CH205

After the fashion show ended, Henri Vuitton visited his colleague Ralph Warren’s office.

Since they were in the same industry, they had at least seen each other before.

However, they never had much reason to have a deep conversation.

They met at a cruise party hosted by Park Ji-hoon and became acquainted.

When it came to their shared interest in “collecting,” they hit it off.

They both had a tendency to hoard items that bore the marks of time.

Henri Vuitton particularly liked old artworks.

Warren, on the other hand, couldn’t resist items like clothing, furniture, or vehicles from specific eras.

When two avid collectors meet, it’s only natural for their conversation to flow effortlessly.

Today was no different.

For an hour, they talked exclusively about collecting without mentioning work at all.

“I’m deeply into cars these days.”

Warren’s love for cars was well known.

He even maintained a private garage of several thousand square meters in land-expensive New York—enough said.

“I’m so obsessed with cars that even my daughter has gotten into racing.”

“Did she pick it up from you?”

“She couldn’t help it. She grew up seeing so many things on wheels… it was inevitable.”

Warren seemed a bit apologetic about it.

To lighten the mood, Henri Vuitton cracked a joke.

“That might not be entirely why.”

“…?”

“No matter how many paintings I buy, my kids have never even picked up a brush.”

“Oh?”

“Even when I bring home artworks that belong in history books, they won’t even glance at them.”

The two men shared a hearty laugh.

“Since we’ve become so close, why don’t we consider collaborating?”

After an hour of chatting, Henri Vuitton brought up work for the first time.

Perhaps that’s why Warren subtly adjusted his posture.

“Collaboration?”

“Yes. We met through Park Ji-hoon as a common link, so why not collaborate in a similar way?”

“…?”

“This time, Louis Vuitton is collaborating with Gomhartz.”

“And you’re suggesting I collaborate with Gomhartz simultaneously?”

Exactly.

The two companies had met through Park Ji-hoon as their link.

Now, Henri was suggesting that the two brands connect through Park Ji-hoon’s Gomhartz.

“That way, we could engage in some friendly competition, and the media could highlight the rivalry, generating plenty of buzz.”

Warren nodded, acknowledging the clear marketing benefits.

RRRR! RRRR!

Just then, the phone rang.

Warren excused himself and carefully walked over to the desk.

Click.

(Dad.)

“Olivia? Did your race go well?”

(Yes.)

“Are you heading home now?”

(No, I was thinking of going to your garage.)

“Why the garage?”

(A friend wants to try out one of the cars.)

Olivia had never made such a request before.

Perhaps that’s why Warren’s mind was swirling with possibilities.

(How about the Ferrari 288 GTO? It seems perfect.)

“What?”

The 288 GTO was one of Warren’s prized possessions.

Although he owned five of them, the car was far too precious to lend out.

(You know Ji-hoon, right?)

“Of course.”

But why was that name coming up?

(He’s in New York right now.)

“Hmm?”

(He mentioned he’s never driven one, so I thought I’d teach him. Could he take it for an hour…?)

“You’ll just get scolded.”

(…?)

“Why go through the trouble of lending it? Just give it to him as a gift and save yourself the worry.”

While Warren was being overly generous,

Henri Vuitton, unaware of the conversation, simply blinked in silence.

***

“He said yes. He told me to just take it.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know either. No idea why he’s like this.”

“…”

“He insisted, so that’s that.”

The Ferrari 288 GTO.

It’s one of the most legendary cars in automotive history.

Since South Korea’s income levels rose, it became common to see Ferraris and Lamborghinis in Gangnam.

You’d spot at least one every ten minutes.

But!

Those were mass-produced models costing about 400 million won.

The supercar line spanning 288 GTO – F40 – F50 – Enzo Ferrari – LaFerrari was a rare sight, even in areas like Cheongdam-dong or Hannam-dong.

Naturally.

Most of them were limited editions with launch prices exceeding 1 billion won, and resales starting at a minimum of 3 billion won.

In simpler terms, not all Ferraris with the logo are the same!

Olivia’s explanation was along the same lines.

“This car wasn’t made for regular roads.”

It was born with racing DNA.

“The chassis is so low that even a speed bump could be a nightmare for everyone involved.”

In simple terms, it’s a car meant to stay in the circuit garage and only be driven on the track.

As expected.

The speedometer was marked up to 320 kilometers per hour.

“Ha!”

A gift was out of the question.

‘But I can at least try driving it. Hmm.’

Soon, I received a quick lesson from Olivia.

“How do you know so much?”

That’s because I earned my license in a past life.

Thanks to that, the training went quickly.

Still, safety instructions were essential!

“A safety car will be running ahead. Keep a sufficient distance. Absolutely no overtaking.”

Only after repeating these points twice was I allowed onto the track.

“Let’s start with one slow lap, shall we?”

At her suggestion, I started the engine.

Then.

Roarrr!

The distinctive heavy sound burst out.

Thud-thud-thud. Thud-thud-thud.

The engine’s rumbling, like the sound of hooves, ignited my heart.

I barely placed my foot on the accelerator.

Vroommm.

The car instantly responded.

