My Formula 1 System

[SYSTEM ONLINE..]

[Host should begin Daily Routine.]

It felt strange getting up from a bed that wasn't the same as the one in the TR headquarters. Luca sat upright, drank some water, and meditated. When he was done, he walked to the table, grabbed his toothbrush, and attended to his teeth.

He had hung a new set of tracksuit before going to bed. Unhooking it from the closet, Luca got dressed as quickly as possible, sitting at the edge of his bed to lace his sneakers.

There was a soft knock on the door, but the knocker quickly realized Luca had left it open and slipped inside as quietly as possible. Luca turned sharply, his eyes catching sight of his sister stealthily entering his room. "What are you doing here, Sophia?" he asked, adjusting the lace into the tucks of his joggers.

Sophia pressed a finger to her lips. "Shh. Don't say my name. Mom told me not to disturb you."

Luca's nose twitched as the smell of something cooking drifted from the kitchen. "Why's she cooking so early?"

"For you, of course," Sophia replied, casually wandering around the room. She caught sight of Luca's golden trophy peeking out of his duffel bag and hurried over to it. She picked it up, examining it closely. "Is it real gold?"

"Not really. I don't think so."

Sophia's fingers traced the intricate design of the trophy. "Where will you keep it? Here, at home?"

Luca paused for a moment, considering. He'd decided long ago that he would leave the trophy at home, even though it wasn't the most valuable thing in the world. Winning a Grand Prix was just one of many victories he planned to have. "Yeah, I'll leave it here. Make sure you take good care of it and polish it. Maybe put it on the shelf next to the TV," he suggested, knowing Sophia would appreciate it far more than he did.

Sophia nodded and gently placed the trophy on the table. "So, when are you going back to Germany?" she asked.

"A week or two," Luca replied. "Don't worry, I'm staying here for a while, and I'll hang out with you guys a lot."

Sophia's eyes softened, but she hesitated before speaking again. "That's nice, but... you won't be able to attend my graduation, right?"

Luca froze, holding his MP3 player in one hand and the earpiece in the other. He blinked, a puzzled expression crossing his face. "You're graduating, aren't you?"

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Sophia let out a quiet sigh. "Yes. That's what I'm saying. It's just... it's sad, because, like two years ago, during yours, I never expected you to be absent from mine."

Luca fell silent. The realization slowly hit him. He'd completely forgotten Sophia was graduating this year, someone he was even prepping for college. He quickly asked her for the date, only to discover her graduation fell just a week before his training was scheduled to resume in Germany. He was supposed to be at the headquarters on that day—Day 3 of training, not attending a graduation ceremony.

Luca sighed. He wondered how bad Sophia might feel looking back at her pictures to see his absence in her graduation photos. As a teenager, his graduation was one of the best days of his life, and he was sure it'd be the same for Sophia, considering her character.

A thought crossed his mind. Maybe he could ask Mr. Grant, and more importantly, Mr. Fisher, for a couple of extra days in London. After the graduation, he could fly out and get back on track with his training. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing.

"Don't worry, I'll be there," Luca said, clipping his MP3 player onto his tracksuit.

"Really?!"

"Yes," he replied, slipping his earpiece into place.

Sophia rushed over to him, practically bouncing with enthusiasm. "That's wonderful! Make sure you wear an all-black suit and shades—black shades, okay? And arrive in the same car you came in yesterday. Oh, and don't come early, and definitely don't come late. Just be there right on time, okay?"

"Okay, whatever you say," Luca said, gently pushing her toward the door. "Now, if you don't mind, my PA is waiting for me outside."n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Sophia continued talking as she walked out of the room. The smell of food from the kitchen grew stronger, wafting through the house. From the kitchen, Mrs. Rennick's voice rang out, sharp and clear. "Did I not tell you not to disturb your brother?!"

"Tell Mom I'm off; I'll be back in an hour," Luca said, slipping out of the front door. Once he was on the doorstep, the cold morning air hit him sharply. The rain from the night before had left everything wet—the neatly trimmed bushes glistened, and the neighbor's roofs were slick with water. Luca quickly spotted Sara's car across the road and jogged toward it, his bag swinging in his hand as he made his way across the street.

Upon arriving, Luca noticed it wasn't Sara behind the wheel, but his agent, Mallow, wearing his usual shades and an oversized, bogus coat.

"What... are you doing here?" Luca asked immediately.

"I borrowed Sara's ride for a bit," Mallow said with a shrug, looking at Luca over the top of his shades. "And where exactly do you think you're going, young man?"

