Actor: Thank you.

"So now it's four votes... no, six votes."

Amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd, the team leaders of both Red Bull and Red Bull teams steadily raised their arms.

At the same time, he nodded to Zhang Yuan with a hint of helplessness.

Even Denbernis, the top shrewd veteran of European sports who chaired the meeting, did not expect this situation to occur.

The team leader of the Force India team, who "jumped ship," was completely dumbfounded.
Red Bull?

why?
Why would this team support that young Chinese man?
"Just like I said." Before he could react, he heard Zhang Yuan's voice slowly ringing in his ear from not far away.

“I don’t trust you, and I never expect you to help me.”

"Because someone else will help me."

After saying that, Zhang Yuan waved his hand, and his assistant, as agreed, took out a blue and silver can of beverage from his coat pocket.

It was Red Bull.

pat!

He pulled open the tab, took a sip, and made a satisfied clicking sound.

Upon seeing this, the leaders of the Indian Force and Toyota teams turned ashen-faced, their complexions darkening several shades in an instant.

This drink was prepared in advance; drinking it now is just a provocation!

So this Chinese kid had planned it all along, intending to teach us a lesson.

They dare to challenge us before even entering the hunting grounds... Oh, no, that's not right.

At this point, old Denberney spoke up next.

Seeing Zhang Yuan act like a villain, deliberately drinking Red Bull to disgust people, he not only didn't feel bad, but even thought this person was more interesting than he had imagined.

Because if it were him, he would have done the same!
Just what I wanted.

"We now have 6 votes in support, which, according to our previous agreement, has reached half or more of the required votes."

"The resolution to have Chinese partners invest in the Brawn GP team has been officially passed!"

The decision was made on the spot.

Zhang Yuan stood up and thanked each of the team leaders one by one.

Brown hugged him, while the others shook hands with him.

Even those who didn't vote for him shook hands.

There are no eternal enemies, nor eternal friends.

It's just that you trick me today, and I'll trick you tomorrow.

"I will have my lawyers prepare the necessary documents immediately so that we can finalize the deal as soon as possible."

"Okay, welcome to Brawn GP team. I hope you will gain a lot from this sport."

“I’ve already gained quite a bit.” Zhang Yuan raised his hand to signal to the two Red Bull team leaders.

"I was just about to ask you, how did you get Red Bull's support?"

Just as curious as Brown, the team principals of Toyota and Force India were also asking the team principals of the Red Bull and Toro teams, respectively.

Why did you vote for that Chinese kid?

"I don't understand."

He tried to outsmart someone but ended up being outsmarted instead.

This is bad; not only did it fail to stop the Chinese from entering, it also offended Mercedes.

After all, they both use Mercedes engines, so they must have given us prior notice.

Red Bull team manager Horner frowned and replied, somewhat puzzled.

"I don't know how he managed to win over Mr. Mateschitz."

Dietrich Mateschitz is an Austrian and the owner of the Red Bull Racing team.

Zhang Yuan did not know him.

But it was he who called the team leaders of his fleet and asked them to vote in favor at the meeting.

The big boss declared that even the most powerful team leader had to obey.

Since there was no prior news of Zhang Yuan contacting Red Bull and receiving support, this was an unexpected turn of events for anyone.

Zhang Yuan deliberately kept quiet, keeping it as a "trump card".

That would be good if the Indian forces didn't turn against them.

If they turn against you, you must not let them know that you have a backup plan, in order to prevent any unforeseen circumstances.

The more important the event, the more discreet you should be.

Just like not being able to reveal your college application password after the college entrance examination.

When taking the civil service exam, you can't even let anyone know that you're taking the exam, not even relatives, friends, or close buddies.

Because of jealousy, people can easily have thoughts of destroying everything of others without any reason, and they are often very proactive in doing so.

How did Zhang Yuan manage to keep it a secret and contact such an important figure?

On his third day in Bahrain, after greeting all the teams, he left the track.

Most of the convoys assumed that the Chinese man had given up hope, lost heart due to insufficient support, and had fled prematurely.

