Tony scoffed and followed, casually saying, "That's professional-grade high-end stuff over there, buddy. It's not cheap."
Su Wei ignored what he was saying beside him.
He stopped in front of a black and green snowmobile.
Arctic Cat Thunder God series.
This is a true beast.
The 800cc twin-cylinder two-stroke engine can produce 160 horsepower.
The tracks are 24 inches wide, and the rear suspension is specifically designed for towing heavy loads.
(refer to)
Su Wei reached out and touched the cold metal shell of the car body, his fingers tracing the lines before finally stopping on the side cover of the engine.
This is what a hunter should use.
"Good eye." Tony stood to the side, arms crossed. "This is a brand new model, the Thunder God 8000. An all-terrain champion with tremendous power. But the base price is $18,000, and with taxes and fees, it'll be over $20,000 on the road."
He deliberately emphasized the pronunciation of "more than 20,000".
In his opinion, the young man should have left as soon as he heard the number.
Su Wei squatted down without saying a word.
He reached under the vehicle, touched the track tensioner, and then yanked open the engine side cover.
"Hey! Be careful!" Tony called out, "We haven't even bought it yet, don't scratch the paint."
Su Wei ignored him.
[ Mechanical Repair LV2 ]
In his eyes, the internal structure of the machine became clear.
He could see the texture of the drive belt, the spark plug gaps clearly, and the coolant piping routes formed a mental diagram.
This is the mechanic's perspective.
"The starter motor on this car is positioned too low."
Su Wei suddenly spoke, his voice calm.
Tony was stunned for a moment. "What?"
Su Wei stood up and pointed to a black box deep in the engine compartment. "With this design, if you drive for a long time in deep powder snow at minus thirty degrees Celsius, the melted snow will freeze again near the starter gear. Once the engine is turned off, it won't start at all the next morning."
Tony opened his mouth, his expression a little stiff.
This is indeed a minor issue with this generation of Arctic Cat in extremely cold regions, but only a few experienced technicians know about it, as it's not mentioned in the manufacturer's brochures.
How did this kid figure it out at a glance?
Su Wei didn't stop. He tapped the A-arm of the front suspension with his finger. "And this lower control arm. Although it's made of aluminum alloy, the design strength here isn't enough. If it's for off-roading or towing heavy loads, and it hits a rock in the snow, it will bend directly, and the steering will be stuck."
"You need to install a carbon steel skid plate to completely cover the chassis and A-arm."
"Also," Su Wei turned to look at Tony, who was already somewhat dazed, "That stock cooling fan isn't good enough. If I'm dragging a 500-pound moose uphill at low speed and high torque, the water temperature definitely won't be kept under control. Replace it with a high-flow racing fan, and add an auxiliary cooler."
A string of professional terms came out of Su Wei's mouth, and each one hit the nail on the head.
This is hardly a poor kid.
This is clearly a seasoned expert!
Tony dropped his dismissive attitude; a bead of sweat trickled down his back.
He's been in this business for five years; you can tell if someone's an expert just by listening to a few words.
The modification plan that the young man just mentioned is the best solution for the complex terrain of Kodiak Island.
"Well... if all these modifications are done, the cost won't be low." Tony's tone unconsciously became polite. "Just the chassis armor and cooling system upgrades alone will add an extra three thousand dollars."
"It's not over yet."
Su Wei walked around to the back of the car and patted the sturdy-looking rear rack.
"Take this apart. Replace it with a heavy-duty tow bar, the kind that can withstand two tons of pulling force. Also, install a Warn 4500-pound winch. I want it with nylon rope, not steel cable. Steel cable is too stiff at low temperatures and can easily hurt your hands."
"And the lighting. The original halogen headlights are like candles. Install those long LED spotlights on me, so they can illuminate the area 200 meters ahead like daytime."
Su Wei finished speaking in one breath, then looked at Tony and said, "Calculate the total price."
Tony swallowed hard, his fingers flying across the tablet.
" The Thunder God 8000 top-of-the-line version, plus the heavy armor, auxiliary cooling, high-power winch, and spotlights you requested, along with heated handles and a spare belt..."
Tony looked up and stated a number. "Twenty-eight thousand nine hundred and fifty dollars. Including labor costs, we'll charge you thirty thousand."
$30,000
That's enough to buy a decent new car.
The middle-aged man who had just driven the Raptor happened to be passing by. When he heard the number, he couldn't help but turn around and look at Su Wei with a hint of surprise in his eyes.
Spending $30,000 on a large toy is considered a big spender in Kodiak Town.
Tony looked at Su Wei, his heart still pounding.
All these changes, if the loan still doesn't go through in the end, then it's all been for nothing.
"If you need installment payments, we have partnerships with several banks, as long as your credit score is..." Tony habitually pulled out a loan application form.
"Need not."
Su Wei took out his wallet from his pocket and pulled out a black bank card.
That was the new card he had just gotten from the bank.
"Swipe card."
These two words were spoken lightly, yet they carried great weight.
Tony's hand trembled, and he almost dropped the card.
"Full... full payment?"
"Full payment." Su Wei nodded, "But I have one request. All the modifications must be top-of-the-line, and I need to see the car within two days. Can you do that?"
"No problem! Absolutely no problem!"
Tony's face immediately lit up with a smile, and he even bent over a few feet. The commission from this one sale was equivalent to what he usually earned from selling five cars!
As for what kind of beat-up pickup truck this young man drives, who cares?
This is what a low-key tycoon looks like!
"I'll arrange a technician right now! Our best technician will come and do it himself!" Tony grabbed the card and ran to the front desk, afraid that Su Wei would change his mind.
Swipe card, sign.
With a soft "beep," $30,000 was transferred out of the account.
Su Wei looked at the receipt, but didn't feel any pain in her heart.
In the past, this money would have been his savings of several years.
But now, it's just a fraction of the number in his account.
More importantly, this is not just consumption, but also investment.
This Thunder God will be his tool for conquering Pillar Mountain.
"Mr. Yang, here is your receipt." Tony handed over the receipt and a business card with both hands, his attitude extremely courteous. "The modifications will take about two days. We'll have a dedicated vehicle to deliver it to your door then."
"Send it to this address." Su Wei wrote down the location of the cabin on the paper.
"Okay, okay. Um... I'm sorry for being so offensive earlier." Tony rubbed his hands together awkwardly.
Su Wei glanced at him, said nothing, simply nodded, and turned to walk away.
Only after Su Wei's figure disappeared through the door did Tony let out a long sigh of relief. Looking at the receipt in his hand, he exclaimed, "That's a real hunter! Truly hardcore."
Stepping out of the equipment store, the sunlight outside was a bit dazzling.
Su Wei sat back in the old Dodge, and just as he closed the drafty door, his cell phone suddenly vibrated in his pocket.
He took out his phone.
The screen lit up, and a new message popped up.
The note is [ Emily ].
" Su Wei, are you alright in that cabin? I was worried about the road conditions there, how are they now?"
Immediately following, another message arrived.
"I have great news! Dr. Hansen says my ankle is healing much faster than expected! I can go to the clinic tomorrow to have that heavy cast removed! If you come to town these next few days... I mean, if you have the time..."
The words looked carefully written, but you could sense her happiness.
Su Wei looked at the words on the screen and remembered the blonde girl who was smiling brightly despite leaning on her cane.
He felt that the distance between the two of them had been shortened considerably because of the accommodations and meals they had shared in the past few days.