Volume 5 Chapter 82 - Prince Frank also wants to come? (1/2)

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.”