Xia Lei ended his workday two hours early and left the company with Liang Si-Yao because he was afraid that the 4S store would be closed by the time they got there.
“What kind of car do you like, Senior Disciple? Don’t hold back; I’ll buy whatever you like,” said Xia Lei as he drove his Great Wall H6.
Liang Si-Yao’s cheeks were pink. “You’re really buying me a car?”
“What’s going on? We’re already on our way there and you’re still asking me this?” teased Xia Lei.
“But… Why buy me a car?” Liang Si-Yao wanted an answer to her question.
Xia Lei replied without a second thought. “We’re family. I earned some money so it’s only natural to get you a car.”
‘We’re family’ seemed to mean something else to Liang Si-Yao, for her face reddened further as her heart warmed.
“Oh, right, can Master drive?” said Xia Lei, “I want to buy him a car too.”
Liang Si-Yao blinked flirtatiously at him. “b.u.t.tering him up? You’re in too much of a rush now, aren’t you?”
Xia Lei was confused.
“He can’t drive and don’t buy any gifts for him. You know what he’s like - he’ll nag at you for buying him expensive things,” said Liang Si-Yao.
‘You can stop me now but I’ll go buy something later. I can’t not buy him anything’ thought Xia Lei to himself.
“What do you want to sneaky-buy for my dad?”
“Huh?” Xia Lei looked at Liang Si-Yao in surprise. “You know what I’m thinking - are you a roundworm in my stomach or something?”
“Fine, calling me a roundworm? This roundworm will bite you!” Liang Si-Yao reached to scratch at Xia Lei’s tummy.
The Great Wall H6 weaved slightly on the road. Xia Lei reached to hit Liang Si-Yao’s hand in nervousness. He smacked her hand away from his stomach but her hand landed on his ‘that’ place instead.
Liang Si-Yao seemed to have been hit by a bolt of electricity and withdrew her hand.
Roundworms were nothing compared to that ‘thing’.
Xia Lei grew embarra.s.sed too and changed the topic. “That’s right, you haven’t told me which car you wanted yet. We’re almost at the store.”
The road before them was lined with 4S stores; Audi, Volkswagen, Great Wall, Chang An and exclusive shops with exclusive cars.
Liang Si-Yao thought for a bit and said, “Then I’ll get the same as you - the H6.”
Xia Lei shook his head. “No, no, it’s too cheap.”
“You’re the boss of the company and you drive a Great Wall H6. If you get me a better car, what will the employees think of us?” said Liang Si-Yao.
Xia Lei smiled. “I want to change my car too. The car is a show of a.s.sets in doing business and has to be respectable. China isn’t like Europe or America; the Chinese are the most pride-conscious people on this planet. A client may lose confidence in talking about a 10,000,000 deal with me if I drive just a 100,000 yuan H6. If I drive a good car, however, it will look like I’m capable and business talks would go more smoothly. You’re my a.s.sistant - the company and myself will be proud if you drive a good car. That’s why I have to buy you a nice car.”
“You’ll be proud if I drive a nice car?” Liang Si-Yao spoke in a small voice.
“Yeah, so have you thought about which car you’d like?” urged Xia Lei.
Liang Si-Yao closed her lips, and a faint smile appeared in their corners.
The Great Wall H6 went past the Volkswagen 4S store, then past the Audi 4S store and finally stopped at a BMW 4S store.
Liang Si-Yao looked at the signboard of the store and asked in surprise, “You’re buying me a BMW?”
“Get out of the car; dawdle any longer and the store will be closed,” nagged Xia Lei.
Xia Lei alighted but Liang Si-Yao stayed in the pa.s.senger seat. The ‘good’ car she’d been thinking of was just an Audi; she’d not expected that Xia Lei would bring her shopping in a BMW store.
Xia Lei walked around the bonnet and opened the door for Liang Si-Yao, then dragged her into the BMW store.
The people at the door greeted them politely but when they saw the Great Wall H6 parked outside the store, their expressions subtly changed to scorn and skepticism. A lowly Great Wall driver coming to buy a BMW? Their gazes landed on Xia Lei and Liang Si-Yao and their next thought was that he was here to impress a girl by taking her to look at expensive cars.
Sure that he couldn’t afford it, the sales representatives did a perfunctory job and let Xia Lei and Liang Si-Yao look around the showroom by themselves without bothering to explain any features of the car models.
Two sales representatives in office skirts gossiped in a corner.
“This guy’s not bad. He’s quite handsome but his way of getting girls is a minus point,” said one quietly.
“They’re both willing parties. I’d like a handsome guy like that to be pulling the wool over my eyes too but all I get are weirdos.” The other sales representative had an odd expression on her face.
“Heh, I bet that guy will take the girl to a hotel after they leave our shop.”
“Then he’ll tell her that he’ll be sure to buy her a BMW when he’s made it rich. Heh heh.”
“Oh, and then…”
“Hee hee hee…”
The two sales representatives chattered on while Liang Si-Yao picked her car. The BMW 316Li was 210,000 yuan and up. She was satisfied with the price and the design and the nice car she was thinking of was also in this price range.
“This one,” said Liang Si-Yao. She turned but saw that Xia Lei was looking at the BMW M6 next to it so she waved at the sales representatives for a.s.sistance.
“How troublesome. It’s all just an act - do they have to make it so realistic?” The sales representative grumbled in dissatisfaction but still walked over.
