Why race if you don’t have money?

Chapter 240 The Cradle of Future Drivers

"Chen Xiangbei~~~!"

"Welcome back home, Chen Xiangbei!"

"Number one in China, the strongest driver in Asia!"

"Look here, the racing god Bei!"

As it turns out, baseball caps and masks were completely useless in front of enthusiastic fans; in fact, they made you stand out even more in the crowd coming out of the arrival gate. It just goes to show that what you see on TV is all lies...

To be honest, it's quite remarkable that Chen Xiangbei was recognized and received so many car enthusiasts at the airport.

The key reason is not about the outfit, but about the propaganda from domestic media.

Chen Xiangbei's performance in Australia brought him, who was already somewhat famous, into the spotlight of the national propaganda machine. Even CCTV's prime-time news program at 7 pm planned a special report on Chen Xiangbei.

It's no exaggeration to say that, apart from the possible difference in target audience, Chen Xiangbei is replicating Yao Ming, who once became a sensation through a talent show.

Despite competing abroad in the same top-level event, Chen Xiangbei unexpectedly made it to the competition and demonstrated his strength and potential to contend for the championship, foreshadowing the birth of China's next world-class sports superstar.

This global influence has, to some extent, surpassed that of Liu Xiang.

With the launch of a national-level publicity campaign, Chen Xiangbei's "light travel" and disguise seemed rather childish. Car enthusiasts and the media had already learned about it through various channels and were waiting at the airport for his arrival.

After a brief period of surprise and shock, Chen Xiangbei felt mostly moved.

There's a saying that goes, "Only by going abroad can you truly appreciate the beauty of home."

In this era, the feeling is even more profound.

While cold stares and ridicule may have been a driving force for Chen Xiangbei, who wouldn't prefer flowers and praise if given the choice?

"thanks, thanks."

Now that his identity had been exposed, Chen Xiangbei simply took off his mask and waved to the fans at the scene.

"Hey north, let's take a picture together!"

"Car God Bei, give me your autograph!"

"I bought a lot of HRT team merchandise; I'm your most loyal fan!"

[Fleet for the team?]

Upon hearing this, Chen Xiangbei looked in the direction of the voice and noticed that many fans were holding items such as team T-shirts, baseball caps, TF110 car models, life-size helmets, and even their own dolls.

To be honest, Chen Xiangbei knew that Briatore, as the team manager, would definitely try every means to raise money for commercial operations.

But I didn't expect him to move so quickly!

In Chen Xiangbei's mind, Hua Bu, this old rogue, had to take care of integrating the team's forces and personnel, setting up the second-hand wind tunnel transported from Ferrari, and even communicating with Toyota in just a few months.

Even if they want to commercialize and make money, it's nothing more than releasing a baseball cap and a shirt, like in football, at most.

Now it seems that I have greatly underestimated Briatore's desire and potential to make money. This guy not only contacted South American giants, but also did not let go of the domestic "harvesting" of韭菜 (a metaphor for exploiting people).

But then another idea popped into Chen Xiangbei's mind.

Could this be an unauthorized pirated copy?

Of course, Chen Xiangbei didn't have time to verify these things. He could only be indiscriminate in accepting anything that came his way. Whoever handed him something would have him sign a signature that even he himself couldn't understand.

During this process, Chen Xiangbei saw a familiar face; it was Zhang Zhicong.

Chen Xiangbei informed Zhang Zhicong only before boarding the plane that he was returning to China ahead of schedule, thinking that since he was going to Hong Kong Island anyway, he might as well visit his elders along the way.

Huasai Sports was the starting point of my professional career. Without Zhang Zhicong's help, I wouldn't have been able to enter the F1 paddock so quickly. One should never forget one's roots.

Zhang Zhicong was surprised to find so many people "greeting" him at the airport, and he couldn't get a word in edgewise. He struggled to squeeze in.

"Uncle Zhang."

Chen Xiangbei exclaimed in surprise.

It's been more than half a year since we last met, and I really miss him.

"Xiang Bei, you've made something of yourself."

Zhang Zhicong replied with a smile.

From an ordinary high school to a nationally renowned sports superstar, Zhang Zhicong has witnessed Chen Xiangbei's growth and feels extremely gratified.

Just as Chen Xiangbei was wondering how to get out of the crowded area after meeting Zhang Zhicong, airport security came over to maintain order, effectively "rescuing" Chen Xiangbei and opening up a safe passage.

Arriving at the underground parking garage and getting into the familiar Biscay Blue Volkswagen R36, Zhang Zhicong asked, "Xiang Bei, were you tired from the flight?"

"It's alright, anyway, I can just lie down and take a nap and I'll be on Hong Kong Island."

