1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 460 Competition Upgrade
Ronan envisioned the scene upon arriving at the hotel as follows:
Nestled with Zoe on a comfortable, spacious, soft bed, you can reach out and touch a glass of chilled rosé wine. Occasionally, the roar of an expensive sports car engine can be heard outside the window, along with the faint sound of waves crashing on the shore. After listening for a while, you can't help but close your eyes.

A cool sea breeze made the white gauze curtains sway like dancing sprites. A ray of sunlight peeked into the room, landing perfectly on Zoe's golden hair as she nestled in his arms. Ronan lowered his head and kissed Zoe's forehead against his chest, whispering gently:

"If you like it, we can come here for vacations often in the future."

Then Zoe, with her eyes closed and a smile on her face, hugged me back, her voice sounding lazy:

"Okay, I like being alone with you like this."

But the reality upon arriving at the hotel was quite different:

In a room of less than 30 square meters, people were sitting on the sofa, chairs, floor, and even the toilet. The air was thick with the unpleasant smell of hot sweat mixed with the stench of cigarettes, candy, soda, bread, cheese, sausage, or some other unknown food, which could not be dispelled even with all the windows open.

Batty, Cafu, Theo, and Cornell huddled together on the large bed in the room, pressing the mattress down like a taut spring. Every time they turned over, the bed beneath them creaked in distress.

Ronan grabbed Theo and Batty's arms and said angrily:
"Zoe and I aren't going anywhere. We're going to rest in the room until the afternoon. You guys go out and have some fun."

There were too many people in Ronan and Zoe's room, so Zoe went to Cotillard's room for some "fresh air".

Their sweet world for two has turned into this.

Ronan didn't want to eat with the 'tails' anymore; he just wanted some peace and quiet.

Barty's arm slipped away like an eel:

“We’re exhausted too. We’ve been driving non-stop all this way. Please let us drivers rest for a bit.”

Ronan pointed to his own nose and said:

"I'm a driver too, I need to rest too."

Theo held his head in his hands, shook his head, and said:
"You're driving too slowly, buddy. We booked a hotel in Nice and then waited a little while for you to arrive. What's so tiring about driving like this?"

Ronan used both hands to pull Theo up:

"What business is it of yours how I drive it? But you're going to break my bed. If the bed is broken, how are Zoe and I going to sleep?"

Cornell stretched comfortably:
"Ronan, this bed isn't very comfortable at all, it's not worth the price. Since it's only for one night, why don't you skip sleeping tonight and go to the casino for the night?"

“The four of you are practically crushing the bed, how can it be comfortable?” Ronan continued to pull Cornell’s hand. “Get up, get up, get up now, I haven’t even lain down yet, you all try it out for me first!”

“Go to Lacafé, that guy is the heaviest. If the bed breaks, it’ll be because of him.” Cornell said the bed wasn’t comfortable enough, but he clung to his pillow and refused to leave.

Ronan then looked at Cafu and found that the guy had actually fallen asleep, and there was no response even after patting him several times.

"Damn it, how can you be sleeping so soundly? Wake up!"

Just as Ronan swung his arm, ready to give the guy a good whack, Cornell's sister shouted from behind:
"let me!"

Before he could finish speaking, the two children flew past Ronan's ears onto the bed, startling all the men on the bed so much that they jumped off.

Cornell's sister's child and Anna clapped their hands and jumped around on the bed, happily playing a game of who could jump the highest.

Cafu stood blankly by the bed, half-asleep, wiping the drool from his mouth:
"What time is it? Is Ronan going to meet with the Monaco royal family?"

“It’s still early! We haven’t even met Claudia Cardina yet!” Barty said, pursing his lips.

Cafu found a slightly less crowded spot and closed his eyes again.

"Then I'll sleep a little longer, and I'll get up when Ronan goes to see the royal family."

Cornell also lay back down on the edge of the bed, clutching a pillow.

"I'm going to take a nap too. Remember to wake me up when Ronan goes to watch the qualifying race this afternoon."

This group of people had been excited for two days, and today they got up early to travel. In addition, they were tired from driving fast all the way, so as soon as they arrived at their destination, they felt sleepy and extremely tired.

However, their room was booked in Nice, which is some distance from Monaco, and they had other plans for the afternoon, so they could only rest briefly at Ronan's place.

Ronan completely broke down, pointing to the door and saying:
"Come on, let's go eat. I'll treat you to a big meal."

Ronan discovered it.

These 'tails' have made this their base camp!
After a brief two-second silence, everyone in the room turned to look at Ronan, even the two children who had been jumping around stopped.

"What to eat?"

It was tiring, but the food in Monaco was really expensive.

