Chapter Fourteen: Aston Martin

“Welcome to Ferrari!”

Greeted by a group of attractive saleswomen, Lan Tian and his companion stepped into the Ferrari dealership. As befitted a high-end luxury car showroom, it was much quieter than the bustling BMW and Mercedes dealers. Apart from the staff, only a handful of customers were scattered around the lounge, chatting idly while their vehicles were likely being serviced.

“Hey, isn’t this a Ferrari dealership? Why are there Maseratis here too?” Lan Tian asked in surprise as he noticed that half the showroom displayed various Ferrari models, while the other half housed several Maseratis.

Hearing his question, one of the saleswomen furrowed her brows ever so slightly. Was he joking? Who didn’t know that Ferrari and Maserati both belonged to Fiat, and most of their dealerships in the country were joint ventures? Clearly, this man didn’t even know such basic facts, and given his cheap attire, he was probably just here to window-shop for free…

Indeed, although Lan Tian had recently bought a dozen designer outfits, he hadn’t changed into any of them yet and was still wearing the inexpensive clothes he’d bought online.

Immediately, the saleswoman’s polite smile faded a little, and a hint of disdain crept into her gaze as she looked at Lan Tian.

“Are you here to buy a car or just to look around, sir?” Still, to be hired at a Ferrari dealership required a certain level of professionalism. Despite her dislike, she didn’t show it, maintaining her courtesy as she asked.

“Oh, we’re just browsing for now, don’t mind us,” Lan Tian replied offhandedly, his attention on the cars.

“All right, just call me if you need anything,” the saleswoman responded. In fact, she’d been wondering how to excuse herself, and Lan Tian’s remark was just what she wanted. She nodded politely and quickly left.

“So, what do you think, Mr. Moneybags? See anything you like?” Wang Ling asked after they had made a round of the showroom.

“Tsk, let’s keep looking. Ferrari doesn’t really do it for me,” Lan Tian shook his head.

“…Are you serious? You turn your nose up at Maserati and Ferrari? What exactly are you after?” Wang Ling exclaimed in disbelief.

“It’s not that. The thing is, I don’t particularly like sports cars. Ferraris are all sports cars, and the Maserati Quattroporte seems too old-fashioned. The SUVs are rather ordinary, nothing outstanding,” Lan Tian replied sheepishly. In truth, he was just making excuses. Not long ago, even BMWs and Mercedes were far out of his reach, let alone Maseratis.

He had caught that fleeting look of contempt from the saleswoman earlier, and though it was well hidden, he noticed. Since he’d been slighted, he certainly wouldn’t make a purchase here. He might be flush with cash, but he wasn’t a fool.

So, the two of them left the dealership.

“Look, this is the largest car dealership in Ning City. Whatever the branded showrooms have, they have too—and if they don’t, they can get it for you. If you can’t find your car here, you might as well give up, or just go buy a plane instead…” Wang Ling said, somewhat exasperated, as she led Lan Tian to the city’s largest dealership, which occupied an entire block.

At that moment, Wang Ling felt as if a veil of mystery had suddenly draped itself over Lan Tian—he was clearly much less simple than he appeared.

“Uh… I think I’ll skip the plane for now. Let’s go inside. Oh, and I forgot to mention—I’m terribly indecisive,” Lan Tian admitted with a bashful smile, leading the way inside.

“Hello, sir, are you here to buy or just looking?”

Lan Tian was already tired of hearing this phrase after a day of car shopping. He got straight to the point: “I’ve been at this all day and I’m exhausted. Just tell me—what cars do you have over two million? And I want a car that’s in stock, so I can drive it away immediately.”

He added, “It has to be here and now.”

The saleswoman was briefly startled but quickly realized she might be facing a big spender. She immediately put on her brightest smile. “Sir, we’re the largest dealership in Ning City. Whatever car you want, we have it, and if we don’t, we can get it here in no time at all.”

“Please wait a moment—let me fetch the list of vehicles for you,” she said respectfully, leading Lan Tian and Wang Ling to a lounge.

“Thank you,” Lan Tian nodded and struck up a casual conversation with Wang Ling.

“Here you are, sir—this is our list of available cars,” the saleswoman soon returned, carrying a stack of vehicle sheets. “As you’re interested in cars over two million, there aren’t that many, so I’ve brought detailed info sheets for each one. You’ll find pictures, engine specs, features, fuel consumption, and more.”

Lan Tian nodded. “Very convenient. Let me take a look.”

There were quite a few cars over two million, though not so many as to be overwhelming. Lan Tian split the stack with Wang Ling, asking her to help him choose.

“Hey! Lan Tian, look at this one—it’s really nice!” Wang Ling called out, handing him one of the sheets.

Lan Tian’s eyes lit up as he saw the name: Aston Martin—a fine brand indeed.

He looked at the photo. Unlike the brash, ostentatious style of Ferraris and other supercars, the Aston Martin displayed a restrained, almost conservative British elegance, yet still exuded an undeniable sense of luxury.

“Sir, your girlfriend has excellent taste,” the saleswoman interjected at the perfect moment, her professionalism on full display. “This Aston Martin Rapide AMR is currently the world’s fastest four-door sports car. It features a 6.0L V12 engine, accelerates from zero to a hundred in just 3.4 seconds, and can reach a top speed of 338 kilometers per hour. Only 210 units are being sold worldwide, and it was just launched overseas this year—no official models in the country yet. But our dealership managed to get one, after considerable effort from our boss.”

Lan Tian was about to correct her for calling Wang Ling his girlfriend, but realized that would only embarrass her. So he let it slide and got straight to the point. “All right, I’ll take it. How much is it?”

The saleswoman’s eyes sparkled. “Sir, assuming there are no other surprises, this is truly the first model in the country. The official price is 3.64 million, but for the domestic market, our boss has set the price at four million to cover the effort—after all, you know how limited editions are.”

She looked at Lan Tian a bit anxiously, but he didn’t hesitate for a second. “Fine. Take me to see the car. If there’s no issue, I’ll pay right away.”

“Certainly, sir.” The saleswoman tried to contain her excitement, forcing herself to remain calm as she led Lan Tian and Wang Ling to the car.

A car of this caliber would never be displayed in the showroom. Following the saleswoman to the warehouse, Lan Tian laid eyes on the actual vehicle and was instantly smitten. The deep blue color was even more stunning and imposing in person than in the photos. Even without the iconic badge, the car’s presence would immediately signal its status as a true luxury vehicle.

With his mind made up, the rest was easy: payment, paperwork, licensing—the entire process carried them past noon, well into the afternoon.