Pegasus Episode 16 Recap
> Pegasus Recap
Zhang Chi's leg had fully recovered, and he could move around freely. He even teased Xiaohe, offering her a ride in his wheelchair, which he then promptly took away as it was "blocking the entrance". Xiaohe, however, still seemed distant towards him. Meanwhile, Lin Zhendong was trying to understand the tuning notes for the car but found them confusing. He hoped that if Zhang Chi's other personality surfaced, he could ask for clarification.
He attempted to trigger the personality by exercising until his heart rate reached 120 bpm, but it didn't work, leaving him puzzled as this had never happened before. He tried again, but the personality still didn't appear. Despite the confusion about the tuning, Lin Zhendong had to prepare for the final race of the Rookie Competition in Ningzhou.
Weiyi returned with crucial intelligence: Lin Zhendong's main competitors – Aurora, Starry, and Twilight teams – had all opted for aggressive tuning strategies. Hong Kuo worried about Lin Zhendong's inconsistent performance in previous races. Zhang Chi acknowledged that young racers should strive, and told the team they should follow their determined strategy. Elsewhere, Sun Yuqiang, who had joined a pyramid scheme called Useless, was struggling to bring in clients.
His superior threatened to cut off his dinner if he didn't improve his performance, pressuring him to contact family or friends. Under duress, Sun Yuqiang, claiming he had no friends, eventually mentioned having a "very rich" cousin. Lin Zhendong showed a tuning draft he had researched himself to Ji Xing.
Ji Xing noted that the proposed adjustment, raising the rear brake bias by half a degree, was interesting but didn't seem compatible with the driving technique Zhang Chi had taught him. Lin Zhendong set the idea aside for the moment. On race day, Shen, a police officer, and Xiaohe came to watch the race. Shen mentioned that many colleagues were also there. Xiaohe's presence made Lin Zhendong even more nervous.
As the race began, Lin Zhendong initially drove using Zhang Chi's taught methods. However, in a later corner, he attempted his own driving technique, and the car unexpectedly went off course. He started to realize that his personal driving style needed to be synchronized with the car's tuning. He continued trying his own methods, which led to further mistakes and a drop in ranking. Zhang Chi, frustrated by Lin Zhendong's performance, became agitated over the radio.
Xiaohe, seeing that Zhang Chi's emotional state was affecting Lin Zhendong during the race, quickly grabbed the walkie-talkie from him, telling him to calm down and give Lin Zhendong space. Annoyed and needing to control his own frustration, Zhang Chi left the area and began wrestling with a bench outside.
After the first section, Hong Kuo reported Lin Zhendong was in seventh place, two seconds behind the racer ahead and eight seconds behind the leader, Li Aoduo, putting his qualification for the CCRC regular race in jeopardy. Zhang Chi received a message from Sun Yuqiang. It was addressed to "Dear cousin" and spoke of making a fortune and reminiscing about happy times like walking down the lane, visiting the supermarket, and racing at the Honda Club.
The message ended by asking him to contact Sun Yuqiang at 5 PM if he wanted to make money. Zhang Chi, Weiyi, and Xiaohe immediately recognized the message was suspicious. They tried calling Sun Yuqiang, but couldn't connect. Concerned, Zhang Chi decided he needed to go find Sun Yuqiang. Xiaohe insisted on accompanying him, expressing worry about his leg. Zhang Chi then revealed his leg was fine, having tricked them earlier. They quickly got into the car and drove off.
Back at the track, Lin Zhendong was dejected about his first section result and worried about being eliminated. Hong Kuo and Xiaohe came to encourage him. Lin Zhendong remembered the tuning diagram he had drawn. Xiaohe helped him examine it, pointing out a circled area, a red spanner, and the number three. She interpreted it as a sign to follow his own instincts ("a big tick") and possibly use a specific spanner (No.3) to make an adjustment.
She suggested that if he was likely to lose anyway, he should try his own method rather than someone else's. Lin Zhendong decided to make a dynamic tuning adjustment on the spot, acknowledging it usually required Ji Xing's approval but resolving to commit to his own path. Xiaohe cleverly distracted Ji Xing by asking him about different sized spanners, giving Lin Zhendong the opportunity to make the adjustment.
Meanwhile, Zhang Chi and Xiaohe arrived at the lane mentioned in Sun Yuqiang's message. They heard chanting coming from a building. Recognizing the supermarket and the mention of the Honda Club from the message, they realized this was the location. Inside, Sun Yuqiang was being indoctrinated, eagerly watching the clock as 5 PM approached. The second section of the race began. Lin Zhendong started driving using the adjustments he had made and his own method.
Ji Xing noticed he wasn't using the technique Zhang Chi taught. The race commentary observed that while his cornering speed wasn't the highest, his precise lines and rapid exit speed were allowing him to gain time. He quickly moved up in the rankings. Over the radio, Lin Zhendong explained to his team that he could see the optimal cornering angles and exit points since he started racing, but his previous strategy had conflicted with this natural ability.
Now, with the adjustments, he felt "synced" with the track. His performance was outstanding in this section, and his ranking continued to climb, putting pressure on Li Aoduo and other competitors. When he crossed the finish line, it was announced he had won the section and secured the overall championship for the Rookie Competition, qualifying him for the CCRC regular race.
Just as Lin Zhendong was winning, Zhang Chi and Xiaohe, still at the location from Sun Yuqiang's message, heard shouts for help. They saw Sun Yuqiang running out of the building, yelling "Help!" They quickly pulled him into their car and sped away. Safe in the car, Sun Yuqiang thanked them profusely and said he would call the police to report the pyramid scheme's location.
During a post-race interview, the identity of the mysterious Bulls racer, Noel, was revealed to be Ai Fei, the last apprentice of Yu Haixiang. Li Aoduo, though congratulating Lin Zhendong, seemed less than pleased with his own third-place finish and tried awkwardly to maintain an image of friendship. Later, the team gathered to celebrate Lin Zhendong's victory and qualification. Zhang Chi, back at the team base, bragged that Lin Zhendong's win was entirely thanks to his master's guidance.
Sun Yuqiang, now rescued and safe, echoed the sentiment, calling it a case of a famous master producing a brilliant apprentice. Xiaohe, however, was annoyed by Zhang Chi's attitude and the way he took credit, arguing with him. Fed up, she stormed off and got into a taxi to leave, ignoring Zhang Chi's attempts to stop her. The team celebrated on the rooftop. Worried Xiaohe might quit, Zhang Chi called Ye Gong to ask him to persuade her.
Ye Gong ribbed Zhang Chi about hiding his leg recovery, which had caused Xiaohe a lot of worry, but agreed to try and talk to her. Ye Gong and Ji Xing discussed the team's future. Ji Xing remarked that with the team on track, they should consider adding more racers. Ye Gong received a call from his wife, scolding him for telling their daughter, Xiaomeng, about their financial difficulties.
She explained Xiaomeng had been saving her breakfast money to buy him a car, and her scolding was audible to everyone present due to the speakerphone. After the call, Ji Xing offered to contribute some money he had saved for a new car for the team, but Ye Gong told him to save it for getting married.
They reflected on the long struggle of the team and the dream of reaching Dakar, which now felt closer than ever, despite the financial challenges of potentially supporting multiple racers including Lin Zhendong, Zhang Chi (now recovered), and possibly Sun Yuqiang who initially sought money to become a racer. Ye Gong was determined to push forward, no matter the difficulty.
