The middle-aged man chuckled and scolded his son, admitting that the young girl was indeed quite attractive.
"I didn't," the son replied, his face flushing as he quickly shook his head in denial.
"Come on, I can tell from how you were acting just now," the father retorted. "Tomorrow morning, I'll ask around if she has a boyfriend. If she does, forget it. If not, you'll have to work for it yourself."
The middle-aged man thought the girl was quite nice, though her being a fan was a bit of a drawback. However, he noted that Lin Yan had been quite popular lately, with many people commissioning him for related merchandise and accessories, mostly women, which had earned him a good sum.
"No need, Dad. She wouldn't be interested in me," the son said hastily, knowing his own limitations.
"Nonsense. My son has at least eight-tenths of my former charm. He'll have a chance," the middle-aged man said, confident in his genes.
Mei Lin Workshop.
Lin Yan was in the gym, training his neck. Racers needed strong necks. His muscles had gradually taken shape, and he felt ready for an eight-hour endurance race.
After half an hour, Lin Yan got off the equipment and moved to a corner of the gym. There stood a large machine that Zhang Mingzhi had just delivered. It had a red motorcycle fairing, with the front replaced by a forty-inch large screen and a base underneath. This machine was the Ducati team's training simulator, capable of simulating the data of all commercially available Ducati models and factory racing bikes, as well as real-time data from all race tracks on Blue Star. Lin Yan had specifically asked Zhang Mingzhi and his team to pack and deliver it for his training. It could also function as a game console to pass the time. However, Lin Yan was likely the only one who would use it as such. Crucially, the simulator supported online play. Suddenly, Lin Yan had an idea: he could have Su Mojin practice riding on the simulator. He had originally planned to teach her after she had fully recovered, but this simulator could speed up the process. He would call Zhang Mingzhi later to have another one delivered.
Without delay, he took out his phone and dialed Zhang Mingzhi.
...
"How much! Eighty thousand!"
In the girls' dormitory, Xu Xiaoyue exclaimed, a gasp escaping her lips. Eighty thousand for a dress?
"Shh, keep your voice down," Su Mojin quickly gestured for Xu Xiaoyue to be quiet, not wanting to be overheard and accused of showing off.
Xu Xiaoyue immediately covered her mouth and nodded at Su Mojin, still finding it hard to believe that a dress could cost eighty thousand.
Although Xu Xiaoyue had managed to lower her voice, Liu Jiali, who was nearby, had heard. Eighty thousand for a dress. The intense jealousy in Liu Jiali's eyes was unconcealable. No wonder she was a top-tier rich second generation; her spending was so lavish, unlike her own boyfriend, who was stingy even when buying a bag. Thinking of that scoundrel Song Yinghao made Liu Jiali angry. He had been pestering her to go out these past few days. Liu Jiali knew exactly what Song Yinghao was up to. He wanted returns without any investment, did he think she was a fool? No, she had to break up with that scumbag Song Yinghao quickly and try to get close to Young Master Lin as soon as possible. She had also been saving money to buy a motorcycle these days, partly to attract Lin Yan's attention, and partly because the "motorcycle goddess" gimmick was perfect for catching a rich man. However, she could probably only afford a Horizon.
The next morning, Su Mojin went to the fan DIY shop. It opened at eight, and she arrived at precisely eight. Upon receiving the item, Su Mojin examined it carefully. Made of carbon fiber, it had a very fine texture and felt comfortable in her hand. It was only the size of a ping-pong ball, with the small design she had created and their names' initials on it. Notably, there was a clasp on the back. It was perfect for attaching the lanyard she had previously made. Su Mojin took it out of her bag, attached it, and swung it around. It looked quite good.
Just as Su Mojin was about to thank them and leave, the middle-aged uncle said, "Miss, may I ask if you have a boyfriend? Oh, don't misunderstand, I'm asking about my son." The middle-aged uncle was quite amusing.
Inside the shop, the son secretly peeked through his comic book, watching the scene unfold.
"Ah? Sorry, Uncle, I have a boyfriend. This is a birthday gift I bought for my boyfriend," Su Mojin explained, fearing he wouldn't believe her.
"Oh. Well, that's a shame," the son, hearing this from behind his comic book, felt a bit dejected.
After Su Mojin left, the middle-aged man returned to the shop and took the comic book away from his son. "Did you hear? She has a boyfriend." The middle-aged man didn't think much of it; there was no harm in asking. However, he mused that not many girls nowadays spent so much money on gifts for their boyfriends. He could still recall the anxious look on the girl's face when she first arrived.
...
Ducati Training Base.
A Ducati V4 sped along the track, Lin Yan's gaze fixed on the course beneath his helmet. Ahead was the pit lane. After completing a lap, Lin Yan changed direction and drove the bike to the pit lane entrance. He braked to a stop, quickly opened the fuel tank cap with one hand, and dismounted.
The moment he dismounted, several team members swarmed the bike, performing a rapid refueling and tire change. During the tire change, another rider, holding the fuel tank cap, approached the bike, subtly shifting his feet into a pre-mounting stance. As soon as the tire change was complete, the crew withdrew. The rider quickly screwed on the fuel tank cap, mounted the bike, and twisted the throttle before his seat had even fully settled.
Lin Yan, who had dismounted, took off his helmet, accepted a towel from someone nearby, and wiped the sweat from his brow, then sat down in the rest area. They had been practicing this process all morning. Motorcycle tire changes were much slower than Formula 1 because the chain and axle had to be removed before the tire could be taken out, making team coordination crucial throughout the process. In an eight-hour endurance race, there would be as many as seven tire changes. Every person had to be fully focused, as a single mistake could render the entire team's efforts in vain. This included Lin Yan, who had to remove the fuel tank cap the instant he dismounted, a process that had to be incredibly fast, as refueling was the slowest part of the entire pit stop, and the refueling time determined the overall duration of the stop.
PS: Brothers, I'm here early in the morning to collect your "powering with love" support. I apologize profusely.