Volume 5 Chapter 82 Prince Frank also wants to come?
Another year’s spring came.
Each year in April, it was time for the Banta City bicycle race and Banta City would become lively again.
Because of the success of last year’s Frestech Bicycle Circuit, when people paid attention to the Banta City bicycle race, they cared more about the Frestech Bicycle Circuit that came afterwards.
Because it was the first time last year and the ones participating were only the teams of the companies that organized the event, people didn’t really pay attention to it.
But at the end of the year, when the final competition of the Frestech Bicycle Circuit was over and the champion was decided, it was announced that the champion had received a total of eighty four thousand gold coins. This had attracted everyone’s attention to the competition.
Everyone had treated the hundred thousand gold coins grand prize as a slogan before, not many people had believed it.
But when the eighty four thousand gold coins was given to the champion by the Frestech Chamber of Commerce in front of countless people, when the golden Chimera Chamber of Commerce banknotes were held by the champion, this circuit caused quite a commotion.
So the second Frestech Bicycle Circuit this year had attracted the attention of countless people, even surpassing the attention that Banta City’s bicycle race had before.
Of course, Banta City’s bicycle race didn’t fall out of favour because the top three in Banta City’s bicycle race last year were recruited by three bicycle companies participating in the Frestech Bicycle Circuit, becoming professional cyclers. They had gone on to earn a shocking minimum wage of two thousand gold coins a year.
If people could win the Banta City bicycle race this year and gain the attention of these companies, they could be recruited to their professional cycling team.
So there was the slogan “participation comes first”. There were many that wanted to chase the dream of being a professional cycler, so Banta City’s bicycle race obtained a new peak when it came to participation, reaching a shocking ninety six thousand participants.
It had to be known, because it was filled with factories and there were various people who came for work, Banta City’s population had just surpassed three hundred thousand people.
Ninety six thousand people, in other parts of the Lampuri Kingdom, that could be the population of the top cities.
Because the numbers far exceeded their expectations, the Banta City bicycle race that should have ended in one day was divided into two days. They would be divided into two batches of participants and they would be placed in terms of finishing time.
Being able to gather all these people to participate at once, it was unique on the Sines Continent and was rarely seen in the history of the Sines Continent.
So whether it was Banta City or the Lampuri Kingdom, they attached great importance to Banta City’s bicycle race each year.
Other than stopping accidents from happening with all these people gathered, it was also to demonstrate Banta City and the Lampuri Kingdom through this sports event.
Since several years ago, there were even people from other countries that came to participate. After the Frestech Chamber of Commerce announced that the Frestech Bicycle Circuit wouldn’t limit participants based on nationality, there were countless times more people who came from other countries to participate in the bicycle race.
Other than people from the countries around the Lampuri Kingdom, there were even a few participants from the Candra Empire that came to participate.
“Chairman Xu, were those three people arranged by you?” Count Will looked at the three participants from the Candra Empire who were being interviewed by the reporter from the «Banta Times» and asked Xu Yi this.
“No, they are just interested in the competition, they aren’t related to me.” Xu Yi shook his head to deny it.
“Really? But I can see the newest Swordfish Model Bicycle designed for racing from your Frestech Chamber of Commerce under their butts. This bicycle’s first batch only had five thousand units, it can’t even be bought in Banta City right now. Are you telling me that these three outsiders were able to buy it this easily?” Count Will clearly didn’t believe him.
“Perhaps they have their own channels, that isn’t strange, right?” Xu Yi gave a shrug as he replied in a casual manner.
Count Will narrowed his eyes to look at Xu Yi. Seeing that he wasn’t prepared to explain, he shook his head and stopped asking.
“Alright, let’s not worry about those three for now. But chairman Xu, as for the Magic Sedan race matter, can you explain to me?”
“Un? Lord Count, what don’t you understand?” Xu Yi asked back.
“Don’t understand?” Count Will gave a laugh, “There are many things I don’t understand! Chairman Xu, you told me before that this Magic Sedan race would follow the pattern of the bicycle race where anyone can attend, so why are you limiting the participants now? Do you know, there are many young nobles that were ready to attend this race, but now they’re being kept out by a few words from you. Do you know how many times they’ve protested to me in the past few days?”
