F1: In Ferrari, Schumacher at the start.

On Monday morning, sunlight streamed through the hotel suite's huge floor-to-ceiling windows, shining directly onto the bed.

Lin Feng lazily rolled over in bed and immediately gasped.

From my neck to my back, and then to the muscles in my arms, I felt waves of soreness.

He lay on his back on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling for a while before finally waking up completely from his dream.

Everything that happened yesterday afternoon started replaying in my mind.

The podium, the runner-up trophy, a shower of champagne, and finally, in front of hundreds of cameras, that uninhibited passionate kiss with Gu Ailing.

Lin Feng touched his nose and couldn't help but chuckle.

He reached for his phone on the bedside table. The screen showed several unread messages, all from the same pinned contact on WeChat.

Gu Ailing had business activities scheduled, so she flew back to Los Angeles, USA last night. Judging by the time, she should have just landed now.

Lin Feng opened the chat box.

"I just landed in Los Angeles. I didn't sleep well on the plane at all; I spent all my time watching the news."

The next image was a screenshot of the front page of a well-known American sports media outlet, featuring a high-resolution photo of the two kissing outside the pit lane.

"Comrade Lin Feng, do you know that every social media app I open now is full of this photo? You really stole the show in the entire hunting ground yesterday."

The text was followed by an eye-rolling emoji.

Lin Feng chuckled softly, his fingers rapidly tapping on the screen.

"Isn't stealing the spotlight a basic skill for race car drivers? Besides, I was just exercising my legal rights as a boyfriend. How's the weather in Los Angeles? Missing me?"

The message was sent and within seconds the other end displayed "typing".

"Who agreed to be your girlfriend? Don't push your luck." Gu Ailing replied quickly.

Even though it was through a screen, Lin Feng could imagine her adorable blushing and stubborn expression.

"Oh? Who was it that grabbed my collar and wouldn't let go yesterday? There were hundreds of cameras recording it."

"Lin Feng! Shut up!"

Gu Ailing sent a voice message directly.

After listening to the voice message, Lin Feng couldn't help but show a doting smile.

He then cleared his throat, pressed the voice button, and his voice became deep and gentle: "Okay, I'm not teasing you anymore. Long flights are tiring, go back to your home in Los Angeles and catch up on some sleep. I miss you too, really."

There was a moment of silence on the other side.

Then, a new voice message came through.

"Okay, I know. You must be sore all over today, right? Remember to get your physiotherapist to give you a good massage. Your next competition is in Miami, USA, right? I'll fly over to see you then. This time, it's a promise not to do anything reckless in front of the cameras."

"See you in Miami. As for whether you'll cause trouble or not, that depends on how you perform then."

"You rascal! I'm going to get my luggage, bye-bye~"

Lin Feng put down his phone and got out of bed in a great mood.

Being in love makes one feel more energetic than ever before.

After washing up and changing into a white collared short-sleeved shirt worn by the team, Lin Feng pushed open the door and took the elevator to the executive lounge on the fourth floor of the hotel.

He has a CCTV interview this morning.

As soon as I entered the lounge, I saw CCTV reporter Brother Zhang directing the cameraman to adjust the lighting and camera position.

"Good morning, Brother Zhang." Lin Feng walked over and greeted him.

Brother Zhang turned around, saw Lin Feng, and immediately greeted him with a big smile, shaking Lin Feng's hands vigorously.

"Good morning, Lin Feng! How did you rest yesterday? Our entire crew was so excited last night we barely slept a wink! Your performance yesterday was simply divine!"

"It's alright, it's just that I can't lift my arms very well." Lin Feng stretched his shoulders and sat down on the single sofa opposite him.

After the equipment was debugged, Brother Zhang sat opposite Lin Feng, and the two began the formal interview recording.

"Hello everyone watching on TV, we are very honored to have invited Lin Feng, the Chinese driver who just won the runner-up title in the Formula One Chinese Grand Prix yesterday." Zhang Ge's opening remarks were very professional.

The camera focused on Lin Feng, who nodded slightly at the camera, looking relaxed and natural.

"Lin Feng, first of all, congratulations again. This is your second time on the podium in your career. At the beginning of the season at the Jeddah circuit in Saudi Arabia, we witnessed your miracle of winning your debut race in place of the injured driver Carlos Sainz. And yesterday, you drove a Williams car that wasn't favored before the race and took second place on your home track. What are the different feelings about these two podiums for you?"

Lin Feng adjusted his posture and thought for a moment.

"The feeling is completely different. In Jeddah, I was driving a Ferrari, a car that had been tuned to perfection and was capable of winning the championship. My task at that time was simply to bring that car to its limits. But Williams is different."

Lin Feng's tone became serious: "This team is going through a painful recovery period. Our car wasn't very competitive at the beginning of the season. Yesterday's second place was achieved by all the engineers and mechanics in our team working day and night to extract data bit by bit. Standing on the podium in a car like this at home gives us an even stronger sense of accomplishment."

