The matter of Song Botao's ambush on the Wei family was something the Wei family patriarch was fully aware of. If it had succeeded, it would have been one thing, but since it failed, the Wei family patriarch had to take some measures.
The Song family's dismissal of Song Botao's position was more like an apology to the Wei family, asking them to back down.
"Mr. Lin, this is the news released on the Song family's official website."
In the office, the secretary handed a document to Lin Guoxiong.
Upon seeing the content of the document, Lin Guoxiong sneered. The Wei family was quite clever; their self-preservation tactics were well-played. Fine, he wouldn't bother with them for now.
Dealing with two families at once was a bit too much for their Lin family.
The Wei family would never truly act against the Song family; it was merely a feint, a harmless gesture. Although the Wei family patriarch was nearing his end, his vision was still clear. He knew that once the Song family was finished, his Wei family would be next. This action was merely to show their stance to the Lin family.
But would Lin Guoxiong let them off? Naturally not, but he was temporarily unable to deal with the Song family.
Lin Guoxiong, having reached his current position, naturally had his own ambitions. After eliminating the Song and Wei families, their Lin family would become the foremost family in the capital.
...
In the Wei family villa, the Wei family members were gathered around a table.
Seated at the head was the Wei family patriarch, Old Man Wei San, supported by two servants.
The Wei family patriarch had traveled extensively in his youth, sustaining numerous injuries and illnesses. Coupled with the significant decline in the Wei family's business over the years, his health had deteriorated day by day.
Though over sixty, he looked as if he were eighty.
And today, the Wei family patriarch was to announce a major event: the designation of Wei Hua as the heir to the Wei family.
Announcing Wei Hua as the heir would have been an extremely difficult matter under normal circumstances. However, at this critical juncture, no one dared to provoke the Wei family patriarch's displeasure.
This was because everyone present in the Wei family knew that Wei Shaoting had caused immense trouble this time.
While Wei Hua was indeed the eldest son of the Wei family, the seven aunts and eight uncles present were not his relatives but rather the relatives of Wei Shaoting.
Therefore, despite appreciating Wei Hua's talent, it was difficult for the Wei family patriarch to pass on the position to Wei Hua. This incident provided him with an opportunity.
Wei Hua was currently in his fourth year of university and was excused from attending school. The Wei family patriarch directly appointed Wei Hua to the position of vice-general manager in the company, allowing Wei Hua to gain experience.
"Do you have any objections?"
"Uh... No."
Although there were unspoken dissatisfactions within the family, they agreed due to Wei Shaoting's significant mistake. In their view, even if Wei Hua took charge, with them present, who would ultimately hold power was still uncertain.
"Then this matter is settled for now. *Cough cough*, Second Brother, all the losses our Wei family has incurred this time will be considered payment for Shaoting's mistake. Remember, do not seek revenge against the Lin family; focus on self-preservation. Only when the Song family can no longer hold on should our Wei family intervene."
"Yes."
Old Man Wei coughed a few times and gave his instructions. He then stood up and, with the assistance of the servants, walked towards the inner rooms.
Vice-general manager?
A cold glint flashed in Wei Hua's eyes. After enduring so long in this family, he finally saw a glimmer of hope.
With a position and authority, he could then proceed to do the things he wished to do.
...
The next morning, Lin Yan began preparations for the competition.
The racetrack was cleaned meticulously. Lin Yan decided to open the racetrack to the public that day, allowing spectators to participate in the event. With his master's presence, Lin Yan predicted that the number of spectators for this competition would reach an astonishing figure.
He also released a new piece of information.
That after his race against Luo Xi, a new competition would be held. This competition could be considered a youth race, primarily for the initial enrollment of the academy. A portion of the profits from ticket sales would be used as prize money to attract participants.
As soon as the news was disseminated, with the amplification of Lin's media, it instantly attracted countless young racing drivers to sign up.