People say that Shanghai and Beijing are xenophobic, but that's because Chinese people haven't been exposed to Western culture.

If you've ever lived in Europe or America and experienced discrimination, you'll realize that the Western world is still too urbanized.

Zhang Yuan, of course, did not run away, but instead took a plane directly to Hong Kong.

At this time, Andy Lau, who had just officially gotten married, was at home with his wife.

Hua Ge deliberately turned down some lucrative jobs from before the Lunar New Year to reunite with his family.

Just in time for his visit.

"Why did you come so suddenly? What brings you here?"

"Do you have a new movie you want to shoot? Are you asking me to direct it, or are you asking me to invest?" Hua Ge thought to himself, "I can't let this kid down." He was quite happy to see him.

"Sorry, Brother Hua, you're past your prime." Zhang Yuan said jokingly, "A big star like me doesn't chat with has-been actors."

Hua Ge laughed as he pressed his head down.

"What are you doing here? If you keep talking like that, you'll get no food."

There's no meat, so it's fine not to eat it... Zhang Yuan cleared his throat, straightened his face, and spoke seriously.

"I'm here to see my sister-in-law."

He made a special trip to Hong Kong just to find Carol Chu.

In crosstalk, even the act of becoming an apprentice requires a guarantor and representative.

Now, through Yang Ziqiong's connections, he has found a mentor, Jean Todt.

Next, he will find the guarantor through Miss Zhu.

"Looking for me?" Miss Zhu was also surprised.

"Yes, I need your help with something."

It all started with Red Bull.

The Red Bull Racing team in Formula 1 is owned by Red Bull, the world's number one energy drink brand.

In 96, three-time F1 world champion Stuart established his own Stuart Racing team.

By 99, this private racing team, like other small racing teams, couldn't afford to spend money and couldn't achieve good results.

It was then sold to Ford Motor Company. At the time, Jaguar was still under Ford's ownership, and in order to promote Jaguar, Ford decided to name the team the Jaguar Racing Team.

Ford tried it for a few years but found it didn't produce any results, so in 05 Red Bull entered the fray and bought the team.

At first, the other teams thought that someone who buys "Popeye" (a popular Chinese sports drink) has nothing to do with their sport and must just be here to play around.

But they soon realized something was wrong!

Because Red Bull has big ambitions!
They not only bought the Jaguar team, but also the Minardi team, renaming it Toro Rosso.

Their company is the only brand in the racing world with two racing teams.

The reason Zhang Yuan used Red Bull as his "secret weapon" was because it had two votes.

This provides sufficient redundancy, ensuring that even if other teams besides the Indian forces fail to show up, the minimum required number of votes can still be achieved, making it a foolproof strategy.

The fact that they bought two racing teams at once made the rest of the veterans realize what was going on.

"Ah Niu, are you serious?!"

Red Bull has not only two racing teams, but also several brand names.

Generally speaking, there are three companies that produce Red Bull energy drinks.

Austrian Red Bull, Thai Red Bull, and China Red Bull.

So, which of these three is the authentic one?

Actually, all three are authentic!
Because their origin is the Thai-owned T.C. Pharmaceutical Industries Co., Ltd.

Mr. Xu Shubiao, the patriarch of the Xu family in Siam, is a Chinese-Siamese who came from a poor background.

He worked odd jobs, bought tickets, and later opened his own pharmacy.

Through continuous development, they eventually owned their own pharmaceutical factory in Bangkok.

From 59 to 69, Siam's GDP grew at an average rate of 9%!

This is a good time for this country.

Mr. Xu Shubiao noticed that everyone was working themselves to the bone, staying up all night to earn money, and were extremely tired.

If there were a drug that could enhance one's abilities, it would surely sell like hotcakes.

This is the origin of Red Bull: to keep cattle and horses working 996 non-stop. Based on pharmaceutical technology, they created this beverage, which quickly became a local bestseller.

Its main components are caffeine, taurine, and vitamins.

At this time, however, the buyers are mostly blue-collar workers, long-distance drivers, and other consumers with "essential needs".

