Why race if you don’t have money?

Chapter 139 No One Can Target Me (Part 2)

Jackie Chan has always been a passionate motorsports enthusiast. As early as 81, he went to the United States to star in a racing-related film, "Cannonball Run," which also led to his close relationship with Mitsubishi Motors.

From then on, Mitsubishi Motors could be seen in almost all of his modern films, including but not limited to classic models such as GTO, EVO, and Pajero. Mitsubishi Motors even specially customized a special edition of the 8.5 generation EVO for him.

After Jackie Chan achieved great success in the 1990s, he organized several Jackie Chan Cup charity races. Famous Asian actresses of that era, such as Anita Mui, Chingmy Yau, Joey Wong, and Shizuka Kudo, all participated in the races, making it a veritable showcase of beauty.

After entering the 21st century, Cheng Long formed the Cheng Long DC team, recruiting two top Chinese drivers, Cheng Fei and Tung Ho-Pin, and won the 2017 Le Mans LMP2 class championship.

Although this isn't the highest level in the Le Mans Series, and if we were to make a forced comparison based on formula classification, it would be F2 level. However, it is still the best result ever achieved by a Chinese team in a top-level international endurance race, and without exception.

Its prestige is basically no less than that of the NIO team winning the Formula E championship in 15.

After all, at that time, Formula E was just starting out, and its performance could only barely match that of Formula 3 fuel-powered cars, and might even be slightly inferior.

Jackie Chan had always wanted to invest in motorsports, but around 2000 he was in Hollywood at the peak of his acting career.

With the Rush Hour film series, he rose to the ranks of Hollywood's top A-list stars and crossed the $2000 million salary club threshold, gaining the qualification to directly participate in the film's revenue sharing.

After the release of "Rush Hour 3" in 07, Jackie Chan temporarily ended his Hollywood career and returned to Hong Kong to continue making Hong Kong films. He also had the time and energy to focus on the motorsports he had always loved.

As a professional manager, Zhang Zhicong had a business collaboration with Cheng Long in film investment and distribution in his early years, which gave him the opportunity to introduce Chen Xiangbei to him.

However, as an international superstar who has seen the world, Jackie Chan is unlikely to be impressed by ordinary drivers, just as his investment in a racing team led him to the top-level Le Mans series.

Cheng Long's standard is to be a world-class driver!

"Brother Cheng Long, that young man walking in the pit lane right now is Chen Xiangbei. His racing talent is absolutely world-class. The Brawn GP team has assessed that he has the ability to skip a level and enter F1!"

Seeing Chen Xiangbei leading his team towards the P room, Zhang Zhicong quickly introduced Chen to Cheng Long, exaggerating slightly.

Ross Brawn, the manager of the Brawn GP team, only believed that Chen Xiangbei had the potential to skip levels, but did not say that he could skip to F1, which has a fundamental difference in meaning.

“I saw the report about Chen Xiangbei last night. This young man did perform very well.”

Cheng Long nodded and gave a word of praise.

Hong Kong Island Television produced a special report last night to introduce Chen Xiangbei's professional resume to its viewers, focusing on his achievements in Renault racing and his role as a test driver for an F1 team.

Cheng Long was surprised when he saw it. He thought Chen Xiangbei had just secured pole position at the Grand Prix, but he didn't expect that this young man had already established himself in Europe, the strongest region in motorsports.

Having worked in Hollywood, Jackie Chan knows very well that gaining recognition on someone else's turf is far more difficult than for a native European driver.

Without Zhang Zhicong needing to say more, he believed that Chen Xiangbei's talent and potential were definitely excellent.

“Brother Cheng Long, Xiang Bei is a driver discovered by Hua Sai Sports, but I can’t provide him with much assistance. To step into the top F1 paddock, talent and ability alone are often not enough; more off-track factors are needed.”

“I know you love racing and have always wanted to invest in a racing team. If possible, sponsor this young man, Chen Xiangbei. He definitely won’t let you down.”

Zhang Zhicong spoke very sincerely. He knew very well that going through the motions with Cheng Long would only undermine his sincerity.

"I will consider."

Cheng Long nodded, but did not give a direct answer.

It's not that he doesn't believe in Chen Xiangbei's ability. On the contrary, as a Hong Kong star who loves racing, Cheng Long understands the significance of securing pole position in the Grand Prix F3 and breaking the record of the new F1 world champion.

However, Cheng Long's intention is to build his own top-level racing team.

Even if he is an international superstar, he still can't afford to play this money-burning game in the F1 paddock.

Besides Zhang Zhicong's conversation with Cheng Long, several pairs of eyes were also watching Chen Xiangbei in the VIP box of the racing building, including Staller, who had rushed over from England.

This time, however, Staller wasn't there to watch Chen Xiangbei's match, but to facilitate a multi-billion dollar deal!

