"Of course it's true. Would I lie to you? If you still want to get in, hurry up and find a scalper to buy tickets. They're already ten times the price, and if you don't buy soon, there might not be any left."
"Okay, thanks, brother. I'll go right now."
A long line had already formed at the ticket gate. It was eleven o'clock in the morning, the last wave of ticket checks.
Inside the racetrack, in the Ducati pit.
Lin Yan, with Su Mojin's help, put on his racing suit and began his warm-up exercises.
Lin Yan, at 31, had matured considerably, shedding his youthful immaturity. His posture was upright and robust, with the bearing of a father.
Putting on his gloves, Lin Yan quickly completed a set of warm-up push-ups, then slowly stood up.
"Be careful."
As he was about to head onto the track, Su Mojin zipped up the front of Lin Yan's suit and gently instructed him.
"Don't worry."
Lin Yan patted Su Mojin's hand, giving her a reassuring look. Su Mojin had also matured a lot, possessing a more refined charm, and had grown a bit taller.
If the title "President Su" had once been a forced address due to her subordinate status, she now commanded respect through her own capabilities among all Lin Corporation employees.
Under Su Mojin's leadership, Lin Corporation had now surpassed its performance during Lin Guoxiong's tenure.
"You two little ones, wait obediently for your daddy to finish the race."
"Okay, Daddy."
"Daddy, you have to win the championship!"
Before leaving the pit, Lin Yan ruffled the heads of his two children, Yu An and Yu Ning. Yu An and Yu Ning were now eleven years old. They had not only learned to walk but also to speak. As Lin Yan had said, time truly flew by; ten years had passed in the blink of an eye.
Listening to the children's soft voices, Lin Yan's lips curved slightly. He put on his helmet and, along with the staff, exited the pit.
"Mengyao, please take good care of Yu An and Yu Ning for me."
"Yes, Madam."
After giving his instructions, Su Mojin followed him out. Today was her last time as Lin Yan's grid girl, and she was dressed exceptionally beautifully.
As Lin Yan emerged from the pit, the stands erupted in a thunderous roar. This global sports superstar had, in his retirement race, single-handedly boosted the GDP of the entire city of Modu.
The number of fans at the Modu Grand Prix today had reached nearly seven hundred thousand, setting a new peak in GP history.
This wasn't the limit of the fans, but the limit of the racetrack. Even though the track officials had expanded the seating capacity by almost double, it still couldn't accommodate the massive fan base. The fans' enthusiasm today had reached an all-time high.
Even helicopters, flown by Lin Yan's fans, circled the sky above the racetrack.
The sky was filled with small red hats and red flags. Dozens of large grandstands had transformed into a sea of red, with the number 27 flag visible everywhere.
At the front of the audience, Hao Dong and Su Chen sat in the front row. Ten years ago, they were young men; now, they had become middle-aged uncles.
As always, the broadcast and commentary were ongoing. However, both Hao Dong and Su Chen were in low spirits today. Like the fans in the stadium, they still cheered loudly when their idol appeared, but the feeling was no longer the same as it was back then.
Ten years ago, they were in their early twenties, full of spirit. Now, they were thirty-something middle-aged men.
Just yesterday, the legendary racer, the sole ten-time champion in the history of the World Superbike Championship, the first Asian world champion, and the first Asian Hall of Fame inductee, Lin Yan, had held a press conference announcing his official retirement after this year's Modu Grand Prix, marking the end of his professional career.
Lin Yan's retirement also signaled the official end of an era for their generation's youth.
The youth of the past felt like just yesterday; how could it not be heartbreaking?
"I know everyone's emotions are very high today, but I think we shouldn't be so pessimistic. We should be happier because our Lin Shen has become the first person in history, setting so many records... As fans..."
Hao Dong had intended to comfort everyone, but as he spoke, he himself began to choke up.
Helplessly, Su Chen next to him took over the microphone. Lin Yan was his brother-in-law, so his emotions were slightly more stable.
Su Chen was now married and a father. Chen Qianqian had given him a healthy baby boy, making his family life complete and happy.
"In short, today, no matter what position Lin Shen finishes in, it doesn't matter. What we need to do is enjoy this final race. Lin Shen is retiring, but he has also left us a team, a team that continuously nurtures Chinese talent for racing culture."
Su Chen's commentary skills, honed over a long period, were now masterful and very effective at stirring emotions.
With his words, both the audience and the online comments responded with fervent agreement.
"Yes, he's right. Even if Lin Shen performs poorly in this race today, I'll still cheer him on. Guys, to our lost youth!"
"Yes, he's right! No matter what happens in the future, I just want to say, Lin Shen is awesome!"
"Yes, no matter what, Lin Shen is forever awesome!"
The middle-aged men in their thirties in the stands seemed to have found a second spring in their lives. Those who should have been mature and steady began to shout and roar wildly in their seats. Some even took off their shirts, revealing tattoos of the number twenty-seven on their backs.
Their slightly portly middle-aged bodies made the number pattern slightly distorted, but regardless, this pattern would forever commemorate their lost youth.
Time ticked to eleven fifty. All the drivers were neatly lined up in front of the starting grid according to their qualifying positions. Lin Yan was still in first place, starting from pole position.
The red factory Ducati bike was parked steadily beneath Lin Yan.
The faces behind Lin Yan were no longer the drivers who had competed alongside him in the past; they had all been replaced.
Lin Yan had secured pole position yesterday with great difficulty, as if to tell these young drivers that the peak they once considered insurmountable was now within reach.
However, even as they approached the summit, they would not easily challenge this legend who was about to enter history today.
The front two rows, besides Lin Yan, included Yan Yu, another main driver for the factory Ducati team, in second place; Riske from the LS27 team in third; and Zhang Ningyu, another LS27 driver, in fourth. The top four starting drivers were a master and his three disciples.
Yan Yu was the new name for Yan Xiaoqiang after his transformation, or rather, his name after officially entering the top category.
This lineup was not a challenge that other drivers were unwilling to make, but rather, they were simply unable to. Even though the thirty-one-year-old veteran's strength was not what it used to be, these three would ensure their master's victory.
As the red flag waved, all personnel retreated, and Lin Yan lowered his helmet visor.
The camera switched from the audience to the starting grid. For Lin Yan's retirement race today, some veteran drivers from previous years had also come to the scene.
Riesner, Qionghai, Daniel, who had retired years ago, and even two other GP legends, and the perennial runner-up of Lin Yan's era, Gena, who had retired just last year.
Everything was a testament to the fact that their generation of drivers would all become history.
The entire venue fell silent.
"The fourth red light is on!"
"The fifth red light is on!"
"Lights out, start!"
...
[End of Book]
ps: It's over. It took nearly a year from creation to completion, with no missed updates. I consider myself a rather diligent author, haha.
Alright, enough boasting. I'll say goodbye to everyone properly.
In the vast sea of books, may we meet again.
If you're interested, you can follow my homepage to check out my new book.
The old book has concluded, and the new book will continue to be serialized.