Buying a Car

With no further events overnight, Ning Yifan woke up at 6:30 AM as usual the next morning and folded the blanket on the sofa.

The weather had turned cold these past few days. A light drizzle was falling outside, hitting the roof's rain canopy and forming drops that pattered down onto the canopy of the floor below.

In the densely packed residential area, even though it was just a light rain, the dripping sound made it seem like it was pouring heavily.

His parents were still asleep. Without waking anyone, Ning Yifan changed into his sportswear and headed out.

In the apartment building's stairwell, he did his warm-up exercises with minimal movement to avoid disturbing the neighbors, then set off into the winter drizzle.

He ran through the familiar city streets. A misty rain fell from the sky, and the vehicles and pedestrians on the road grew fewer and fewer.

Ning Yifan ran forward until he reached ZY City's Seventh Primary School, where he had studied, and then began his run back.

Unfortunately, with the Lunar New Year approaching, the school was already on holiday, and the breakfast stalls at the school gate were not open.

On his way home, Ning Yifan found a breakfast shop called Heji Porridge near his home. He packed ten bowls of preserved egg and lean meat congee and a large bag of assorted buns – cabbage, lamb, beef, and soup-filled.

In the cold winter, the breakfast stall was steaming. A delivery driver, who had woken up early for work, was breathing on his cold hands while waiting for his first order of the day.

Holding his preserved egg and lean meat congee and the assorted buns, Ning Yifan slowly walked back home.

He arrived home a little after 7 AM.

Perhaps it was the sound of Ning Yifan opening the door that woke his mother.

"Up so early, where did you go?" his mother asked, yawning as she emerged from the bedroom, looking at Ning Yifan with curiosity.

"I went for a run to exercise, and I brought back breakfast for you guys."

"So, that means I can go back to sleep for a bit longer! Hehe!" his mother said happily.

In this household, his mother was usually responsible for the three meals a day, especially when his younger brother had school. She would wake up before dawn every morning to make breakfast.

"Yeah, Mom, you go back to sleep for a while. You can eat later," Ning Yifan replied.

His mother returned to her room.

Ning Yifan was alone in the living room again.

He took out his toiletries and went to the bathroom to wash up. After thoroughly cleaning himself, he returned to the living room and took out his phone to review the information Android No. 18 had retrieved.

To purchase a luxury car in the million-dollar range, besides the money, one often had to wait for a period.

In the tier-four or tier-five cities like Ning Yifan's hometown, there were almost no luxury cars priced over a million available for immediate purchase. Most required a customer pre-order before being allocated.

Therefore, to buy a car on the spot, one would need to go to a major city like Chengdu.

Based on the luxury car information retrieved by Android No. 18, Ning Yifan briefly reviewed it, and one shop, or rather, a luxury car club, caught his attention.

Nineteen Road Club. This was a luxury car club that provided its members with various services related to luxury cars, including consultations, buying, and selling, and offered firsthand information from various sources.

Compared to visiting each dealership himself, consulting them might be a good option for inquiring about purchasing a luxury car.

However, there were many restrictions to entering the Nineteen Road Club. A member's recommendation seemed like a good way to join quickly.

Regarding the member recommendation, Ning Yifan checked the time. It was 8 AM.

After some thought, he called the chairman of Changhong Group, whose company headquarters were also located in Sichuan Province.

The phone rang only once before being answered: "Little brother Ning Yifan? What's up calling so early?"

"Uncle Wang, I need your help with something. You see, Lunar New Year is coming up, and I want to buy a few better cars for my family. I've been searching and found a luxury car club in Chengdu called Nineteen Road. They have a lot of vehicle resources, but the quickest way to join is through a member's recommendation. So, I was wondering if you had any connections."

The person on the other end of the phone thought for a moment and said, "Buying cars? Nineteen Road Club? My son has mentioned it a few times. Wait a moment, I'll ask him right away."

The sound of shoe soles on a wooden floor could be clearly heard through the phone.

After a while, a knocking sound came from a door.

"Who is it? So early, can't a person sleep!" a young man's voice faintly came through.

"It's your dad! Open up, I need to ask you something!"

A moment later, the sound of a room door opening could be heard.

"Dad, what's up so early?"

"Do you know a luxury car club called Nineteen Road?"

"Yeah, I'm a member. It's mostly for people who like cars. By the way, Dad, why are you asking?"

"A friend of mine wants to buy a few cars through that club's channels."

"Huh? Dad, what kind of friend is that? The members of this club all have a net worth starting from millions..."

"Alright, alright. Let me put it this way: my friend's net worth starts from tens of billions, and he controls the main component production for the Phantom Projectors of our Changhong Home Appliances Company and several other home appliance companies! You know Shenma Technology Company, right?"

