Chapter Sixty-Four: The Opening Ceremony

The opening round of the ERC was about to officially begin.

In Mo Shu’s previous world, the Swiss government did not support motor racing, but in this world, the Swiss people’s passion for the sport was the complete opposite—fiery and intense. The ways of the world truly are unpredictable.

All thirty rally teams from around the globe had gathered, the eight major factory teams were poised for action, but the team that global media and motorsport fans awaited with the greatest anticipation and curiosity was undoubtedly the Divine Team from the East.

Many fans knew very little about the Divine Team’s background, and as for the four drivers known as the “Four Main Deities,” they left no impression at all. Aside from Mo Shu, the “God of Speed,” who had previously won the China GTCC Touring Car Championship, the other three young drivers were making their debut before the world’s motorsport audience.

This ERC would traverse sixteen countries, meaning that all participating teams were about to face the grueling test of sixteen stages.

What made things even more fascinating was that each of these sixteen rounds was divided by the organizers into fifteen to thirty segments, each segment spanning anywhere from a dozen to twenty-some kilometers.

The total distance of all segments combined did not exceed 400 kilometers, and each team would need about a week—seven days—to complete every round.

Many fans did the math: one round per week for sixteen rounds meant the competition would last a full sixteen weeks.

For all the teams, the ERC meant an extremely tight schedule and a heavy workload—two weeks each month spent racing, the remaining two weeks for rest and adjustments, and eight months would pass in a blink.

What was to be held today was not only the opening ceremony for the entire ERC season, but also the opening round of the Swiss stage.

By tradition, the opening round was always designated as an SSS—Super Special Stage.

Not only would media, journalists, fans, and photography enthusiasts flock to attend, but TV and online broadcasters would also swarm the venue.

The official broadcaster, responsible for providing global television and online live feeds, was the most direct way for fans to follow the ERC.

The unofficial broadcasters, however, had it much tougher. Without designated vantage points, they lacked the prime locations and were usually squeezed into the stands or perched on crowded hillsides, using high-end civilian equipment to stream their own broadcasts.

Fortunately, SSS stages were rarely held in remote wilderness; while not in the city itself, they were typically close enough for fans and media to easily take part.

“Dear viewers and motorsport fans, welcome to our broadcast of the ERC Global Rally Championship’s first round—the Swiss stage!”

The same greeting, in different languages, was transmitted simultaneously to every corner of the world. This was, after all, a motorsport event on par with the Super Formula series, with viewership measured in the hundreds of millions.

First on the agenda was the team introductions. Of the thirty teams, not all received special presentation—usually only the eight major factory teams were given this honor.

“The Bull God Typhoon Team from Japan!”

“The Golden Beetle Racing Team from Germany!”

“The William Pirate Team from Britain!”

“The President Lightning Team from the USA!”

“The War God Team from Japan!”

“The Phantom Squad from Sweden!”

“The Munich Light Super Team from Germany!”

When the host announced the Munich Light Super Team, the crowd's cheers reached their peak. As a team that had finished runner-up five years in a row, their fan base was truly staggering.

“And now! Introducing the reigning champions, the unmatched kings from Germany—the Carbon Black Gold Team!”

The cheers and shouts completely eclipsed those for the previous team. The Carbon Black Gold Team was none other than the illustrious former home of Fernando Ken Russlein, the legendary seven-time ERC champions.

It was, in fact, Russlein’s arrival that had transformed the Carbon Black Gold Team from an unnoticed participant into an invincible force.

Moreover, the sales of Carbon-branded passenger cars had soared worldwide in recent years, thanks in large part to Russlein’s role as spokesperson, leaving their competitors trailing far behind.

Russlein’s influence was immense—many car owners likely chose a Carbon solely because of his endorsement.

“All right, all right, let’s have a little quiet, please!” The host’s appeal was the only thing that could start to quell the fervor of the Carbon Black Gold fans.

“Today, I have the honor of introducing a new team who has traveled from afar to be here for the first time. This season, they’ll compete alongside the eight major factory teams, and I believe their presence will make this year’s championship even more intense and exciting. They are—” The host drew out the suspense.

“The Divine Team from China!”

As soon as the announcement was made, Wang Yu, the team manager, was the first to raise his hands, leading the group in bowing to the fans.

Yet, the applause was sparse, and the sound of boos even drowned out the cheers.

The members of the Divine Team frowned slightly. Hadn’t they gained some fans in Switzerland after the previous media open day? Why the chorus of boos? It made no sense.

What they didn’t understand was the nature of the ERC—one of the world’s largest international events.

And what was Europe? A continent second-smallest in area, but dotted with forty-eight countries, many of them highly developed.

To put it in perspective, China alone spanned nearly ten million square kilometers, while the whole of Europe was just over 10.16 million—an entire continent only slightly larger than one country.

So, although the land wasn’t vast, there were plenty of countries, and naturally, the fans present weren’t only Swiss.

Divine Team might have made a name for themselves in Switzerland, but in the rest of Europe, they remained virtually unknown. It was entirely natural that few recognized them.

Amidst the chorus of boos, Roger—Liu Ting’s fiancé—was doing his best to make his presence felt.

However, when Roger took a closer look at the Divine Team’s members, his jeers abruptly turned to a cry of surprise.

“Mo Shu?!”

Wasn’t that the Chinese kid who’d gone to high school with Liu Ting, the one she used to mock as a “loser”?

How did he end up on the main stage of the ERC’s opening ceremony?