F1: Starting with a Simulator Master

Chapter 146 Speeds Up Again

"I misjudged him again."

There was a moment of silence in the conference room. Everyone knew that the head of the Xu family empire rarely admitted to miscalculations.

Xu Fu paid no attention to his subordinates' astonishment. He placed his hands on the table and slowly explained his original intention.

"That ten million euros was originally just a side move. It wasn't a toll, but rather a reassurance."

Several executives exchanged a knowing glance.

Just last month, foreign media were still making a joke of this exorbitant sponsorship fee. The self-proclaimed authoritative century-old sports newspapers in Europe were still mocking the sponsorship fee as "Chinese nouveau riche throwing money around illogically."

After all, given Luo Xiu's legendary performance in F2, he could easily secure a seat in F1 next year based on his own abilities, and there was no need for him to pay this exorbitant "investment fee" in advance.

Only now, standing in this top-secret conference room, did they truly understand the unfathomable power of their leader.

That wasn't some hasty payment for passage.

Xu Fu used this ten million to demonstrate his stance, giving Luo Xiu absolute reassurance.

Only if he knows that there is no shortage of money behind him will this kid not be preemptively locked up by those European powerhouses and have his future locked up for the chance to touch the F1 steering wheel.

"I originally thought that if he agreed not to sign a long-term contract with any team for the next two years, he could at most stay in a bottom-tier F1 team for a year or two, or if he was unlucky, he could hone his character in F2 —"

Xu Fu paused for a moment, then revealed his truest thoughts.

"I don't want him to join a big team. Once those drivers get to drive good cars, they're not willing to slow down anymore."

In Xu Fu's view, the winter break arrangements were exactly as he envisioned, a standard long-term capital strategy.

But fate played a cruel joke on us.

The executive in charge of execution took over the conversation, his fingers, as he flipped through intelligence documents, barely concealing a wry smile.

"No one anticipated Sainz's acute appendicitis, no one anticipated that he could drive the Ferrari so fast, and no one anticipated that the yellow flag would directly help him snatch the race win from Verstappen—these extremely low-probability coincidences all came together! The matter of Roche winning the championship—which we originally expected to be a long-term plan that would take at least two to three years—was unexpectedly accomplished by him in just a few dozen hours."

Several avatars lit up one after another on the large screen.

Those are Toto Wolff and Zach Brown—both are heads of top-tier luxury clubs.

Those eyeing Luo Xiu were no longer the relegation-threatened teams behind the paddock, but this largest piranha club in all of Europe.

The intelligence chief lowered his voice and spoke rapidly.

"Based on flight information intercepted an hour ago, McLaren's Zach Brown canceled his vacation flight to California overnight. Meanwhile, at Mercedes, Toto Wolff's legal and engineering teams have been frantically searching for loopholes in the FIA's rules regarding 'rookie driver contracts' over the past three hours."

These usually aloof and powerful old-money tycoons, like frenzied sharks that have collectively smelled blood, are gathering in Luo Xiu's waters by any means necessary.

"The timeline is completely messed up."

Xu Fu tapped the table twice. "It's not just about his achievements; Luo Xiu's true market appeal is something even Zihang and Zihao, the two closest to him, haven't grasped."

When Xu Fu mentioned his two sons who were away from home, his tone softened.

"The second brother introduced them to some kind of drone show project in the Middle East. How much money did they make?"

"One hundred million in cash, Chairman."

The finance director standing to the side bowed his head and recited the numbers.

"Um--

Xu Fu nodded noncommittally, his tone revealing no hint of approval.

"Still too inexperienced. Too narrow-minded, only able to see petty gains."

The meeting room was quiet.

The old foxes present kept their eyes down and didn't dare to respond.

Everyone could tell that this usually decisive and ruthless sect leader, while being critical, was actually showing a hidden pride as a father.

But this rare moment of warmth and life lasted only a moment.

As Xu Fu's gaze returned to Luo Xiu on the big screen, his eyes suddenly sharpened like knives once more.

"But they simply can't see through it."

