Pegasus Episode 21 Recap
> Pegasus Recap
The legendary racer Yu Tai'ang, who had been absent for seventeen years, made his return and immediately won the championship in the first circuit he entered. This turn of events was making the season of the China Rally Championship increasingly exciting. Zhendong felt a strong competitive drive, stating that to prove Yu Tai'ang wrong, he had to defeat him on his own track.
He emphasized that to surpass Yu Tai'ang in the future Dakar Rally, he could not afford to lose any races leading up to it. Zhang Chi confronted Zhendong, questioning why he spent a large sum of money on a car previously used by Yu Tai'ang. Zhendong replied it wasn't his purchase but a gift, which Zhang Chi found even more aggravating.
Zhang Chi explained that for racers of his generation, Yu Tai'ang was a legend, an Tai'ang the Legend, and they were all his fans, expressing disbelief at Zhendong's seemingly dismissive attitude. Zhendong countered that on the racetrack, there were only rivals. When Zhang Chi pressed if Zhendong intended to surpass him, Zhendong affirmed it, treating him as a rival. Zhang Chi, who considered Zhendong his instructor, a teammate, and a friend, didn't want to be rivals.
He also acknowledged Yu Tai'ang as a form of instructor to him as well, emphasizing Yu Tai'ang was both an idol and instructor. Meanwhile, Yu Tai'ang met with Mr. Lu and thanked Haixiang, his long-time friend, for supporting his return, acknowledging the difficulties Haixiang faced for him over the past half year. Yu Tai'ang remarked on the aggressive nature of the younger racers he had encountered in his recent race. Zhang Chi's car was sent for inspection.
The technical team conducted a preliminary assessment and determined something was definitely wrong with the car. Ye Gong received an update on the oil sample testing. While the initial inspection didn't immediately pinpoint the issue, the technicians were certain of tampering. Ye Gong instructed Ji Xing and Weiyi not to speculate wildly until the investigation was complete. Weiyi later recalled Zhendong was missing for several hours the night before the race.
While doing physical training, Zhendong and Hong Kuo discussed Zhang Chi's car issues. Hong Kuo showed signs of nervousness. He later admitted to Zhendong the immense pressure he felt, which had intensified with Yu Tai'ang's sudden comeback. He confessed that he had added a thickening agent to Zhang Chi's engine oil the night before the race while wearing a mask. He also revealed that after tampering with the car, he had found Zhendong unconscious and had tried to wake him.
Zhendong, reviewing his phone later, discovered a video recording showing Hong Kuo calling his name and trying to rouse him while he was unconscious, confirming Hong Kuo's presence. Ye Gong privately questioned Zhendong about his fainting episode and his other personality, hoping to speak to the alternate self to understand what happened that night. Zhendong explained that he felt unusual before fainting and had been in a prolonged coma.
He also noted that his heart rate had been over 130 bpm recently, which normally triggered the personality switch, but it hadn't happened. Ye Gong took this as a positive sign of his condition improving. The full inspection report on Zhang Chi's car revealed an excessive amount of emulsifier, or thickening agent, in the engine oil.
Ji Xing explained that while this is sometimes used in high temperatures to protect the engine, it would negatively impact performance in low temperatures like the 20 degrees experienced during the race, affecting the engine's transmission efficiency. This confirmed the tampering was intentional and specifically aimed at affecting Zhang Chi's driving style and the car's performance. Zhendong and Hong Kuo were called back to the team club.
Zhendong probed Hong Kuo about the car investigation results, hinting at his suspicion that Hong Kuo's presence when he fainted was not a coincidence. Separately, Weiyi discovered footage from a dashcam on a work vehicle parked opposite the base camp the night Zhendong fainted. The video showed an unidentified person leaving a garage area and approaching the location where Zhendong was found, providing assistance.
As the team discussed the possibility of sabotage and who the person in the video could be, Sun Yuqiang burst in with explosive news, revealing that Yu Tai'ang was Lin Zhendong's father. Angry at the deception, Zhang Chi began packing Zhendong's belongings. Zhendong arrived and confronted him, explaining that he had always considered the Speeding Racing Team his home and everyone in it his family.
He acknowledged his parentage but stated Yu Tai'ang was an irresponsible father whom he didn't want to discuss. He apologized if they felt deceived or misled but insisted he never intended to use them. Zhang Chi remained furious, feeling Zhendong had used their team for his rivalry with his father. Zhendong reiterated his view of the team as family and described his time racing with them as a beautiful dream that now felt like it was ending.
