Lorenzo turned his gaze from the Monaco circuit, grinning at Kai. He was still his usual unserious self. "Haha, it's rare to see you lose your composure."
Kai spread his hands. "What kind of demon king do you think I am? It seems I really scared you on the track."
A casual counter-attack that hit right on the scar. Lorenzo raised his hands in surrender. "I come in peace! I remember you Chinese have an old saying: 'Don't kill the messenger,' right?"
Kai looked at him helplessly. "So, this isn't a prank?"
Lorenzo waved his hand. "Of course not. I'm serious. I'm representing Brembo to discuss a partnership. You can tell Nicolas Todt about our intent, and then we can sit down and talk."
As he spoke, Lorenzo pulled a business card from his pocket and handed it to Kai.
Lorenzo Moretti, European Marketing Manager, Brembo.
Lorenzo didn't rush him. He gave Kai time to digest the information, turning back to the track to punch the air, joining the crowd's celebration.
F1 qualifying was over. Ferrari had locked out the front row: Räikkönen on pole, Vettel in second. They had completely suppressed their rivals, Mercedes.
For Ferrari, this was undoubtedly a crucial race for both the Driver's and Constructor's Championships.
The crowd was boiling over, a sea of Ferrari red spreading like a tidal wave. It was going to be a crazy weekend.
Lorenzo knew that Kai had been doing simulator work for Ferrari, contributing to the season's upgrades. "Haha, you should be celebrating with the Maranello test team."
He turned back to Kai, leaning in. "We're a braking systems supplier."
Kai rolled his eyes. "You forget, my dad runs a garage. How could I not know Brembo?"
Brembo. The world's top supplier of high-performance braking systems, a long-term partner of top F1 teams like Ferrari and Red Bull.
Professional and authoritative. If Kai remembered correctly, the company was based in northern Italy.
Kai had always guessed Lorenzo came from a wealthy background and was just playing at life, but he never expected him to be from Brembo.
Now, it made sense how Lorenzo could pull strings with Richard Mille. Thinking back further, Kai remembered Jean Todt seemed to know Lorenzo, too.
But he had never put it together.
Kai sighed. "So, you're the young master of Brembo?"
Lorenzo enjoyed the look of defeat on Kai's face, laughing with delight. "No, no, no, I'm not that rich. My grandfather owns a portion of Brembo's shares, along with other families. I'm just responsible for a small part of the business. It's mostly a title, convenient for getting me into places like the Yacht Club or the Monaco VIP Lounge. That's all."
Kai rolled his eyes again. "So, where is your family's yacht docked? Take me to see the world tonight."
Lorenzo snickered, unable to stop. "No, my family's yacht is in Marseille. Couldn't squeeze in." But under Kai's staring gaze, he caved. "Okay, fine. The company has a yacht here. But our family's really isn't. I swear."
Lorenzo nudged Kai. "Don't be mad. I didn't mean to hide it. I really don't do important work at the company..."
Then, Lorenzo noticed the smile slowly appearing in Kai's eyes. He realized he'd been tricked. He thought he was the hunter, but he'd become the prey. He gritted his teeth. "Kai! Zhi! Zhou!"
"Haha." Kai couldn't hold it back anymore, doubling over with laughter. "Hahaha!"
"My friend is hiding his light under a bushel. Why would I be mad? I should be honored. Thank you for making the connection."
Lorenzo looked up at the sky in despair. He could never win a prank war against Kai. "No need. With Richard Mille, it was all you."
Kai shook his head. "Not just Richard Mille. I mean everything."
Lorenzo froze, confused.
Kai continued, "Nicolas Todt. That night in Rome... if they didn't know you, I probably wouldn't have caught their attention."
Lorenzo laughed. "You won them over with your own skill."
"I know," Kai said matter-of-factly. "But the opportunity came from you. So, thank you."
Lorenzo thought for a moment, then nodded. "True. As for repayment, you don't need to offer your body. You're not my type. How about you make it to F1, help us expand our market share, and make me a few hundred million dollars?"
A smile played in Kai's eyes. "That depends on Brembo's sincerity. Remember what Lucien said? Business is business, private is private."
Lorenzo punched Kai in the shoulder and flipped him the bird.
Jokes aside, Lorenzo quickly returned to business. "Actually, I lacked confidence in today's meeting. Richard Mille has many, many options. They want to open the Asian market, but Albon and Aitken are safer choices. And Lucien is new, ambitious, and eager to prove himself. He might not have wanted to play."
"But I didn't expect..." things to go so smoothly.
Kai spread his hands. "My charm is irresistible."
Lorenzo laughed. "So, I prepared a gift. A backup plan. I thought, even if you hit a wall with Richard Mille, this would be some compensation. But now, it seems it's just icing on the cake. I hope the famous Mr. Lu won't despise our humble Brembo."
Kai crossed his arms, deliberately lifting his chin in a "go on" gesture.
Lorenzo stopped keeping him in suspense.
Brembo would provide Kai with a small, trial personal sponsorship. The first amount was only 200,000 euros, directed entirely to the ART team as technical and financial support, but designated as belonging to Kai, helping him win favor within the team.
In return, Kai would display the Brembo logo on his helmet and attend Brembo exhibitions.
Overall, this was a friendship sponsorship. It wasn't a commercial calculation by Brembo, but a favor Lorenzo had convinced them to grant. It was fundamentally different from Richard Mille.
Richard Mille's sponsorship demanded a return, so the contract terms were clear, outlining a two-year plan.
Brembo's did not. The obligations and rights were simple. It was purely Lorenzo's support, hoping to boost Kai's racing career.
So, the Richard Mille contract needed Nicolas to negotiate, strictly business, with every obligation in black and white. But Brembo didn't, because Lorenzo didn't expect a return.
Lorenzo seemed to feel Kai's gaze. He waved a hand dismissively. "No need to be so moved. My admirers are already lined up for Rome."
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