Chapter 53: Chapter 53: SSCC Shanghai Racing Festival
Monday.
Gu Bai asked his counselor for leave, didn’t lie, the reason was simple: to attend the SSCC racing festival.
Everyone at the Shanghai Theatre Academy who knew him was aware that he owned a supercar, so the counselor wasn’t surprised. He just encouraged him to prioritize his studies, and approved the leave.
With the approval slip in hand, Gu Bai drove directly with Qi Man to the venue Tian Shu had mentioned.
While still on the road, a call from Tian Shu came in urging him: "Old Gu, what’s going on over there? Why haven’t you arrived yet? All the reporters are here, the press conference is about to start, we’re just waiting for you!"
Gu Bai maneuvered through the traffic as he answered the call.
"If everyone’s there, just start without me. I think I’ll need a bit more time."
"No can do, you’re one of our club’s 26 senior members. If you’re not here, how can we hold the conference? Just give me an exact time."
"20 minutes."
"OK, call me when you get here."
With that, Tian Shu hung up the phone.
After Gu Bai finished the call, Qi Man finally asked, "Why did you insist on bringing me?"
"In this kind of setting, isn’t it normal to bring a female companion?"
Qi Man was wearing the simple sports outfit that Gu Bai had bought her yesterday, with just light makeup. It wasn’t like attending a banquet, so there was no need for formal attire, although Tian Shu did invite quite a few celebrities to the event today.
"I just don’t quite understand why you brought me."
Gu Bai chuckled lightly: "You really know how to position yourself."
"Would it work if I didn’t? If you got angry again, I’d be back to where I started."
Hearing the resentment in Qi Man’s tone, Gu Bai couldn’t help but laugh: "Then just be good, alright?"
Then he explained.
"Didn’t we say before that being with me would get you something? Yesterday was on the material side, today is another level. I don’t think you’re the type of woman who’d be content just improving your quality of life with some pocket money, right?"
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"This kind of occasion is suitable for expanding your connections. Bringing you along is like getting you familiar with the crowd. Once you’re familiar enough, even without me, you can develop on your own."
Gu Bai spoke with integrity, and Qi Man saw a hint of warmth in his eyes.
"Are you trying to ditch me so soon?"
"If you don’t want to, you can stay at the fish pond, won’t you still get your fish food?"
"Then I’ll eat up all the other fish in your pond."
"If you really have that skill, then my fish pond will be yours to manage."
Gu Bai didn’t take her words seriously, what a joke, fish are just fish, could they suddenly become spirits?
Suddenly, Gu Bai turned his head and asked her, "Do you want to join the entertainment industry in the future?"
Qi Man shook her head, "No."
"Then why did you enroll in the Shanghai Theatre Academy?"
Seeing the puzzled look on Gu Bai’s face, Qi Man revealed a playful smile for the first time.
"To accumulate capital, I’m not like you, who had everything from birth. Apart from this face, I have nothing else to offer, so I could only get into the Theatre Academy and try to latch onto a big shot. Didn’t school just start, and I’ve already clung to your strong and long leg?"
"Is it only strong and long?"
"Psh!"
Gu Bai smiled and didn’t continue the joke.
"Do you always expose your ambitions this openly?"
"What else? I’m approaching you for this very reason. As long as I don’t hurt others, no shortcut is worth criticizing. I like money, but I have principles, this is my bottom line. As for how others see me, that’s their business, it has nothing to do with me, I don’t live for others."
No wonder in her previous life there were always rumors about Qi Man in the Theatre Academy, yet she never explained herself, always being so independent.
Everyone has the right to choose, Gu Bai wasn’t interested in preaching and asked again: "Then what do you plan to do after holding onto my leg?"
Qi Man thought for a moment and shook her head again.
"I don’t know. I used to think of saving some money while young, and then using it to do something and live an upper-class life, but I don’t have a goal."
"Since you don’t want to mix in the entertainment circle, then go into business, I’ll help you."
"What kind of business?"
"Let’s talk when you have a goal."
Although he wanted to help her, it wasn’t the right time yet. The two had just gotten a little closer, and he already arranged everything for her. Was Gu Bai supposed to be some kind of Saint from nine lifetimes ago? Might as well just give her all the 500 million-plus left in the card.
Receiving Gu Bai’s response, Qi Man didn’t have any other emotions. She wasn’t stupid. Even if she was Gu Bai’s official girlfriend, he wouldn’t arrange everything so quickly, let alone since she wasn’t even his girlfriend.
A few minutes later, Night Shadow entered the Shanghai F1 International Circuit. The loud roar made the media on the side pick up their gear and start shooting quickly.
