Chapter Fifty-Six: A Momentous Event

“Allow me to formally introduce everyone—this is one of the Six Supreme Champions of the racing world, the King of Rally, Fernando Ken Russlein!”
In the new headquarters of the Divinity Racing Team, Mo Shu made this solemn announcement to all team members.

“A warm welcome!”
“Russlein! My idol, I’m going to faint from excitement!”
“Legend, my greatest wish in life was to see you in person, and now… I have no regrets!”
“Yes, finally meeting you in the flesh!”
“This is a dream come true!”
“Oh my God! Uh…”

The moment the renowned Russlein appeared, the team members erupted in excitement. Some burst out laughing, some were so moved they were brought to tears, and there was even a young woman who fainted from sheer exhilaration. Several men rushed forward to help her, only to be pushed aside by a group of female colleagues. It took quite an effort before they managed to revive her and help her to a seat.

It was, indeed, that dramatic.

In any rally team in this world, the mere mention of Russlein’s name was synonymous with “invincible.” Russlein had been crowned overall champion of the ERC Global Rally Championship for seven consecutive years, reigning supreme in the world of rally racing. He was the brightest star in the sport’s history, leaving many of his contemporaries lamenting their fate, cursing that they were born in the wrong era.

Six years ago, Russlein had visited China for a promotional tour, an experience forever etched in the memories of Chinese motorsport fans. Every city he passed through was transformed into a sea of celebration, with tens of thousands of fans flooding the streets just to catch a glimpse of the legendary driver. Even a single glance was worth the struggle: impassioned youths climbed trees for a better view, while fangirls begged their boyfriends to hoist them onto their shoulders.

What made Russlein even more remarkable was that, despite his superstar status, he never acted the diva—not in China, nor anywhere else in the world. He had never once canceled a fan meeting, nor refused any reasonable appearance arranged by event organizers.

Russlein’s friendly attitude toward his fans was well known. Whenever his fans grew restless at meet-and-greets, he would always soothe them with a distinctly German phrase: “Safety first.” During interactive sessions where he instructed fans to test drive a rally car, he’d gently remind them, “Safety first.” There was even an occasion when he jokingly told a young couple, who were so thrilled to meet him that they began kissing passionately, “Safety first.”

This man, a model of German rigor who always had “safety first” on his lips, was ironically struck by a terrible accident on his home turf—an event that nearly ended his career. Sometimes, fate is nothing if not cruelly ironic.

“Hello, everyone. I’m truly glad to join Divinity Racing here in China. It’s a pleasure to meet you, and I look forward to working together in harmony.” Russlein gave a slight bow, greeting the team members before continuing.

“I’ve known several of Divinity’s core members for years, so I trust I’m not a complete stranger to most of you. However, there was a slight mistake in Mo Shu’s introduction just now. As a German, I feel compelled to correct him.” Russlein’s thick accent made everyone listen intently, fearing they’d miss a word.

Clearing his throat, Russlein seemed ready to do more than just correct an error—he looked as if he were about to make an announcement.

“As of last month, I decided I will no longer participate in any events under the title of Supreme Champion of the Six Realms. Next week, I will make an official retirement announcement online, addressing the racing community and the public. For now, though, I ask everyone here to keep this confidential. Mo Shu has told me many times that Divinity Racing is a close-knit, supportive family, so I feel at ease sharing this news with you all ahead of time. Thank you!”

Russlein’s revelation left everyone stunned. Before they could react, he continued.

“Of course, that’s not the only matter I wanted to share in advance. There’s another piece of news, even more exciting than my retirement, and for this, I would like to invite our team manager, Mr. Wang Yu, to make the announcement.”

Everyone was familiar with Wang Yu’s usual style: modest, relaxed, warm, always smiling—a big kid at heart. But today, Wang Yu appeared solemn and formal. He bowed respectfully to Russlein, then to the team, straightened his collar and jacket, and announced in a steady, dignified voice:

“Ladies and gentlemen, it is my great honor to announce this momentous occasion: from today onwards, Mr. Fernando Ken Russlein will join Divinity Racing as our Chief Advisor!”

“Wow—!”

The team members gasped in amazement. If this news got out, Divinity Racing would be famous overnight!

“Why are you all standing there? Applaud!” Wang Yu prodded the stunned crowd.

Stunned was putting it mildly—they were utterly bewildered! To work alongside a Supreme Champion… No, a driver of godlike stature—what an honor that would be!

In truth, the team had suspected something big was coming. Why else would Russlein suddenly appear a few days ago, and why would everyone be summoned here today? Still, the scale of the news was beyond anything they’d imagined.

At last, thunderous applause broke out.

It took a long time for everyone to process the surprise. The legendary figure they’d only ever admired on television or computer screens was now their teammate. How could they not need a moment to distinguish between dream and reality? How could they not need time to accept this truth?

Of course they did.

Mo Shu rose to his feet, declaring passionately, “With the help of such a legend, I believe Divinity Racing will make a spectacular showing in the upcoming ERC competition. Let’s unite and work together to reclaim our former glory!”

“Yes! Let’s make history again!”
“With a legend like him, we’re all going to become legends!”
“Invincible!”
“Invincible!”
“Invincible!!!”