This is not how you drive a machine!

Chapter 284 Stillborn
"Mr. Pan, just tell me the exact price!"

Pan An looked up, glanced at the account balance on Feng's tablet, and after a moment's thought, translated it into a language that Guang Yu could understand.

"If you replaced all of them with White Rabbit milk candies, you could easily cover the entire Light-Year Project base with them..."

Before he could finish speaking, another female robot pilot was added to the lobby to take the driving test.

"So much money!"

"I want to buy a spotlight... no, I want to buy a lighthouse!"

"When night falls, I'm going to be like Batman and print Yuantong's logo into the stratosphere so that astronauts can see it even in space!"

"I've wanted to see it like this for a long time, la la la la la..."

With the three little groups' heartfelt performance, the lounge was instantly filled with a joyful atmosphere.

Even Qingluan, who usually sleeps soundly whether things go well or not, is now full of energy, squatting in the corner of the hall and relentlessly attacking the contact list.

"Hey, don't hang up! Keep listening to me..."

"Although your Aurora's change to the training system is going to kill a mecha girl, do you know how much Yunyi just received...?"

"I know you're tired, but could you please let me finish my rambling first?"

"..."

"Why can't I be human? I'm not even human..."

Hearing this, Ling Yu, who was sitting upright not far away, couldn't help but roll his eyes at Qing Luan behind him, and silently put down the book "Wolf" in his hand.
I flipped through several pages of "The Wall Street Chronicles".

It's impossible for it to stabilize completely.

Money can drive people crazy, and it can drive mecha girls crazy too.

Feeling the spiritual pressure storm brewing in the air due to the high-frequency vibrations of the Heart Vessel, Jiang Yu Feng, who had been keeping a close eye on the team's cash flow, finally couldn't hold back any longer.

As for?
As for that!
Even if we have that much money, it's all for research and development!

Research and development is a money-burning machine. Once this black hole is opened, it will become a drain on resources if not controlled...

She looked down at the many duck eggs in her account, and her eyes darted around for a moment.

"With so much money, we can definitely be more extravagant with our food expenses, like adding an extra dish at night? Maybe... No, late-night snacks are absolutely out of the question!"

"And what about the mecha girl management department? Could they perhaps purchase a new batch of mecha girl pleasure devices...?"

A blush instantly spread across her face, and amidst a shy yet polite smile, the windows of the Lightyear Project creaked.

The spiritual pressure storm that had been brewing for so long finally erupted in an unexpected way, almost putting Zhou Yun into vibration mode.

"I, I... eh?"

Zhou Yun squatted on the toilet, his fingers trembling as he held onto the toilet wall, experiencing for the first time the infinite mysteries of the Spirit Contract.

枫！
It's just a little money, isn't it?

Can you please stop vibrating your heart-shaped artifact?

I'm taking a dump!

After a devastating cataclysmic event, he gripped his fingers, leaned against the wall, and ignored the soul and spirit that had been swept away behind him. He appeared before the crow waiting at the door, his left foot slightly bent and his right foot slightly crooked.

"Raven, you're still the best."

The crow remains the same crow, unmoved even when Mount Tai collapses before it, and unperturbed even when a windfall falls from the sky. It always manages to find ultimate peace amidst the clamor of money.

This tranquility, like the mellow mint candy amidst rolling wheat fields in summer, prompted him to hold the crow tightly in his arms.

"Jackdaw..."

Han Ya, who was being held tightly by Zhou Yun, blushed with happiness. Although she had no idea what was going on, she still responded to Zhou Yun with a sweet smile.

"Zhou Yun, that's wonderful."

She gently stroked Zhou Yun's head.

"With more and more people joining the team, you can relax a lot... and all the problems can be solved, right?"

If it can't be resolved...

"I, I still have some Little Raccoon Crispy Noodles here, here you go."

"Give you all."

Hearing Han Ya's words, Zhou Yun couldn't help but hug Han Ya even tighter.

Yes, it's getting better and better.

The team's development issues have finally been resolved.

He no longer had to rack his brains trying to figure out how to help his small team survive the resource devastation of the S-series before making it to the World Championship.

Recalling the scene from the top of Zongyun Mountain overlooking Jingyun City a few months ago, he seemed to see the moon from that night again.

He will seize the highest honor for both race car drivers and mecha girls in this world.

We'll catch them together.

"Okay, I want to eat, wait!"

"I need to go to the restroom again. I shouldn't have made that bet with Xiyue yesterday. It really hurts..."

枫！
Stop shaking!
Just as he was pulling up his pants and yanking open the bathroom door again, Thor hurriedly pushed open his bedroom door as well.

"Zhou Yun, President Jiang is looking for you."

"They said they wanted to discuss the matter of a 'drifting training industry base'."

……

[Drifting training industry base, what nonsense is Jiang Wuyang spouting...]

[The market is in such a mess right now, I've laid off so many people I've had brain hemorrhages, and you still dare to tell me to invest in a large-scale project that won't even get off the ground for at least two seasons?]