When they walked over, Liang Si-Yao asked, “Do you have this car in red?”
“Yeah. You want it?” said a sales representative flatly.
“Nn, I’ll ask my… friend.” Liang Si-Yao walked to Xia Lei.
The two sales representatives started gossiping again.
“Hah, how daring - he’s looking at the M6.”
“Is he going to say that he’ll buy her the M6?”
“He’ll definitely say it, but only after he gets the money. Hee hee.”
“Shh, don’t let them hear you.”
Liang Si-Yao went to Xia Lei’s side. She could see his eyes s.h.i.+ning as he admired the BMW M6. She glanced at the price and sucked in a breath of air - 2,000,000!
“This car’s a beaut.” Xia Lei clicked his tongue in appreciation.
“Of course it is; it’s 2,000,000! My heart can’t take this.” Liang Si-Yao pulled Xia Lei by the hand to the BMW 316Li which she had her eye on and said, “This one will do. I think it’s quite good.”
Xia Lei glanced at it. “How can this one do? It doesn’t suit you.”
The two sales representatives exchanged glances, then looked at Xia Lei, the contempt in their eyes becoming more apparent than before.
“What do you want to buy for me, then?” asked Liang Si-Yao in exasperation.
Xia Lei pointed at the BMW M6 and said, “I’ll buy you that one.”
“No, no, that’s too expensive! I don’t want it.” Liang Si-Yao shook her head so hard it looked like a baby rattle.
Xia Lei was unmoving. “I’m going to buy you that car.”
“I really don’t want something so expensive. It wasn’t that easy for you to earn that money and the company still needs…”
A sales representative cut Liang Si-Yao off. “Hey, have you decided already?”
The other grumbled, “Do you have to pretend and act like it’s real? Waste of time.”
Xia Lei frowned. He could now see that the two sales representatives were looking down on him, and didn’t think that he could afford good cars. He had endured slights like this in the past but now, he was not the same and he would stand this treatment no longer. Before he could say anything, however, Liang Si-Yao’s temper flared.
“What is this att.i.tude?” said Liang Si-Yao angrily, “Don’t want to sell? Lei, let’s go somewhere else to buy cars.”
The two sales representatives exchanged looks and though they did not say anything, their eyes seemed to say ‘Aren’t you just looking for an excuse to go? Well, you can go now!’
“Call your manager,” said Xia Lei instead.
One of the sales representatives raised her voice to call, “Hey, Manager, someone’s calling for you.”
A middle-aged man walked over and looked Xia Lei over. “What is it, sir?”
“This M6. You have it in red?” said Xia Lei.
“Yes, we do,” said the middle-aged man.
“Good. I want a black one and a red one. Cash. All procedures to be done in-store,” said Xia Lei.
“Yes, yes, I’ll get someone to bring out the red car immediately for you to have a look at it. Our service is the best, sir. Picking us is the right choice,” said the middle-aged man excitedly.
The two sales representatives seemed to have turned to stone.
“I have a condition, however,” said Xia Lei.
“Please tell us, sir. We will fulfil all your requests,” said the middle-aged man respectfully.
“Them. Their att.i.tude made my friend and I uncomfortable. I’ll buy two of your cars but I want them to use their clothing to wipe the cars,” said Xia Lei.
The middle-aged man glared at the two sales representatives. “What are you two standing there for? Go wipe the car! Be careful - you’ll have to pay if you scratch the paint!”
The two sales representatives froze, then slumped towards the M6. They removed their jackets and wiped at the car tyres, too afraid to wipe the car’s body.
Liang Si-Yao pulled at Xia Lei’s hand and said quietly, “You didn’t have to do that.”
“I couldn’t stand them making you angry so I’m teaching them a lesson on your behalf. They won’t look down on others next time,” said Xia Lei.
Xia Lei’s words touched Liang Si-Yao’s heart deeply and the way she looked at him changed. She hesitated, just a bit, then took hold of his arm gently as a sweet smile blossomed on her face. “You’re so good to me.”
Xia Lei smiled. He didn’t move because the arm she was holding was touching something soft and it made him rather nervous.
The two sales representatives grumbled as they wiped.
“I don’t get these rich people. Did you ever see anyone driving a China-brand car to come buy a BMW M6?”
“Nope. Sigh… When can I meet a man like that?”
“Wipe the car. Stop dreaming.”
“Sigh…”
Two BMW M6s - purchase price, plus taxes, plus insurance totalled 4,500,000. Xia Lei did not feel the pinch when he spent that money, though. Money earned was meant to be spent so how can those who not use money hope to earn more money? Besides, Liang Si-Yao had been his loyal aide since the beginning and had put in just as much effort into making Thunder Horse Manufacturing successful.
An hour later, the two brand new - so new they didn’t even have license plates yet - red and black BMW M6s drove out of the 4S store slowly on the roads. The red one was, of course, being driven by Liang Si-Yao and the black by Xia Lei. Liang Si-Yao usually drove at higher speeds but this was her first time driving a car as expensive as this one so she was being extra careful. Xia Lei was in no hurry either and he followed her as they made their way slowly to her place.
Xia Lei tasked one of the 4S store workers with driving his Great Wall H6 back to Thunder Horse Manufacturing. The car would now be made available for company use.
In the red BMW M6, a red-faced Liang Si-Yao spoke to herself, “Now all that’s missing are those three words. When will he say them to me?”