By this time, Chaleo Yoovidhya was already quite wealthy and had become somewhat famous in Siam.

But he is only a moderately well-known entrepreneur.

It wasn't until 1982, when Matthias, who was then the head of the marketing department at Unilever, was on a business trip to South Asia, that he accidentally drank this beverage and found that it had an excellent energizing effect.

The Austrian saw a business opportunity and immediately approached the Xu family to discuss becoming an agent.

Two years later, a completely new Red Bull Group was established, which is the origin of Austrian Red Bull.

Matsitz holds approximately 40% of the shares, while the Siam Xu family holds over 55%.

The two companies had a clear division of labor: Matthias, leveraging his connections and experience accumulated through Unilever, was responsible for Red Bull's global promotion and marketing, while the Xu family was in charge of production.

It was from this point that Mateschitz set out a plan for Red Bull to deeply integrate with the sports world, extensively sponsor extreme sports, and enhance the brand's consumer image.

How much purchasing power do blue-collar workers have? Mateschitz wants to make Red Bull the Coca-Cola of the energy drink world!

This marked the beginning of the "Red Bull Grand Stage, Dare to Come?" campaign.

Red Bull gives you money, you give you your life.

From hydrofoils, paragliders, downhill bikes, BASE jumping, free climbing, to atmospheric skydiving.

Later, Monster Energy rose to prominence and sponsored a large number of extreme sports competitions, which was imitating its predecessor, Red Bull.

But this also led to the saying, "It's not that Monster Energy's technology is too advanced, it's that Red Bull is reckless."

Red Bull then extended its reach to the European Championship, the World Cup, the NBA, and even Formula 1.

Red Bull is a must-see at all high-level sporting events around the world.

Through more than a decade or two of operation, Red Bull has successfully become deeply associated with sports competition and pushing limits, becoming the world's number one energy drink.

Mateschitz and Chaleo Yoovidhya became the richest people in Austria and Siam, respectively, by selling "Popeye Water".

It takes not only time to go from a local beverage brand to the world's number one brand, but also top-notch marketing talent.

Therefore, although the Xu family holds a majority stake, Mateschitz is the one who usually represents Red Bull in public.

This is similar to why Han Sanpin and others admire Zhang Yuan. Ultimately, the real deal is the ability to sell films and make big money.

Zhang Yuan sought out Zhu Liqian in order to contact the Xu family in Siam.

When my older sister learns a trade, her family arranges for Zheng Mingming, an Indonesian tycoon, to personally teach her, which shows how much she is pampered at home.

The Berjaya Group behind her is involved in everything from food and drink to housing and gambling.

It's equivalent to Samsung in Malaysia.

Many foreign brands that want to enter the Malaysian market also have to cooperate with the Zhu family.

McDonald's in Malaysia is operated by the Zhu family.

Red Bull too.

Some things are difficult, but once you find the right person, they become very simple.

It only took a few phone calls to get in touch with the Xu family in Siam.

But it wasn't the old man, but Xu Shu'en, the eldest son of the second generation.

The old man is too old to manage things anymore; it's all handled by his children.

I didn't have much of an opinion when I heard about it.

However, they also put forward their own conditions.

Zhang Yuan couldn't possibly accomplish all this without paying a price.

Asking for help, especially from such a big boss, how could he possibly help for free?

The other party's condition was that they wanted an endorsement.

Let him become the spokesperson for China Red Bull at a relatively low price.

Unlike Red Bull from Austria and Siam, Red Bull from Huaxia is primarily produced by Huaxia Company.

The formula is also completely different because many of the ingredients and measurements used in the foreign version are not compliant with regulations in China.

When Red Bull Group was founded, Chaleo Yoovidhya saw that foreign brands like Coca-Cola and domestic brands like Wahaha were selling like hotcakes in China.

This led to the idea of ​​entering the Chinese market.

However, their applications for production licenses were repeatedly rejected.

Finally, they found a domestic agent, Huabin Group.

Xu Shubiao replicated his work with Mateschitz and together they established China Red Bull Vitamin Beverage Company.

