Chapter 393: Chapter 186: Post-Race
"Alright, those are all my questions. Thank you very much for coming to do this interview."
Qin Miao nodded in response and then returned to the P room with the team’s press officer.
...
After the interview, there’s usually a post-race meeting followed by a gathering, with the team naturally footing the bill for the party.
However, Qin Miao was already on holiday, so he didn’t have to attend, and the gathering wasn’t mandatory anyway.
And Toto was indeed as Allison described, giving Qin Miao a holiday to go back to the UK and rest for a few days. He didn’t have to handle any work this week and just needed to catch a flight to the track in Spain before Thursday afternoon.
Actually, Qin Miao isn’t such a fragile person. After sitting in the P room for half the race, his emotions had mostly settled. Now, although thinking about his retirement due to mechanical failure might upset him, as long as he doesn’t dwell on it, he can keep his emotions relatively stable.
But who can refuse a holiday prepared by the team boss out of concern?
So after the race, Qin Miao happily returned to the UK with Barber.
After getting off the plane, while waiting for their luggage, Qin Miao received a text from Toto regarding the inspection results of his race car.
Just as they suspected, there was an issue with the gearbox. However, the team didn’t have the conditions to open up the gearbox for inspection at the time, so they would need to wait until it was shipped back to the Brackley Factory in the UK for disassembly before they could be sure of the exact problem.
The two of them then left the terminal with their luggage.
Upon seeing Qimeng waiting at the exit, Qin Miao didn’t even think twice and went straight up to his girlfriend, whom he hadn’t seen for almost half a week, ready to give her a big hug. But his face was blocked by Qimeng’s small hand.
Qimeng held Qin Miao’s face and looked left and right.
After confirming there were no signs of gloom on Qin Miao’s face, she nodded with satisfaction, "Not bad, your ability to adjust your mindset has improved."
Qin Miao rolled his eyes, "You still think I’m a kid, huh? After so long in the paddock, I’ve grown too."
Qimeng dismissively remarked, "Alright, stop dodging, let’s go home. I’ve found a few contracts for you during this time; there should be some you’re satisfied with."
Qin Miao nodded but wasn’t in a hurry, as he would have plenty of time to look at these contracts once he got home.
While walking towards the parking lot, Qimeng made a quip, "You were the one to retire and relax, getting off work early and having time to rest in the car. Meanwhile, I, the outsider, nearly had my phone blown up."
Carrying his luggage, Qin Miao curiously asked, "Who was calling you? The only ones who might know your number are probably our mom, Boss Zhou, and a few close friends, right? None of these should blow up your phone."
Qimeng took out two phones from her bag. One phone had a case, which Qin Miao remembered he got from a raffle after a race and then gave to Qimeng. The other phone Qin Miao hadn’t seen before, indicating it was a new phone.
"Here," Qimeng handed Qin Miao the new phone and said, "It’s a work phone. Calls from sponsors or brands looking to partner with us, basically all wanting to check on your mood. Honestly, they’re more concerned about you than our mom is.
Although these calls aren’t complicated to handle, they’re really time-consuming, and it’s all repetitive work. No kidding, there was a moment when handling them made me feel like I was screwing on bolts at a factory."
Although Qimeng spoke in a light-hearted tone, and her expression was natural, she wasn’t complaining. Instead, it seemed more like she was sharing everyday little things with her partner, just like any couple does after a long time apart.
But over the last couple of years, Qin Miao had also made some progress. After hearing what Qimeng said, he started considering whether it would be possible to set up a company that would handle his affairs. And with a company, all these matters could be handled by the staff, with Qimeng just needing to steer the general direction.
This idea stayed with Qin Miao. Perhaps there wasn’t an immediate need to establish such a company, but over time, as he got more endorsements and more people to deal with, it would become necessary.
When there’s a chance, he planned to call Boss Zhou to ask about the feasibility of doing so or where it might be best to open such a company.
Keeping this in mind, Qin Miao laughed and started rubbing Qimeng’s shoulders, saying, "Exactly, why don’t these people have a bit more insight?"
Because Qin Miao’s house had only two cars, and both had only two seats, Barber parted with the two of them after leaving the airport.
Although Qin Miao got a holiday, Barber didn’t. He still had to return to the team to write reports and handle various odds and ends.
After arriving home, Qimeng got busy with her things, while Qin Miao started making phone calls.
Qin Miao knew that once his friends and family found out he retired from the race, they’d feel bad and definitely want to call to comfort him.