ABT ### Chapter 154: Guidance from an Experienced Driver

There’s no denying the irresistible allure of Chinese cuisine.

The crowd around the booth grew so large that Li Fanyu, covered in ash from all his grilling, couldn’t keep up with the ravenous foreigners. The marinated beef needed time to soak in the flavors, but the demand outstripped the supply so quickly that Mason had to bring over hotdogs from their own booth. But with their palates now attuned to the exquisite beef, nobody wanted the starchy hotdogs.

So, while waiting for more beef to cook, the crowd finally turned their attention to the X-power car behind them.

The car’s unique design immediately sparked their interest, and they began to discuss and inquire about it enthusiastically.

Fortunately, Li Fanyu had prepared a detailed brochure explaining the vehicle’s performance and features. He had also briefed Cheng Ke on the key points for the car show to ease the tension from the previous day.

Thus, the interval between grilling sessions became X-power time.

The people here were either industry professionals or passionate car enthusiasts. Once they learned this was a distinctive racing supercar, both fans and businessmen showed great interest.

Two journalists present immediately recognized it as a compelling story. It’s well known that China, a developing country, has rapidly risen to global prominence in recent years. Established powers often view China's rise with a mix of admiration and apprehension, wondering if this burgeoning growth could someday pose a threat.

In the automotive industry, the stakes are high, affecting everything from daily life to a nation’s industrial capabilities. Previously, many leading nations believed China’s automotive industry was still weak, allowing them to maintain their market advantage in China.

But these journalists sensed a deeper significance with the X-power—China was now capable of developing supercars!

Could this be a signal of their impending rise in the automotive sector?

With this in mind, the journalists glued themselves to Li Fanyu and Cheng Ke, asking detailed questions about the X-power’s development, design intentions, and whether it had government support.

Foreign journalists tend to dig for political implications in their interviews, which can be quite sensitive. This caught Li Fanyu off guard.

As Cheng Ke translated the questions, Li Fanyu thought for a moment and decided to focus his answers on the car itself, cleverly sidestepping the political angles with light-hearted banter.

This frustrated the journalists, who silently labeled him a "little trickster."

Watching their irritated expressions, Li Fanyu felt quite pleased. "Trying to extract sensitive information? I won't say a word! Hmph, and you didn’t even try using a honey trap."

Seeing that they couldn’t get the answers they wanted, the journalists reluctantly followed Li Fanyu’s lead.

Leaving aside the broader implications for national strategy, the X-power GT itself was noteworthy.

Moreover, another batch of grilled meat was almost ready—they weren’t about to leave.

Thus, the afternoon passed quickly amidst the eating, drinking, and chatting. As the event neared its end, both the journalists and car enthusiasts left the booth in high spirits, having enjoyed a wonderful afternoon.

Li Fanyu, however, was a bit downhearted—Damn! They ate seven or eight buckets of meat, and I didn’t secure a single order!

Seeing Li Fanyu’s low spirits, Mason came over with a laugh.

Knowing Li Fanyu’s English wasn’t great, he slowed down his speech and minimized slang, asking, "What’s wrong, my friend from the land of gourmet food?"

After an afternoon of interaction, Li Fanyu had grown to like the round-bellied, bearded man. "Nothing, just worried about the car’s sales."

Hearing this, Mason’s eyes widened, and he burst into laughter. "I’ve never been to China, but I often learn about it online. They say the Chinese are the most patient people in the world, but my friend, you’re even more impatient than Westerners. Isn’t there a word on your internet called 'dading'?"

WTF! Dading? Li Fanyu looked bewildered, thinking, "Have Chinese netizens really corrupted even foreign terms?"

Seeing his confusion, Mason repeated it twice more. When Li Fanyu still didn’t understand, he said in English—"easy!"

Oh! You mean ‘calm’! That pronunciation… is something else.

Mason, aware of his mispronunciation, laughed it off. "Yu! Enjoy all of this!"

"Look around you; this is a grand celebration! Cars and culture, cars and art, all blend here, presenting a spectacular scene for car enthusiasts worldwide. Here, just release your passion for cars and don’t worry about anything else. As for business, with the quality of your product, the last two days of the show won’t disappoint you, my friend."

With that, he gave Li Fanyu a strong wink.

Having never attended an event as grand as the North American International Auto Show, or even a domestic one, Li Fanyu didn’t fully understand Mason’s words.

But Mason’s cheerful attitude was infectious, so he nodded and smiled, giving Mason a high-five.

"Mason, let me teach you a Chinese internet term!"

"Oh? What is it?"

"Laoshi Ji!"

"Laoshi Ji? What does that mean?"

"It represents a great disseminator of knowledge and someone who is a seasoned expert in their field, familiar with all the rules and techniques!"

"Oh? Haha, I like that term! Lao-si-ji… is that how you say it?"

Hearing the pronunciation, Li Fanyu wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Uh… close enough, Uncle Mason."

"Wait, what did you call me?"

"Uncle Mason!"

"Oh, dear God, let me properly introduce myself; I’m Miles R. Mason from Houston, the city of rockets, and I’m... 33 years old."

Li Fanyu’s jaw dropped, staring at Mason’s round beer belly and bushy beard in disbelief.

Dude, you sure aged fast...

At that moment, Cheng Ke returned from checking out the exhibits inside.

Seeing that Li Fanyu had finished cleaning up, she smirked; Hmm, quite the handy man.

It was already past five in the afternoon, and the security guards were coming to announce the end of the event.

She walked over to Li Fanyu and cheerfully waved at Mason. "Uncle Mason, we’re leaving now. See you tomorrow!"

Mason looked at the laughing Li Fanyu, then at his own belly, and helplessly explained, "Dear Ke, let me properly introduce myself; I’m Miles R. Mason..."

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