It was another year of spring and the flowers bloomed.
In April of each year, Banta City's bicycle race would be held, so Banta City would become very lively.
Because of the success of the Xinfei Bicycle Race last year, when people were paying attention to the Banta City bicycle race, there were more and more people who were paying attention to the Xinfei Bicycle Race that followed.
Last year, because it was the first year of the competition, and only a few companies participated in the competition, it didn't attract much attention.
But at the end of last year, the final race of the Xinfei Bicycle Race came to an end. After the final champion was decided and it was announced that the champion would receive a high prize of eighty four thousand gold coins, this race immediately attracted a lot of attention.
Everyone thought that the highest prize of a hundred thousand gold coins was just a slogan, so not many people really believed it.
But in front of countless people, the Frestech Chamber of Commerce personally gave the golden Chimera Chamber of Commerce's gold notes to the champion racer for the eighty four thousand gold coins, creating a stir in this race.
So when the second Xinfei Bicycle Race began, it attracted the attention of countless people. It even attracted more attention than the Banta City bicycle race.
Of course, the Banta City bicycle race wasn't ignored because the top three winners of the Banta City bicycle race last year were recruited by the three companies that participated in the Xinfei Bicycle Race, becoming professional riders. Just last year, they received a shocking two thousand gold coins as a base salary.
If someone won the Banta City bicycle race this year, they would receive the attention of those companies and be recruited into the professional cycling team.
So whether it was for the slogan "participation first" or for the dream of becoming a professional rider, the number of people participating in this year's Banta City bicycle race reached a new high, reaching a shocking ninety six thousand people.
It had to be known, because of the various factories, there were many people who came from far away to work, but the total population of Banta City was only over three hundred thousand.
96,000 people. In other places in the Lampari Kingdom, this was a huge population that only the top few cities could reach.
Because the number of people far exceeded their estimates, the Banta City bicycle race that usually ended in a single day was split into two days. The competitors were split into two groups and the final results were calculated based on the time they finished.
It was the first time in the history of Sines that so many people could participate in a single event. In fact, it was extremely rare in the history of Sines.
So for the Banta City bicycle race each year, whether it was Banta City or even the entire Lampari Kingdom placed great importance on it.
Other than avoiding accidents from having too many participants, it was also because this competition could better display the image of Banta City and the Lampari Kingdom to the outside world.
Since several years ago, there were people from other countries who came from far away to participate in this race. When the New Flyer announced that the Xinfei Bicycle Race didn't have a limit on the nationality of the competitors, there were countless times more foreigners who came to participate in the Banta City bicycle race this year.
Other than the competitors from the surrounding countries of the Lampari Kingdom, there were even several competitors from the Kandla Empire mixed in.
"Chairman Xu, were these three people arranged by you?"
Count Will looked over the three Kandla Empire competitors who were being interviewed by the « Banta Times » reporters before turning to ask Xu Yi beside him.
"No, they are completely interested in this race, it isn't related to me." Xu Yi shook his head in denial.
"Is that so?
But I can see that the three of them are riding your New Flyer's newest Swordfish bicycle. Your New Flyer only limited the first batch to five thousand of these bicycles, so you can't buy them in Banta City even if you want to.
Could it be that you want to tell me that these three foreigners can casually buy them? "Count Will clearly didn't believe him.
"Perhaps they have their own channels.
That isn't strange, right? "Xu Yi gave a shrug, replying in an uncaring manner.
Count Will narrowed his eyes to look at Xu Yi. Seeing that he wasn't prepared to explain, he shook his head and didn't ask anything else.
"Alright, let's not care about these three for now.
But Chairman Xu, as for the matter of the Magic Sedan Race, shouldn't you explain a bit? "
"Un?
Sir Count Will, is there something you don't understand? "Xu Yi asked back.
"Something you don't understand?" Count Will sneered.
Count Will gave a laugh, "There are too many things I don't understand!
Chairman Xu, you told me before that this Magic Sedan Race was a competition that you could freely participate in based on the Banta City bicycle race, so why are you limiting the participants now?