Brother Zhang nodded in agreement, then changed the subject, his tone becoming more relaxed.

"Your overtaking maneuvers on the track yesterday were spectacular. Now that the race is over and you're finally back home, are you planning to drive around the streets of Shanghai and experience the everyday life of this city?"

Upon hearing this question, Lin Feng paused for a moment, then simply shook his head.

"No, that's illegal."

Brother Zhang was dumbfounded: "Illegal? Why? You can't even drive your own car?"

Lin Feng shrugged at the camera, looking completely innocent.

"Because I don't have a domestic driver's license, I can't drive on the road."

Upon hearing this answer, not only Brother Zhang, but even the cameraman next to him couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Zhang's eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief: "Wait, you mean, you're a Formula One racer without a driver's license?!"

"What's so strange about that?" Lin Feng explained quite frankly. "I went to Europe to race in F4 when I was fifteen, and I've been training and racing abroad ever since. I have a FIA Super License, but I really don't have time to go back to China to take the regular domestic driving test."

Brother Zhang barely suppressed a laugh.

"So how do you usually get around in the country? By taxi?"

"I'll either take a taxi or hitch a ride in my dad's car." Lin Feng shrugged. "I've already planned it out. During the summer break this August, I'll go back to Beijing to enroll in a driving school and take all four tests."

Zhang couldn't hold back any longer and burst into laughter: "I simply can't imagine a Formula One Grand Prix champion taking his driving test, specifically the reverse parking maneuver. Wouldn't the driving instructor be sweating nervously, sitting in the passenger seat watching you reverse?"

Lin Feng laughed along with him, and started teasing himself, following Zhang Ge's lead.

"I think the coach might yell at me. He might point his finger at me and say, 'Lin Feng! Why didn't you look in the rearview mirror when you were cornering! Did you brake so late because you wanted to drag me into the median strip?! Do you think you're driving a race car?! Keep your clutch firmly on!'"

Lin Feng's imitation of a driving school instructor's tone was incredibly lifelike.

After laughing, Brother Zhang composed himself and steered the conversation back to the racing itself.

"Jokes aside, everyone knows that motorsports is an extremely expensive sport. Many drivers in the paddock today come from very wealthy families. From what we understand, your family is quite ordinary. Could you tell us about your journey so far?"

Lin Feng nodded.

"Indeed, the barrier to entry for this sport is ridiculously high. Without funding, you can't even get your hands on the door. When I used to run youth races, the worst time was when my mechanic and I ate instant noodles for a whole week."

Lin Feng's voice was calm; he wasn't trying to elicit sympathy, but simply stating the facts.

"Back then, my family sold everything they owned to support my dream, including a house in northern Beijing. My dad even quit his job at a state-owned enterprise and went south to do building materials business. That's how I earned my first pot of gold on the road to my dream."

"There are indeed many wealthy people in the paddock. Money can buy you a seat and the best tires. But when the red light goes out and the race starts, that money won't be the one turning the steering wheel for you."

He looked at the camera, his tone revealing both sincerity and arrogance.

"Many people online call me a thug and say I drive recklessly, but that's completely wrong. I care about my life more than anyone else. The reason I dare to brake so late at night is because I've driven thousands of times on a simulator."

Lin Feng paused for a moment, then continued.

"Without connections, you can only rely on speed. If I'm even 0.1 seconds slower than others, I don't deserve to sit in this car. That's my survival rule."

Brother Zhang nodded repeatedly, his eyes full of admiration.

"That's very well said. So what are your expectations for the upcoming season? Your next stop is Miami in the United States, which is a challenging track."

Lin Feng adjusted his posture, leaning slightly forward.

"Miami is a very interesting track, which is good news for us at Williams."

Lin Feng pointed to the racing team logo on his clothes.

"The power unit of this race car is extremely reliable and has a lot of horsepower, as we proved yesterday on the main straight in Shanghai."

"In the upcoming races, the team will bring a series of aerodynamic upgrade kits, and we will improve the chassis downforce of the car in consecutive corners. My goal is very clear."

Lin Feng looked firmly into the camera.

"I'm not here to just coast along in the paddock; I want to help Williams team get back to where it belongs. Finishing in the top five in the constructors' championship at the end of the season is our bottom line."

The interview has now come to a successful conclusion.

Brother Zhang stood up and shook hands with Lin Feng again.

"Thank you so much, Lin Feng, for accepting this interview. We look forward to seeing you continue to surprise us in Miami and in the upcoming matches. We also wish you the best of luck in passing your driver's license test this August."

"Thank you, I appreciate your kind words. I hope the driving instructors will go easy on me," Lin Feng replied with a smile.

Lin Feng then declined Brother Zhang's invitation to have lunch together, as he needed to go back to his room to pack his luggage.

The team's logistics department has begun packing the race cars and equipment, preparing them for air transport to the United States.

He himself will have a few days of rest before flying to that East Coast city full of sunshine, beaches and money.