[Drifting is all the rage now, but how long will this trend last? It's one thing to just run an art exam prep school and fleece people, but why build a large-scale industrial park?]

A thin mist rose over Kyoto, obscuring the sunlight and casting a dim glow over the Qinghe Group's offices.

While sending text messages on his phone, Ye Qinghe secretly grumbled to himself.

Jiang Wuyang is indeed a self-taught individual; he really does whatever comes to mind.

That's not how you do the business model for mecha girl racing!

You need to make money early, understand?
Once this wave of traffic dividends is over, what can be gained from it?
If you don't get your principal back within three months and your cash flow is cut off, what kind of drifting business can you still develop?

What? You're planning to keep investing in this industrial park until the very end?

Ah, I get it now, you're all clenching your fists, ready to conquer and seize territory, right?

Okay, we'll discuss this in detail at the dinner table later.

After sending the message, he raised his eyelids and glanced at Ye Qing, who had been sitting to the side for a long time, and immediately let out a sigh of disappointment.

"We've already found a new path for your club, with Qinghe Group fully investing in it."

"You don't need to worry about the team's cohesion; we'll do whatever you say..."

Seeing Ye Qing's unmoved expression, Ye Qinghe felt a surge of anger.

"Are you really determined to fight to the bitter end with a sinking ship?"

"Damn it, if you're going to perform Titanic with me, at least find someone prettier!"

"Chen Shuo is almost fifty years old! He even screwed over our family before, and you insist on performing a 'you jump! I jump!' act with him to disgust me, don't you?"

At this point, Ye Qinghe's words became increasingly agitated.

Whether it was from excessive anger or something else, he let out a sneer with a twitching expression.

"Ye Qing, do you know how much luckier you are than other children?"

"You won't have to send out hundreds of resumes a day after graduation because you can't find a job. You can do what you want to do, you'll have enough resources to utilize your strengths, and you'll have people paving the way for you all the time..."

"If I hadn't invested in Lightwheel, no matter how talented you are, would you have been able to gain a foothold in Lightwheel? And this is how you repay me?"

Do you treat me like your father?

Ye Qing finally broke her silence.

"Ha, so this is how you, as a father, torment your son?"

"Time and time again, selling your son like a commodity?"

“He completely ignored my daily training, only thinking about how to sell his son for a good price, and signed so many contracts behind my back... Sometimes I don’t understand, am I a race car driver or a top courtesan in a brothel?”

Ye Qing stood up with a wry smile, suppressing his anger and speaking in a calm tone.

"Father, what you've squeezed out of me has far exceeded the initial investment! How much credit did I give for Qinghe Media's development into a group and its expansion from the mecha girl competition project?"

"To be honest, I really regret having racing talent, otherwise Jianxue would be so busy she could throw up..." If it weren't for impulsively accepting this challenge.

If it weren't for an opponent like Zhou Yun, he might never have discovered the ultimate joy of racing.

One's spirit may gradually disintegrate amidst the ultimate suffering brought about by this kind of hobby.

He raised his head and looked at the inner demon that had been blocking his path for years, his eyes growing sharper and sharper.

He knew that this moment was just like being on a racetrack.

We must not be afraid, we must not back down, and we cannot turn back.

"So stop talking to me about giving and receiving."

"Family ties shouldn't be about settling scores, and even if we were to, the relationship between us wouldn't stand up to any scrutiny!"

"The reason I came back here is not to ask you to withdraw the lawsuit and let Guanglun go, but to tell you this."

"Withdraw your investment now! Whether you want to collect your debts or sue us is up to you!"

Ye Qinghe was about to say something more when Ye Qing forcefully interrupted him.

"With you insects by your side, Nimbus will never be able to run a race car!"

"You don't need to keep using the 'pay for what you get' rhetoric to blackmail and coerce me. The new Light Wheel will be back on the S-series stage. Just you wait and see. Don't regret not getting on board then."

After saying that, Ye Qing left, slamming the door in deep disappointment.

After this collaborative race, he clearly realized that the mecha girl racing in this world was severely deformed.

From top to bottom, it's jagged, intertwined, a complete mess, and the whole thing is crooked.

He was deeply involved, yet he had no idea where the road ahead lay.

At that moment, he could only hold back the tears welling up in his eyes and send a text message with intense disappointment.

Uncle Chen, I'm sorry, I couldn't close the deal.

My father...

He deleted the message and edited it again.

I couldn't persuade Qinghe Group to make that decision. I'm sorry, I can't solve Guanglun's funding shortage problem.

A short while later, a message reply came through on my phone.

"It's alright, your Uncle Chen has other plans. Don't worry, Guanglun's assets are all in my hands now, haha."

Have you eaten yet? If not, come back quickly. I'm cooking today myself. Let me tell you, I practiced my big-pot stir-fry skills during the S3 World Championship.

