Through the early morning mist, a navy-blue Mini Cooper was parked at the gates of the Ferrari headquarters. Two young men were leaning against its doors. On the roof sat a spread of coffee, croissants, sandwiches, and… a pizza. They were actually having breakfast right at the entrance to the legendary factory.
Marchionne couldn't hide his astonishment. He had never seen a sight like this in Maranello. He turned to look at Todt.
Todt just shrugged, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "I told you. He's full of surprises."
He glanced down at his watch: 8:51 AM.
Kai was punctual, as expected. Not late, but not too early either.
On the surface, Kai seemed to have no interest in the Ferrari trial. But if he had arrived too early, he would have inadvertently revealed a hidden eagerness, exposing his nonchalant attitude from last night as a bluff. It would have betrayed a youthful impatience.
But he hadn't. He was neither early nor late—perfect timing. And this scene before them only further demonstrated his inner composure.
This mindset was yet another pleasant surprise. Todt was very satisfied.
He also noticed Lorenzo was there. It seemed Lorenzo had played the part of the loyal friend and chauffeured Kai all the way to Maranello. This told Todt that Kai was calm and clever enough to have seen through his little test. Of course, figuring out a solution wasn't hard; the important thing was that Kai had bothered to think it through, which meant he wasn't going to just half-ass today's trial.
Perhaps, deep down, Kai really was interested in Formula racing.
This was a good sign.
Just from this brief first impression, Todt's confidence in the trial's potential grew even stronger.
The two young men at the gate had no idea they had become a spectacle for others. Kai was staring at the pizza with a look of utter despair.
Lorenzo chuckled. "At this hour, this was all the shop had left. You should be grateful—it's a miracle any shop in Maranello is open at this time at all."
Kai resentfully took a large bite of pizza. "People always say there's no good food in Italy, only pizza. I thought it was just a stereotype, but now it seems…"
Lorenzo immediately got defensive. "Who says that? We have countless amazing dishes! Italian food is the best in the world!"
Watching Lorenzo count off dishes on his fingers, Kai broke into a wide, happy grin.
Last night, even though Matteo had fled with his tail between his legs, the Vitale family had kept their word, sending someone to deliver the cash before they left Rome. Unbelievably, Lorenzo's ten-thousand-euro bet had paid out at ten-to-one odds, landing an extra twenty thousand euros in Kai's pocket.
Combined with the prize money from the earlier race and the bonus for today's trial, this trip to Europe was turning out to be incredibly lucrative.
But this was no time to celebrate. He had to worry about the mess waiting for him back home.
What about his homework?
Looks like he'd have to spend the flight back catching up. Maybe he should upgrade from economy to business class so he'd have room to work.
His thoughts were interrupted as the main gates to the factory swung open, cutting off Lorenzo's passionate speech. Kai looked over, a little surprised. They had expected a small side gate to open, but instead, the entire main gate was retracting with a low hum, breaking the morning tranquility of Maranello.
Todt appeared, and beside him stood another man with a round face and rimless glasses. He wore a grey shirt, unbuttoned at the top two buttons, under a dark green ribbed sweater. His smile was charming and disarming; he looked no different from a friendly, retired neighborhood grandpa.
To Kai's surprise, the round-faced man stepped forward first, opening his arms in a warm welcome. "Welcome, welcome to Maranello. I'm Sergio."
His demeanor was so friendly and pleasant that it was impossible to guess his position, but Kai knew that anyone who stood on equal footing with Jean Todt was no ordinary retiree.
After a brief exchange of greetings, the group prepared to enter the facility.
Lorenzo knew his part and didn't follow. He understood that a trial was not a spectator sport. Without waiting for a hint from Todt, he gave Kai a look: I'll go find us a hotel.
Not only did he desperately need sleep, but he figured Kai might need a place to stay the night. He would text him once he found a place.
After saying goodbye to Lorenzo, Marchionne kindly asked how he should address Kai. Though he admitted his knowledge of Chinese culture was lacking, he was eager to learn.
As Maranello slowly woke up, the employees arriving for their day's work quickly noticed something unusual.
Todt—who had just left yesterday—was back.
Even more shocking, he and Marchionne himself were personally greeting a guest at the main gate!
Two of the biggest bosses in the company, rolling out the red carpet. Such a sight was rare in Maranello, and whispers and rumors began to spread like wildfire.
"I heard he's the son of some luxury group CEO, here to buy a retired F1 car."
"I heard he's from some Asian tech giant, here for a custom hypercar."
"No, no, you're all wrong. He's the illegitimate son of a Fiat executive, about to be parachuted into a management position here."
The gossip swirled on the morning breeze.
Giuliano Alesi had just woken up and was heading out for his morning run. As he passed the gym, the other academy drivers inside fell silent, exchanging nervous glances.
Finally, someone broke the silence. "Giuliano, did you hear? There's a rumor some rich kid is here for a test."
Alesi scoffed, his face a mask of disdain. "How would I know about housewife gossip?"
Without another word, he turned and jogged away, leaving a stunned silence in his wake.
Elsewhere, Charles Leclerc was catching his breath after a simulator session, preparing to analyze the data. The sound of commotion behind him broke his concentration. Wiping sweat from his brow, he turned and froze.
First, he saw Todt. Then, Marchionne.
That lineup was genuinely intimidating. The two men flanked a slender, unfamiliar young man like a pair of bodyguards. Charles couldn't help but stare.
Ferdinando Monfardini, a technical analysis consultant for the Ferrari Driver Academy, had been about to discuss something with Leclerc but also stopped in his tracks. He patted Charles on the shoulder, signaling they would talk later, and turned to greet the two bosses.
He owed his job at the academy to Todt.
Todt was all smiles, clearly in a good mood. "Hey, Ferdinando, good morning. I've brought you a new prospect to test."
He turned to the baby-faced young man beside him. "So, are you ready? Do you want to jump straight into the simulator, or do you need some time to get acclimated? Have you ever driven a kart? If not, the simulator might be a bit much."
The young man just shrugged, a look of casual indifference on his face. "You're the boss. You call the shots. The goal is just to see if I'm worth the trouble, right? In that case, let's just get it over with."
He paused, a slight smirk on his lips.
"I've got homework to catch up on."