Chapter Forty-Six: Buying a Car

"Boss, we've arrived at the Lenghai Secondhand Car Sales Center."

Qin Jing was lost in thought when the taxi driver's voice jolted him awake.

"Oh, thank you," he replied, handing over the fare and stepping out. Just as Old Song had said, he was here today to spend money, though it differed somewhat from ordinary shopping.

Back when he'd acquired Zheng Qiuyin's Mercedes, Qin Jing had longed for a car of his own. Now that he'd made some money, buying a vehicle was his top priority. For someone in the business of recycling and sales, a car was an incredible convenience.

Moreover, Qin Jing wanted to see if he could "trigger" a recycling treasure chest here, which was why he'd come to the secondhand car market. After all, when he'd recycled that Mercedes, a bronze recycling chest had appeared.

It was still early, and the market was quiet, with only a few sales staff in uniforms sitting on chairs in the open-air lot. Upon seeing Qin Jing, a young man approached.

"Boss, here to look at cars? What type are you interested in? Let me show you around."

Qin Jing nodded, "Something that can carry goods—a pickup truck, I suppose."

A pickup suited his needs perfectly: a spacious cabin for passengers and a cargo bed in the back.

"Alright, let me introduce you to a domestic pickup first..."

Led by the salesman, Qin Jing entered the secondhand car park—a veritable automobile city. Passing through the center led to an entire street lined with 4S dealerships of every brand. Lenghai, with the largest economy in the nation, boasted a sprawling car city.

They walked to the innermost section, where all the used pickups were parked. The salesman brought Qin Jing to a Great Wall pickup, ready to begin his pitch.

"Old Wu, busy as ever—help me process some paperwork!" A woman, looking quite young, emerged from the back entrance and beckoned to the salesman.

Old Wu frowned, clearly reluctant. "Can't you see I'm busy? I've got a customer."

"It's the big car expo today. I've got too many clients on my side—help me out, will you? Sorry, handsome, just a moment." The woman was a new car saleswoman, efficient and polite; her last words were directed at Qin Jing.

Qin Jing smiled and nodded, using the time to check out the other vehicles.

Seeing Qin Jing agreeable, Old Wu said no more and listened to the woman's instructions.

"Qin Jing? What are you doing here?" Just as Qin Jing was about to continue browsing, a delighted voice sounded by his ear, and a figure approached.

It was a young man in his twenties, rather handsome, dressed smartly in a suit with the air of a successful professional.

Who was this? Qin Jing found him familiar but couldn't quite place him, so he casually replied, "Just looking at cars," his gaze drifting to the woman behind the man—a slightly plump lady, none other than Chen Hua's friend from the time of their breakup. Qin Jing vaguely recalled her name was Jiang Yuerong: decent-looking but short and stout, a typical "background friend" beside Chen Hua.

"Don't remember me? I'm Chen Chao, Jiang Yuerong's boyfriend. We've met several times at the girls' dinners," Chen Chao said warmly, unintentionally adding, "Long time no see. I'm about to start my internship, and Yuerong is here with me to look at cars. Why not join us?"

He glanced over at the secondhand car center—just behind the new car dealerships—so he naturally knew what this place was. What's the greatest pleasure in buying a car? Showing off in front of acquaintances: Look, I'm successful now—I bought a new car.

Chen Chao remembered vividly: he had gotten close to Jiang Yuerong to pursue Chen Hua, only for Chen Hua to end up with Qin Jing, who was penniless and had even dropped out. That news had hit Chen Chao hard.

"Oh, now I remember," Qin Jing replied calmly. For these acquaintances, he had no desire for further conversation. "You two go ahead; I'm looking at used pickups."

He didn't mind being looked down upon: after all, he was only interested in used pickups. In the eyes of many locals, pickups were just cargo haulers—the lowest rung of cars.

Jiang Yuerong came over, clearly not fond of Qin Jing. She smiled sweetly, "No rush. We've already picked out our car and paid. That lady salesperson was overwhelmed, so Old Wu is helping us with the paperwork."

The phrase "overbearing" need not be spoken with harsh words; Jiang Yuerong's casual tone was filled with pressure: the salesman you were introduced to is now at my beck and call—how does that feel?

If you don't hold your ground, people will walk all over you.

Qin Jing frowned, about to speak, when Old Wu returned, driving over a new car. He handed a stack of paperwork to Jiang Yuerong and said, "Please wait a moment. A staff member will set off confetti for us."

Usually, buying a new car involved firecrackers and red ribbons. In a big city like Lenghai, firecrackers were replaced with confetti.

"If you don't need anything else, we'll be off," Jiang Yuerong said with a radiant smile. Beside her, Chen Chao puffed up with pride, standing tall and straight. At Lenghai Art School, he was considered campus heartthrob. Qin Jing's failure to recognize him earlier had annoyed him, but now he felt like the star of a play, thoroughly putting Qin Jing in his place.

Qin Jing looked at the new car and smiled, "Toyota Land Cruiser? A Japanese model—not bad."

"Not just 'not bad.' This car is seriously impressive. Look at the bodywork—everyone says Japanese cars have thin, flimsy bodies, but the Land Cruiser is an exception. The tires are a whole palm wider than those on cars costing just over a hundred thousand..." Old Wu, fresh from the Land Cruiser, unaware that Qin Jing and Chen Chao knew each other, praised the car enthusiastically.

With that, Jiang Yuerong and Chen Chao's smiles grew even broader. Chen Chao even reached out to pat Qin Jing's shoulder, but Qin Jing dodged, leaving Chen Chao awkward and a bit annoyed. "Qin Jing, I only bought a car worth about six hundred thousand. Don't be like that—maybe you'll get rich someday and can afford a new car too?"

As if Qin Jing were envious of him.

Qin Jing was speechless and couldn't be bothered to explain. He waved to Old Wu, "Old Wu, I've found a car I like. Give me a quote—if it's good, I'll buy it right now."

Business perked Old Wu up instantly, and he hurried over.

Qin Jing pulled out his phone and opened a webpage. He'd come here after doing his homework; after all, like many men, he had always dreamed of owning a luxury car. Even before unlocking GDP, he'd researched plenty of cars.

He said, "Here, this is the one I saw online. The only one in the car city is here at the used car center. Are the documents all in order?"

"This car?!" Old Wu's eyes widened in shock. "Of course, the paperwork's complete—this car made the news, so there's definitely no issues. The thing is, um, it's actually priced above the original..."

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