Car Racing without Money-Chapter 254 - 125: Potential Major Sponsors

Having a peaceful meal at home and then a good sleep, Chen Xiangbei felt utterly relaxed for the first time in half a year.

Early the next morning, Fatty Wang and Glasses Zhou came by. The three of them had a great time together, chatting about their recent experiences, and eventually headed to the internet cafe for a fun gaming session.

After all, they all knew that they had no idea when they would meet again.

Just before noon, Chen Xiangbei unexpectedly received a call from Lu Xiaoman, who opened with a direct question: "Xiangbei, where are you now?"

"Guangming Street, why?"

Chen Xiangbei asked back, puzzled. Lu Xiaoman was with the team members landing in Hong Kong, and if there was no important matter, she wouldn’t contact him in advance.

"Wait there, I’ll be there in twenty minutes."

After saying this, Lu Xiaoman promptly hung up the phone.

"Xiangbei, what’s going on?"

Glasses Zhou asked after witnessing the scene.

"No idea."

Chen Xiangbei shook his head. Lu Xiaoman had always been spontaneous; one could never anticipate what she might do.

Twenty minutes wasn’t long before a Ferrari F430 with Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau license plates stopped in front of Chen Xiangbei.

As the car window rolled down, Lu Xiaoman, wearing sunglasses, shouted with style, "Get in."

Chen Xiangbei was already accustomed to Lu Xiaoman’s demeanor. He waved to Fatty Wang and Glasses Zhou, opened the passenger door, and got in.

In contrast, the two stood dumbfounded on the roadside, staring at the tail lights of the Ferrari as it drove away. Fatty Wang murmured, "Glasses Zhou, is this what’s called the demeanor of a rich woman?"

"Something like that."

Glasses Zhou nodded his head. Lu Xiaoman’s dominating presence was overwhelming, coupled with the Ferrari F430, making Chen Xiangbei feel like a kept man.

"Looks like, Xiangbei has really made it..."

While saying that, Fatty Wang patted Glasses Zhou on the shoulder, and the latter nodded in agreement meaningfully.

Of course, Chen Xiangbei was unaware of what those two fools were thinking.

Now, he asked with a puzzled face, "Xiaoman, aren’t you in Hong Kong?"

"Also, what’s so urgent?"

"President Peng of Jiuli Sports has arrived in Guangshen, and he also pulled in a top sponsor for you."

"What sponsor?"

Curiosity piqued in Chen Xiangbei.

Although Peng Sheng was a returnee and Jiuli Sports a startup, Chen Xiangbei had historical insight and knew the influence of his family’s background in the sports industry.

The sponsorship that could bring him personally from East Sea to Guangshen was definitely not small.

"See the building with the sign on the top? It’s them."

Chen Xiangbei looked in the direction Lu Xiaoman pointed, at a distant glass curtain wall building top with large letters.

[Lneovo] (The letters are intentionally reversed, just understand the homophone)

Lenovo?

Chen Xiangbei was shocked; he hadn’t expected Lenovo to be his first top sponsor.

However, it seemed quite normal upon further thought. In this era among domestic giant enterprises needing overseas commercial influence, brands are few and far between. As for those interested in motorsport racing, Lenovo was alone.

In 2007, it sponsored the Williams Team in F1, one of the first Chinese companies to venture into formula racing.

"Xiangbei, through its sponsorship of F1 teams and the Yanjing Olympic Games, Lenovo’s overseas market has been growing at an annual rate of 55%, successfully entering the list of top 500 global companies, tasting the sweetness of exporting brand influence."

"President Peng’s Jiuli Sports is now fully expanding and has established partnerships with Lenovo, signing famous Olympic champion Zou Shiming, billiard star O’Sullivan, among others, and plans to venture into formula racing."

"They noticed your role as a test driver for the Brown GP Team and your forthcoming participation in the Grand Prix, intending to sign a long-term sponsorship contract."

Lu Xiaoman spoke with excitement and joy.

Though not short of money, as a temporary "agent," she was well aware of how tight Chen Xiangbei’s finances were.

After accounting for the rental and insurance increases of Renault racing cars and team expenses, the balance was less than 200,000 RMB, edging closer to bankruptcy.

Even for this participation in the Australian Grand Prix, to save team expenses, Chen Xiangbei didn’t bring the complete team, only three Chinese technicians.

Additionally, there’s a more crucial aspect: Lu Xiaoman always remembered Odetto’s words to Chen Xiangbei, "Are you afraid of the track?"

Lu Xiaoman knew it wasn’t fear; it was the pressure of being financially tight that made Chen Xiangbei conservative.

Precisely because of this, Lu Xiaoman joked that Chen Xiangbei shouldn’t worry about car damage, as she could afford to replace several Renault cars.

Now, although Chen Xiangbei has overcome the "conservative" mindset, the financial pressure from possible car damage still bothers him. The small sponsorship fees from local brands are just a drop in the bucket for the costly sport of formula racing.

Chen Xiangbei urgently needed top enterprise sponsorship, which was among the reasons Ross Brown and Staler insisted on his participation in the Grand Prix.

Because, in their view, for a Chinese driver to secure their position in the F1 Paddock, without the advantage of "local status," strength and sponsorship must stand out.