"Ahem, O'Dean, just say less."
Luca, who was driving, glared at O'Deen, who had been talking without thinking, through the rearview mirror, and then apologized to Xiao He: "I'm sorry, O'Deen didn't have a good impression of Chinese celebrities before, so he might have said some harsh things before and now. But he didn't mean /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ it to you or China. He has great respect for you and has mentioned you to us several times before."
O'Dean belatedly realized his mistake and apologized sheepishly, "Sorry, I misspoke again."
Xiao He didn't mind, he was just a little curious.
O'Der-En naturally has a prejudice against Chinese actors.
No wonder he was rude and had a terrible tone when we first met, like a firecracker, leaving everyone confused.
But who exactly gave Oudern such a bad impression? And it almost dragged him into it.
"Has the convoy contacted other Chinese actors before?"
"It wouldn't really be called contact, I just don't really like the other person's way of doing things."
O'Dean didn't go into details, but instead pointed out the street scene outside the car window to Xiao He: "By the way, is this your first time in Italy? This is still the city center. We'll be heading to the suburbs soon. There are very few shops there. Would you like to look around and buy something to eat?"
Xiao He could only turn his gaze to the outside of the car window.
Mengla is a small town next to Milan, and it usually receives some tourists from there. The surrounding street scene has its own Italian architectural style, and it also has some ancient buildings with historical significance.
Especially their church, with its classic Gothic white and black striped marble exterior, looked majestic and solemn. Xiao He could even see some neatly dressed people standing outside the church, already devoutly facing the church with their hands clasped together and heads bowed in prayer.
The religious traditions here are very strong. Although Xiao He did not believe in them at all, he respected them. So he only glanced at them and quickly looked away.
O'Dean is American and doesn't believe in these things. However, during their hushed conversation, he quietly told Xiao He that some local race car drivers would come to the local church to pray before a race.
The Mengla Circuit is located in an area with a strong religious atmosphere, surrounded by several historic churches. The nearest famous church is only a few kilometers away from the circuit, and the drivers can hear the church bells ringing during the race.
Therefore, in previous years, racers would often stop by a church on their way to the race to offer a prayer.
This can be considered a unique aspect of local customs and traditions abroad.
Before anyone could say anything, the loud roar of a sports car engine suddenly came from the road next to them.
"Buzz—"
The cacophony of engine noise instantly passed by their slowly moving vehicle as they headed towards the racetrack ahead.
Everyone even experienced a momentary hearing loss.
Xiao Chen pressed her face against the car window, watching the two luxury sports cars speed away, and clicked her tongue softly: "Wow, is this still considered a neighborhood? Can you race cars here now?"
Isn't street racing illegal in other countries too?
Luca, who was driving, cursed a few times in English.
O'Dean frowned and replied to Luca in English, "It seems like we run into these rude guys every year!"
"Yes, they'll realize their mistake when those people cause them trouble later."
Luca continued driving slowly forward, grumbling as he went.
Xiao He quickly asked Ou De'en, "Why is that?"
“That area we just passed was a church,” O’Dean pointed to the spot they had just driven through. “Even though we don’t have any religious beliefs, we all know to slow down and keep quiet, but those guys were so rude.”
It disrupted the peace of God.
Xiao He understood immediately.
It's like racing cars in front of a temple.
Although it's not illegal, it's very taboo.
"Wow, won't they get beaten up for doing that?"
Xiao Chen was also very surprised.
“They’ve already run away, what else can we say? It all depends on whether any believers will take it seriously.” O’Dean shrugged. “But as you know, there’s a Mafia around here.”
The Italian Mafia is world-renowned, and many people perceive them as ruthless, involved in the sale of contraband, and engaged in illicit activities. However, they often consider themselves "local order maintainers," valuing their territory highly and even actively maintaining local order and security. They are also frequently deeply intertwined with the local religious beliefs.
Those people were courting death. If they get targeted by the gangsters, they'll likely face a lot of trouble.
Hearing what O'Deen said, Xiao He sighed, "So it's best to avoid causing trouble outside..."
These are things that people in China may not value much, but people abroad attach great importance to these cultures and beliefs.
If you accidentally offend the local bully, you'll be in for a lot of trouble...
-
The group slowly made their way to the outside of the stadium.
The venue is located in a royal park, in a flat area with no obvious hills. The surrounding vegetation is quite lush, with the racetrack surrounded by dense trees and the road surface being a relatively smooth asphalt surface. Behind those trees stand ancient and luxurious royal villas, and further away, the top of a church can be vaguely seen.
Even if you're not there for a race, just driving around the area is enough to feast your eyes on its beautiful scenery.
Luca drove the car to the parking lot, while Oudern waited with Xiao He and Xiao Chen at the main entrance of the track.
Because the official competition is tomorrow, there are a lot of people at the venue today. Just after Xiao He and his group stood there for a while, several teams passed by the entrance.
Someone recognized O'Dean and came over to say hello.
"I'll go talk to them. You guys can look around here as you like."
O'Dean greeted Xiao He, and then joined a few other drivers he knew to catch up.
Only Xiao He and Xiao Chen remained in the same spot.
Xiao Chen was recording a video on her phone: "Sister Liu, we've arrived at the scene. Look, Brother Xiao and I are both fine."
He then turned the camera to Xiao He.
Xiao He, on the other hand, looked with great interest at the notice board at the entrance, studying the advertisements and event announcements posted there.
Just then, a burly, tall figure blocked Xiao Chen's path, snatched his phone, and loudly questioned him in English: "You yellow-skinned brat, were you two racing just now?"
Xiao Chen's phone was snatched away. She was about to angrily yell at the other person to return it, but when she saw the other person's tall and strong figure and the large tattoos all over his arms, her momentum immediately weakened.
"Sorry, sorry!"
Xiao Chen's English wasn't very good. Although he didn't know why the foreigner had taken his phone, seeing the other man's angry face, he subconsciously assumed that taking photos was not allowed at the entrance, so he immediately apologized sincerely.
However, Xiao Chen's apology, though seemingly innocuous, was tantamount to an admission, which enraged the tattooed man even more. He immediately turned to the other muscular, burly men standing beside him and said, "It's them!"
Suddenly, four burly men stood in front of Xiao Chen.
Xiao Chen: ? ? ?
Xiao Chen was terrified.
What are you doing?
Hearing the commotion, Xiao He immediately squeezed into the crowd and pulled Xiao Chen behind him. He stared coldly at the four burly foreign men in front of him, and said in English, "Give my friend's phone back."
"Fuck!"
Hearing Xiao He's confident words, the burly man with tattooed arms became furious and raised his hand to grab Xiao He's collar.
Xiao He was tall and had long legs. Even standing next to a burly, tattooed man, his imposing presence was in no way inferior. Instead, he took a step forward, easily brushing aside the man's outstretched hand. His icy gaze fixed on the man, radiating the dangerous murderous aura of a criminal, as he coldly rebuked him:
"If you have something to say, then say it clearly. Do you dare to lay a hand on me?"