[Back then in South America, I don't know what got into the S-series officials, they dried up the track in the Amazon rainforest. At that time, our team, Light Wheel, had the best food...]

[I can't say anything more, come back quickly, or the food will get cold.]

"..."

Ye Qing stared silently at the Qinghe Group's office building.

He was at a loss for how to deal with his emotions. Over the years, it seemed that his father had never asked him if he was hungry.

……

"Wow, this is quite a feast!"

"I have to say, you guys are the ones who have to order. This fish looks more appetizing than the roast duck Chen Shuo made last time."

Upon arriving at the dinner party, Ye Qinghe folded his coat and placed it on the back of his chair, then raised his wine glass and looked around.

One less dogwood was inserted all over.

Besides Chen Shuo, the original investors of Critical Point Media, Southern Leap Group, and the Lightyear Project were all present.

It was the same dinner party as last time, and the same familiar scene.

He raised his glass, toasted everyone in turn, downed the anger his son had caused, and then got straight to the point.

"Mr. Wan, you're right to remind me."

"Indeed, we should take a longer-term view. Drift training industry bases are indeed a money-losing business, but the market for decal modification is immeasurable."

As soon as he finished speaking, others chimed in.

"That's right, this is a completely untapped blue ocean market, you could say it's a crab that no one has ever tried."

"First come, first served!"

"If we seize the market now, won't Jiuyuan Company obediently hand over its technology? Once Jiuyuan Company is here, won't Yunyi Racing Team be able to do whatever it wants with us?"

"By then, we'll be in a monopoly position, and we'll have the final say on how much gold and silver we need to spend."

These words immediately ignited the passion of everyone present.

After the downfall of Koh-Round, the entire racing market in Kyoto and even the whole country will be affected by a chain reaction, and the resulting earthquake will be difficult for anyone present to escape.

Their position of controlling half of the mecha girl esports industry has become precarious.

The reshuffling of the situation has given them a chance to return to the top, making everyone at the dinner table green with envy.

"The only difficulty now is that Jiang Wuyang..."

Upon hearing the name Jiang Wuyang, none of the bosses and directors present showed any pleasant expressions.

Ye Qinghe, in particular, nearly crushed his wine glass upon hearing the name, his veins bulging in his hand.

This same person, in such a crucial position for so many years, held them back for so many years...

Others might not know, but Ye Qinghe knew all too well.

How many opportunities for growth and expansion did Jiang Wuyang cause him to miss?
You can't win an argument, you can't convince someone through reasoning, and their reputation is too high to be shaken off; you still need to rely on this person for many things...

Thinking of this, he downed the strong liquor in one gulp.

"If it weren't for him, the mecha girl racing industry would definitely not be what it is today, thanks to our efforts!"

His words inflamed the crowd.

"Correct!"

"Does he even know anything about racing? We just let him mess around like that, and what should have been an asset has been ruined by him!"

"He bears the main responsibility for the fact that our Xia country hasn't produced a world champion for so many years!"

"I think he just doesn't want to give up his position, that's why he's being so unreasonable. Race car drivers only need to get on the track, but we have a lot more to consider. How the industry develops is none of their business!"

"Exactly. With the system stable, why waste money on mecha-girl racers? It would be better to use these resources to increase the value of related industries and attract more people to the races..."

"That's right, when race car drivers aren't racing, all they do is eat and sleep. Why can't they make the most of that time? We're not investing money to support idle people..."

After everyone had vented their emotions, Ye Qinghe put down his wine glass.

"Fortunately, Jiang Wuyang is just an amateur. Amateurs should be kicked out, shouldn't they?"

"Correct!"

"We can't let him mess around in such a big emerging market any longer. This time, we'll kick him out completely and let him see how the racing industry works."

"Ha, he even has this drifting training industry base up his sleeve. He really doesn't understand anything. What's the difference between this and giving Glory Evolution to us for free?"

"Doesn't this just prove that the task of modifying prints must never be handed over to him..."

After another round of lively discussion, the boss pulled out his briefcase.

"Haha, come on, are you all ready?"

Upon hearing this, everyone pulled out various contracts from their briefcases.

"The Yunyi Racing Team is about to return to Jingyun. We have limited time, so the subsequent profit sharing will be calculated based on today's investment ratio..."

Before long, contracts and agreements were being drafted, one after another, under each company…

The massive flow of funds was like a roaring dragon in a river, with a whooshing sound, its jaws wide open, biting at the Glorious Evolution project team in the turbulent current.

Ye Qinghe twirled the wine glass in his hand, his expression gradually becoming filled with desire.

Customizing with printed designs—the lifeline of future race car drivers—has been inadvertently grasped in their hands.

What will it be like when you have the three things that determine a racer's fate in your hands: modification, system, and promotion?

How far can Qinghe Group develop with this gold mine that it has monopolized?

"Gentlemen, may the future be bright!"

"To the future!"

And so, a group of carrion vultures stood on the corpse of the light wheel, plotting a plan that would never come to fruition.

(End of this chapter)