When an F1 Racing Simulator Loads an Emotional DLC

*The main story of this F1 fanfic is complete! Check the announcements for updates to the extras!

It all began at the 2012 WSK European KF3 Karting Championship.

A gamer named Lin entered the junior racing scene and began stirring up more than a decade of drama in the paddock.

Reporter: “You have to be cheating! Nobody can drive like that!”

Lin Chen: “But that's how people play video games...”

*

In Lin Chen's eyes, the world is one giant racing simulator.

He doesn't know whether to blame his dad, who runs a game company, his mom, who studies neuroscience, or himself for playing too many games.

He can see five-star IDs and “rage meters” above his opponents' heads, find the “golden racing line” shimmering on the track, and calm irritable “NPCs” with a box of chocolates.

Though, of course, all of it can be rationalized as the result of his extraordinary reflexes and computational ability.

His arrival is an unsolved mystery in the world of racing, from karting to F1, spanning more than a decade.

Until one day, two prominent notifications appear on Lin Chen's System panel:

[Romance DLC unlocked] [Side quest: Raise the affinity of five-star characters to earn bonus game achievements and rewards]

Lin Chen, a completionist who collects every character entry, says: “...What is this? Why is there romance DLC in a racing simulator?”

But he's even more obsessed with optimizing stats. After disabling affinity prompts, he says:

Nobody can stop him from collecting WDCs, or... except for the Transformers.

A short scene:

“Lin, why do you keep staring at my head?”

“Oh, I'm looking at your ‘rage meter.’”

“What?!”

“Uh, I meant to say your hair looks nice today.”

-Lin's paddock training log

Morning task 08:00 [Endurance training] Endurance +0.1

Noon task 12:30 [Track simulation] Spa circuit, full wet-tire test. Racing-line precision +0.3

[Random event] SSR character “Verstappen” barges in and forcibly takes the wheel. Collect five Dutch swear words.

Evening task 18:00 [Etiquette training] Ferrari sponsor dinner etiquette class. Charisma +0.5

Hidden level [Data Freak] Analyze rivals' onboard footage. Prediction +0.4

[Random event] SR character “Lando Norris” invites the player to an online game, but SSR character “Charles Leclerc” declines on the player's behalf.

-Notes:

1. There are many rivals in this intense racing story. All pairings are friendships.

2. I have limited energy and haven't done enough research, so experienced racing fans, please go easy on me in the comments.

3. The main story is complete and undergoing revisions. I rushed some earlier parts, so the writing was rough and stiff.

Theme: Career matters more than love.