Mr. Lin's flight was in the morning. I was woken up early by Jing Lei, who handed me the card and had the driver take me to look at cars.
I sent a message to Wen Siqiang, asking him to wait for me at the car dealership.
Jing Lei didn't come with me; she was going to pick up Mr. Lin at the airport later.
On the way, the driver asked me about my budget and whether I had any brand preferences. His questions caught me off guard. Honestly, I knew nothing about cars, so I turned the question back to him: "What car do you think I should buy, and at what price point?"
He said, "The boss is a woman, and her car is a small BMW sports car, which is fine for a woman to drive, but men shouldn't consider it. Director Lan rides in a Rolls-Royce, which is a symbol of status. I don't think you should consider it for now. It's not that you don't deserve this car, but rather it's the brand your superior drives, so it's best to bypass it. The remaining options are Mercedes-Benz and BMW business sedans. You can consider these two models and see which brand you prefer. Currently, the BMW flagship is the 5 Series and the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. BMW is more practical, while Mercedes-Benz is more flamboyant. There's also a slight price difference, with Mercedes-Benz being significantly more expensive. However, I suggest you buy a Mercedes-Benz. It has relatively more space, is stable and elegant, and suits your status."
I replied, "I don't understand any of what you're saying. When I see the cars, you can explain them to me."
Wen Siqiang was waiting for me at the dealership. As I got out of the car, I said to him, "I want to buy a car. Do you have any suggestions?"
He replied, "If you're buying a car here, you probably can't do it without a hundred large bundles. What advice can I, someone who started out driving a minivan, give you? The gap between us is too vast."
I smiled and said, "It's going to be for you to drive, so it's zero distance."
He exclaimed in surprise, "No way, a million-dollar car for me to drive?"
I said, "Look at how scared you are. It's for you to drive, not a gift. Why are you so excited?"
He said, "Can I not be excited? I've never even touched a car worth over a hundred thousand, let alone drive a million-dollar one." Da Feng Novel Network
Just then, the driver parked the car and came to take us to see the vehicles.
Back then, there were fewer cars and fewer buyers. A few cars were displayed in a large hall, and not a soul could be seen.
We walked around, and no one came to greet us. The driver led me to a Mercedes-Benz. At that moment, a person in a formal suit entered from a side door. He glanced at us and asked, "Looking at cars?"
I said, "Yes."
He looked me up and down disbelievingly and said in that tone, "Are you sure?"
I replied, "Are people here to buy cars or to sightsee?"
He said, "That's not necessarily true. There are plenty of people who have never seen imported luxury sedans. It's not uncommon for a few people to come and gawk at rare sights."
I asked, "How much is this car?"
He dismissively said, "Kid, I have a lot of business to attend to. You can enjoy the view and then go play somewhere else. I don't have time to entertain you."
As I retorted, Wen Siqiang stepped forward and grabbed him by the collar, saying, "Boy, open your dog eyes and see. President Li, Boss Li is talking to you. Did you stuff your eyes in your pants?"
The man, seeing he was being grabbed, flew into a rage. He broke free and shouted, "What President Li? I don't know him. There are 'Presidents' everywhere these days. I know who the heck you are?"
Wen Siqiang slapped him and then kicked him over, saying, "I'll tell you who we are now. Listen carefully: President Li of the West Suburb Raw Stone Trading Center. Understand?"
This Wen Siqiang is something else. The company hasn't even been established, and he's already appointed me a boss.
However, this move didn't work on this guy. Although he had been hit, he still looked defiant.
He said, "Displaying a couple of stones makes it a trading center? How many stones have you displayed?"
Wen Siqiang went to kick him again, but I quickly stopped him and said, "Never mind how many stones we display. Are you selling the car or not?"
He got up, dusted himself off, and said, "Look at this car. You just ask, of course, we'll sell it. But no bargaining, no choice. It's the only one, this year's new Tiger Head Benz S600, bare car 1.6 million, plus paperwork fees."
I asked, "What's the price? Put it aside. What do you do here? We need to find the real person in charge."
He said, "I'm the manager here. I make the decisions!"
I said, "You say you're the manager, but what proof do you have?"
He was momentarily speechless and frantically used the walkie-talkie to call someone from the office.
I knew he was at least a staff member, but for someone with such snobbish eyes, I wanted to teach him a lesson.
At that moment, a young woman in professional attire ran out from inside. She approached, confused about the situation, and greeted us politely.
I saw her name tag: Sales Representative Wang Ying.
Wang Ying handed me the car's information with both hands and said, "Hello, sir. This car is the latest model this year, and it's the highest configuration. Normally, you have to pay a premium to get it, but you are very lucky today because it's in stock, so there's no extra charge. We'll also give you a set of high-end floor mats. Sir, do you find it suitable? If it is, would you prefer to pay with cash or card?"
I looked at her admiringly, then at the manager, and said, "Look how people sell cars. And you're the manager? I'm embarrassed for you!"
As I said that, I took out my card and said, "Who carries that much cash around? Trying to be a big spender?"
Wang Ying gave a professional smile, took the bank card with both hands, and hurried off to process the transaction.
I didn't have my ID, so I had to use Jing Lei's to complete the paperwork.
Only then did we go to look at the car. I had been arguing with the manager earlier and didn't even know what an S600 was. I only found out from Wang Ying that it was the top-of-the-line Tiger Head Benz back then, costing 1.6 million.
It was all due to a moment of pique; I didn't really need to buy the top-tier model, as a lower trim would have sufficed.
But the deed was done, so it was done.
After a while, Wang Ying returned with the invoice and the car's registration documents, handed me the card, and said, "Now I'll accompany you to the Vehicle Administration Office to complete the procedures. Once everything is done, you can drive it on the road."
I asked Wen Siqiang to drive the car with her, and the driver and I followed in Jing Lei's car.
Wen Siqiang was still a bit nervous and fumbled before getting into the car.
Wang Ying said, "Perhaps I should drive first? You can get accustomed to it, and then you can drive after the paperwork is done."
Wang Ying might have been worried about him driving poorly due to nervousness, so she tactfully suggested this to him.
Wen Siqiang quickly nodded and hurried to the passenger seat.
The manager looked a bit embarrassed but still politely saw us out, likely filled with regret at that moment.
Back then, people rarely bought cars, and there was almost no one at the Vehicle Administration Office to process paperwork. Wang Ying took Wen Siqiang, and within a short time, the documents and license plates were ready.
Afterward, Wen Siqiang dragged me to the winery. The driver went to take Wang Ying back to her company.
Wen Siqiang's driving skills were rusty. He sat in the driver's seat for a while, getting used to it, before starting the engine and then slowly accelerating out.