Car Racing without Money Chapter 315 - 142: The Ambition of Chinese Automakers

"Thanks for your acknowledgnt, big brother. I will continue to work hard."

Chen Xiangbei responded humbly to Cheng Long’s praise.

Or rather, he never really was an arrogant person.

Just like the classic lyric by the band Mayday, "You’re not truly happy, your smile is just your protective color."

For Chen Xiangbei, facing the arrogance of foreign dia was, in a sense, his protective color.

Being seen as hard to provoke is far better than being seen as easy to bully!

"Xiangbei, I believe you already know why I asked to et, right?"

"Yes, I know."

Chen Xiangbei nodded his head.

"When I was young, I loved racing and once wanted to beco a professional driver. But fate led to the path of acting."

"However, my love for racing has never faded. Since I can’t race myself on the track, I’ll chase my driver dream indirectly, just like many people’s Kung Fu dreams."

As Cheng Long elaborated on his past racing dreams, Chen Xiangbei paid closer attention to the term "Kung Fu dream."

Next year, the movie "Kung Fu Dream" starring Cheng Long and Will Smith’s son is set to release, marking Cheng Long’s final highlight in the Hollywood era. Considering the tiline, filming is probably nearing its end this year, hence the instinctive ntion of this phrase.

"My initial idea was to form China’s own top-tier racing team, ideally composed entirely of Chinese people. But now, your ergence, Xiangbei, has left in a dilemma."

"Should I form a racing team or sponsor a driver?"

Cheng Long spoke candidly, sharing his inner conflict.

He actually hadn’t considered sponsoring drivers much. The reason is simple: dreams are dreams, but many things can’t rely solely on "passion"; reality factors must also be considered.

Even though Cheng Long is an international superstar who commands a 20 million US dollar paycheck and isn’t short on money from endorsents.

But as a big brother for so many years, he’s got the "Cheng Family Class" to feed, and any racing investnt needs to consider the returns.

For Cheng Long’s private capital, as long as the team can achieve results, even a hugely expensive investnt has the potential to be recouped and even profit.

Yet sponsoring a driver equates to pure expense with no profit.

Sponsoring a driver generally only results in ad benefits that increase a company’s or brand’s visibility.

But Cheng Long doesn’t have a business or brand under his na; he himself is a top "brand."

In many underdeveloped regions in Asia, Africa, and Europe, people might not know what Formula One is, but they know "Jackie Chan."

So where’s the promotional value in sponsoring a driver?

"Big brother, I understand."

Replied Chen Xiangbei, recognizing that sponsorship is a comrcial collaboration with no obligation for the other party to invest.

Cheng Long can’t form an F1 team, and personal sponsorship alone is pointless; if there’s no deal, it’s still a good opportunity to et a star.

"No, I’ve decided to sponsor you nonetheless."

Seeing that Chen Xiangbei misunderstood him, Cheng Long shook his head and emphasized.

"Xiangbei, I look forward to seeing a Chinese driver erge in the world’s top racing events."

"10 million Hong Kong dollars, as a sponsorship for your persistence in Formula racing, is my small gesture."

Many tis in life, one doesn’t only chase comrcial interests but also pays for dreams and a sense of patriotic pride.

Historically, when Cheng Long ford the Endurance Racing Team, he could have recruited more powerful European or Arican drivers, even retired F1 drivers, to ensure strong performance.

But he chose to recruit Chinese drivers Cheng Fei, Dong Hebin, and Fang Junyu for Dragon Team, not placing results as the top priority.

Just like his expressed ideals today, he hopes more to see Chinese or Chinese descent drivers in top events.

"Thank you, big brother."

"One day, the F1 Paddock will not only have Chinese drivers present, they will stand on the tallest podium—it’s my promise!"

Chen Xiangbei responded directly to the sponsorship without being overly modest.

Though Jiuli Sports’ support has temporarily relieved his financial strains.

To secure entry into the F1 Paddock, more funds are always better, especially in this era of financial crisis where teams are generally cash-strapped; sotis "money strength" is as important as the driver’s own skills!

"Great, I look forward to that day."

Cheng Long stood up, giving Chen Xiangbei a warm hug.

And simultaneously instructed the company’s legal team to swiftly draft the sponsorship contract, intending to transfer the funds to Chen Xiangbei as soon as possible.

From Cheng Long’s perspective, Chen Xiangbei’s current financial state is so dire he can’t even afford team mbers, resulting in a pit stop strategy disadvantage that nearly jeopardized the race outco.

In a sense, Chen Xiangbei’s "dire situation" was a key factor leading Cheng Long to decide on sponsorship.

He doesn’t want to see a promising Chinese prodigy driver fall due to financial difficulties!

While waiting for the legal team to draft the contract, Cheng Long chatted about life and movies and enthusiastically invited Chen Xiangbei to cao in his film.