Emily's mouth gaped open, and she was stunned for two seconds before she reacted.
"Buy a car? Now? Right here?"
This is the best way.
Su Wei leaned back in his seat, remaining firmly seated even as the heater stopped and the temperature inside the carriage began to drop rapidly.
"I need it for group meals, and I'll need it even more when we go into the mountains. This old buddy has come to its stop; it stopped at this bend as a reminder that it's time to upgrade my equipment."
"But..."
Emily thought this was too hasty, considering it was a large item worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. She should at least go back and do some research, or take a nap before making a decision.
But looking at Su Wei's profile, she swallowed her words.
He seemed serious.
Twenty minutes later.
A flatbed trailer with " Ford Service" printed on it was parked on the side of the road.
The driver, a bearded man in thick overalls, deftly lowered the flatbed cart and hooked the hook onto the Dodge's rusty trailer hitch.
With the sound of the winch tightening, the battered old pickup truck was slowly towed onto the trailer.
Su Wei helped Emily into the back seat of the trailer.
The driver's cab is high, offering a wide field of vision.
The heating was on full blast, quickly dispelling the chill from the two of them.
The bearded driver glanced at Su Wei through the rearview mirror as he shifted gears.
"Dude, is that your family heirloom? Judging by the rust, it's probably twenty years old. These older models are sturdy, but the transmission always has a problem. Have you decided what to get? There's a discount on the F-150 lately, if you're considering a family-friendly version."
"Let's see."
Su Wei gave a casual reply.
The tow truck sped along and soon turned into the car dealership park on the edge of town.
The huge floor-to-ceiling glass showroom looked exceptionally bright and clear against the snow, with rows of brand-new pickup trucks and SUVs parked at the entrance, their paint reflecting the snow's light.
As soon as I got out of the car, a young salesperson came up to me.
He glanced at the beat- Dodge on the trailer, which looked like it had just been pulled from the junkyard, then at Su Wei, who was dressed plainly, and Emily, who had difficulty walking. The professional smile on his face faded slightly.
"Sir, do you want it repaired or traded in? If you trade it in, the appraised value of this car might not be very high, after all..."
The salesman pointed to the chassis oozing black oil and shrugged.
"Just scrap it, or you can decide on a discounted price."
Su Wei didn't waste a single second looking at that old car. He helped Emily and walked straight through the ordinary exhibition area displaying the Kuga and Explorer.
In the very center of the exhibition hall, there was a large, black machine.
It stands a head taller than the surrounding cars, its wide body exudes power, and the huge "FORD" letter grille is extremely impactful.
The all-terrain tires have treads so deep you could fit a finger inside, and the black beadlock rims exude an industrial feel.
Ford F-150 Raptor.
Moreover, it's a version specially adapted for the extremely cold climate of Alaska.
(Reference - the black one bought by Su Wei, this is the snow version)
Su Wei stopped in front of the car, released Emily's hand, and took a step forward.
[ Mechanical Repair LV2 ] allowed him to see the 450 horsepower hidden beneath the 3.5L V6 twin-turbocharged engine, the robust shock absorbers of the FOX Live Valve electronically controlled suspension, and the thickened aluminum alloy skid plate under the chassis.
The salesperson followed behind and, seeing Su Wei stop in front of the store's prized vehicle, quickly stepped forward, his tone carrying a hint of reminder.
"Sir, this is the Raptor R-Type's cold-weather special edition. It's equipped with a carbon fiber interior package, a Torsen front differential, and an Arctic heating system. It's significantly more expensive than the regular F-150; the base price is..."
Do you have this car in stock?
Su Wei interrupted him without even turning around. He simply squatted down, reached out and touched the cold, hanging swing arm, finding it hard and solid to the touch.
"Uh... yes."
The salesperson paused for a moment.
"This display vehicle just arrived yesterday, and there's no one here yet..."
"I want this one."
Su Wei stood up, dusted off his hands, and spoke calmly.
"Top trim level, all optional extras included. I need the paperwork done now, I'm in a hurry."
The air froze for two seconds.
The salesperson's mouth dropped open, and the prepared words, "We can take a look at the XLT version over there first," stuck in his throat.
He looked Su Wei up and down, trying to find any signs of wealth in the young man's clothes, but he couldn't see anything except for those calm, dark eyes.
Emily stood to the side, still clutching the phone memo she had used to calculate the budget in the car.
It says: Down payment of 30,000, monthly payment to be kept below 800.
She looked at Su Wei, blinked, and then glanced at the steel behemoth with a price tag that read "$108,500".
" Su Wei..."
She spoke softly, reaching out to tug at Su Wei's sleeve.
"This is $100,000, not $1,000. Should we...?"
It's safe.
Su Wei turned around, looked into Emily's eyes, and gave a serious explanation.
"This car can travel at 100 km/h in the snow and start successfully on the first try at minus forty degrees Celsius. With it, even if we encounter a blizzard in the mountains, we can get home safely."
Safety.
go home.
Upon hearing those two words, all of Emily's worries vanished.
Looking at the man before her, who was more upright and confident than before, she suddenly realized that Su Wei, who was always meticulous and worried about a few dozen dollars for gas, was already a thing of the past.
"That's it."
Emily took a deep breath and a bright smile bloomed on her face.
"But it's a deal, you'll be driving it when we go up the mountain. The passenger seat is my reserved spot."
"Certainly."
Ten minutes later.
When Su Wei took the black bank card out of his pocket and gently placed it on the counter, the atmosphere in the entire sales hall changed.
The salesperson's hands were trembling slightly when they took the card.
"Drop."
The POS machine dispensed a long receipt.
US$108,500, full payment, paid in one lump sum.
Su Wei picked up the pen and signed his name at the bottom of the document.
Full payment, no fluff.
This decisive payment method drew sidelong glances from several customers nearby who were haggling over a discount of a few hundred yuan.
Emily stood behind him, watching his dashing autograph gesture, and felt her heart skip a beat.
Is this... the power of money?
"The formalities are complete, sir."
The salesperson's attitude became extremely respectful, bending so low that he almost touched the counter.
"The temporary license plate has been affixed, and the insurance is effective immediately. We have also transferred all your personal belongings from your old car to the new one."
Thanks.
Su Wei put away the card and took the heavy smart key.
The two walked out of the exhibition hall.
The Dodge had been towed to the corner of the junkyard, and in its place parked at the main entrance was a gleaming black Raptor.
The car doors unlock automatically with a sensor, and the electric running boards lower automatically.
Su Wei opened the car door and helped Emily into the passenger seat. The leather seats were very supportive, and before she was even settled, the induction heating system started working, Warm Current quickly enveloped her body.
Compared to the hard seats in the old Dodge, this is much more comfortable.
Su Wei walked around the front of the car and got into the driver's seat.
Press the one-button start button.
"Boom!"