If Ronan is treating, then we won't be polite!
Ronan originally planned to grab a quick bite at the hotel entrance and shake off his tails.

Fearing that they would naturally follow him back to the hotel if they got too close, Zoe found a restaurant with beautiful scenery, a pleasant environment, a distance away, and preferably some fun things nearby.

After finishing the meal, Ronan could use the excuse, "Since you're already here, go have some fun," to ditch them.

Zoe is like a human 'navigator'; upon hearing Ronan's request, she immediately identified an area—near the port of Hercules.

"Hercules Port is known as the most expensive 'floating parking lot,' with over a hundred superyachts moored there year-round. The port is backed by Monaco's Rocks district and faces the Mediterranean Sea," Zoe said as she stepped out of the elevator, continuing to provide information about lunch.

Ronan followed Zoe out and looked at Cornell's sister, saying:
“You can walk to the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco from there.”

Which child can resist the allure of an aquarium?

Then he looked at the noisy men:
"You can also see the famous F1 hairpin bend. You can try your luck. Maybe there aren't many people yet, and you can squeeze in to watch the afternoon race."

Which man can resist F1?

Finally, Ronan looked at Sandrine and said with a smile:
"And I heard there are several department stores around there, and Monaco is duty-free, so don't forget that."

Are there women in this world who are immune to shopping?

Ronan happily put his arm around Zoe's shoulder.

Zoe really found a good place to go.

After they finish eating, these people will definitely not come back!

Theo hoisted Anna onto his shoulders and shook her little hands from side to side, saying:
“Lucas said that there are no ordinary restaurants in Hercules Port, and even a simple pre-meal bread costs several tens of dollars. Ronan, look how embarrassing this is.”

Ronan smiled and waved his hand:

"It's okay, it's okay, eat as much as you want."

It's best to eat for three, four, or five hours. Zoe and I will be heading out now. Cafu adjusted his tie, which had become loose from sleeping.

“In the future, the Lourmaran Handicraft Cooperative will definitely have many opportunities to contact high-end clients. I’ll take this opportunity to go and look at the yachts and get some information to talk about.”

“That’s right, that’s right,” Ronan praised. “Get to know more ship owners and accumulate more experience.”

Hundreds of yachts, you'll have something to learn from them.

Baty kindly helped Aknina down the steps:

"I know Hercules Port very well; it's home to many beautiful women!"

"Of course there are, of course there are!" Ronan encouraged Barty with a beaming smile. "And they're even wearing swimsuits. Take your time eating and watching."

Look at them, they're already finding things to do on their own!
Isn't our time together as a couple about to begin?
The group walked through the hotel lobby and arrived at the parking area outside. Ronan's steps became more cheerful. Just as they were about to split up to get their cars, they saw a convoy of black cars slowly pull up at the entrance of the lobby.

Before the car even opened, a dozen or so reporters with cameras crowded around, snapping photos indiscriminately.

Later, the car door opened, but the flash made it impossible to see clearly, and it was impossible to tell who got out of the car.

"Who's here?" Cornell asked, stopping in his tracks.

Ronan waved to everyone:
"Let's hurry up, there won't be any seats left."

Barty squinted and stood on tiptoe again:
"Could it be Claudia Cardina?"

“Impossible.” Ronan urged everyone to hurry up and get the car. “Ines said that Claudia Cardina and Alain Delon will not arrive until tonight, so she should still be on her way at this time.”

Because they had a child with them, Theo's family lagged behind at the very end.

Seeing everyone turn to look behind them, he pointed behind him with his thumb and said in that peculiarly arrogant tone:
"There's nothing to see, it's just Charlotte Virginia."

"Charlotte Virginia?" Several exclamations rang out from the surroundings, and then seven or eight people ran towards the hotel. "Isn't that our 'neighbor'?"

"Oh dear, let's not go out to eat. This hotel always has celebrities coming here. Let's just wait here."

“Ronan, I’m not hungry at all. How about this, you treat us to a big meal tonight? I’ll go ask the neighbors if they bought the house in Lourmaran.”

"Kids, you and Uncle Ronan wait here for a bit. Mommy will go get an autograph and be right back."

Ronan: "???"

Speechless, utterly speechless!

Ronan never expected that his flawless plan would fall apart because of Charlotte Virginia.

Even more unexpectedly, instead of driving the tails away, he still spent over two thousand francs to treat everyone to a lavish meal at this ridiculously expensive hotel with terrible food.

After finishing their meal, the tails returned to the large room that should have belonged to Ronan and Zoe.

Ronan's sweet dream of cuddling and entwining with Zoe in bed on a comfortable afternoon was completely shattered.

Zoe rested her head against Ronan's chest, but the sweet talk they had shared was now just a dream.

