved with warmth, a soft smile on her lips. Strands of hair rested lightly on her shoulders, and every movement carried a quiet charm that kept drawing Alex Sun's gaze.
Just as she reached the door and grabbed the handle, Alex Sun suddenly spoke.
"Wait, Rebecca."
She stopped and turned back, a faint curiosity in her eyes.
"Yes, boss?"
Looking at her gentle expression, Alex Sun's usually steady voice softened. A faint blush appeared on his cheeks.
"You mentioned earlier that I could choose a reward after winning the championship. I've decided."
He paused, as if gathering his courage.
"I'll choose Candace's cosplay."
Rebecca Lin burst into laughter. Her eyes curved like crescents, clearly amused.
"I knew it. You must have thought of that after seeing the traditional outfit I wore today, right?"
What Alex Sun didn't know was that she had secretly studied a great deal about Genshin Impact beforehand—especially Candace's design and costume details—just to prepare for fulfilling the promise she had made to him.
Alex Sun was instantly flustered when she guessed his thoughts so accurately. The calm composure he usually carried disappeared, and the blush on his face deepened.
He opened his mouth to explain, but no words came out. His hands and posture became awkward as he struggled to say anything.
Seeing this, Rebecca Lin couldn't help laughing softly.
She stepped closer and gently placed a finger against his lips, stopping him from trying to explain.
Her eyes curved with warmth as she spoke softly.
"It's okay. Once the cosplay outfit arrives, I'll take pictures for you. You can look forward to it."
Before he could respond, she leaned forward slightly and planted a quick kiss on his cheek.
It was light and playful, the warmth of her lips gone in an instant.
Then she turned and walked out of the room, leaving behind only her graceful silhouette and a faint lingering fragrance.
Alex Sun stood frozen in place.
It took several seconds before he slowly came back to his senses. He instinctively touched the cheek she had kissed, as if the warmth was still there.
The blush on his face refused to fade.
He walked over to the sofa and leaned back against it, closing his eyes as he tried to calm his racing thoughts.
Yet his heartbeat was still pounding wildly.
Thinking about the kiss again, he opened his eyes and shook his head with a helpless smile.
"I'm eighteen now… right at the age when everything is running at full throttle. How am I supposed to stay calm with something like that? My heart nearly jumped out of my chest."
Just then, his phone vibrated in his pocket, breaking the quiet of the room.
Alex Sun took it out and checked the message.
It was from Verstappen.
The two had known each other for some time and had exchanged contact information. Before the race weekend, they had agreed to compete for the win at this round and race each other on iRacing afterward.
The message was direct, just like Verstappen himself.
"Nice first win in Baku. Didn't expect you to be that consistent in F2. Don't mess up the rhythm tomorrow. Don't disappoint me."
Alex Sun smiled and quickly replied.
"Don't worry. I won't disappoint you. Just watch tomorrow's race."
He added another line.
"Don't forget our deal. iRacing after the race."
The reply came almost instantly.
"Relax. Even though I only qualified P3 this time, I'll still win the race."
Alex Sun looked at the message and laughed to himself.
That guy really is confident.
But then again… so am I. Otherwise we wouldn't have clicked so quickly and become friends.
They exchanged a few more messages about things to watch out for during the race. Verstappen casually reminded him:
"Don't waste pole position."
After confirming the time for their iRacing session after the race, Alex Sun put down his phone and stretched.
Fatigue suddenly washed over him.
The intense strain from the race, the dinner with Guanyu Zhou, the work report with Rebecca Lin, and the unexpected moment with her earlier—all of it piled together at once.
Today's two sprint races had taken a huge toll.
After a quick shower and changing into his pajamas, Alex Sun soon fell asleep.
Just before drifting off, Verstappen's confident words flashed through his mind, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.
"I'm starting from pole tomorrow… pulling off another pole-to-win wouldn't be bad either."
...
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