Used Cars

"Ding dong—"

Looking at the message Zhao Yaqian had just sent, Tang Song smiled.

From the very beginning, he had gotten a membership card and topped it up not because of Yi Zi Beauty and Hair Salon, but simply because he wanted to befriend this beautician.

And this friend of his was adorably straightforward. He was starting to feel guilty.

Thought for a moment, Tang Song replied with a smile, "It's fine. As long as you're willing to teach me about skincare and beauty treatments, consider those 2,000 yuan tuition. I'll always believe in Teacher Zhao's ability and character."

The message was sent, and a reply came quickly—an audio message, no less.

He tapped to play it.

Zhao Yaqian said, "I... I'm fine with that! You can come to me anytime! Don't worry, Brother Song. YiZi Beauty still owes me unpaid wages! If it really goes under, I'll haul the equipment and skincare products home. You can come find me then, and I'll keep giving you treatments!"

It was clear that his beautician friend was very happy.

Tang Song replied with a voice message as well, "Remember to call me when the time comes. I'll drive over and help you haul the stuff."

"Ding dong—"

Zhao Yaqian: "That'd be great! I was worried I wouldn't be able to move the equipment!"

Zhao Yaqian: Moved.gif

Looking at the sticker she had sent, Tang Song could not help laughing out loud.

It was actually a selfie of hers. She was wearing a sexy camisole, looking both pretty and adorably ditzy.

Tang Song casually sent back a smug animated sticker.

The two of them traded stickers back and forth for a while.

It was obvious that Zhao Yaqian was a rather narcissistic girl too.

Most of her stickers were selfies.

After chatting and finishing his fat burning exercise, he washed up quickly.

Tang Song leaned against the headboard and read To Live for half an hour.

With his sighs over Fu Gui's tragic fate and that familiar feeling of hunger, he drifted into a deep sleep.

The next day at noon.

"Holy crap, Little Song, you're buying a car? Seriously?" Guo Peng exclaimed, forgetting all about the barbecue rice in his hand.

Du Shaokai, who was hugging a pillow and taking a break, chuckled. "Old Song, did someone really get under your skin or something? First losing weight, then skincare, and now buying a car."

At those words, the surrounding coworkers immediately perked up and gathered around.

"What price range are you looking at?"

"Want me to recommend a few? I've watched a ton of reviews lately. I'm practically a pro."

Tang Song smiled and explained, "Seeing Brother Guo buy a car just made me a little itchy for one too."

Guo Peng looked at him and advised, "Don't be impulsive. Think it through before you buy. Do you really need one? The moment you buy a car, it starts losing value. You should think about buying a house first."

Zhao Yue stood up from her workstation and asked curiously, "What kind of car are you planning to buy, Brother Song?"

"A used car for thirty or forty thousand yuan will do. I'll treat it as practice. I won't feel bad if it gets scratched or bumped, and I can get a new car later." Tang Song patted Guo Peng. "Brother Guo, doesn't your cousin run an auto repair shop? Ask him to help me look for one."

Guo Peng's cousin had a small auto repair shop over in Qiao Xi District. He also dealt in used cars on the side, and Guo Peng's Civic had been found by him.

Guo Peng paused, then smiled. "Sure. A car in that price range won't lose much value even if you sell it again after half a year. I'll make a phone call to him right now."

"Sounds good. Thanks, Brother Guo. I'll treat you to a big meal later."

Hearing that Tang Song only wanted to buy a cheap used car, the disappointment on Zhao Yue's face was plainly visible.

In her view, buying such an old used car was worse than taking out a loan for a good one.

It would not only be more reliable, but also look more respectable when driven out.

Still, she put on an excited expression, her eyes sparkling. "Brother Song is about to join the ranks of car owners. Can a house be far behind? Keep it up!"

"A house? Probably not too far off," Tang Song said, half joking and half sighing.

Once, buying a house had been an obsession that he and his family could not shake off.

Now that the game system had arrived, as long as he steadily improved himself, everything would fall into place naturally.

Du Shaokai suddenly burst out laughing. "Holy crap, you two are playing off each other like a comedy routine. It actually sounds pretty convincing. Old Song! If you ask me, just take out a loan and buy an RV. Then you can achieve your car and house in one go. Perfect! Hahaha!"

Zhao Yue awkwardly pouted and ignored Du Shaokai.

Du Shaokai was a Yancheng local. His family was well-off, he had a house and a car, and he was handsome too.

When she had first joined the company, she had pursued him for a long time. She checked in on him through WeChat every day and occasionally gave him coffee and snacks.

Unfortunately, Du Shaokai was not interested in her. He had his heart set on Tian Jing, who had joined the company in the same batch as her.

She admitted that she was indeed inferior to Tian Jing in some respects, but she did not think the gap between them was that large.

The two had clashed over it before, and their relationship had never improved.

Three thirty in the afternoon.

Tang Song stepped off the Elliptical Machine, breathing hard. The moment he returned to his workstation, Guo Peng came over.

"Little Song, my cousin sent over all the available cars. I forwarded them to you. Take a look and see if there's anything you like. These are all quality cars—fair prices, reliable condition."

"Okay, Brother Guo. Let me take a look." Tang Song answered and hurriedly opened the Chat Box.

He trusted Guo Peng's character as the department's senior colleague.

"This is a 2012 Fit. It has a sunroof, a 1.5 Earth Dreams Engine, and tons of space. The rear seats fold flat, it's fuel-efficient and durable. I even test-drove one before—it handles great! The price is just over thirty thousand, and there's still room to negotiate."

"This is a 2018 Arrizo 5. It's newer, the condition is awesome, it's only done a little over forty thousand kilometers, and it's automatic. I think this one's very good too."

"This one's cheaper, a 2014 Suzuki Swift. Manual transmission, 1.3L engine. It has a pretty interesting look and is great for daily errands and commuting. Tough and durable."

Tang Song stared at the photos and descriptions, his eyes shining.

There were five cars in total, ranging from twenty to forty thousand yuan. Every one of them had been cleaned up neatly, and they all looked to be in good condition.

The more Tang Song looked, the more tempted he became. This would be his first car!

"How is it? See anything you like?" Guo Peng leaned in beside him, looking even more excited than Tang Song.

He loved cars too. To buy that used Civic, he had spent a long time browsing forums and researching information. The excitement still had not worn off.

Tang Song lifted his cup and took a big gulp of water. "They all look pretty good. How about you come with me tomorrow, Brother Guo? We can check out the actual cars and test-drive them before deciding."

"No problem!" Guo Peng patted his chest. "You can research these models properly today. Don't worry about the prices—they definitely won't rip you off. It'll be much better than buying from a dealer!"

"Okay, thanks, Brother Guo!"

"No need to be so polite. Just let me take it for a spin after you buy it! Hehe."

As the two chatted, Du Shaokai suddenly walked over, warmly patting Tang Song on the shoulder. "Old Song, President Chen wants to see you. Get over there."

Guo Peng glanced toward the director's office, quickly shrank his neck, and went back to his workstation to slack off.

Tang Song frowned, a bad feeling rising in his heart.