The acquisition of Volvo Cars by Huali Group has reached a critical stage. Through loans and equity swaps, more than 90% of the funds have been raised.

The current shortfall is just the final two hundred million US dollars.

If this amount of money were invested in the new energy era a decade or two from now, where emerging car manufacturers would easily raise billions of dollars, it wouldn't be a big deal at all.

However, during the financial crisis more than a decade ago, even selling everything they owned wouldn't have been enough to raise that amount. The negotiations with the Huali Group reached a stalemate, and if it dragged on, things could very well change as the global economy recovered!
However, Chen Xiangbei had a God's-eye view of history. He knew that there was a company even more eager than Huali Group to acquire Volvo, and that was the seller, Ford Group, which was suffering huge losses and couldn't wait to get rid of its burdens.

For the Ford Group, the Volvo brand is not a valuable asset at this time. Sales have been declining and the value has fallen by more than 70% compared to the $6 billion it was acquired for.

Ford was eager to get rid of this money-losing hot potato while it still had some residual value. Meanwhile, the Walter Group wanted to acquire technology and enhance its brand value through Walter, so the two companies quickly reached an agreement!
After a series of negotiations, Ford lowered its offer again and again, but Huali Group still couldn't raise enough money to buy it, which really gave Ford executives a headache.

According to Qin Lianjie, Chen Xiangbei learned that the Huali Group acquisition had reached the final stage of $200 million.

Since Wally had no money and Ford really wanted to sell, they decided to play a game of getting something for nothing and have the seller borrow money to buy it.

That's right, Ford ultimately paid the remaining two hundred million dollars out of its own pocket!
Staller has a very deep personal friendship with Ford CEO Bill Ford. It was through his connections that Huasai Sports was able to secure a supply of Ford racing engines; otherwise, the CFR2000 would not have been built.

After learning about the merger from Qin Lianjie, Chen Xiangbei immediately contacted Staller in the UK, hoping that he could act as a go-between to persuade the Ford CEO to lend money to the Huali Group to complete the acquisition of the Volvo brand.

Stahler initially disagreed with Chen Xiangbei's outlandish idea, thinking it was simply wishful thinking.

To his utter surprise, after contacting Ford, they were actually quite interested!
Staller didn't know how Chen Xiangbei had managed to guess Ford Group's eagerness to close the deal, but somehow the transaction was finalized. Furthermore, as the middleman, he even invited Mr. Li from the Huali Group to watch Chen Xiangbei race at the Guia Circuit in Australia.

When he first started Huasai Formula, Huasai Formula, organized by the Huasai Group, was Stahler's main competitor. He was well aware of the racing DNA within the company, as well as its desire and ambition for Formula racing.

Now that Huasai Sports is a thing of the past, former competitors can let bygones be bygones and sit down to watch the future stars of Chinese motorsports, and perhaps even reach another cooperation agreement.

Chen Xiangbei was naturally unaware that so many eyes were watching him from above the racing building.

Neither Zhang Zhicong nor Stale informed Chen Xiangbei of their plans to come and watch the match, so as not to affect Chen's pre-match preparations.

Although Chen Xiangbei has proven that he has a strong mentality, drivers should not be distracted by external factors when facing important races.

After the team arrived at the pit lane, Odette led the strategy team to the control panel to debug the various devices. Meanwhile, Liang Chi led the technicians to conduct pre-race maintenance on the F3 car to ensure there were no oversights.

The only one who had it relatively easy was Lu Xiaoman, who held multiple positions.

However, today she had an extra person by her side, namely Dong Yuanxi, who had been invited by Chen Xiangbei to watch the game in the P room.

Dong Yuanxi didn't know much about motorsports, and watching Formula One racing in the pit lane was a first for her.

To be honest, she had been very curious about how Chen Xiangbei would change after becoming a professional racer, and today she could finally find the answer to her question.

Compared to his former classmates, Chen Xiangbei is now much more composed, and he is communicating with the foreign team members of the racing team in fluent English.

When a man is focused on something, he always exudes a unique charm.

"Yuanxi, don't you think a man looks most handsome when he's serious?"

Seeing that Dong Yuanxi's gaze remained fixed on Chen Xiangbei, Lu Xiaoman, who was standing next to her, couldn't help but tease her.

"Sister Man, no way..."

Dong Yuanxi quickly denied it, but the blush on her face still betrayed her true thoughts.

Seeing this, Lu Xiaoman shook her head and sighed, "Sigh, the youth of eighteen is so pure and beautiful. I almost don't know what it means to be shy."

Dong Yuanxi didn't know what to say about this, so she could only smile shyly to cover it up.

After finalizing the strategy, Chen Xiangbei went to the drivers' rest area and changed into a full set of racing protective gear.

When Dong Yuanxi saw Chen Xiangbei in his racing suit, she couldn't help but look at him again, and a strange feeling welled up in her heart.