They were small media outlets invited by Tian Shu with money. With material to report and money to earn, of course, they would work hard.
The outside of the racetrack was already surrounded by luxury cars, but most were still entry-level sports cars, like the BMW I8, Audi R8, Porsche 911, and the like.
Gu Bai had already informed Tian Shu in the car. Just after getting off, he saw Tian Shu, Li Zhun, and Zhao Weiwei walking over.
"You finally know to come, if you hadn’t, I’d have gone to catch you at the Shanghai Theatre Academy."
Tian Shu threw a fist at Gu Bai’s chest.
"I’m just here to join the fun, why expect anything from me."
"You think organizing a racing festival is easy for me? There are only 26 senior members, half didn’t come. If there were fewer people, why would I even bother?"
Gu Bai smiled and said nothing. Some words are just for listening; there’s no need to take them seriously.
With all the effort Tian Shu put into organizing the racing festival, how could it be delayed because someone didn’t show up? He said that out of courtesy, and Gu Bai returned the courtesy.
Seeing Qi Man getting out from the passenger seat, she winked at Gu Bai and said with a smile, "Hurry up, the principal and Brother Qin are already inside, let’s talk inside."
After speaking, they walked into the racetrack under the photographers’ lenses.
Upon reaching the conference venue, there were already dozens of people waiting. A bunch of young people gathered, chatting away, with no clear hierarchy visible. Seeing Gu Bai come over, Xiaowang and Qin Fen smiled and greeted him, neither too warmly nor coldly.
"Alright, you guys wait here for a while. The conference will start in a few minutes. I’ll go prepare."
Tian Shu did a bit of organizing and headed to the podium.
Gu Bai, along with Qi Man and Li Zhun, found a place to sit. In such a setting, mingle within your circle; there’s no need to randomly expand your network. No need to force connections.
"Old Gu, how’s that livestreaming gig of yours going?"
Li Zhun handed Gu Bai a cigarette and asked.
"Still figuring it out, let’s talk in a few days. I’m planning to start an investment company first. I’ve already asked the headhunter company to find me a reliable professional manager."
"Why start an investment company now?"
Gu Bai lit the cigarette and took a deep drag.
"Planning to go the conglomerate route, later incorporating all my personal companies into the investment company, then handing it over to someone truly capable to manage. I won’t meddle."
"You’re playing bigger and bigger. Tell me about the investment company, interested in letting me join?"
Gu Bai gave him a side glance, "I’m initially investing with five small targets, intending for more funding later. If you’re not afraid of getting diluted to the point where you have no say, then come and have fun."
Hearing Gu Bai’s tactful refusal, Li Zhun jokingly scolded, "You think I’m too poor, right?"
You can’t blame Gu Bai for turning him down. The investment company he’s planning to start now is set to be his future core business. There’s no way he’d let others meddle in it.
Gu Bai shrugged his shoulders and said with an expression of helplessness, "You blame me for being broke?"
"I really don’t know what your family’s situation is, a billion today, five billion tomorrow. Can’t they be starting to hand over the business to you already? How else can you handle spending like this?"
Gu Bai chuckled but didn’t continue. After all, his family had no business; it was all made up. Better not talk about it, as more words could lead to mistakes and expose the facade.
While they were chatting, the SSCC racing festival officially announced its start during the host’s opening remarks.
"Welcome everyone to the Shanghai International Circuit. Today, we welcome Hua Country’s largest supercar carnival to date—the SSCC Shanghai Supercar Festival. Here, nearly 400 supercars from all over the country have gathered to present a supercar feast to Hua Country’s car fans. A chance to see over a hundred supercars at once is undoubtedly bliss for car enthusiasts. Now, let’s together appreciate the charm of the Shanghai Supercar Festival, first with SSCC President Tian Shu taking questions from reporters."
Watching Tian Shu eloquently talk to reporters, Gu Bai turned his head to Li Zhun and asked, "I didn’t see 400 supercars when I came."
"What you saw were mainly cars from Shanghai, mostly SSCC internal members, probably around a hundred. The others will come throughout the afternoon and the next two days. After all, SSCC isn’t just in Shanghai. There are many members in surrounding Su Province and Zhejiang Province. Plus, there will be some car owners who are not part of the club but join in for the fun."
"Why go through all this trouble? Are there really that many people interested in participating?"
If Tian Shu hadn’t invited, Gu Bai wouldn’t want to dismiss him. He genuinely had little interest in attending the racing festival. Even if expanding his network was his goal, he’d rather go to some business cocktail party.
"To enhance SSCC’s fame. Do you really think SSCC operates as it publicly claims, as a non-profit club? The ins and outs are probably only known to Tian Shu. Why else would he take such a thankless job as president?"