Do you know that there are many young nobles in Banta City who are preparing to participate in this race, but now they are all stopped by a single sentence from you.
Do you know how many times they have protested to me over the past few days? "
Xu Yi laughed, "I thank them for their love for this race, but it's a pity that there are some restrictions in this race, otherwise it'll cause a lot of trouble."
Count Will slightly knit his brows, "What?
Chairman Xu, you're still not planning on explaining?
I am Banta City's City Lord and since this race is being held in Banta City, I have to ensure that it is under my control.
Do you understand? "
"I understand." Xu Yi nodded, but his expression didn't relax at all.
"But sir Count Will, this matter ….. it's not something you care about for now because ….. her majesty already knows about this and has approved of my actions.
I think that you should receive her majesty's orders soon. "
Count Will looked at Xu Yi with knit brows. There was a bit of doubt in his eyes and a bit of shock in his heart.
He was very confused as to why an amateur Magic Sedan race organized by the New Flyer would attract her majesty's attention.
What shocked him was that this matter had already received her majesty's approval, but he still hadn't received any orders.
He thought that he was one of her majesty's closest confidants, but when it came to this matter that was closely related to Banta City, he didn't know as much as Xu Yi.
It could be seen that the close relationship between her majesty and Xu Yi far surpassed everyone's imagination.
Thinking of the rumours that had spread in the Lampari Kingdom, Count Will looked at Xu Yi with a complicated gaze.
Xu Yi didn't notice Count Will's expression. When Count Will asked about the Magic Sedan race, he also felt a bit strange.
Because ….. this race had a representative sent by his highness Frank.
A month ago, when Baron Belil came to the Principality of Constantine to tell Xu Yi that his highness Frank wanted to personally participate in the Magic Sedan race in Banta City, Xu Yi was so surprised that he almost bit off his tongue.
When he had secretly entered the Kandla Empire through Baron Belil's relationship and met with his highness Frank in his manor, he had only met his housekeeper. Xu Yi fully understood his highness Frank's cold attitude and felt that it would be hard for him to enter the Kandla Empire through his relationship with his highness Frank.
But he never thought that in just a few months, his highness Frank's attitude would change. He didn't even care about the taboo and wanted to come all the way here to participate in the Magic Sedan race!
Xu Yi was incomparably shocked by this idea.
He was the Kandla Empire's third prince, he was an important person in the Sines.
Coming all the way to the Lampari Kingdom that was over a thousand kilometers away to participate in this race, not mentioning the possibility of being assassinated, just being injured in the race was a serious consequence that Xu Yi and the entire New Flyer couldn't take.
So after contacting his highness Frank through Baron Belil, Xu Yi firmly dissuaded him from this idea.
But since his highness Frank was very interested in the real Magic Sedan race, or more accurately, he was very interested in racing without any scruples, Xu Yi discussed it with his highness Frank and finally agreed for him to send a representative.
Even if it was just his highness Frank's representative, for Xu Yi, this was still a very important matter. So he contacted Seveni without any hesitation and reported this matter to her, obtaining Seveni's full support.
No matter what his highness Frank wanted to do, he had to ensure that the representative he sent could smoothly participate in the race and safely finish the race until they left.
Otherwise, if something happened to them in Banta City, it was fine if his highness Frank didn't pursue it, but if he did, it would be a serious diplomatic matter.
Even if the Lampari Kingdom was much stronger compared to before, it was impossible for them to face the wrath of a giant like the Kandla Empire.
But what surprised Xu Yi was that Seveni didn't inform Count Levi ahead of time to have him cooperate with her.
Just like Count Levi said, since this race was being held in Banta City, it was impossible to avoid him as the Lord City Lord.
If Seveni could have Count Levi cooperate with her, Xu Yi would be more confident in smoothly taking care of this matter.
Xu Yi and Count Levi had doubts at the same time. For a while, no one spoke as the two fell into silence.
At this time, there was a voice that came from behind them that broke the silence.