Compared to the image of the boy in school uniform in her mind, Chen Xiangbei now exudes more maturity and confidence. It's not just a change in clothing, but a change in temperament.

It was only at this moment that Dong Yuanxi finally realized that Chen Xiangbei had unknowingly become a full-fledged professional racer.

Does it feel unfamiliar?

Seeing Dong Yuanxi looking at him, Chen Xiangbei asked with a smile.

"Ah."

This time, Dong Yuanxi did not avoid the question and nodded in response.

"Do you still think he looks a bit more handsome?"

Dong Yuanxi was a little surprised to hear Chen Xiangbei suddenly say that, since the two of them had always been quite serious with each other.

"No, don't brag."

Faced with Dong Yuanxi's denial, Chen Xiangbei didn't say anything more; the other party's eyes had already betrayed him.

It has to be said that clothes make the man, and racing suits can elevate a driver's appearance and demeanor to a whole new level.

Especially when the helmet visor is pushed down and the entire face is hidden in the darkness, it absolutely deserves the title of "uniform temptation"!

After making a simple joke, Chen Xiangbei got into the F3 cockpit and drove to the starting grid. The higher the level of Formula racing, the earlier the time is spent leaving the pit lane and heading to the track to prepare.

Because the cars are positioned on the starting grid, spectators can see more directly what the drivers are doing, increasing interactivity during the race. At the same time, the cameras can cover more teams and drivers, increasing the exposure of various sponsors.

In addition, in high-level Formula racing, the various screens in the pit control room often display confidential team data that is not convenient for reporters to photograph and expose.

To avoid these troubles, the race cars stop in the starting grid in advance, which has gradually evolved into a custom and rule over the decades.

This is why when watching F1 race broadcasts, you see a huge crowd on the track before the race starts, and various pre-race interviews are also conducted at this time.

Of course, these are mainly for F1, and lower-level formulas are not that complicated.

However, compared to other F3-level races, the Grand Prix is ​​much more exciting.

The reason is that the audience will not only see the drivers, but also various celebrities who will come to the Guia Circuit to make appearances, such as local Australian actress Michelle Reis, Singaporean actress Fish Leong, and "Fly Brother," one of the Four Heavenly Kings, will be performing.

But as soon as Chen Xiangbei's No. 13 car drove out of the pit lane, the focus immediately shifted from the celebrities to him. He was the absolute protagonist of the Guia Circuit today!

A thunderous cheer erupted as countless spectators waved the national flags they had brought, instantly turning the main grandstand of Guia Bay into a sea of ​​red.

"Go Chen Xiangbei! Win the Grand Prix F3 championship!"

"It's been fifty years, it's time for a Chinese Grand Prix champion to emerge!"

"Chen Xiangbei, I want to witness you make history with my own eyes!"

"No one can rival you, go for it, Chen Xiangbei!"

Despite the clamor from the audience, Chen Xiangbei couldn't quite make out what they were shouting.

But he knew very well that the audience was encouraging and cheering him on.

Chen Xiangbei did not lower his helmet visor and instead extended his arm out of the racing cockpit, waving to the audience.

This was like igniting a powder keg, with shouts as loud as a mountain collapsing and a tsunami crashing down.

Is this what it feels like to play at home?

Feeling the atmosphere, even Chen Xiangbei, whose mind was usually stable, couldn't help but feel a surge of emotions.

All the hard work and dedication paid off, and I finally became the center of attention in the entire paddock!

Amid the fervor of the spectators, the reporters who had been waiting on the main track swarmed around Chen Xiangbei's race car, eager to get firsthand news.

"Mr. Chen Xiangbei, you secured pole position in your first Grand Prix. Are you confident you can hold onto your position and win the championship?"

"Of course, I am absolutely confident of winning the championship."

Without the slightest hesitation or doubt, Chen Xiangbei gave a resolute answer.

Whether for his own sake or for the tens of thousands of supporters cheering for him at the scene, he must keep the championship in China!

At the same time, Chen Xiangbei also knew one thing: that for at least the next ten or twenty years, there would be no second Chinese driver with the opportunity to have a stable Grand Prix F3 championship title.

I am the only one left!
"Hey north, I'm a reporter from TVB Hong Kong Island. I've heard that several racing teams have devised targeted tactics. Are you confident you can break the deadlock?"

"against?"

Upon hearing this word, Chen Xiangbei revealed a playful smile.

"Bring it on! No one can challenge me!"

Chen Xiangbei gave a powerful and assertive response.

The old saying, "The tallest tree in the forest will surely be felled by the wind," is true.

But in this world, there is always one towering tree that cannot be destroyed!
Chen Xiangbei has never backed down even when he became a public enemy on the European circuit. Would he lack confidence on his home turf today?

