The receptionist, a devoted fan of Lin Yan, was so captivated by him that she could barely tear her eyes away. After a long moment, she finally snapped back to reality and offered to lead Lin Yan and his companions to the referee.
"Mr. Lin, I'll take you there right away," she said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and grabbing a pair of gold-rimmed glasses from the desk. She cast a lingering glance at Lin Yan before turning and heading towards the elevators, her hips swaying with each step.
Lin Yan found her behavior rather bothersome. The way the foreign woman looked at him was like a female hooligan.
Following her, Lin Yan and the other three took the elevator up to the third floor. The short journey of just two floors brought on a wave of fatigue. Leaning against the elevator wall, Lin Yan used the support to rest.
Soon, the European receptionist led them to an office door.
Quinn had just emerged from the boss's office, his expression grim, clearly having been reprimanded. He sat down in his own office and took a sip of tea from his desk, a look of worry etched on his face. He had gone to argue with the boss about the race, but not only did he get no resolution, he was also scolded for prematurely announcing the penalties for the second race, which he felt was too rash. This left him distressed and feeling wronged.
The tea Quinn was drinking was Pu'er, though of mediocre quality. After finishing a small bowl, he picked up the teapot and poured himself another.
Just then, the office door was suddenly knocked upon. Quinn walked over and opened it, finding the receptionist standing at the doorway with two men.
Upon seeing the two men, Quinn's pupils contracted sharply.
It wasn't due to surprise at anything else, but rather that Lin Yan had actually arrived. He had just mentioned to the boss that if the Ducati team was dissatisfied, they might come to him, and he hadn't expected them so soon.
"Gentlemen, please come in."
Knowing he couldn't avoid it, Quinn extended his hand, gesturing for them to enter the office for discussion.
The blonde receptionist gave Lin Yan a flirtatious glance and turned to leave, not lingering. Vinares, however, was still gazing longingly at her. He was quite taken with the buxom woman, experiencing love at first sight for the first time.
After Lin Yan and Vinares entered the office, Quinn first poured them both a cup of tea.
Lin Yan didn't touch it. He had no interest in Western tea, finding it inferior to Tieguanyin from home. Leaning back on the sofa, he got straight to the point.
"Let's talk. Why are you targeting us?"
In Lin Yan's view, Suzuki's inaction was a deliberate targeting of them.
Facing Lin Yan's direct question, Quinn, who had just sat back down on the sofa, felt a great deal of helplessness. He didn't want things to be this way, but it wasn't his decision.
Despite his thoughts, he still had to cover for his superior.
"Uh, may I ask if you are Lin Shen? I've heard of your great reputation and deeds. I respect you very much and am a fan."
Both parties were intelligent, and neither beat around the bush, getting straight to the point. Quinn began by trying to curry favor, attempting to bridge the gap between them. Seeing that Lin Yan was unmoved, he continued.
"But even though I'm your fan, this... it's unavoidable. The rules of our race... the rules are just like this."
Upon hearing the mention of rules, Lin Yan let out a cold laugh.
As his words fell, an awkward expression appeared on Quinn's face, though he quickly masked it. He himself didn't believe what he was saying, yet he had to say it.
If Quinn didn't believe it, how could Lin Yan? He immediately chuckled, a hint of impatience in his voice.
"Quinn, is it?"
Lin Yan glanced at the nameplate on the desk, thus learning Quinn's identity.
Quinn, sitting opposite him, nodded slightly, not hiding his name.
"Since you say so, does that mean we can do the same?"
A playful smile touched Lin Yan's lips. His gaze unwavering, he looked at Quinn opposite him, then, as if deliberately, he gestured behind him and turned to Vinares.
"Tell Ren Fei to stop the race. Block all the cars behind us using the same method. If they don't let us through, then none of these drivers will get through either."
With that simple command, Quinn's mouth twitched. Blocking all the cars behind them using that method would surely incite public outrage.
"Lin Shen, wouldn't that be... inappropriate?"
Quinn hesitated. It was a mutually destructive tactic.
"What's inappropriate about it? It doesn't break any rules, does it?"
Lin Yan was unconcerned, resting his hands on the sides of the sofa and crossing his legs. He looked rather roguish, but he was indeed correct. According to their explanation, doing so wouldn't violate any rules.
"But..."
It might not break the rules, but how were they supposed to race like this?
"Lin Shen, I know why you're here. Perhaps you could give me some suggestions, and I can discuss them with my superiors."
Quinn was, after all, just an employee. Since both sides were being direct, there was no need to hold out too long for the higher-ups. The goal was simply to resolve the matter perfectly.
"I know the person who is unhappy with us isn't you, but someone else."
Lin Yan leaned back slightly on the sofa, his tone carrying a hint of dominance. Regardless, Quinn's attitude was acceptable, and Lin Yan had no intention of making things difficult for him.
Hearing this, Quinn on the other side breathed a sigh of relief. As long as Lin Shen didn't intend to retaliate against him, everything was negotiable. As for his feud with the boss, it was none of his business.
"The requirement is simple: penalize Suzuki normally."
"Normal penalties... might be difficult. To be frank, just before you arrived, I spoke with our boss about this matter, but the result... was not good."
Quinn briefly recounted his conversation with his boss to Lin Yan.
"Oh?"
Lin Yan stroked his chin. After listening, he felt that the old man's enmity with Ducati seemed to go beyond mere trivialities.
"In that case, tell him that this year, next year, and even in the future, Ducati will permanently withdraw from the 24 Hours of Endurance Race."
With his final statement, Lin Yan stood up, preparing to leave. At this point, there was no longer any reason to continue the discussion.
Seeing Lin Yan about to leave, Quinn quickly stood up to stop him. He didn't doubt the truth of Lin Yan's words at all. This was the boss of Ducati, the heir to China's largest financial group. If he said they would withdraw, he meant it without reservation.
If Ducati withdrew, it would be a devastating blow to their racing association.
"Lin Shen, we can still discuss this."