Pegasus Episode 10 Recap
> Pegasus Recap
Lin Zhendong diligently trained, and his lap times gradually decreased. While seemingly making significant progress, his times were still comparable to those of a regular driver. He began practicing drifting maneuvers. His starts impressed Ji Xing, but his drifting technique was noted by Weiyi as being far inferior to hers. Following the training session, Ye Gong and others discussed Zhendong's performance. To encourage him, they praised his karting background, and even Hong Kuo commented positively on his fast cornering.
However, in a subsequent lap, Zhendong drove directly towards parking cones, leaving everyone at a loss for words to praise him, forcing them to just say he was improving. Afterwards, Hong Kuo separately informed Ye Gong that a coach from the UK had reviewed Zhendong's videos and estimated it would take at least three years for him to become a professional racer, making three months impossible. Ye Gong lamented this, recalling how Zhang Chi had managed it in three months.
While Ye Gong was troubled, Zhendong approached him to discuss bringing Zhang Chi back as his coach, believing Zhang Chi understood the racetrack best. Later, Ye Gong visited Zhang Chi, who was suspicious of Ye Gong's uncharacteristic friendliness and urged him to state his purpose. Ye Gong awkwardly asked him to return to the team as a coach, claiming Zhendong had specifically requested him, hoping he would help the team.
When Zhang Chi went for a follow-up medical checkup, Zhendong directly went to the hospital and insisted Zhang Chi sit in the passenger seat of a car, effectively taking him to the training track. At the track, Zhendong released the handbrake and sped off. Zhang Chi reluctantly provided instructions, guiding him through turns. After one lap, Zhang Chi criticized Zhendong's "safe driving," stating that professional racing required driving at the limit, not merely safely.
Disappointed, Zhang Chi left to get food, telling Zhendong to practice alone and instruct Ye Gong not to bother him again. Zhendong remained and continued his intense training alone. Later, Shen Weiyi saw a car struggling to exit a parking spot by the roadside. She approached to help and realized it was Zhendong. With her clear instructions, Zhendong successfully maneuvered the car out. He then offered Weiyi a ride to the team headquarters, as she was also heading there.
On the way, they chatted, and Weiyi explained some parallel parking techniques to him. As they arrived at the team, they overheard teammates talking about Zhendong's poor driving skills and low chances of being ready for the rookie race, comparing him unfavorably to Zhang Chi. Weiyi noticed Zhendong's embarrassment and encouraged him not to take their words to heart, reminding him that chasing a passionate dream is never wrong.
The next day, Li Aoduo observed Zhendong training and doubted his ability, wondering if he had faked his skill previously. He decided to visit the team to learn more about Zhendong. Zhendong asked Hong Kuo if he could persuade Zhang Chi to continue coaching him, but Hong Kuo declined. Zhendong then encountered Li Aoduo outside. Li Aoduo deliberately asked Zhendong to park his large new car in a tight spot, claiming they were in a hurry.
Ye Gong arrived and recognized Li Aoduo's challenge, commenting on the difficulty of parallel parking and feigning doubt about Zhendong's ability. Knowing their intention, Zhendong accepted the challenge. As he sat in the car, he recalled Zhang Chi's theoretical knowledge, visualizing it as a 3D geometry problem involving specific distances. Without hesitation, he successfully parked the car in one attempt. Li Aoduo was astonished but then found himself unable to get the car out due to the surrounding obstacles.
Later, Zhendong spoke to Zhang Chi again, leveraging his successful parking demonstration as proof of his learning ability. He asked Zhang Chi to be his coach, acknowledging his significant skill gap but emphasizing his urgent need to compete and believing Zhang Chi was the only one who could help him bridge 17 years of missed practice in three months. He expressed confidence in their potential as a team, calling their pairing underestimated.
He accepted Zhang Chi's blunt assessment of his own irritable temper and the condition that Zhendong could be dismissed if deemed unqualified. Zhang Chi, seeing Zhendong's sincerity, agreed to start coaching officially the next day. Separately, Ji Xing brought fruit to Hong Kuo, hoping she could persuade Xiaohe to welcome Zhang Chi back to the team. Xiaohe agreed, mentioning that the team's current financial situation made hiring expensive foreign coaches impossible. That evening, Ye Gong gave Zhendong a training schedule.
Finding the initial schedule too lenient, Zhendong voluntarily increased his daily training time to ten hours, citing the tight timeline and urgent need. Ye Gong then informed Zhendong that Hong Kuo would be his co-driver, mentioning that "the crazy version of you" had insisted on this pairing for success. Zhendong went to Hong Kuo's place that night.
Hong Kuo, surprised by the late visit from someone seemingly unlike his former boss, tested Zhendong by asking details about past events and nicknames to confirm his identity. Zhendong answered correctly, confirming he was indeed Lin Zhendong. Zhendong then revealed his purpose: asking Hong Kuo to be his co-driver for the CCRC rookie race. Hong Kuo drove Zhendong's car back to Zhendong's place, providing navigation along the way.
Upon arriving, Zhendong formally extended the invitation, acknowledging the risks and the uncertainty of victory or financial reward, describing it as an invitation to an adventure. He explained he stayed because he wanted to race and had always considered Hong Kuo a friend, not a subordinate, and didn't want to pressure him.
Hong Kuo was deeply moved by this sincere declaration of friendship and immediately agreed to be his co-driver, stating he would resign from his current job the next day. Training commenced the following day with a special setup: a long pole attached to the rear of the car and five cones topped with water bottles placed around a turn.
The task was to knock down all five bottles in one go while drifting through the corner, a drill designed by Zhang Chi to simulate Turn 15 of the Shangyuan circuit. Despite multiple attempts, Zhendong repeatedly failed, either missing a bottle or hitting a cone. Zhang Chi observed and offered brief guidance. During subsequent attempts, Zhendong recalled his father's past advice to "step all the way on the gas." Applying this technique, he finally succeeded, hitting all five bottles perfectly.
Zhang Chi acknowledged his success, telling him he did it and to remember the feeling for the race. Team members distributed items symbolic of the team's spirit: a wrench (skill) for Ye Gong, a coin (funding) for Li Xiaohe, and a leopard figurine (determination) for Zhang Weiyi. Zhendong was then instructed to find Zhang Chi for the final item (freedom). Zhang Chi explained the four items and team slogan ("Courage, Wisdom, Determination, Freedom") represented their collective spirit.
He gave Zhendong a box containing a brand-new custom-made racing suit, featuring ergonomic technology, and presented him with his old racing car, nicknamed "Little Cannon," a 2019 POLO circuit edition with impressive specs, which had competed in four CCRC races. Zhang Chi told Zhendong the car was now his and they would conquer the track together. Ye Gong congratulated Zhendong on his excellent training progress, reminding him the rookie race was in ten days. Encouraged by the team and his new suit and car, Zhendong drove the "Little Cannon" on the track, training from morning until night, continuously improving his skill.
