Chapter 690: Chapter 275: I Won’t Go Easy on Them_2

"Without the ability to ’smooth things over,’ what right do you have to be a hooligan in the F1 paddock for decades?"

And indeed, it was true. Not even an hour later, Briatore returned to the hotel, casually giving Chen Xiangbei an OK gesture, as if the earlier altercation was no big deal.

Seeing this, Chen Xiangbei didn’t ask any more questions. Although the Italian old hooligan looked a bit disheveled when he called for backup, managing to settle it himself still made him seem cool.

...

A night passed, and just when Chen Xiangbei thought the bar "jealousy" incident had died down, the next morning a large group of journalists gathered outside the hotel.

Briatore had indeed used his connections to deal with the South Korean police and the fight participants, but times were different now. The speed at which news spread online was beyond imagination, and Chen Xiangbei’s special status only fueled the fire.

One must know that South Korea itself harbors a deep-seated "hostility" stemming from over a thousand years of being a tributary state, which has created a profound inferiority complex and ignorant arrogance.

Chen Xiangbei is now considered a public figure, and his act of beating up a Korean on the street while calling him a "stick" deeply hurt their pride.

And so, thanks to the spread of information online, the hotel entrance was crowded with reporters waiting for an interview.

"Xiangbei, the crowd outside is seething. After being the enemy on the racetrack, you’re probably going to gain the title of a national enemy as well."

Lu Xiaoman stood by the window, looking at the media reporters blocked outside, and couldn’t help but tease Chen Xiangbei.

"No, what does this have to do with me?"

After a night’s sleep, Chen Xiangbei’s thoughts had become much clearer. The root cause of this incident was Briatore’s "woman snatching" that caused the conflict; he only stepped in to prevent him from getting beaten.

Why did it feel like he was the one taking the blame now?

"Nothing to do with you?"

"Hmph, who told you to go drinking and carousing with Briatore?"

Lu Xiaoman snorted coldly.

"The problem is I didn’t even drink!"

To be honest, Chen Xiangbei felt increasingly aggrieved, as he had clearly gone to celebrate!

"What’s the use of telling me? You have to make the journalists outside believe it."

"Alright then, I’ll go for the interview."

Chen Xiangbei gritted his teeth; the hotel doors were blocked layer after layer, and he couldn’t step out without doing the interview.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course, a true warrior dares to face life’s bleakness!"

With that said, Chen Xiangbei turned and headed toward the door.

However, before the interview, he dragged Briatore along; that Italian old hooligan was the "chief culprit" here.

The waiting Korean journalists at the hotel entrance, upon seeing Chen Xiangbei appear, immediately swarmed over as if injected with adrenaline.

"Mr. Chen Xiangbei, your fight in Itaewon—is it just as rumors say, involving shady deals?"

"Mr. Chen Xiangbei, after beating someone and returning to the hotel, do you realize you are suspected of fleeing?"

"Chen Xiangbei, several eyewitnesses testify that you used abusive language against Koreans; I think you should publicly apologize!"

"That’s right, publicly apologize, or Korea won’t welcome a driver like you!"

Even before Chen Xiangbei could answer, the Korean media reporters at the scene, full of righteous indignation, were filled with anger and malice in their words and expressions.

Initially, Chen Xiangbei wasn’t someone who couldn’t reason; he intended to explain the situation well.

But upon hearing the word "apologize," a nameless fury surged within him.

Indeed he had cursed them, but was everyone at the scene deaf, not hearing the other party’s "shopkeeper" slur? 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Apologize? Apologize your NMLGB!

"I didn’t start a fight or engage in any shady deals. The reason for the confrontation was more about self-defense."

[Self-defense?]

When Chen Xiangbei said this, the journalists at the scene were dumbfounded.

You lead a group of several HRT team members in a brawl, and you call it self-defense?

A group defending against a few people?

"Chen Xiangbei, you’re just quibbling!"

Someone shouted this, immediately resonating with the crowd present.

"I’m not quibbling. Prior to the conflict, my manager, Mr. Briatore, was being chased and beaten, facing serious personal threats!"

"A sixty-year-old man! Being chased and beaten in broad daylight, wasn’t my intervention a matter of self-defense?"

"If team relations weren’t considered, I think it’s more about standing up for justice!"

If the Korean journalists were being shameless, then Chen Xiangbei wasn’t a pushover either; it was just a matter of distorting the truth, let’s see who can talk better.

Having been influenced by the internet of later generations, this was something Chen Xiangbei did not find foreign, he just previously disdained using it.

And indeed, once these words were spoken, the Korean journalists at the scene were left astounded.

The information they received was that Briatore was the first to hit someone with a wine bottle, causing the conflict. Can this be called standing up for justice?

Just as the journalists were reacting to this, Briatore suddenly coughed twice, then pretended to be dizzy, leaning on Chen Xiangbei’s shoulder for support.

When it comes to acting, the Italian old hooligan is very professional.

"See? Last night’s incident had a severe impact on our team manager, and I have expressed my doubts about South Korea’s public safety. I believe the world will give a fair judgment on this matter!"

Chen Xiangbei spoke righteously, making it seem like he was truly the victim...

"But you used insulting language, what’s your explanation for that?"

Feeling unable to clarify the fight, the on-site journalists simply changed the topic.

"Stick" was the term that triggered their excitement and anger. Comparatively, a bar fight was no big deal, it was only because Chen Xiangbei is a public figure that it drew attention.

"Evidence?"

Chen Xiangbei asked in return.

If he remembered correctly, at that time he made a "zero-frame start," with people nearby having no time to react and record with their phones.

The circulated footage online mostly showed Briatore calling people to the scene, and the team members clashing with others.

Sure enough, when Chen Xiangbei asked this, the questioning journalist was stumped.

Everyone at the scene heard it, but it didn’t mean it was recorded. Things should be based on evidence!

Seeing the journalist lost for words, Chen Xiangbei seized the opportunity. "Using baseless rumors to criticize and engage in online violence against me shows the unprofessionalism of South Korean journalists."

"I will protest through the embassy and the FIA!"

After saying this, Chen Xiangbei immediately "supported" Briatore back into the hotel, no longer engaging with the group of Korean journalists.

Once inside the glass doors, Ah Yong came over immediately to inquire, "Brother Bei, are we really going to find the embassy to protest?"

As one of the parties involved, Ah Yong certainly knew how much nonsense Chen Xiangbei was spouting, worried about causing a diplomatic incident.

"Protest my ass, just parroting TV show lines."

Chen Xiangbei purely acted and bluffed, and this kid Ah Yong took it seriously.

When it comes to pretending, no one could beat Briatore. Without the cameras, the old hooligan immediately perked up, admiringly saying to Chen Xiangbei, "Bei, you did very well just now. You’ll definitely be a master at paddock politics in the future!"

"Manager, could you just be a decent person?"

Chen Xiangbei replied irritably, as the old hooligan’s first thought was managing paddock politics.

Obviously, Briatore didn’t catch on to Chen Xiangbei’s sarcasm. Just as he was eager to further promote his theory, his phone rang in his pocket.

He pressed the call button, said a few words, and his expression suddenly turned serious.

"Bei, Bell has arrived at the airport with the racing simulator; now is the time for us to take action."

"Come on, let’s go!"

Briatore clapped his hands vigorously, signaling the crew members to get ready. The brief moment of entertainment and relaxation had passed, and now it was time to get into race mode!

As Chen Xiangbei sprang into action, the journalists outside were not idle either. Although they lost the verbal joust, they lived by the pen, and had the authority to dictate the narrative in their reports.

A storm of public opinion was quietly descending!