Chapter Seventy-Five: Daydreaming?

Just as two security guards arrived, a sharply dressed manager followed.

"You’re the manager here. Let me tell you, we’re VIPs at your dealership. This man is mentally disabled, barking and shouting at us for no reason, ruining our mood. He was let in by your saleswoman, so you owe us an explanation."

The saleswoman accompanying Lin Tianhao’s party was known as Xiaomei, her features alluring. When she called out to Manager Mu, Wei Feng immediately turned her phone camera toward the manager, pointed at Hong Chen, and barked orders with an air of superiority.

"Yes, you must explain yourself. Don’t say I didn’t warn you: we’re planning to buy two cars today. If you don’t satisfy us, we’ll simply go across the street to the BMW dealership." Sun Li’s sharp chin lifted slightly, like a proud little princess.

Lin Tianhao’s expression brimmed with superiority as he said arrogantly, "Hong Chen, you’re nothing but trash. People like you don’t even deserve to step foot here. If you know what’s good for you, crawl out of here on all fours like a dog."

Upon hearing they planned to buy two cars, Xiaomei’s eyes sparkled. Without letting the manager speak, she harshly scolded the saleswoman serving Hong Chen, Peach, "Peach, are you blind? Letting in any stray cat or dog? My clients are VIPs. They want him to crawl out. If he won’t, then you do it. In any case, make sure my clients are satisfied."

Peach, barely in her twenties and clearly new to the job, blushed furiously under Xiaomei’s reprimand. Helplessly, she looked to the manager. The manager, seasoned and in his forties, didn’t immediately lose his temper. After a moment’s silence, he turned to Hong Chen. "Sir, do you have anything to say?"

Hong Chen calmly raised three fingers. "Just a bunch of scum. I won’t make things difficult for you. I have three points. First, have this woman put away her phone. As a customer, my privacy is to be respected, and as manager, you must ensure that."

Lin Tianhao disdainfully interrupted, "Who are you pretending for? Can you even afford a single tire here?"

Hong Chen ignored him and continued, "Second, during my purchase, I don’t want to hear any personal attacks or foul language. As a customer, I’m here for service, not aggravation. Third, since they’re buying two cars, I’ll buy two as well—and I guarantee my total will not be less than theirs."

Everyone was stunned at his third point.

"You’re buying two cars, and for more than us? Hong Chen, you must be out of your mind. What do you think you’re buying, model cars?" Lin Tianhao sneered, casting a sideways glance at Hong Chen as if he were an idiot.

"Darling, remember that song from Wandering Sanmao? ‘Only in dreams do you eat your fill.’" Sun Li giggled and winked. Lin Tianhao hadn’t responded yet, when Xiaomei quickly chimed in, "Daydreaming!"

The four immediately burst into mocking laughter, but it was abruptly cut short, as if their throats had been slit. Not only them—the manager, saleswomen, and security guards all stood gaping, their astonishment almost comical.

"This card still has several hundred thousand. If I break my word, use the money as compensation for your mood." Hong Chen spoke calmly, holding out a bank card and looking at Lin Tianhao’s group with indifference.

"Who believes you? You say it’s hundreds of thousands—"

Sun Li had barely voiced her doubt when Hong Chen handed the card to Peach. "Go check it on the POS machine," he said quietly.

Peach was at a loss, but the manager’s sharp look snapped her into action. She hurried to the finance office and returned a minute later, announcing excitedly, "The card’s balance is seven hundred sixty-three thousand!"

She’d worked at the dealership for half a year, had seen clients buy million-dollar luxury cars, but never felt so exhilarated—like a convict suddenly acquitted.

Lin Tianhao’s group fell silent, exchanging uneasy glances. Their faces turned grim. They weren’t true troublemakers; their boldness had come from being prospective buyers. Now that Hong Chen had proven his financial standing, what confidence remained?

"Miss, please put away your phone. Our dealership strictly prohibits filming to protect customer privacy," the manager said sternly to Wei Feng, who felt deeply humiliated. She almost stormed out, when Lin Tianhao suddenly spoke, "If you’re so impressive, you won’t go back on your word, right? You said your two cars will cost more than ours. If you break your promise, the seventy thousand on your card belongs to us, agreed?"

Under Lin Tianhao’s intense gaze, Hong Chen nodded calmly. Lin Tianhao added, "Full payment only, no installments."

"Of course."

"Good," Lin Tianhao replied, turning to Wu Yu. Wu Yu understood, but hesitated, "Words aren’t enough. You’ll handle collecting, right?"