What a joke!
Hearing Chen Xiangbei's boastful answer, Motana, who was also in the front row starting position, had a meaningful smile on his face.

Motana wasn't laughing at Chen Xiangbei, but at the convoy behind him.

In the final moments of yesterday's qualifying session, all teams recalled their drivers to pit for tire changes, altered their extreme setups for qualifying, and prepared one-stop strategies for the race in advance.

The reason they saw was that Chen Xiangbei's racing team was severely understaffed, and the total time spent changing tires at the pit stop was more than a minute!

Although they didn't understand why Chen Xiangbei, despite signing with an F1 team, seemed to receive so little personnel and technical support, there is never absolute fairness on the track, and there is no sympathy or pity for the weak.

"Strike while the iron is hot" is the correct approach in competitive sports.

Today, Chen Xiangbei even started the car on yellow neutral tires, which means he understands his weakness of not being able to pit and can only rely on one set of tires to finish the race.

With no tactical options available, Chen Xiangbei was destined to find himself in a passive position.

Don't make grand pronouncements before the game; the one who laughs last is the winner!
It wasn't just Modana who had this thought; Kunimoto Kyosuke, Gene, and others in the back row were also observing Chen Xiangbei's "pitifully small" crew members.

Keep in mind that at this moment on the track, a normal team has at least seven or eight support staff. This includes one race engineer, four tire technicians, two jack mechanics, and one starter motor technician.

Chen Xiangbei was surrounded by only four crew members.

This means that if there is any temporary malfunction in the car before the start of the race, even a minor malfunction such as a flat tire that needs to be changed, it will be quite troublesome for the four crew members to handle.

The ordinary audience and supporters at the scene did not notice Chen Xiangbei's disadvantages; they were more excited by Chen Xiangbei's toughness and flamboyance!
I don't know how long it has been since I've seen a Chinese athlete respond to a reporter's question so directly and boldly, without any attempt to beat around the bush or dodge the question.

That's fucking tough!
"Awesome! I don't know if it's because I've seen his low-key and humble interview, but Chen Xiangbei's answers really made me feel great!"

"If they really had the ability to target Chen Xiangbei, then he wouldn't have become pole position!"

"That's right, there have been targeted moves in ranked matches, but were they effective?"

"The racing god Bei crushed them and was crowned king on the Guia Circuit!"

The audience at the scene, especially supporters from the mainland, cheered him on with all their might.

Whether we win or lose is something to worry about after the game; let's just enjoy ourselves for now!

Soon, a whistle sounded on the track, instructing unauthorized personnel to leave immediately.

The reporters on the track originally wanted to continue asking Chen Xiangbei questions, but after hearing the whistle, they could only leave "reluctantly".

After all, compared to other drivers, Chen Xiangbei is more likely to make headlines.

Only after the reporters dispersed did the convoy members have a chance to come closer. Hiroki Sawano leaned down and gave them a final instruction: "Mukai-kun, remember to stick to the tire-preserving strategy. We have our own tactics too!"

Hiroki Sawano had seen all the mocking looks from the other teams just now.

Indeed, Chen Xiangbei was limited by the crew members, and his choices for entering the station were essentially nonexistent, but that did not mean he had no tactical options.

The ultimate strategy for preventing miscarriage is Hiroki Sawano's winning plan!
"I see."

As Chen Xiangbei finished speaking, the second notification whistle sounded, signaling that everyone on the track had to evacuate, leaving only twenty race cars and drivers.

"Brother Bei, come on!"

"Head north, and take the championship!"

"Let the opponents know whose home ground this is!"

Before leaving, the team members cheered Chen Xiangbei on.

They weren't just saying empty words; they genuinely believed that Chen Xiangbei could become the Grand Prix champion.

The indicator lights rang out one after another. The moment the five lights went out, Chen Xiangbei started the car to warm up the tires in a very leisurely manner, without even the most basic serpentine maneuvering.

Experienced fans at the scene were puzzled by this scene, and even the race commentator Li Bing couldn't help but say, "Chen Xiangbei adopted a medium tire strategy, which warms up more slowly compared to soft tires. If he didn't want to lose his position at the start, he should use an aggressive approach of flooring the accelerator and burning the tires during the warm-up lap."

"Overtaking at the Guia Circuit is extremely difficult. Even if you plan to run the entire race without pit stops, you may not be able to catch up if your position drops too much."

"Chen Xiangbei's strategy, in my opinion, is very risky."

Li Bing does not agree with the strategy of running on neutral tires throughout the race; the best approach is to start on soft tires, stop briefly, and then pit.

Because Chen Xiangbei has the advantage of pole position, there is no need for him to take any risks.

If there's a sure-win way, why gamble?
At this time, Samsung's reputation as a "jinx" had not yet spread far and wide; otherwise, if track spectators had heard him say these words, they probably would have thought two words instead.

It's safe!

(End of this chapter)