Instead, Ronan fled to Cotillard's room, rested his head on Zoe's chest, and said worriedly:
"Cornell and Theo said they were going to the casino for the night, and I'm afraid they won't leave me alone during the night either."

Zoe lowered her head and hugged Ronan's head, kissing him gently. With each touch of their skin, a word escaped Zoe's lips:
"I have plenty of opportunities to spend time with you, but it's rare to have the chance to hang out with my friends, so just go along with them."

[Happiness increases by 50 points when having intimate contact with someone of the opposite sex]

[Happiness increases by 50 points when having intimate contact with someone of the opposite sex]

The young couple was cuddling on the sofa when the unreasonable Cotillard threw a bunch of things at Ronan and Zoe, saying in an unquestionable tone:
"Alright, alright, stop with the romance. Get up, do your hair and get dressed. Let's go early. I just met with people from Michelin Magazine. This year's F1 Grand Prix is ​​more grand than in previous years, with many high-level guests. When you attend the events today and tomorrow, be sure to pay attention to your image and status, and show your best side, understand?"

She continued looking at Zoe and said:
“We’re adding another event to our itinerary. We were originally thinking of skipping the art party hosted by the sponsors, but now we’ll go check it out. We heard that many celebrities will be there, and it’ll be good for you to show your face there.”

Ines invited Ronan and Zoe to an art exhibition hosted by the Monaco royal family, but they declined due to the unsuitable theme and the lack of time.

Afterwards, Ines introduced several art parties sponsored by various companies, and Zoe sent over two ready-made pieces.

Originally, Cotillard hadn't arranged an art party for them because it was hosted by sponsors and wasn't purely artistic, so it wasn't suitable for Ronan and Zoe's identities.

But now Cotillard has changed his mind.

"Besides Alain Delon and Claudia Cardina, there are others?" Ronan sat up straight.

Cotillard also took his formal attire out of his suitcase, ready to put it on:
"Of course, and there are even more than you might imagine. For these large events, the media, magazines, organizers, sponsors, and even royalty all invite guests. Claudia Cardinale was invited by Michelin magazine, Alain Delon by another fashion magazine, sponsors by their spokespeople and partners, and the Monaco royal family by other royal families. The guest list filled three whole pages, but—"

"But what?" Zoe had already picked up the suit she was going to wear that afternoon and was getting into work mode.

Cotillard's words put her on edge.

Working with so many celebrities, I can't afford to be obsessed with Ronan's looks anymore.

“However, Charlotte Virginia wasn’t on the original guest list, which is why I went to the people at Michelin Magazine. The stands are in high demand, and I was worried that your original seats might be changed, and you might be moved to a non-core area.” Cotillard’s expression became serious. “As it turns out, the people at Michelin Magazine told me that many celebrities and stars came to watch the game on their own initiative. They didn’t receive invitations from any media, magazines, organizers, sponsors, or the royal family. They found their own ways to buy tickets, like Charlotte Virginia. And there are quite a few people like that.”

"Why?" Zoe pressed.

Ronan also began preparing for the official qualifying event that afternoon:
"Could it be because the corners have been upgraded? I heard Theo say that there was a major accident at last year's Monaco Grand Prix, and a driver was killed. The FIA ​​mandated track upgrades, but nobody knows what the upgrades look like. We'll just have to wait and see during the race."

Provence is full of 'experts'.

Upon arriving in Monaco, Ronan naturally had no shortage of F1 experts around him.

Theo, who came specifically to watch the races, had been keeping track of the new track's upgrades for a long time.

“What celebrity would care about track upgrades? Do you think they’re here to watch racing?” Cotillard shook his head and asked Ronan, “You’re here to watch an F1 race?”

Ronan chuckled awkwardly twice.

The most irrelevant thing about this trip to Monaco was the match itself. He believed that most of the guests who came were in a similar situation, and only a minority were actually there to watch the game.

Cotillard pointed to the television on the wall and said:
"Because the broadcasting technology has been upgraded, this year we have put forward the slogan of 'high definition and internationalization'. The broadcasting area has exceeded 100 countries and the audience has exceeded 3 million. Do you know what 3 million viewers means?"

Ronan and Zoe shook their heads simultaneously:
"A lot of people can see it?"

Gotia took the bottles and jars out of the box and said somewhat anxiously:
"The French Open final had 1.8 million viewers, the Tour de France had 1.2 million, and I heard from someone at Michelin magazine that the European Champions Cup final only had 2.5 million viewers this year. The Monaco Grand Prix has a higher reach than all of them. Those people are all paying their own way to 'make their presence felt.' Let's go early this afternoon. The qualifying stands are full of 'connections.' Let's see if we can get to know some people who can help our future development."

(End of this chapter)