"Heh, Master, don't worry, I'll pay you more than the cost of the car later. My name is Sun Kai, what do you think..."
Leaning close to Luns, Sun Kai had an expression that said he understood everything. The cost of repairs in the racing team was covered by the team itself, so he didn't have to pay anything. But paying money could gain favor and build rapport. Besides, how much could a deflector cost?
Luns ignored Sun Kai's self-introduction and intention to converse, chatting with Matt while watching Matt repair the car. Seeing this, Sun Kai, who was left out in the cold, gave an awkward smile, his expression slightly stiff. However, he didn't get discouraged. What was the big deal if a great driver was a bit aloof?
In this racing arena where technology reigned supreme, Sun Kai understood that having skills was paramount. As long as he could learn something, what did this matter? To get free skills, one had to be thick-skinned.
The car repair was quick, and the deflector was installed five minutes later.
During these five minutes, Sun Kai, with a fawning expression, kept trying to get close to Luns, as if he were about to pay just to get Luns to acknowledge him.
Seeing Luns's unmoving demeanor, Sun Kai was momentarily at a loss.
This guy was too aloof, wasn't he? It didn't matter who hit whom; even if they didn't speak, they should at least discuss the accident, right?
Speechless...
"Alright, that'll be eight million. Pay up."
In the pit room, Sun Kai was slightly stunned when he saw Matt extending his hand. He was confused. Why were they charging him?
No, this was indeed wrong. Why would a mechanic charge a driver for repairs? Was this a shady team? And eight million for a deflector? They might as well rob him! Even a full carbon fiber one would only cost tens of thousands at most.
Staring at Matt's hand, Sun Kai's eyelids fluttered. He definitely wasn't going to pay this money. Eight million, he couldn't afford it! Moreover, this was clearly a deliberate rip-off.
Damn it, even the auto parts city wasn't this crooked!
Sun Kai suppressed the urge to jump up. Even if they were going to rip him off, they shouldn't be this ruthless! At this moment, he finally understood. This guy had been waiting for him to fall into this trap.
His gaze swept across the two people in front of him, and Sun Kai's mind cleared considerably. These two were probably in cahoots to rip him off.
Sun Kai was quite smart. After all, he had been abroad and was considered a half-returnee, having seen the world. He quickly realized that these two were clearly working together. He subconsciously glanced around. Indeed, the surrounding mechanics were all standing far away, none of them approaching him.
Double-cross? No, these two were colluding to skim some commission from him.
To pay, or not to pay.
Now, he had two choices, no, only one. Eight million, he absolutely would not pay, nor could he afford it.
To play racing at Sun Kai's level in China, his family had to be extraordinary, especially to send him abroad. At least his family had assets in the billions. Just coming to Lin Yan this time cost ten million. Producing eight million wasn't a problem, but this money had to be spent with value.
That's right, Sun Kai could pay this money, but it had to be worth it. If a deflector really cost eight million, he would absolutely not compensate. At worst, he would go directly to Lin Shen. Even a factory car, no matter how expensive, couldn't have a deflector costing eight million.
Luns also realized that Sun Kai was unlikely to pay this money, but he didn't care. He coughed twice, cleared his throat as if to put on a show, then gave Sun Kai a meaningful look, and glanced at his car. The meaning was self-evident.
If you want to learn skills, you have to pay. Trying to curry favor is useless!
It was difficult for a foreigner to express his intentions so desperately with his eyes. Luns's expression made Matt's eyes twitch slightly.
No, you can hint, but don't hint so obviously. And your expression is a bit too abstract.
An industry unwritten rule?
Sun Kai was stunned. When did this rule come into play? He understood Luns's gaze, but this was too much. Eight million for nothing? Sun Kai felt like he was being ripped off.
Although a real guidance from a MotoGP rider might be worth eight million, this... he felt a bit uneasy. If he gave this money, would they go back on their word? Moreover, eight million was a considerable sum, and he didn't have that much cash.
After the recent incident, Sun Kai felt that Luns was a bit unreliable.
"Uh... eight million... is too much. How about a little cheaper?"
Sun Kai tried to negotiate. To his surprise, Matt agreed almost without hesitation, directly reducing the price by one million.
"Seven million! After all, this deflector isn't cheap."
Hearing this, Sun Kai's lips twitched. A seven-million deflector, it was almost as expensive as an airplane's...
Even airplanes weren't this expensive.
"No, at most five million. That's all I have!"
Sun Kai glanced at Luns, who was still constantly hinting at him, his eyes almost tearing up.
"Deal!"
Upon hearing the offer of five million, Matt directly settled the price. This casual expression made Sun Kai feel like he was being cheated.
Luns and Matt gave him the feeling of... like... how much can we cheat, as long as we can cheat?
Yes, that was the feeling, but he wasn't stupid either; he had his own demands.
"But I want to use it first and pay later, otherwise, no."
"No, you have to pay at least half first, 2.5 million."
Hearing "use first, pay later," Matt immediately shook his head. If he used it first and paid later, wouldn't he be unable to cheat a single cent?
Glancing at Luns, then at Matt, Sun Kai gritted his teeth.
"Okay, I'll transfer it to you."
Unlocking his phone, he transferred 2.5 million to Matt from his account balance of just over five million. Eighty percent of this five million was sponsorship money and couldn't be used, but it could be temporarily borrowed. He would ask his father for it when he learned something.
Although his family was extraordinary, he currently only had about a million or so in his hands, including his savings.