"Phantom Projectors? They were giving our Changhong company and several others a tough time in the television market. Then, by licensing us to produce Phantom Projectors and sell them internationally, they caused our company's stock price to soar! Shenma Technology Company!"

"Understood, understood. He's a big shot. Don't worry, Dad, I'll definitely make sure he's satisfied. I'll contact the club right away and tell them to treat him well..."

The issue was resolved, and there was no need for Ning Yifan to join. Of course, if Ning Yifan was interested, they would be very welcoming. Although there were many wealthy individuals in Nineteen Road, a first-generation rich person like Ning Yifan, who controlled a top manufacturing company, was rare.

Cars were manageable, but regarding property information, No. 18 had searched all online resources. There were only two properties priced above five million, so they would have to ask a real estate agent later...

About half an hour later, everyone in the house finally started to wake up, one after another.

Ning Yifan served the preserved egg and lean meat congee and assorted buns, which had been heated in the pot, and called out.

"Grandpa, Dad, Mom, little brother, breakfast is ready!"

The whole family sat in a circle around the coffee table in the living room and started eating…

After all, they were used to living frugally. It was just a simple breakfast, but Grandpa still started his lecture: "If you want to eat congee, you can make it at home, it doesn't take much effort. This kind of congee must be two or three yuan a cup, right?"

"Five yuan a cup," Ning Yifan corrected.

"See, ten cups of this could buy a bag of rice! If you made congee, it would be enough for us to eat for half a month!"

"Oh, Grandpa, just eat quickly. I earned money this year, I'm not short of this little bit!"

"What do you mean not short? Earning money isn't easy. You should spend sparingly. Money is saved."

"Yes, yes, yes. Would you like another cup?"

"Hmm, indeed, this breakfast at five yuan a cup doesn't taste bad!"

As the family ate breakfast, Ning Yifan turned to his dad and said, "Dad, do you have anything to do today? Accompany me to Chengdu later to buy some New Year's goods, okay? Mom, you come too!"

Dad asked doubtfully, "New Year's goods? What New Year's goods? Mom has already prepared most of them. She made a lot of sausages a while ago, you can take some when you leave next year.

We also bought two free-range chickens from your uncle's house for the New Year. Other food items are very convenient to buy now, we can buy whatever we want later."

Shaking his head, Ning Yifan smiled and said, "It's not about food. Isn't it almost New Year? I earned a little money this year, and I want to give you and Mom some New Year's gifts. Chengdu is a big city, so it's more convenient to go there."

Mom supported him, saying, "Let's go, let's go. It's rare for the child to have such filial piety. Son, are you planning to buy two sets of clothes for me and your dad each?"

Ning Yifan nodded, "Yes, I'll buy clothes, and some other things too!"

Mom was overjoyed, "The child has grown up, he knows how to be filial to his dad and mom. But like Grandpa said just now, spend money sparingly. Just buy two sets of clothes in Ziyang, there's no need to go to Chengdu."

Ning Yifan shook his head, "It's more convenient to go to Chengdu, it's not far anyway. Ziyang is still too small. I'll drive later, it won't take much time."

"Alright then, let's just consider it an outing." Mom agreed.

After breakfast, his younger brother cleared the table, and his parents went inside to change clothes and prepare to go out. Grandpa sat in the living room, turned on the TV, and watched his recently followed TV series, "Fighting the Devils."

Coming to the balcony, Ning Yifan took out his phone and dialed the contact number for Nineteen Road, provided by the chairman of Changhong. He confirmed the arrangements for later with the person on the other end.

After the call, Ning Yifan took his parents and went out.

Driving the old Santana, which had been around for over a decade, Ning Yifan turned on his phone's navigation and drove towards their destination.

Although he didn't particularly like driving, Ning Yifan had obtained his driver's license during his university years. With his excellent memory and coordination skills now, driving was a piece of cake for him.

Except for the first one or two kilometers after leaving the residential area, where he was a bit unskillful, he was flying afterwards.

The car sped towards their destination. After more than an hour, Ning Yifan, with his parents, arrived at the Nineteen Road store.

On the side of the street, Ning Yifan took out his phone and dialed the number of the person in charge at Nineteen Road again.

"Hello, this is Ning Yifan. I've arrived at your club."

"Okay." A young man walked out from the entrance of the club. He looked at Ning Yifan, who was holding his phone, with surprise. There was no one else around, and he glanced at the old Santana Ning Yifan was driving.

Rich people are so quirky. This one is a heavyweight. Likes vintage. But this vintage car doesn't look like it's in great condition!