Xu Fu squinted, staring intently at Luo Xiu on the screen. "A Chinese driver who can break the white dominance, as long as he has the backing of the huge Chinese market, how much of a storm can his commercial potential stir up?"

He scanned the entire room, speaking slowly and deliberately.

"Since this kid has sped up the schedule, we old bones must also speed up."

Xu Fu straightened his back and his eyes swept across the faces of the executives.

There's no need to deliberately raise your voice; the atmosphere at the conference table instantly becomes tense.

"Find the cleanest channels and release the two messages separately."

Xu Fu issued the order decisively, without uttering a single unnecessary word.

"The first piece of news is that a very large all-Chinese team is preparing to enter F1."

"The second piece of news is that Roche has rejected all long-term contracts with any team; he is unwilling to sign multi-year contracts with any team currently in the paddock."

"Releasing these two pieces of information in advance will cause a lot of trouble for our negotiations with the FIA. Everyone needs to show the same fighting spirit as when we were starting a business."

Xu Fu gave everyone another heads-up.

"Chairman—"

The executive in charge of overseas public relations swallowed hard, his voice noticeably strained. "The Andretti family of America, with two billion US dollars and the technical strength of General Motors, were all ousted by these ten European teams in an effort to secure their year-end bonuses. Once our all-Chinese team is revealed, the Xu Group behind us can't be hidden at all. We'll face a political encirclement that's even more troublesome than what we faced with GM—"

"What, scared?"

Xu Fu coldly interrupted him, his gaze piercing.

"I think GM will get in sooner or later! The doors to Europe have never been opened with money. If they won't open them, we'll smash them open!"

The conference room was deathly silent. Xu Fu's tone was icy as he made his final decision: "Raising this flag is indeed a direct attack on those ten veteran racing teams, and it will inevitably be met with a full-scale counterattack. This trump card should have been kept hidden longer, but Luo Xiu's side acted too quickly. Since following the usual steps is too late, we'll get involved ourselves sooner rather than later. The more we stir things up, the better our chances will be!"

The executives in the conference room were all seasoned business veterans who instantly grasped the intention.

"This process—anyone associated with the new team will be isolated."

"Let those self-righteous Western media outlets piece together the clues themselves. Once the media develops the conclusion that Luo Xiu is the vanguard pawn of that Chinese team," Luo Xiu will become a hot potato in the F1 paddock."

This is a fabricated chain of suspicion specifically targeting wealthy families.

Toto Wolff, Horner, Vassell—all the team principals, they themselves would be pounding their heads with excitement.

Is investing heavily in training Luo Xiu now tantamount to creating the strongest opponent for yourself in the future?

Taking advantage of the inherent suspicion and scheming of those white capitalists, they forcefully severed all the long-term constraints that were trying to tie around Luo Xiu's neck.

He needs to secure at least two years of genuine freedom for this young man in the turbulent arena, sparing him from prematurely incurring the burden of non-compete agreements and image rights buyouts that would prevent him from recovering.

With this ruthless, covert strategy finalized, the tense atmosphere in the top-secret conference room finally eased slightly.

Just as everyone had finished collecting their documents and was preparing to leave, a brief news flash from a top-secret hotline appeared on the large screen.

"Chairman, news from the South China Power R&D Center: our independently developed V6 hybrid prototype engine has passed the 72-hour high-intensity, high-violent ignition test."

A rare little commotion broke out in the conference room.

Everyone was trying their best to restrain themselves, but the fervor in their eyes was impossible to hide.

That engine represents the true awakening of a heavy industrial behemoth on the land of the East.

"Everything is ready now, except for a team code to be submitted to the FIA ​​for registration after the shell company is acquired."

The executive in charge of international legal affairs then stepped forward and spoke up, "The overseas marketing team believes that the original pinyin abbreviation 'BJM' (Bi Jimi) lacks a striking effect in English pronunciation. They suggest changing one letter before registering it—"

"What should we call it?"

"BGM".

Xu Fu glanced at him.

For the first time ever, a smile appeared on that face that was usually imposing and etched with the vicissitudes of the business world.

"BGM. The character enters with their own background music —"

"It sounds cheesy, but it's pretty audacious. Approved."

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