Chen Xiangbei was in business class and didn't really feel anything.

"Since you're feeling alright, I'll take you somewhere."

"Where?"

You'll see when you get there.

Zhang Zhicong smiled and kept everyone in suspense before driving off in the northwest.

As we drove along, the surrounding scenery became increasingly remote. At first, we could still see village houses, but later we could see large areas of farmland.

In fact, Hong Kong Island is not the small, expensive place that outsiders perceive it to be. In fact, there are large areas of undeveloped land that still retain the characteristics of urban villages or rural areas, such as the famous Yuen Long area.

Just as Chen Xiangbei was feeling puzzled, the Volkswagen R36 stopped in front of a gate with a sign that read "Hua Sai Karting Club" in large characters.

"Uncle Zhang, this is..."

Chen Xiangbei was stunned. He never expected that Zhang Zhicong would bring him to a go-karting club, and one called Hua Sai!
"I drove it."

"Let's get off the bus and go inside."

Zhang Zhicong patted Chen Xiangbei on the shoulder, then turned off the engine and got out of the car first.

Chen Xiangbei followed closely behind Zhang Zhicong as they entered the karting club. From afar, they could hear the roar of engines inside, indicating that someone was training.

"After dealing with the Huasai base in Donghai, I was disheartened and decided to leave the racing industry completely and settle down as a professional manager."

"But seeing your performance at the Grand Prix, I suddenly realized that Hua Sai Sports has not completely failed. It has ultimately nurtured Chinese racing teams and discovered a talented driver like you."

"Perhaps it was resentment, or perhaps it was a sudden burst of youthful exuberance in an old man, that led me to found this go-karting club."

“I once had lofty ambitions and wanted to build a Chinese Formula racing system in one step. Now I’m looking back and starting from the very beginning of Formula racing, hoping to cultivate the next Chinese F1 driver and also hoping to see the next Chen Xiangbei.”

Zhang Zhicong spoke his mind in a way that resembled muttering to himself.

From beginning to end, he harbored deep resentment over the collapse of Huasai Sports.

Back then, filled with dreams and passion, I wanted to build China's Formula One racing cars and host the East China Sea F1 Grand Prix.

The final result was a complete mess. If it weren't for Chen Xiangbei's appearance, Zhang Zhicong would have become a complete failure.

Now he understands that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

Only by starting with the most basic go-karts can a true Formula One racing system be gradually built, and potential future F1 drivers be discovered.

Huasai Karting Club is Zhang Zhicong's dream that he has never given up!
Zhang Zhicong's words also deeply moved Chen Xiangbei.

No one understood better than him the difficulties in the development of Formula One racing in China. Even with the emergence of F1 driver Zhou Guanyu in later generations, it was practically a flash in the pan, and no one knew where the next one would be.

The hope of producing a second Chinese F1 driver within the foreseeable future is slim. To end this situation, instead of focusing on high-end technologies, we should start with karting, the true cradle of Formula One drivers!
As they walked and talked, the two soon arrived at the side of the track. Chen Xiangbei even saw an acquaintance there, namely Masaharu Ito, a Honda engineer who had been dispatched to the Donghai Huasai base.

"Ito, you're here too?"

Chen Xiangbei asked a question with great surprise and disbelief.

Since parting ways in Donghai, Chen Xiangbei had lost contact with Masaharu Ito. He had assumed that the group of dispatched engineers would return to Honda headquarters, but he never expected to find them at the Hong Kong Island Karting Club.

"Long time no see, Xiang Bei Jun."

Masaharu Ito already knew that Chen Xiangbei would be coming, so he wasn't too surprised and greeted him with a smile.

"With Honda's withdrawal from F1 and the impact of the financial crisis, Honda headquarters canceled its Formula racing division, and Ito was laid off and lost his job as a result."

"As you know, he speaks fluent Mandarin, and he was involved in driver training at Hua Sai Sports, so I invited Ito to Hong Kong Island."

Zhang Zhicong helped explain the reason: Ito's language was not a barrier, and he had a lot of experience in this area, making him the most suitable candidate to be a go-kart instructor.

"I see."

"Uncle Zhang, are you planning to rebuild the Hua Sai?"

Hearing Chen Xiangbei's teasing, Zhang Zhicong smiled but didn't reply.

Currently, it's just a small go-karting club, far inferior to the former Huasai Sports.

I don't know if I'll ever be able to rebuild the China International Film Festival (CIF) in my lifetime.

"Heading north, this track is 2.2 kilometers long, built to international standards, and equipped with go-karts of all levels."

"I have no restrictions on the trainees. As long as they are talented children and teenagers, regardless of their identity or nationality, they can all join the training."

