Car Racing without Money

Chapter 784 - 319: I Only Want to Be First

Various murmurs arose at the scene, especially among some fans and enthusiasts in the back row who could not help but excitedly shout.Many people admire and support Chen Xiangbei because they like his strong, arrogant energy, which overturns their perception of Chinese, even Asian drivers, and fits the image of a god-level driver.

After all, a softie in this competitive game of F1 has always struggled to gain respect. Historically revered drivers like Senna and Schumacher, in terms of personality, were definitely not considered gentle folks.

"Bei, Kimi Raikkonen will be watching the Monaco Grand Prix, and rumors have circulated that he’ll race a rally against you. Is this true?"

An Al Jazeera reporter seized the opportunity to ask, as the news of Raikkonen racing in a rally against Chen Xiangbei had already spread, but most people deemed it a rumor.

Although F1 drivers are generally versatile and can be top-notch in any other motorsport event,

rally racing has a fundamentally different style.

Even with a super genius like Raikkonen, his rally results are quite ordinary.

Chen Xiangbei is even less mentioned, having never had any rally racing experience; to suddenly participate against Raikkonen is somewhat illogical.

"Yes, I indeed arranged to race with Raikkonen a long time ago."

"A long time ago?"

The Al Jazeera reporter was surprised; he did not only confirm the rumor but also set the challenge much earlier than expected.

"Bei, do you want to prove you have the same talent as Raikkonen, to respond to those early mocking and humiliating comments about the ’Twin Stars’?"

Another reporter asked.

As everyone knows, Chen Xiangbei initially gained fame through marketing stunts with the title "Twin Stars" to draw external attention.

Of course, this attention was mostly negative, with outsiders thinking it was ridiculous for a Chinese person to be compared with Kimi Raikkonen.

But "bad publicity" is still publicity, just like many internet celebrities later on who get famous first and then clean up their image.

Many times, reality is defined by success or failure.

Now Chen Xiangbei has already proven his talent in the F1 field; he indeed deserves the title of "fast-tracked Twin Stars" alongside Raikkonen.

However, with Raikkonen switching to rally racing, Chen Xiangbei lost the opportunity to compete with this Finnish legendary genius, leaving the outside world unable to determine who truly has the superior talent, who is the historical genius!

Now the situation has taken a twist, Raikkonen officially challenges Chen Xiangbei, and it’s still in a rally race he has never run before.

If Chen Xiangbei can win this time, the "Twin Stars" talent will no longer be questioned, and those previous mocking and humiliating remarks will turn into self-mockery!

"Do I still need to respond now?"

Chen Xiangbei revealed a mocking smile.

These reporters and many foreign folks are so self-satisfied, thinking they can manipulate the narrative and pressure Chen Xiangbei, who must gain their approval to prove himself.

The fact that Chen Xiangbei can sit among championship contenders today already proves his talent, and what "Twin Stars" title is now in the past for him.

"Then why do you want to race in a rally?"

The reporter is puzzled, as Chen Xiangbei doesn’t aim to prove his talent or respond to past ridicule, so the motive for racing in a rally is unclear.

"It’s simple, I want to beat Raikkonen."

"No matter if it’s the F1 paddock or the rally track, I can win."

Indeed, what Chen Xiangbei wants to prove is not the "Twin Stars," but that he is stronger!

An old saying goes: in literature, there is no number one; in martial arts, no number two; racing is the same.

Once the "Twin Stars" were a marketing ploy for Chen Xiangbei, now they are more like shackles to him.

Because many people only see him as Raikkonen’s second, the driver who followed in Raikkonen’s path.

It’s like the titles South Murong and North Qiao Feng; for the weak, it’s glorification, for the strong, it’s more, "I’m Qiao Feng, a great hero, how dare you compare me to Murong Fu?"

Of course, this is just an example; Raikkonen’s character and driving skills are indisputable in the F1 paddock, arguably one of the cleanest drivers in the last twenty years.

But Chen Xiangbei doesn’t want to be someone’s second; he only wants to be first.

Not to mention Raikkonen, even Senna or Schumacher as second, he doesn’t want that title.

I am who I am, the number one driver from China, Chen Xiangbei!

[FUCK, the Chinese guy is a bit arrogant, he is just among championship contenders and already sees himself as a world champion?]

[Driver Bei, what makes you think you can beat Raikkonen?]

[Let me tell you flat out, whether it’s the F1 paddock or rally tracks, you will be defeated by Raikkonen!]

Instantly, there was a wave of clamoring at the scene, knowing that Raikkonen, with his handsome image and cool personality, at his peak period had a fan base and popularity almost equal to Schumacher, and even stronger than Alonso.

Even within the domestic bounds, in 2012, when he returned to the F1 paddock, it directly doubled the pre-sale ticket sales of the East Sea Station!

Undoubtedly, Chen Xiangbei’s "provocative" remarks against Raikkonen brought back those unpleasant memories of past publicity stunts, which fans certainly couldn’t tolerate!