Sun Yi immediately realized that during the competition, the Black Wolf drone had stolen the spotlight, and many people were fixated on him, wanting to know why the Black Wolf was so powerful.
So, he quickly changed his tune, clutching his stomach and exclaiming, "Coach Chen, where did you get this takeout? The quality is terrible, I have a stomachache!"
"Hey, I didn't order takeout? Aren't you, Brother Sun, always in charge of food matters?"
Sun Yi hadn't expected Chen Yuanshan to be so uncooperative. He squatted on the ground, holding his stomach, and noticed more eyes were on him. Just as he was fretting, the announcer's voice came from the loudspeaker, announcing the competition results and diverting everyone's attention.
"Esteemed leaders, contestants, and audiences present and watching the livestream. The Dongyang City competition of the 7th Drone Racing Championship has officially concluded. According to the competition rules, the Duan Kong team has won the championship!"
"Let's welcome them to the podium with warm applause!"
The four members of the Duan Kong team, led by their coach, walked onto the podium. After receiving the trophy from the Vice President of the Dongyang City Drone Association, the host continued to read out the list of winners.
"The runner-up is the Black Wolf team! Although they didn't win the championship, their pilot in the final leg, Zheng Mao, is the uncrowned king of today's competition!"
"Coming from half a lap behind, he fought back and surpassed the six teams ahead of him. If the Duan Kong team hadn't had a secret weapon, the championship would have gone to the Black Wolf team."
"This unyielding spirit in the face of adversity is the true meaning of competition. Let's welcome the Black Wolf team with thunderous applause."
As soon as the host finished speaking, thunderous applause erupted from the crowd, the sound so loud it even surpassed the applause for the championship team.
After Chen Yuanshan led Zheng Mao and the others onto the stage, the host handed the microphone to him:
"I have a question, which I'd like to ask on behalf of the audience. The drone your team used in the final leg was exceptional. If all four of your participating drones could reach this level, the championship would be yours."
"For such a powerful model, why did your team's master modifier only modify one? Was it a lack of time or materials?"
Chen Yuanshan took the microphone and replied honestly, "Neither. It was mainly because of that master..."
Sensing the ravenous gazes from other teams in the audience and realizing something was amiss, Sun Yi decisively intervened, snatching the microphone from Chen Yuanshan, putting on a helpless expression.
"It's not a matter of money. The main reason is that the master still has his own work to do. For him to spare time from his busy schedule to help modify the Black Wolf was already an immense favor."
Sun Yi's words were half true and half false. He had indeed asked someone for help with the modifications, but he knew very well that the Black Wolf's incredible performance had little to do with the modifier he had found.
The credit belonged to the second modification done by the master modifier Chen Yuanshan had found.
Others didn't know this. They only knew that Sun Yi had spent a large sum of money to hire a master for the drone modifications to protect his team, mistaking him for the main person responsible. At once, many teams began to murmur amongst themselves, contemplating how to extract information about the master from him.
After the awards ceremony, several team engineers surrounded Sun Yi under the guise of congratulating him.
One balding engineer casually remarked, "Manager Sun, during the post-competition inspection, I happened to glance at the Black Wolf drone. It was purely hand-modified without replacing any parts, a technique only used by the chief engineers of top international teams."
"It's the first time I've seen such work from someone I deeply admire. I wonder whose masterpiece it is. Could you possibly introduce me, Manager Sun? Don't worry, I only want to meet him; I won't ask the master to do any modifications."
"I'm truly sorry," Sun Yi said with a troubled expression. "The master values his privacy and doesn't wish to be disturbed by too many people. I'm afraid I cannot fulfill your requests."
Unwilling to give up, they gathered around Sun Yi, cajoling him for over half an hour. Seeing that he remained resolute, they reluctantly departed.
After everyone else had left, Sun Yi chuckled as he watched their retreating backs.
"Fortunately, I really don't know who that master is, otherwise, those guys would have coaxed the information out of me. Coach Chen, stop hiding and tell me quickly! Where did you find such a skilled modification master? How much did you pay?"
Chen Yuanshan emerged from behind the lounge, instinctively scratching his head. He recounted the entire process, from discovering the exceptional performance of the Min-2 drone at the Qinglin Cup, to following Sun Heng to the suburban appliance repair shop, and asking Jing Mingqiu to help modify the Black Wolf.
Upon hearing this, Sun Yi's face changed drastically, and his tone rose by ten degrees!
"A top master who can compete in international leagues helped modify a drone, and you only paid him a thousand yuan!"
It wasn't just Sun Yi; Li Yong, standing nearby, also looked displeased. Such a master modifier was a once-in-a-lifetime encounter. Even a little guidance from him would be a massive gain, yet Chen Yuanshan had treated him like a child.
Feeling the anger of everyone around, Chen Yuanshan's scalp tingled, and he quickly explained, "I really didn't expect it at the time! He looked like he was only seventeen or eighteen, like a high school student, not at all like a modification master!"
"Shut up!" Sun Yi, with a suffocating frustration, roared, "Don't you understand the saying 'heroes emerge from youth'! If the master gets angry and refuses to help us modify drones anymore, you'll be solely responsible!"
Li Yong held up the Black Wolf, disassembled into parts, and said with disappointment, "Do you know how ingenious his modification technology is? He directly amplified the function of each component to twice its original design potential."
"Especially the more than ten chips he replaced; their precision has surpassed that of the chips used by international teams!"
"Coach Chen, as a user, I also want to say a few words..."
As Zheng Mao couldn't help but join the complaints, Chen Yuanshan was completely engulfed in a collective outcry.
Half an hour later, everyone's energy was depleted, and they stopped.
Looking at Chen Yuanshan, who was squatting in the corner with a wronged expression, everyone couldn't help but laugh.
"Alright," Sun Yi stepped forward to mediate, "Coach Chen didn't do it on purpose. Such a young master is indeed a bit counter-intuitive. He's done well in other aspects and hasn't offended anyone, except for paying too little. We just need to make up the difference."
"Coach Chen, do you still remember where Master Jing Mingqiu lives?"
Chen Yuanshan nodded vigorously, "Of course. I thought his father was the real master, so I specifically saved his address in my phone's memo."
"That's good. Hurry up and go pay him. Also," Sun Yi pointed to the three L2 model competition-grade drones on the table, "the competition isn't just the relay race. The other contestants' drones also need upgrades and modifications."
"Okay! I'll go pay him right away!"
Chen Yuanshan eagerly got up from the ground, his eyes shining, ready to leave and hail a taxi, but Sun Yi grabbed him.
"Never mind, it's a bit late today. We'll go together tomorrow!"