"I gym every morning."

"Well, you're not gymming this morning."

"What? I don't understand."

Mallow rolled his eyes and shook his head. "You're seeing your family after three months, and you want to hit the gym the very next morning?"

"Is... there a problem with that?"

"Have you even eaten?" Mallow asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, I'll eat when I'm back. My mom's cooking. She's making pancakes and eggs, I think," Luca said, recalling the aroma.

Behind his shades, Mallow's eyes widened in disbelief. He quickly scrambled out of the car. "Do you have a screw loose, lad? Your mom's cooking that breakfast, and you want to leave the house?!"

Luca stood dumbfounded, his eyes flicking to the top of his System interface that had just materialized, reminding him of the start time for his exercise phase. He had mere minutes left.

"Back inside," Mallow commanded, grabbing a file from the dashboard before locking the car with a quick press of the key.

"Oh, c'mon. This is not fair."

"You can spare today!" Mallow said, waving the file as he strode casually across the street. "Besides, we need to go over this."

Luca sighed, glancing both ways twice before crossing the road before him.

[Ding!]

[Daily Routine abandoned]

Before Mallow could reach the front door, it swung open to reveal Mrs. Rennick, apron-clad and looking like an older version of Sophia. Her sharp eyes landed on Mallow, and she quickly recognized him.

"Good morning, madam. I just stopped your son from sneaking out to avoid your cooking," Mallow said, gesturing toward Luca, who had just stepped onto the porch.

"Lukey?!"

"Mom, don't listen to him. Let's get inside," Luca said quickly, nudging Mallow through the doorway.

Once they settled in the living room, Mrs. Rennick returned with a tray laden with breakfast, enough to satisfy even the hungriest guest. Mallow's eyes lit up, already savoring the sight. As Luca predicted, the meal included stacks of fluffy pancakes drizzled with maple syrup and golden scrambled eggs topped with chives. There were crispy bacon strips and buttery croissants on the side, accompanied by tall glasses of orange juice.

As soon as Mrs. Rennick left them to eat, Luca quickly turned his attention to the file Mallow had brought.

"Remember Mrs. Hawthorne?" Mallow asked, sliding the file across the table.

"Yes."

Mallow leaned back, watching as Luca picked up the file, taking a bite of eggs and bacon as he flipped it open. Removing his shades to focus, Mallow continued, "That's everything about her establishments across the country—her public shares, investments, and assets. I wanted you to know all this before we agree on terms and sign anything."

Luca skimmed through the documents, his interest growing with every line his eyes covered. The woman was a formidable figure with an extensive network of establishments across England. Widowed for over a decade, she had transformed her late husband's modest ranch in Norfolk into a thriving equestrian center. The file detailed her ownership of luxury hotel and restaurant chains in Birmingham and Liverpool. Her investments spanned boutique fashion stores, live shows, and painting galleries.

To Luca, it was no surprise that a businesswoman like Mrs. Hawthorne, with her sharp eye for opportunities, had latched onto a sport like Formula 1, which was steadily becoming the world's number one. It made sense, especially considering she was intent on backing an F2 driver, just in case things didn't go as planned.

"Impressive, right?" Mallow asked, swallowing another bite of food.

"€520 million in net worth? Impressive doesn't even begin to cover it," Luca replied, tucking the file back into the bag. He took a sip of his orange juice, leaning back in his chair to relax. "So, when do we meet her in an official atmosphere?"

"She's eager to wrap this up by the end of the week, so I'm thinking we head to Birmingham tomorrow," Mallow said, finishing his meal.

"Birmingham? Tomorrow?" Luca raised an eyebrow, caught off guard.

"Yeah, her head office is there. And tomorrow's the best day to finalize things before your schedule gets any busier," Mallow explained. "The midseason might be called a break, but you and I know it's far from that."

"I just got here. I can't travel a day later."

"Exactly why I told you not to go to the gym this morning. Come on! Spend time with your family. Chat with your mother! Play Barbie dolls with your sister—does she even have school today?"

Luca frowned, taking a moment to process Mallow's absurd suggestion. "My sister's sixteen, and no, she doesn't have school today. Graduation's coming up soon," he muttered.

"Even better!" Mallow said with a grin. "Help her pick out a prom outfit! Everything can be done in under 24 hours, mate."

Luca stared, unimpressed.

Mallow wiped his mouth clean, plucked a strawberry from the table, and grabbed the file. "Now, go call your mom, let me thank her, and then I'll take my leave. You, me, and Sara are heading to Birmingham by 2 tomorrow."