Despite this, the receptionist was very enthusiastic and said to Ning Yifan, "Hello, are you Mr. Ning Yifan?"

"Yes."

"Your main purpose today is to purchase some luxury cars, right?"

"Correct."

"Okay, let's go!"

"Why don't you park the car inside the club first?"

"Sure. Dad, Mom, get out first, we'll ride in someone else's car!"

"What is this, what are we doing?" Dad and Mom were confused.

"We're buying a gift for Dad first!"

"I don't quite understand. Is this your friend?"

"Sort of. Oh, don't ask anymore, you'll know soon!" As Ning Yifan said this, a Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicle drove out from inside the club.

"Get in!" he called out, leading the way into the car.

Beside him, Dad and Mom, although a little confused, didn't want to say anything more to Ning Yifan in front of others and followed them into the car.

The car sped down the road. During the drive, the Nineteen Road receptionist made a few phone calls to make arrangements.

Soon, they arrived at a large luxury car trade mall.

The Nineteen Road receptionist exchanged information with the mall's sales staff.

As soon as Ning Yifan got out of the car, he was stopped by his parents for questioning.

"Why did you bring us here?"

"Didn't you say we were going to buy clothes?"

"We'll buy clothes in the afternoon. We're buying a gift for Dad this morning!"

"What gift are you planning to give Dad?"

"Of course, buy a car!"

"Where did you get so much money! Look at these cars, they're not cheap!"

"This kid, could he have done something illegal? Where did he get all this money! These cars are clearly expensive, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Porsche, Ferrari, Audi, all sorts of luxury brands, they're everywhere here!"

"Dad, do I look like someone who would do illegal things? You have too little faith in your son!"

Looking at Ning Yifan's face, his mom suddenly said thoughtfully, "Son, just tell us, did you find a girlfriend? You're still young, you'll have plenty of opportunities later. Let's return the money to them and find a girl to settle down with!"

"What is this all about!" Ning Yifan's forehead was covered in black lines. Where was his mom's imagination going?!

"I just earned a little money from my job this year, it's enough to buy a car."

"Enough for what? Didn't I just tell you this morning to be frugal with your money? If you spend so carelessly, how will you live your life? It's much better to save money to buy a house and get married!"

"Aiya, Dad, stop talking. I'm still young, and I'll definitely buy a house. Let's not talk about anything else today, let's buy the car first!"

While they were talking, the reception staff at Highway 19 finished their handover with the other party and returned.

"Mr. Ning Yifan, this way. I'll show you the cars you want to see. As per your instructions, we're only looking at cars currently in stock, so we can complete the relevant procedures as quickly as possible. The prices are also fair and reasonable, guaranteed by the reputation of Highway 19."

"No problem, lead the way!"

"Okay, please follow me. The first car we're looking at today is the Mercedes-Benz G63 Time Engraving Edition. It has a V8 engine, five hundred and eighty-five horsepower, an official zero to one hundred kilometers per hour acceleration of 4.5 seconds, a maximum torque of 850 Newton-meters, a twin-turbocharger, a nine-speed automatic transmission, and all-wheel drive with three differential locks."

"Timeless classic exterior, unparalleled three differential locks, solid overall craftsmanship, exquisite interior, surging power, and all the configurations you could ever want. It can absolutely satisfy all your automotive fantasies. The feeling of looking down on everyone else on the road is absolutely a pleasure!"

The Mercedes-Benz G63 Time Engraving Edition. His mom, who didn't know much about car brands and models, didn't feel anything, but his dad started to sweat.

The reputation of the "Big G" was well-known in the automotive world. Although he hadn't looked into the specific price before because it seemed too far-fetched, it must have cost several million!

Has this kid gone crazy? He looks perfectly normal!

Could he have found a rich sugar mama?!

No, I need to observe him more carefully later!

His dad secretly decided that if Ning Yifan showed any abnormal behavior, he would send him to a psychiatric hospital!

Soon, the group arrived at the exhibition stand. A black, boxy, large SUV stood quietly under the lights.

"Mercedes-Benz G63 Time Engraving Edition, Dad, what do you think of this car?" Ning Yifan turned around and asked.

"This car is very good!" His dad glanced back and said.

"Then that's settled."

"Right, where's the restroom here?"

"Please follow me, I'll take you."

When they reached the restroom, his dad quickly called Ning Yifan. "Yifan, listen to me. It's normal to feel some pressure at work. Stop dreaming and face reality!"

"What is all this about!" Ning Yifan sighed. It seemed his dad still didn't believe him.

"Okay, Dad, hurry back. They're ready to sign the contract and make the payment. I just thought you wouldn't believe me if I told you, so I brought you here to buy a car to prove it. I didn't expect you still wouldn't believe me."