After all, seventy thousand was no small matter. If Hong Chen reneged, what could they do—commit robbery?

"I’ll handle it," Lin Tianhao said confidently. "Everyone here is witness. If he doesn’t pay, I’ll call his wife. If that doesn’t work, I’ll bring his whole family, and even my grandmother to ensure justice. There’s no way he can squirm out."

"Alright, then I’ll raise my budget," Wu Yu agreed after Lin Tianhao’s assurance. He’d heard plenty about the Lin family from Lin Tianhao: Lin Yuan Gui was an illegitimate son with the lowest status, while Hong Chen, as his son-in-law, was even lower. The grandmother held absolute authority. If she sided with Lin Tianhao, Hong Chen would have to accept defeat.

Wei Feng’s eyes lit up, her humiliation replaced by excitement. Wu Yu was her boyfriend, and the car would be hers—the more luxurious, the better.

Sun Li and Xiaomei shared her excitement. Sun Li, as Lin Tianhao’s girlfriend, would likewise benefit from a pricier car, and Xiaomei’s commission depended on the client’s spending.

The manager personally led the group through various sections of the dealership. Lin Tianhao and Wu Yu had initially set their budgets at no more than fifty thousand. With the added wager, they now aimed higher.

Lin Tianhao wasn’t foolish enough to think seventy thousand was Hong Chen’s limit, but he was sure there wouldn’t be another seventy thousand. Hong Chen’s maximum would be one hundred fifty thousand.

So, after discussing with Wu Yu, they raised their minimum budget to eighty thousand each.

After half an hour of browsing, they shortlisted over a dozen cars. Wei Feng chose a convertible coupe close to eighty thousand, while Sun Li picked an SUV costing slightly more. Just as Lin Tianhao and Wu Yu were about to finalize their decisions, Hong Chen produced another bank card and handed it to Peach, asking her to check its balance.

"Sir, the card has ninety-nine thousand," Peach announced a minute later, her crisp voice making Lin Tianhao’s group flush red with embarrassment.

Their two chosen cars cost just over one hundred sixty thousand, but Hong Chen’s cards totaled over one hundred seventy thousand. Damn it, he was toying with them!

"Hong Chen, where did you get your money?" Lin Tianhao finally asked the question that had been gnawing at him. He was the Lin family’s eldest grandson and future heir; eighty thousand was nearly his limit, even with two credit cards. Yet this useless son-in-law, treated like a dog in the Lin household, had over twice that in cash. Even in nightmares, he’d never imagined such a scenario—it drove him nearly mad.

"You really believe my wife treats me harshly? This ninety-nine thousand card is hers—half her savings over the years, half a recent consumer loan," Hong Chen said, flashing the card with a hint of mischief and smug satisfaction.

Lin Tianhao’s eyes blazed. "Fine, let’s see how you explain this to your wife," he snarled.

He pulled Wu Yu, Sun Li, and Wei Feng aside for a five-minute discussion, with some apparent disagreements, but eventually they reached consensus.

They abandoned their original choices and looked at even pricier cars. Wu Yu switched to a ninety-eight thousand convertible coupe, and Lin Tianhao picked a one hundred three thousand SUV.

"These two—swipe the cards!" Lin Tianhao declared. Xiaomei’s heart nearly leapt out of her chest. The contracts were quickly signed, and the card-swiping process became a spectacle: Wu Yu pieced together three cards, Wei Feng added two more, and both called their banks for credit limit increases. Lin Tianhao wasn’t much better off—he used four cards, three of which needed limit increases, plus three from Sun Li, just to cover the cost.

The payment process alone took seven or eight minutes. The manager, sweating profusely, offered forced explanations: "People are simply more security-conscious nowadays—lower credit limits and multiple cards to prevent fraud..."

"Hong Chen, our total is two hundred one thousand three hundred. Your turn," Lin Tianhao said, his gaze sharp and lips curling in a sly smile. He’d paid close attention to Hong Chen’s wallet—besides two bank cards, it held only a door access card and a transit card. He was convinced one hundred seventy thousand was all Hong Chen had; at most, maybe a few thousand in a digital wallet. Scaring him off was wishful thinking!

The others all looked to Hong Chen. He remained calm and suddenly glanced at Xiaomei. "Did you call it daydreaming earlier?"

Without waiting for her reply, he smiled, raised a hand, and pointed casually to the farthest corner of the sports car section. "That one..."