Hong Kong Island is a special case, being relatively more international, so Zhang Zhicong did not limit the students' identities to mainlanders or Chinese.

In a sense, this coincides with the development trend of motorsport; openness and inclusiveness are essential to creating the strongest teams and drivers.

Even Zhou Guanyu, he is not actually a driver in the Chinese racing system, as he went to the UK for professional training at a young age.

Just as Zhang Zhicong was making his introduction, many of the elementary school students saw Chen Xiangbei appear and stopped their training to gather around him, looking at him with curiosity and admiration.

In China today, most children probably wouldn't know Chen Xiangbei. They're still in elementary school playing video games, so they wouldn't care about F1 racing.

But in a go-karting club, Chen Xiangbei is definitely the idol and role model for the students!

Countless young karting drivers dream of one day becoming an F1 driver like Chen Xiangbei, racing in the world's top racing events.

Just like when Chen Xiangbei was a child, he regarded Schumacher as his idol and goal.

So much so that Dong Yuanxi discovered my passion for racing after I stood in front of Schumacher's retirement poster for a very long time...

"Heading north, these are all club members, a total of twenty-six people."

"By the way, the fastest lap time right now belongs to this kid. He won all the domestic karting competitions this year and also holds the club's single record. He has the same vibe as you when you first came to the Donghai Huasai Base."

As Zhang Zhicong spoke, he pulled a boy of about ten years old to his side and introduced him to Chen Xiangbei in a proud tone.

Chen Xiangbei glanced over and instantly felt that the child looked somewhat familiar.

So he asked, "Uncle Zhang, what's his name?"

Before Zhang Zhicong could answer, the little boy took the initiative to introduce himself.

"Brother Xiangbei, my name is Zhou Guanyu."

[Zhou Guanyu?]

Upon hearing the name and seeing the vaguely similar face, Chen Xiangbei was stunned.

Then a look of deep regret crossed his face. It seemed that the timeline and history of this world had ultimately influenced the development of Formula One in China.

"Heading north, Guan Yu drives a KZ-class go-kart and can complete the entire track in 67 seconds. What's even more commendable is his remarkable stability over long distances, without the impulsiveness and mistakes typical of young trainees."

"To be honest, this stable emotional state is just like you used to be!"

Faced with Zhang Zhicong's praise, Chen Xiangbei felt at a loss for words.

He hadn't yet connected the impressions of Zhou Guanyu from later generations with the image of this ten-year-old child before him.

"Not bad, not bad, very impressive."

After a moment of stunned silence, Chen Xiangbei finally offered a word of praise.

"Ye Yifei has also improved very quickly. He set the fastest lap in the entire race in his first karting competition this year. His talent and potential are obvious."

"Xiang Bei, if I hadn't started the karting club from scratch, I wouldn't have known there were so many promising talents in China."

Zhang Zhicong continued to introduce the students to Chen Xiangbei, his tone filled with sighs and emotions.

If I had given up on developing the CFR2000 and started working in a go-karting club earlier, I might have discovered many more hidden gems.

Chinese teenagers are not lacking in racing talent; they just lack an opportunity to experience racing!

However, Chen Xiangbei was in no mood to reflect on it; he was once again surprised by Ye Yifei's name.

Could it really be such a coincidence that he is Ye Yifei, the future Le Mans champion?

To be honest, compared to Zhou Guanyu's wealthy family background, which allowed him to step into the F1 paddock, it's quite different.

Ye Yifei had no room for error. After realizing that his chances of driving an F1 car were slim, he decisively switched to endurance racing, creating a story of misfortune turning into blessing.

"Uncle Zhang, you're probably really going to become the godfather of Chinese motorsports this time."

Realizing that it was highly likely to be Ye Yifei from the future, Chen Xiangbei uttered these words with a half-smile.

Zhang Zhicong already had the title of "Godfather of Chinese Racing," but he simply didn't achieve it.

When he heard Chen Xiangbei say that, he thought the other person was joking.

So he laughed and replied, "You little rascal, you're joking with me."

After saying that, Zhang Zhicong looked at Zhou Guanyu and said, "Guanyu, didn't you have something you wanted to say to Brother Xiangbei?"

"Ah."

Zhou Guanyu nodded, then said, "Brother Xiangbei, can I get an autograph?"

"sign?"

"no problem!"

Chen Xiangbei thought he was going to do something else, but it turned out he just wanted an autograph, which he readily agreed to.

While at the airport, he somehow managed to get a pen from a fan and put it in his breast pocket.

But just as Chen Xiangbei was about to sign, Zhou Guanyu shook his head and said, "It's not yours."

"Whose is it?"

"I want Alonso's."

【Depend on! 】

History has changed, but the idols haven't. Looks like I was being too forward, buddy...

(End of this chapter)