Hokkaido Horse Racing Story.

Chapter 255 The place where popularity gathers is—

"So that's how it is—"

I heard from French riders that the "IP100" section will soon be hosting a promotional event for female riders.

As soon as the event here ended, I had to rush to Dajing to prepare for the WJS event that was about to start in the afternoon.

"Riders really have a tough job."

It is said that on the night the competition ends, there will be a planned event for a dialogue among world riders.

"No, I'm actually enjoying myself."

So, is it true that "Li Muhua was also very happy"?

Although it started as a pun in an advertisement, it has now become extremely popular among horse racing fans.

Even older horse breeders who hardly use the internet have heard of it.

Barely suppressing a laugh, I quickly composed myself while nodding in agreement.

Surprisingly, I'm not good at handling corny jokes.

On their way to the cashier, Kitano chatted with Li Muhua about the upcoming WJS.

"NAR is really amazing. I was shocked when I first heard about the project."

"Uh, is that so?"

NAR's planning level is still stuck at that "Grand Prix" awards ceremony that left people feeling unsatisfied.

Although as someone with connections I know some details about WJS Japan, I am still somewhat unaware of NAR's efforts to date—

We will remain cautious for now.

"Speaking of which, President Kitano's child is really quite interesting."

At this point, both of their expressions became somewhat subtle.

Even without naming names, everyone knows who Li Muhua is referring to.

After its first appearance on the official ranch Twitter account, it was quickly dubbed "Returning at the Spring and Autumn Equinoxes".

Although, the person in question, Chunqiu Fen, is still alive and well.

With just a few official photos, Huixiang gained amazing popularity among horse racing fans. Even the ranch staff joked that "even if he can't run, he can still make a living with his looks."

Of course, it would be best if you could run.

While I don't dislike this kind of popularity, I hope he can earn recognition through his talent.

That's probably the feeling of earning applause through good grades.

"That kid, Huixiang, can run."

His tone unconsciously became serious.

"Then how about I take charge of the main battle?"

The French rider said this half-jokingly, while readily agreeing to take a photo with a fan who came up to him.

For a fleeting moment, I felt a slight flutter in my heart.

However, he quickly regained his composure.

For rider Li Muhua, the feeling is that he is good at "mid-distance riding on grass", while short distance riding does not seem to be too outstanding.

If we're talking about some memorable performances in recent English short races, the first thing that comes to mind is the scene of French riders "escorting" Wu Feng at the Cherry Blossom Festival.

It's by no means a good impression.

More importantly, the selection of the main rider has always been based on the advice of several advisors.

Although there are times when commissions fail, there are also many successful cases.

She politely declined Li Muhua's reverse nomination, citing the reason that "it's too early to talk about this now."

The French rider, completely unaware, pulled Kitano along to take photos with the fans.

Although he wasn't forced to work, the excessive enthusiasm was still a bit overwhelming for him.

After some twists and turns, we finally arrived at the cashier.

Just ahead of Kitano in the rankings is Zepp.

In just half an hour, the Germans had an astonishing pile of merchandise and comics in their hands.

After spending some time checking out and stuffing his purchases into his backpack, Zep turned back to look at Kitano.

"I'll help you, Boss."

Before Kitano could respond, he picked up the paper bag himself.

"Wait--"

Before he could finish speaking, Zep exclaimed in surprise, "Eh?"

"So it's a personally signed figure." The tone was inexplicably envious.

With a smile on her face, Li Muhua also turned her gaze to his hands.

"President Kitano also really likes Sai○-niang."

As he spoke, the French rider patted Kitano on the shoulder in a very friendly manner.

"That's it."

Now that things have come to this, we have no choice but to bite the bullet and admit it.

The number of fans who had gathered around seemed to increase suddenly.

"So, President Kitano's real name is really Xiaomi!"

"Speaking of which, the president's family also has children from the Cao family."

"So that's exactly what happened."

Similar discussions kept drifting into my ears.

Despite the slightly awkward situation, Kitano calmly took out the souvenirs he had received from the paper bag one by one.

Then, while picking his toes, he took a group photo with rider Li Muhua and the fans who had gathered around.

After taking individual photos with a few overly enthusiastic fans, the crowd slowly dispersed.

In conclusion, the outcome should be considered a positive development.

Of course, the process was anything but enjoyable.

Kitano firmly declined the French rider's invitation to participate in the event, and fled the building with his hoof trimmer as if escaping.

I easily navigated the large electronic billboards that loudly advertised mobile games, and walked through Cat Street to reach the little shop I remembered.

It's so great that it's still open for business.

We leisurely enjoyed a meal at a small shop that was more like lunch than breakfast, and then returned to the main road to browse through a few more shops to kill time.

Zepp naturally contributed the majority of the steps, while Kitano quickly hid in a coffee shop on the street.

It wasn't until almost the end of the morning that the two of them finally set off for Dajing with their large bags of luggage.

When transferring to the monorail in Hamamatsucho, the number of people at the ticket gate suddenly increased.

After boarding the tram, the surrounding area was much more crowded than usual.

"I still have faith in Buick."

"Mr. Feng, you must keep up the good work!"

"Is McDowell any good? Last time they almost came in last place—"

"Why haven't we received any riding information yet? Is n○tkeiba stuck again?"

It was as if the train carriages had suddenly transformed into a horse racing theme, with discussions about the upcoming WJS filling the monorail train bound for Oi Racecourse Station.

Besides local horse racing fans, there were even a few foreign faces mixed in.

As soon as the train doors opened, the sound of suitcase wheels rolling mingled with a flurry of footsteps as people rushed toward the ticket gate.

The bustling scene is rarely seen even on high-stakes days at the Central Racecourse.

"There probably aren't any big prizes for Ooi's matches, right?"

Kitano turned his head away uncertainly.

"Today's main race walking event is the eleventh race, Group A."

Zep took out his phone and solemnly confirmed it.

"Is it possible that——"

"You're really here for WJS, right?"

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【@kato_kazuhiro：

Although I can't go there in person, I'm still silently cheering on Sai○niang's promotional activities.

I suppose I was one of the masterminds behind the commotion in Shibuya this morning (laughs). I'm so glad that the gift I gave to President Kitano was treated so well.

Additionally, we will be giving away autographed models of "Grasshopper" and "Rice Bath" to fans in the comments section.
Many thanks to Mr. Changjun for his kindness.

——Kato Kazuhiro Stable House

【YUKIMI2010：

In order to witness firsthand the competition between Feng-chan and Daituri-san, I used the pocket money I had saved from part-time jobs to make my first trip to Tokyo!

结果
I ran into Lumeru-san and that President Kitano in Shibuya!!!
Contrary to rumors, she's actually quite easy to talk to (laughs)

(End of this chapter)