As if ready to leap forward at any moment.

When I pressed the pedal a little harder.

Vroooom!

The car surged forward with frightening speed.

Its acceleration was incredible.

Yet, there wasn’t the slightest feeling of instability.

It gripped the road as it charged forward.

Click.

The moment I shifted gears, the car immediately responded.

Although it’s a cliché.

It truly felt like the car and I moved as one.

Even when accelerating heavily.

Screech.

When I stepped on the brakes to enter a corner.

Whoosh.

It displayed movements more agile than ever.

This is what Ferrari is all about!

After completing a solid 10 laps, I finally exited the track.

From sharing soju with Grandpa to driving a Ferrari I had long dreamed of!

‘This vacation… sure is spectacular.’

I turned off the engine and removed my helmet and gloves.

Olivia, sitting beside me, asked.

“How was it?”

It was hard to sum it up in one word.

I had initially wanted to buy the Ferrari team for my grandfather.

But what happened?

After feeling the thrill of speeding through a corner!

‘I want it.’

Not just Scuderia Ferrari (the racing team).

I now wanted to acquire Ferrari as a whole.

Not for my grandfather’s dream.

But purely for myself.

I wanted Ferrari, the company.

“Why are you making that face?”

“What kind of face?”

“You just look… happy?”

Grin.

It was like accidentally finding a long-forgotten playlist.

Recalling songs I cherished from another time.

This feeling would keep me happy for a while.

Grin.

‘If this is happiness, then it just might be.’

I quietly lifted the corners of my mouth.

***

Meanwhile, at Modena FC’s home stadium.

The Italian second division league’s opening day had drawn a bustling crowd.

As usual, Ferrari chairman Lorenzo was seated in the VIP section.

For Lorenzo, a third-generation fan of Modena FC, visiting the stadium every weekend was one of life’s greatest joys.

A perpetual second-division team.

Every year, he would say the same thing at the season opener.

‘This year is different.’

Lorenzo concluded with a very serious face.

And indeed, this season seemed promising.

First of all, the club owner had changed, and they brought in a new coach.

A Frenchman, they said.

Since he came from the Asian league, there wasn’t much initial expectation.

But rumors had it that players’ conditioning had improved thanks to a more systematic diet.

That wasn’t all.

Take that number 9 warming up first.

An Argentine forward with youthful long hair.

The club owner’s pick, and at just a teenager, was he fit to take the center-forward position?

But in just three practice matches, he had scored eight goals, showcasing a natural scoring instinct.

Haha.

The club owner spends a lot.

The young coach is ambitious.

The new striker scores goals like crazy.

How could you not be excited for this season?

At that moment, the stadium announcer grabbed the mic with a booming voice.

“Since Chairman Baker took over, the team atmosphere has completely changed, hasn’t it? Let me introduce the team first. Coach Arsène Wenger. Number 9, Gabriel Batistuta. Number 8….”

The game was about to start!

Chairman Lorenzo looked down at the field with a face full of happiness.

***

The next day.

I left the hotel early in the morning.

It was to meet the mechanical engineering professor Martin had introduced.

Even though I arrived an hour early, the professor was already at the meeting place.

“I’m Theo Ratliff.”

Since he was an MIT professor, I thought he’d be older.

But to my surprise.

He appeared to be in his mid-30s.

Perhaps he was used to these reactions.

Theo smiled and said.

“I was appointed in my early 20s. My career is quite substantial for my age.”

In simple terms, he was a genius.

Although I wasn’t one to talk, he also seemed quite surprised when he saw me.

Well, I guess I have no room to comment on age either, right?

Anyway!

“I heard you’re working on developing an F1 engine.”

“Yes.”

“Your goal must be to beat McLaren.”

“Is it possible?”

“Creating a monster engine isn’t too difficult. The real challenge lies in ensuring durability and reliability for an entire season.”

“And money is what makes that challenging task possible, isn’t it?”

“Exactly.”

I like his honesty.

“How much would it cost?”

The amount he requested exceeded my expectations.

Though it was only by a few hundred billion won, still.

“Not just money, you’ll also need to recruit an aerodynamics expert. The engine size can only be determined after the chassis design is finalized.”

I almost apologized for being a liberal arts major.

Thankfully, I do have some interest in aerodynamics.

Or rather, I know someone who is considered one of the greatest geniuses in that field.

Winning an F1 championship within two years?

‘You think I jumped into this without a plan?’

Well, kind of.

Hmm.

The issue is, that person is quite eccentric.

I cautiously asked Theo.

“So, the engineer and aerodynamics expert need to collaborate, correct?”

“That’s right.”

“Uh, just hypothetically… if that expert didn’t use computers to analyze aerodynamics, but instead sketched by hand, visualized it, and derived results….”

“That’s impossible.”

“Right? It would be impossible, wouldn’t it?”

“Yes. Science is achieved through meticulous calculations.”

But what can I do?

The person I know uses nothing but a pencil to dominate aerodynamics.

Sigh.

A collaboration between the most scientific man and someone who seems utterly unscientific.

‘Somehow, it’ll work out.’

I awkwardly scratched the back of my head with a faint smile.