Chapter 246: Brazen
This place turned out to be an auto plaza, and she was standing with Zhao Dong at the entrance of a Ferrari dealership!
Song Qingwan was stunned. "Zhao Dong, why did you bring me here?"
"Today is your birthday," Zhao Dong said with a smile. "I have to give you a decent gift. Come on, a Ferrari isn't a bad choice. I'll get one for you."
Song Qingwan looked at Zhao Dong, her eyes gradually reddening. "Zhao Dong…"
Seeing her like this, Zhao Dong was taken aback. "What's the matter, Qingwan?"
Song Qingwan wiped the corner of her eye, a sincere smile blooming on her face. "It's nothing... I'm just so happy. Thank you!"
Zhao Dong smiled and said no more, pulling Song Qingwan straight into the store. She was still driving an old Audi A5 from several years ago, which had started to fall behind the times. He knew she didn't have much money on hand right now. While it was true she was a top-tier star in East Sea, her industry ban had only just been lifted this year. In the preceding years, she had paid several hundred million in breach-of-contract penalties, wiping out all the money she had ever earned and even incurring significant external debts. Though she had taken on small commercial gigs and variety show appearances, which would be lucrative for an ordinary person, it was just enough for her to get by. Between the massive debts she owed, the mortgage on her villa, and all her other daily expenses, the payments were a bottomless pit. Outsiders saw her as glamorous, but only she understood the bitterness of her situation.
Walking into the Ferrari dealership with Zhao Dong, they were immediately greeted by a beautiful, well-proportioned, and elegant saleswoman who approached with a soft, gentle smile. "Welcome!"
As she spoke, the saleswoman sized them up. This was a skill all luxury dealership recruits had to learn: deducing a customer's social status from their speech, mannerisms, clothing, and accessories. The saleswoman discreetly observed Zhao Dong, her face fixed in a standard smile. He doesn't look like a rich man, especially in that outfit. So why doesn't he seem out of place at all? Some broke people come here pretending to be wealthy, but you can always tell from their eyes that they're faking it. With this man, though, you can't tell at all. He doesn't look wealthy, but his gaze is so confident it's hard to read!
The saleswoman's gaze then shifted to Song Qingwan, and she was slightly taken aback. She didn't watch many variety shows, and with Song Qingwan's current outfit, hairstyle, and lack of TV makeup, she was completely unrecognizable. The saleswoman simply thought she had an incredibly elegant air—the very essence of a wealthy, beautiful woman. Her eyes darted as a thought formed. They probably aren't poor; they're genuinely here to look at cars.
With this assessment, the saleswoman became even more enthusiastic. "Do you have any models in mind? I'd be happy to give you an introduction."
Zhao Dong scratched his head, looked around, and smiled at Song Qingwan. "Which one do you like?"
Song Qingwan pursed her lips into a smile. "The one I like might be quite expensive, you know."
"That's not a problem. We can afford it," Zhao Dong said with a grin.
Song Qingwan gave him a playful look and gently poked his nose. "Oh, you… I can't believe where you've earned all this money!"
With that, Song Qingwan glanced around until her eyes landed on a Ferrari 488 not far away. She pointed at it and said, "Zhao Dong, that one looks really nice. Let's go check it out."
Without a second thought, Zhao Dong led her over to the 488. He nodded with a smile. "Not bad. The design is really sharp. It would suit you perfectly."
A genuine smile spread across Song Qingwan's face. "A car this nice would suit anyone!"
Zhao Dong smiled and turned to the saleswoman. "Hi, how much is this car?"
The saleswoman smiled back. "This 488 is the only one we have in stock, so there's no discount, sir. The base price is 4.35 million, with optional features adding about seven hundred thousand more. Including the purchase tax, insurance, and so on, the final on-the-road price comes to around 5.8 million."
Zhao Dong smiled. "Alright, we'll take this one."
He took out a card and handed it to the saleswoman. She was startled. "Are you placing the order now, sir?"
She was bewildered, having expected him to haggle over the price like everyone else. A customer this decisive was a true rarity.
"Yes, place the order now," Zhao Dong said with a smile. "Oh, and not just that. I want to take the car today. Can you manage that?"
"That… might be a little difficult. The bank financing usually requires some processing time."
"No financing. We're paying in full."
Zhao Dong held the card out to the saleswoman, leaving her completely dumbfounded. At first, he didn't look like a rich man at all... but now he's paying for a car worth over five million in full? I know the people who buy these are wealthy, but many of them make a down payment of two or three million and finance the rest! And this ordinary-looking man is paying the entire amount upfront?
The saleswoman was stunned for a moment before Zhao Dong urged, "Can you be a bit quicker? We have other things to do later!"
The saleswoman, whose name was Cheng Lu, was a graduate of East Sea University. Snapping out of her daze, she excitedly took the card, her voice trembling. "Sir, please wait a moment. I'll go draw up the contract for you right away!"
These supercar dealerships weren't like ordinary dealerships. Regular dealerships would push financing plans on customers, sometimes even refusing to sell to those who wanted to pay in full. This was because the profit on a single car might only be a few thousand, but the kickback from the bank for a loan was substantial, as much as twenty or thirty thousand. Therefore, most regular dealerships preferred customers to finance. However, these supercar dealerships weren't as concerned about bank kickbacks. While they missed out on the incentive, the rapid return of several million in capital allowed the specialty stores to invest that money themselves. As a result, the salesperson's commission was the same either way. Seeing how decisive Zhao Dong was, Cheng Lu was naturally delighted.
