Pegasus Episode 12 Recap
> Pegasus Recap
Before the rookie race began, Zhendong's heart rate spiked to 120. Hong Kuo expressed concern, suggesting he might be experiencing a personality change, but Zhendong denied it. As the race was about to start, Zhendong encountered Dawei and, in a different demeanor, recognized the rookie competition and teased Dawei about his consistent last-place finishes and finding a girlfriend after retirement.
As the race got underway, Commentator Wang introduced the drivers, including favorites Li Aoduo and Noel, and the rookie Lin Zhendong. Driving aggressively from the start, Zhendong, under the control of an alternate personality (Zhang Chi's consciousness), navigated turns skillfully. He even used a "swinging through the cornering" technique that the commentator identified as Zhang Chi's unique skill.
He pushed the car hard, questioning the conservative instructions in his roadbook and remarking on the difficulty of pretending to be a rookie. His performance was strong, and he quickly moved up in the rankings, overtaking Noel and closing the gap with Li Aoduo.
Approaching the challenging cliff turn, Hong Kuo urged him to ease off, but the driver refused, declaring that he had never heard of a racer easing off on their strong suit and took the turn at full throttle. Lin Zhendong won the stage championship. Hong Kuo was overjoyed, celebrating the victory and suggesting that Zhendong had now "graduated" and wouldn't need his other personality anymore. The win also helped secure sponsorship for the team.
After the race, Zhang Chi, in Zhendong's body, struggled with physical discomfort and was helped away. Later, Zhendong's mother, Lin Jiazhen, questioned her brother, Lin Jiaru, about the race. Jiaru feigned ignorance at first but admitted he had seen the news and that Zhendong had sworn him to secrecy. Jiazhen also inquired about Zhang Chi's injured leg, claiming she didn't want to know about his affairs but betraying concern. Shen Xiting, a traffic police officer and Weiyi's roommate, arrived.
Weiyi introduced her to Zhang Chi, who immediately recognized her as the officer who had previously used physical force on Zhendong, admiring her as a "heroine." Xiting was embarrassed, explaining it was a misunderstanding, but Zhang Chi joked she should have done it ten times. Back at the team facilities, Zhendong's heart rate spiked again upon seeing Shen Xiting. He reacted with fear, trying to hide.
A doctor noted that his frequent, high heart rate spikes seemed related to intense brain activity, almost like vivid dreaming, and were unusually frequent. Zhendong stumbled and briefly seemed unwell before recovering, appearing as the original Lin Zhendong personality. Zhang Chi, the alternate personality who had driven the race, later confronted the original Lin Zhendong.
Zhang Chi asserted that it was not Zhendong but himself who had won the race and called Zhendong a "coward" for not facing the challenge himself, questioning if he was content to let a substitute handle things. Visibly affected by Zhang Chi's words, Lin Zhendong sat alone.
Hong Kuo attempted to comfort him, suggesting that perhaps his current self was not suited for rally racing and it might be better to let the stronger personality drive, even suggesting it could lead to Dakar success. Later, Zhendong reviewed his health data with Xiaohe and realized his personality seemed to switch whenever his heart rate exceeded 120 BPM. He attempted to test this theory by exercising to raise his heart rate, but Xiaohe intervened, insisting he rest.
Meanwhile, Sun Yuqiang was excitedly looking at a new rally car at a dealership. He loved the car and learned its price was 250,000 after a discount. He called his mother, attempting to convince her to buy it by promising to bring home a girlfriend for a "bride price" of 200,000, but she firmly refused and told him to buy it himself. Zhang Chi and Hong Kuo discussed Zhendong's condition and how to manage the personality switches.
Hong Kuo speculated that the alternate personality might be afraid of Shen Xiting. Zhang Chi decided to ask for Xiting's help, explaining to her that Zhendong has two sides and the B side is afraid of her, asking her to assist them as a service to the "people." Xiting, though hesitant, agreed. Shen Xiting visited Lin Zhendong. She congratulated him on his win, but Zhendong admitted it was his other self who had driven.
He confessed that his fear wasn't of racing itself, but of a painful memory, a shadow, and a person: his father, the legendary racer Yu Tai'ang. He described his father as someone who abandoned everything for racing and was an irresponsible parent, and that he constantly felt trapped by his father's shadow.
He revealed he had discovered the link between his heart rate and the personality switch and asked Xiting to help supervise him to prevent the other self from appearing. Xiting agreed to help and promised to keep the secret about his father. Later, Lin Zhendong addressed his teammates, declaring that the past was behind him and he would now win every race honorably.
He stated his clear goal: to advance from the rookie competition to the CCRC and eventually reach Dakar, and he would not stop until he achieved it, dismissing the idea of relaxation. His mother, Chairman Lin, arrived with his uncle, Lin Jiaru. His teammates quickly excused themselves. Jiazhen confronted Zhendong about abandoning his plan to study abroad and his insistence on racing. She expressed her long-standing opposition to racing, implying it had caused her great pain in the past.
She offered a compromise: he could stay in China and work for the company, racing only once a week as a hobby. Zhendong refused, asking for just one year to pursue his dream of going to Dakar and promising to return to the life she wanted if she would only trust him. Jiazhen rejected his plea, stating she had trusted his father once with a similar promise and would not be fooled again.
She told him if he insisted on racing, he should no longer consider her his mother and left with Jiaru. After his mother left, Hong Kuo and Xiaohe checked on Zhendong. He told them he was fine and had come to terms with things, promising they would soon see a completely new version of him.