In a subsequent team meeting, Hong Kuo confessed to putting the emulsifier in Zhang Chi's car before the race. He claimed it was an impulsive act, unrelated to Zhendong. When questioned why, he expressed resentment over the team's resources and attention being solely focused on Zhang Chi, feeling that he and Zhendong, as the second car, were neglected. He felt they were treated like outsiders, not "their own people." Some teammates called him narrow-minded.
Ye Gong pressed if Wei Qianli was behind it, but Hong Kuo denied any external influence, stating he simply wanted Zhendong to score better than Zhang Chi. Zhendong took responsibility as Hong Kuo's co-driver and the one who brought him into the team. He announced that he and Hong Kuo would withdraw from the Speeding Racing Team and asked Li Xiaohe to help recover Zhang Chi's intentionally forfeited points from the organizing committee, offering to bear the consequences.
He apologized to Zhang Chi and everyone at Speeding, expressing gratitude for their care. Zhang Chi told Zhendong he didn't need to apologize and that he wouldn't file a complaint, as it would ruin Hong Kuo's next season. Despite Zhang Chi saying Zhendong shouldn't be the one to leave, Zhendong maintained his decision to leave with Hong Kuo, stating they would share the consequences.
Hong Kuo then added that his actions were his alone and Zhendong had no part in them, asking the team not to resent Zhendong. After leaving the team, Hong Kuo told Zhendong that leaving Speeding was the right decision and that they could find another team and still succeed in the remaining races. Zhendong, however, just said he needed quiet time and Hong Kuo should too.
Separately, Xiting contacted Zhendong, having heard about Yu Tai'ang's return and asking if he was okay. Zhendong informed her he was no longer with Speeding due to Hong Kuo tampering with Zhang Chi's car, accepting blame for the situation. Xiting asked why Hong Kuo did it and suggested it might be related to his father. Zhendong acknowledged Yu Tai'ang's complicated presence in his life but stated it wouldn't disturb him.
He focused on the challenge of competing in the fourth circuit without a team or car and how he would defeat Yu Tai'ang. Zhendong returned to the Speeding base one last time to pack his belongings. He reiterated that he viewed the team as family and his time there as beautiful, saying the dream was now over. He thanked everyone for their care and wished them success. Upon returning home, Zhendong was surprised to find Hong Kuo there.
His mother explained she had invited him because she had something to announce. Contrary to her previous stance, she declared her full support for Zhendong's racing career. When Zhendong questioned if this was due to Yu Tai'ang, she dismissed his input, stating she would use all of Zhendong Group's resources to pave the way for his career and get him into the best team, urging him to accept.
Ms. Lin, Zhendong's mother, later met with Yu Tai'ang in her capacity as a major sponsor for the rally. She presented him with a contract, which he signed quickly, and then left abruptly without further conversation, expressing disdain for his living situation and suggesting he clean it up. At a rally press conference, Yu Tai'ang and Wei Qianli appeared together. Despite a public facade of respect, they exchanged thinly veiled insults.
Wei Qianli questioned Yu Tai'ang's decision to return late in the season, implying he lacked confidence on unfamiliar tracks after years of illegal street racing in Rio. Yu Tai'ang countered by suggesting Wei Qianli now understood the loneliness at the top and expressed mock concern that the aggressive young racers like Zhang Chi and Zhendong might be too much for him to handle.
Wei Qianli confidently stated that his team, Master, could overcome any obstacle with money and invited Yu Tai'ang back "home" to Master, which Yu Tai'ang declined, saying Wei Qianli's presence there was enough. When asked to pose for a photo with his father, Zhendong sarcastically commented that as a junior, he was not worthy to stand alongside a seasoned veteran like Yu Tai'ang.
Yu Tai'ang remarked on Zhendong being a great son but noted that his son didn't seem to approve of him. Zhendong was later surprised to see Hong Kuo speaking with Wei Qianli during the event. Finally, Zhendong's mother, Ms. Lin, took the stage as a sponsor. She announced Zhendong Group's plans to build a racing training base and resort in Bayanbulak, implying it was for Zhendong.
She then announced Yu Tai'ang as the ambassador for the project, before abruptly stating that Yu Tai'ang's character didn't align with the project's theme of responsibility, duty, family, and growth, implying he was unsuitable. With the audience already aware of their relationship, she explicitly introduced Zhendong as her son.
Ms. Lin then delivered the final shock, announcing that the Bayanbulak project was a joint venture between Zhendong Group and Master Group, marking Master as a significant partner, and unilaterally declared that her son, Lin Zhendong, would be joining the Master Racing Team. This sudden announcement stunned Zhendong, Zhang Chi, and Ye Gong.