They also authorized the use of the Red Bull brand to the other party.

The company's shares are split 28/28, with Siam T.C. holding only 2%.

The Huabin Group launched a massive marketing campaign in China, spending nearly 100 million yuan on prime-time advertising on CCTV and promotional appearances on the Spring Festival Gala.

At its peak, Red Bull in its gold can held an 80% market share in the Chinese energy drink market.

Actually, the taste of the gold can Red Bull is not related to that of the blue can Red Bull; they are basically not the same thing.

On the contrary, the later Dongpeng Special Drink tastes very similar to it.

Dongpeng is imitating Red Bull's strategy in Thailand, targeting the working class by selling at lower prices to encourage those working long hours (9 am to 9 pm, 6 days a week).

This is the same tactic Xu Shubiao used to make his fortune; it's been going around in a cycle for decades, and Dongpeng is using it again.

Moreover, Dongpeng rose to prominence by taking advantage of the falling out between Thai Red Bull and Chinese Red Bull in later years, and aggressively seizing the market.

The older generation has its own rules, but Xu Shubiao passed away in 12.

His children think I only got 2%?
Do we still have to depend on the attitude of the Huabin Group?

I can't beg on my knees anymore!

They then started a lawsuit to reclaim the trademark usage rights.

Thai Red Bull claims that the old man only authorized the product for 20 years, and it has already expired.

Wahaha claimed to have given them 50 years, but couldn't produce the original contract...

Ultimately, the Huabin Group lost the case and had to launch War Horse Special Drink as an alternative.

Later, although the taste of the gold-canned Red Bull in China remained the same, the owner was changed to Siam Red Bull.

The old man is still here, so things haven't turned sour.

The Xu family learned through Zhu Liqian that Zhang Yuan was very famous in China, and they wanted to increase sales through him.

Zhang Yuan eventually agreed to endorse the brand for two years at a price of 100 million yuan per year.

Given his current fame, this endorsement fee is ridiculously cheap.

But that's the price to pay—the price of trying to get things done.

Although he appears successful on the surface, the price he paid behind the scenes was not small.

Well, he consoled himself, "I just got in and I already got an endorsement through my F1 connections..."

When he explained to Brown and the others, he only said that he knew the Siamese Xu family, and then he became mysterious and did not go into details.

Let's intimidate them first.

Old Denber was startled, never expecting that this unassuming Chinese kid had managed to contact the big boss behind the scenes.

Perhaps letting him in was a brilliant move.

But those few companies that don't support it are in a tough spot.

The team leaders from Ferrari, Renault, Toyota, and Force India watched as Zhang Yuan thanked and greeted them one by one.

"What's this kid's background?"

"Who cares? No matter how powerful they are, Brawn GP is just a team that's barely hanging on like a candle in the wind."

The two team leaders, Toyota and Force India, encouraged each other.

The Ferrari team, however, didn't care at all.

What good is this little bit of money for a small, beat-up fleet of vehicles?

"Stéfano."

At that moment, a Ferrari employee in a red uniform knocked on the door and entered the conference room. He approached Ferrari's team leader, the Italian Domenicali, and whispered a few words in his ear.

As he spoke, he glanced in the direction of Brown and Zhang Yuan.

"Impossible!" Within seconds, the Ferrari team leader looked back at his employee with an incredulous expression.

"That's true, we've carefully examined the data."

At this moment, more employees from other teams came in, found their team leaders, and whispered among themselves.

The team leaders who heard the latest news from their employees all looked at the duo from the Brawn team with incredulous eyes.

Brawn GP's new car went all out on the final day of preseason testing!

With a light fuel load, the engine was running at full power, and the driver was giving it his all.

The lap times that followed led all the teams to believe that there was a problem with their testing equipment.

"It seems like we've been scammed."

"They were all fooled by his skin color."

The resolution had just been passed when devastating news came from the racetrack.

With such a car, plus this Chinese man's funds.

The team leaders then realized that they had just opened the door for a formidable enemy... (End of Chapter)