Across the ocean, it was 8:00 AM sharp in the United States.
The Ward's 10 Best Engines competition officially began.
As Haifeng exited the exhibition hall, he saw a towering digital display, the screen magnifying the host's image for the audience packed outside.
A large stage had been constructed at the entrance. Standing on it was an older man—gray-haired, a bit portly, beaming with theatrical charisma.
This was Jaime Medina, the event chair for this year's competition and the current CEO of The New York Times—one of Ward's ten founding media institutions. Each year, one CEO from these organizations served as head of the event. This year, it was Jaime's turn.
"Ladies and gentlemen," he said with an energetic smile, "welcome to another year of Ward's 10 Best Engines. Thank you all for flying in from around the world to be part of this celebration of engineering."
"To show our appreciation, every guest here today will receive a special commemorative gift on their way out!"
The audience erupted into cheers and applause.
Medina, known for his dry wit and showmanship, held the crowd.
"Now let's look at this year's lineup of automakers… Oh my god!"
He fumbled the list in his hand for effect.
"I see some familiar names: BMW, Porsche, Opel, Volkswagen, Toyota, Honda, Ford, Nissan…"
He paused dramatically.
"It's like walking into a room looking for women, only to realize they're all old flames. Where's the excitement in that?"
Laughter erupted from the crowd.
The automaker representatives, however, were gritting their teeth. Medina had just compared them to overused dates, and they couldn't say a word in protest.
Haifeng and Junko Toyota shared a chuckle. They even had to admit that the older man had flair.
Just as the laughter settled, Medina suddenly stopped and narrowed his eyes at the list.
"Wait… what's this?"
A beat passed. Audience members leaned forward.
"Did his speech notes cut off?" someone joked.
"Maybe the list has prices too," another quipped.
Medina raised his voice.
"Oh my god… do you know what I just saw?"
"There's a new name on this list. A name I've never seen before."
The crowd hushed.
"That's right—a new automaker has entered the field."
He raised the paper for dramatic emphasis.
"Everyone, join me in welcoming a new competitor from the East—Audi Automotive, from the Great Chinese Nation!"
Cheers erupted again.
Viewers around the world watching the live stream paused in surprise.
Most international car enthusiasts had never even heard of Audi Automotive. Until now, Ward's has always been the domain of European, American, Japanese, and Korean brands. But this year, a manufacturer from the East had stepped into the arena for the first time.
A brand from China had entered the game.
The audience was already frenzied on the Chinese streaming platform Shark Live.
As one of China's biggest platforms, Shark Live has secured exclusive broadcast rights for Wardry. Before the stream officially began, over five million viewers were waiting in the chat.
"Start already! I'm here to buy Audi's new car!"
"Let's go! Crush Europe and the U.S., mop the floor with Japan and Korea!"
"Audi Automotive, jiayou!"
Some were true fans. Others were just here for the hype. And of course, the trolls came too.
"Trash domestic cars. I can't wait to see Audi humiliated by their foreign daddies."
"They think they can compete in tech? What a joke."
"If Audi wins, I'll eat a pile of dog shit on stream!"
Others weren't having it.
"There are trolls everywhere these days."
"Don't even bother with them. Whether Audi wins or not, they've got my respect for showing up."
"They built a domestic engine from scratch. That alone is worth support."
"Foreign companies have been blocking us with tech bans for years. The fact that anyone made it this far is already amazing."
"Wait—it's starting!"
The chat exploded.
The blacked-out stream suddenly lit up. The camera panned across the venue—sleek cars, banners, and the vibrant energy of Ward's opening day.
A host appeared on-screen.
"Hello, Shark Live viewers! I'm Tomato-kun, your official host for this broadcast."
"Sorry for the delay—the feed's been stabilized. The Ward's 10 Best Engines opening ceremony has begun!"
"Once we wrap up the speeches, I'll take you into the exhibition hall to explore the year's most exciting new models!"