Xu Yi gave a laugh, “I thank them for their interest in this competition, but it’s a pity that there must be some restrictions for this race or there will be some big problems.”
Count Will slightly knit his brows at this, “What is it? Chairman Xu, you still aren’t planning on explaining? I am Banta City’s City Lord and it’s being held in my Banta City, so I must have control over it. Do you understand?”
“I do.” Xu Yi nodded, but his expression still didn’t relax, “But Lord Count, this matter…..it isn’t up to you to manage for now because…..why her majesty learned of this matter, she allowed me to handle it. I think that you should be receiving a decree for her majesty very soon.”
Count Will knit his brows as he looked at Xu Yi with a bit of doubt in his eyes and a bit of surprise in his heart.
He was very confused why this trivial Magic Sedan race held by the Frestech Chamber of Commerce would attract the attention of her majesty.
And he was shocked because this matter had already received her majesty’s approval, but he still hadn’t received the royal decree yet.
He considered himself one of her majesty’s closest subordinates, but in this matter that was closely related to Banta City, he actually knew less than Xu Yi.
It could be seen just how close her majesty was with Xu Yi, it was far beyond what everyone had imagined.
Thinking of the rumours that spread through the Lampuri Kingdom, Count Will’s eyes looking at Xu Yi couldn’t help filling with a complicated look.
Xu Yi ignored Count Will’s expression. When he was asked about the Magic Sedan race, there was a strange feeling in his heart.
Because…..for this race, there was a representative sent by Prince Frank participating.
A month ago, Baron Belil came all the way to the Stantine Duchy to tell Xu Yi that Prince Frank wanted to personally attend the Magic Sedan race in Banta City, causing Xu Yi to almost bite off his tongue.
Through Baron Belil’s relationship, he had secretly entered the Candra Empire and gone to Prince Frank’s manor to see him, but he had only seen his housekeeper. Xu Yi understood Prince Frank’s indifference, feeling that it would be very hard to enter the Candra Empire through a relationship with Prince Frank.
But he never thought that in just a few months, Prince Frank’s attitude would change. He didn’t care about the rules and came all the way to participate in the Magic Sedan race here!
Xu Yi was very shocked when he heard about this.
He was the third prince of the Candra Empire, one of the most important people on the Sines Continent.
He was running to the Lampuri Kingdom that was over a thousand kilometers away to participate in this race. Not to mention all the different plots and assassination attempts he would face, if he were to receive any injuries in this race, it would create serious consequences that Xu Yi and the Frestech Chamber of Commerce couldn’t face.
So after contacting Prince Frank through Baron Belil, Xu Yi firmly advised him against this idea.
But Prince Frank was very interested in the Magic Sedan race, or rather he wanted to race without worries. Xu Yi had discussed this with Prince Frank and finally agreed to have him send a representative instead.
So even if it was Prince Frank’s representative, this was a very important thing for Xu Yi. He didn’t hesitate to contact Seveni and after reporting this matter to her, he received Seveni’s full support.
No matter what Prince Frank wanted to do, they had to guarantee that his representative could smoothly enter the race, finish the race, and then leave.
Otherwise, if something happened to them in Banta City, it would be fine if Prince Frank didn’t pursue it, but it would be a serious diplomatic issue if he did pursue it.
Even if the Lampuri Kingdom was much stronger compared to before, they absolutely couldn’t face the wrath of a giant like the Candra Empire.
But what Xu Yi was surprised about was that Seveni didn’t contact Count Will ahead of time to have him coordinate with Xu Yi.
Just like Count Will had said, this competition was being held in Banta City, so it was impossible to bypass him as the Lord City Lord.
If Seveni had Count Will fully support him, Xu Yi was more assured in smoothly solving this issue.
Xu Yi and Count Will both had doubts and no one spoke at this time, as they both fell into silence.
At this time, there was a voice that suddenly came from behind them that cut through this silence.