Registered drivers would first undergo review by Zhou Xianyong and his team. If they were deemed to have sufficient skill, all costs during the competition would be waived, and they wouldn't even need to prepare their own race cars.
This was truly a boon for grassroots racers.
As the saying goes, masters are found among the common people. There were indeed many skilled individuals, but many were unwilling to participate in competitions. Firstly, their cars were inadequate, and secondly, the expenses of racing were too high. If they won, it was manageable, but if they lost, it meant losing money.
No one was willing to do something that resulted in a loss rather than a profit.
Not to mention other expenses, a single race would consume at least one set of tires. A set of full-slick tires alone cost nearly a thousand yuan, not including other wear and tear, or the cost of injuries from crashes. If one crashed, setting aside the car issue, if the person got injured, it would be a tremendous loss.
Wealthy individuals naturally didn't care; they raced for enjoyment. But those from impoverished backgrounds like Sun Tianhe and Zhou Xianyong, who raced to make a name for themselves, would pinch every penny and spend every coin wisely.
The rules of Lin Yan's competition were designed precisely for these individuals. As long as one possessed talent and skill, all expenses during the competition would be covered by Lin Yan, and they would even be provided with accident insurance.
With Lin Yan's reputation as a guarantee, the credibility was immense. In just one morning, the racetrack's entrance was almost overwhelmed with applicants.
The displacement of the race cars was 600cc, and the maximum age for participating drivers was twenty-one.
Despite this stringent age requirement, many still participated, including delivery riders, which greatly surprised Lin Yan.
Under Lin Yan's restrictions, thirty of the most outstanding drivers were shortlisted, ten of whom were grassroots racers.
"I never expected you to achieve what I couldn't."
Sitting in a corner of the spectator stands, Luo Xi sighed.
It was truly difficult for grassroots racers to make their mark.
Hearing this, Lin Yan beside him smiled without speaking. As long as he had the capability, he was willing to help China's racing industry more.
Besides, he wasn't losing anything; it was merely exchanging money for reputation.
These grassroots racers were overjoyed to have the opportunity to compete. They lined up, led by Zhou Xianyong, to collect their race cars. They had two hours of practice time in the morning.
Zhou Xianyong had already signed a contract with Lin Yan, with very generous terms, which moved Zhou Xianyong to tears.
He now understood his mission: to train racing drivers, much like teachers in a school. Zhou Xianyong felt a sense of sanctity in this task.
The race cars Lin Yan had prepared for these young drivers were Aprilia RS660s. Frankly, drivers with good backgrounds and sponsors were fine, but those who had practiced on racetracks by saving every penny since childhood were seeing such new cars for the first time.
With the efforts of hundreds of technicians at the Nian'an Racetrack, these cars had all been modified. Except for minor adjustments for personal preference, no further modifications were allowed, ensuring the competition was as fair and just as possible.
At nine in the morning, the area outside the East District was completely thronged with people. Not only were there fans from all over the world, but also those who had flown in from abroad. The number of spectators reached an unprecedented height in the racing community.
With three hours remaining until the start of the competition, fans had already crowded the entrance of the racetrack. Reluctantly, Lin Yan had to have people open the racetrack gates early to allow fans into the spectator stands.
The spectator stands, with nearly two hundred thousand seats, were completely filled by ten o'clock.
Chinese spectators alone numbered thirteen thousand. The remaining were over a hundred thousand international spectators.
Furthermore, even though the spectator stands had opened, a large crowd still gathered at the entrance. With the stands full, they had no seats and could only watch the race from outside the racetrack, separated by a fence.
Including those inside and outside, there were nearly three hundred thousand spectators. It was important to note that this was not an internationally renowned competition; it was merely a race organized by two individuals.
To manage the crowd outside, the Lin family deployed over two hundred bodyguards to maintain order. This was not enough, so even the East District traffic police brigade dispatched a large contingent to assist in maintaining order.