"You weren't stimulated, were you?" his dad asked in surprise.

"Definitely not, absolutely not!"

"How could this be? You only graduated from university a year ago, and you've earned so much money? This is something I never even imagined. After working my whole life, I understand too well how difficult it is to make money in this world!"

"For ordinary people without status or background, it's a hell of a difficulty!"

Still harboring some doubt, his dad returned to the showroom.

However, by this time, Ning Yifan had already swiped his card and signed the contract. The contract was in black and white, stamped with the official seal of this luxury car dealership.

It didn't look fake!

"Dad, give me your ID card!"

"Wh-what for?" his dad asked blankly.

"To register the car, of course!"

"Ah, oh, okay."

After receiving his dad's ID card, the salesperson from the car dealership nodded to Ning Yifan and said, "Okay, I'll go and handle the car registration procedures for you right away. Please be patient, it should be completed around noon, including the luxury car tax and vehicle purchase tax, and a temporary license plate will be issued."

"Okay, thank you for your trouble."

"Not at all, not at all." The young man from the dealership took the documents and quickly drove away.

Soon, the young man's position was replaced by another salesperson from the dealership.

Ning Yifan didn't just want to buy one car this morning!

"Let's go, Dad, we're going to look at more cars!"

"Is this real?"

"Of course it's real. It's in black and white, and they've already gone to register it! We can drive it away at noon! This is also why I specifically looked for cars in stock, so we can pick them up quickly!"

"Don't worry about the money. Forget it. I'll tell you something. Guess how much individual income tax the company I opened paid this quarter?"

"How much?"

"Ten million?"

"No, guess again!"

"Five million?"

"Why are you guessing lower? Aim higher!"

"Fifty million!"

"Forget it, I'll just tell you. I paid over 3.15 billion!"

"How much?"

"Over 3.15 billion…"

"I still think this kid might be crazy. Maybe we should just go home and get Ning Yifan some medicine later?"

"He's our son, he's perfectly fine. Why don't you believe me? You can check the tax payment situation on the Personal Income Tax app. Count it yourselves."

Ning Yifan took out his phone and opened the Personal Income Tax app, handing it to his dad and mom.

A long string of numbers confirmed its authenticity!

After his parents finished reading, Ning Yifan tapped his phone again, opening his text messages. He pointed to the latest one and said, "That was Shenma Technology Company's tax payment for this quarter. Now, count the balance in my personal account. Tell me how much is left from the over 3 million car purchase price earlier?"

"Over 6 billion. This money… they probably couldn't even get this much by robbing a bank!"

"Even if they did illegal and criminal things, they wouldn't earn this much! Otherwise, no one could resist the temptation!"

His parents confirmed it again and again. Although they were still shocked, they slowly began to accept it.

"Alright, that Mercedes-Benz G63 Time Engraving Edition earlier was just the beginning. When you make money, you have to spend it!"

"Dad, see if there's anything else you like. Let's try to buy it all at once!"

Led by the sales associate at the luxury car dealership, Ning Yifan and his parents then looked at the BMW 760L Shadow Special Edition, Audi Q8 Luxury Dynamic Type, Audi A8L, and Mercedes-Benz V260L Long Wheelbase Noble Edition.

This time, his parents were no longer nervous. Instead, they were enthusiastically examining the configurations. His dad even browsed various car reviews online. Now, both of them regretted not carefully looking at the Mercedes-Benz G63 Time Engraving Edition earlier and just letting Ning Yifan buy it so haphazardly!

The entire morning was spent in this luxury car dealership. Ning Yifan and his parents looked at dozens of cars. It was clear that his dad liked many of the cars there!

Since he liked them, they would buy them all!

With his eidetic memory, Ning Yifan summoned the sales staff from Highway 19 and the luxury car dealership and ordered cars like he was ordering food.

One of each model from the three major luxury car brands: BMW X7, BMW 760Li, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Mercedes-Benz V260L, Mercedes-Benz S500L, Audi Q8, Audi A8L. They also got one SUV and one sedan.

Plus one MPV business vehicle, for a total of seven cars. Including insurance, luxury car tax, purchase tax, and other fees, Ning Yifan spent over 14 million yuan on his card!

They completed all the purchases in one go in just one day. Buying cars from Highway 19 was the right choice.

Some of the cars were not in stock and would require some waiting time, but that wasn't urgent. The few cars they had were enough for his dad to drive for a while!

Spending money like water!

Young, handsome, and so rich!

From the conversation between Ning Yifan and his family, it was clear that Ning Yifan was a self-made rich man!

"Is there any way for other people to live? We're all in our twenties, and others are buying luxury cars like they're buying cabbage!"