"It's hard to say if it were any longer..."
Taking the towel Anjing Zhen handed her, Kitasan Black wiped the sweat from her face and could not help but think:
"Gold Artisan's entry into the turns, Festival Senior's technique of using centrifugal force to cut down the route, and Gold Ship's perfectly timed early acceleration...
"And Dream Journey and Journey Senior—the way they handled things gave me a lot to learn from too.
"If the straight had really been any longer, it's still hard to say whether I could've won."
Hearing that, Anjing Zhen felt deeply gratified.
He had originally intended to comfort Kitasan Black as he usually did. After all, in Simulation Races and training races with her seniors, Kitasan Black rarely won, and she would be downcast for a while after losing.
But Simulation Races were meant to identify shortcomings, so winning or losing was not that important. Besides, this was a track Kitasan Black was unfamiliar with.
Yet he had not expected that Kitasan Black no longer seemed to need that kind of consolation.
Not only did she not need it, she had even taken the initiative to reflect on her own shortcomings.
Anjing Zhen's gaze was full of approval as he patted Kitasan Black on the shoulder.
"I'm truly happy that you can think that way.
"Simulation Races are meant to help us discover problems. Look, on this unusual track today, haven't you found your weaknesses in handling turns and familiarity with the course?"
He paused slightly, glancing at Gold Artisan and Gold Ship, who were bickering with each other, before continuing:
"Gold Artisan and the others can bring their strengths to the fullest on familiar tracks. That's something worth learning from as well.
"But we have our own strengths too.
"Your stamina and control over