Soon, she returned with a stack of contracts. After Song Qingwan signed them, Cheng Lu smiled. "Please, go and relax in the tea lounge on the second floor. We'll have someone inspect the car now. It will be ready for delivery in half an hour!"
"Alright."
Zhao Dong and Song Qingwan went to the tea lounge upstairs to wait.
Meanwhile, Cheng Lu and the staff began preparing the final delivery contract. Once the dealership signed it, the deal would be complete. Just then, another man and woman walked into the store. The man was dressed in a suit and tie, looking quite suave. The woman carried a Louis Vuitton bag and wore a form-fitting, hip-hugging skirt that revealed long, beautiful legs in black stockings—a sexy, flashy outfit dripping with luxury brands.
If Zhao Dong and Song Qingwan had been there to see them, they would have been utterly shocked. The newcomers were none other than Zhang Xingze and Shen Yana, the pair Zhao Dong had taught a lesson at a restaurant long ago. Zhang Xingze was the same scoundrel who had been romantically involved with Song Qingwan back in school. After she had waited faithfully for him, he betrayed her and got together with Shen Yana.
At this moment, Zhang Xingze and Shen Yana had also come to look at cars. They strode in arrogantly. Hearing their footsteps, Cheng Lu approached, sized them up, and greeted them with a professional smile. "What model are you interested in?"
Shen Yana scoffed. "What model do you think? Your bestseller is the 488. I'm obviously here to see that. Do you have one?"
Cheng Lu was taken aback, a troubled look on her face. "Ma'am, we do have one, but…"
"If you have one, that's all that matters. What's with the 'but'? Aren't you going to show it to me?" Shen Yana demanded haughtily. Before the helpless Cheng Lu could explain further, Shen Yana spotted the red 488 nearby and immediately dragged Zhang Xingze over to it.
Cheng Lu followed helplessly, looking for a chance to explain.
Shen Yana and Zhang Xingze stood before the 488 that Zhao Dong had already claimed. Shen Yana beamed. "Xingze, what do you think? Isn't it gorgeous?"
Zhang Xingze smiled. "It is! It suits you perfectly, Yana!"
"If it's gorgeous, then I'm ordering it! We can take turns driving it!"
"Sounds good!"
Shen Yana then took out her bank card and tossed it at Cheng Lu, declaring arrogantly, "We've made our choice. Swipe the card. We're taking the car today."
Cheng Lu nervously caught the card and forced a bitter smile. "Ma'am… I'm terribly sorry, but to be honest, this car has already been reserved."
"What?! Someone else reserved it?"
"Yes," Cheng Lu said with a pained smile. "Ma'am, perhaps you could look at another car? Or if you wait about two months, the dealership will have a new allocation."
Shen Yana exploded. "Wait two months? Are you kidding me? I want to take it *today*! Today! Are you deaf? Two months? Wait for what?! I'm not waiting! I want *this* car!"
Cheng Lu pleaded with a strained smile, "Ma'am, please don't make things difficult for us. This car has genuinely been reserved by another customer. We really can't sell it to you."
"Why are you spouting so much nonsense? If you can't sell it, get a colleague who can! Now!"
Cheng Lu's smile was strained. "Ma'am, I'm sorry, it's really not possible…"
Shen Yana's face twisted with rage and humiliation. Suddenly, she swung her arm and slapped Cheng Lu hard across the face. "You worthless little wretch! I tell you to sell a car and you dawdle! I'm the customer! I'm your God! Your only job is to provide good service, so cut the crap! Sell me this car right now!"
Cheng Lu clutched her cheek, tears instantly streaming down her face. Who could endure such humiliation? But the people who came to buy Ferraris were either rich or powerful; she couldn't afford to offend any of them. She had no choice but to swallow her broken teeth. Clasping her swelling cheek, Cheng Lu fought to hold back her sobs, her voice hoarse and cracking. "Ma'am… I'm sorry, but we really can't sell this car…"
Shen Yana's face darkened with fury. Pointing at Cheng Lu, she snarled, "Are you dense? Go tell that customer to give us the car! If you don't have the guts, I do! Get that customer over here right now!"
Cheng Lu shook her head, tears in her eyes. "Ma'am, we must protect our clients' privacy. That information can't be disclosed."
"You… you bitch, you're really determined to cross me, aren't you? Do you believe one phone call from me could not only get you fired but also make it impossible for you to survive in East Sea?"
Clutching her face, Cheng Lu's tears flowed freely as she sobbed, "Ma'am, I'm begging you… I really can't. Please, try to understand our position!"
"Understand my ass!" Shen Yana cursed. "I'm calling someone right now. You can just wait to be fired!"
The next second, Cheng Lu dropped to her knees with a thud. She grabbed Shen Yana's legs, crying and pleading, "Ma'am, I can't lose this job! My family is in a difficult situation, and they're all depending on me! I'm begging you…"
"Begging is useless! Get lost!" Shen Yana sneered. "Who told you to be so blind as to not sell me the car? Today, I'll teach you who you can and cannot afford to offend!"
Just as Shen Yana was about to make the call, an indifferent voice drifted down from the second floor. "Well now, let's see who's being so arrogant."