James glimpsed her undisguised admiration through the figurative mountains, and he smiled faintly.
"Just got lucky and made a little fortune."
"Lord King, you're too modest. If you're interested in a Rolls-Royce, how about I take you to see one? I happen to know their manager and can help you get the best price," Perla suggested, her eyes gleaming.
In the car sales world, knowing the right people could bridge connections quickly. Bringing in a client could also earn a good commission, provided you knew how to work the system.
Deals worth millions are rare, and if she could secure this one, it might cover a good portion of her yearly salary.
"Sure, I'm not worried about the price; I just want something well-equipped and in stock, preferably one I can drive off today," James said nonchalantly.
Perla, barely able to contain her excitement, quickly replied, "I'll check on the availability for you right away." She pressed lightly on James's forehead with one hand while her other hand sent messages on WhatsApp, managing both tasks with ease.
After a while, Tailsa, having familiarized herself with her new car, called James.
Fearing that Tailsa might see him lounging with another woman and get jealousâleading to unnecessary hassleâJames got up and went outside to answer the call.
"Tailsa, how about I get you a Rolls-Royce too?"
Tailsa: "???"
James spent some time explaining that because of family circumstances, he couldn't register expensive items under his own name. She was the only person he trusted, so he would use her name to buy the car.
Tailsa finally closed her gaping mouth, accepting the explanation and feeling pleased to be James's only confidante. Still, she wondered about his true identity and how he became so wealthy.
...
Under the high noon sun, a brand-new red Porsche crawled along the road at a turtle's pace.
It would frequently come to a sudden stop, standing firmly in the middle of the road before wobbly starting againâmuch like a learner driver would.
And indeed, that was the case.
Tailsa had gotten her driver's license long ago but hadn't touched a steering wheel since. This was her first car.
She drove cautiously, nervously, barely daring to accelerate.
Seeing the car in front brake, she would press the brakes from afar, worried about losing control and rear-ending it.
James, who wasn't a driver himself, sat in the passenger seat feeling nauseated from her jerky driving.
The previous fantasies of a beautiful woman in a fast car seemed like a joke.
He began to miss Amanda, who drove quickly and smoothly, like a seasoned pro. Next time, he'd ask her what kind of car she liked and get her one, just so he could ride with her.
Never again would he ride with a novice female driver.
Fortunately, the destination wasn't far.
Tailsa took James to the Rolls-Royce dealership. What was a ten-minute walk took her twenty minutes by car.
When she finally parked, she managed to straddle two parking spaces and was about to get out.
James was speechless.
Perla had arrived earlier and was standing at the entrance with a well-dressed middle-aged woman.
Seeing James get out, they quickly approached.
"Lord King, you've arrived."
"Welcome, Lord King, Ms. Evans."
The two women greeted them with broad smiles.
The middle-aged woman glanced at Tailsa but didn't comment on her parking skills. The whims of the wealthy were unpredictable, and some even preferred taking up two spaces.
"Hello, hello," James said as he stood for a moment to catch his breath before responding with a smile.
He hadn't bothered to scan the middle-aged woman, because even if she was a 90, she wasn't his type. A woman in her forties was far too daunting for him.
"Lord King, let me introduce you to Winnie Morgan, the sales manager here," Perla introduced.
"Hello, Lord King. Welcome to our dealership. Please, come inside..."
Winnie Morgan greeted them warmly, bowing slightly and gesturing toward the entrance.
"Swallow has already informed me of your requirements. We currently have two vehicles in stock. One is the extended version; it's a bit pricier..."
"Go with the extended one. A man has to have the extended version," James interrupted her mid-sentence.
Winnie Morgan was momentarily taken aback.
She guessed this young man had quite the colorful personality, so she adopted a similarly playful tone.
"Indeed, a man as handsome as Lord King surely wouldn't fall short in any regard."
James was surprised by the older woman's uninhibited compliment. It was a bold stroke to his ego, and he replied with a smirk,
"It's just how I am. Sometimes it can be a bit of a burden."
Tailsa, who was well aware of James's assets, blushed and nudged him lightly, chiding softly,
"Can you stop making car jokes with so many girls around?"
James chuckled, realizing that making such jokes at the entrance to a Rolls-Royce dealership wasn't exactly appropriate. He was planning to change the subject, but Perla wasn't ready to let him off the hook. She glanced at him mischievously, turning to Tailsa to commiserate.
"Ms. Evans has a car to drive, so she wouldn't understand how tough it is for those of us without cars. Sometimes, we'd love to just hear an engine roar, but we don't get the chance."
Indeed, when it comes to driving humor, female drivers excel.
Unfazed by Perla, Tailsa tugged at James's arm.
"Let's go see the car. I've never sat in a Rolls-Royce before," she said excitedly.
James feigned indifference, "Nothing special, it doesn't even transform."
Tailsa let out a giggle, "If it could transform, could you even afford it?"
James, undeterred, said, "If you like, I'll buy you the Sun."
Tailsa rolled her eyes playfully, her voice soft as she said,
"Stop joking around. Seriously, what's the price of that extended version?"
Winnie Morgan, leading the way, responded with a smile,
"Ms. Evans can have a guess. You have three tries, and if you're within a hundred thousand, I'll gift you three lambswool floor mats, each worth sixty-eight thousand."
Tailsa's mouth fell open in astonishment.
A single car mat cost sixty-eight thousand U.S dollars?
Three would cost as much as a regular car.
If a mat was that expensive, what would the car cost?
In her mind, the Porsche was already the pinnacle; she had never considered something even pricier.
"Ten million U.S dollars?" Tailsa guessed, aiming high.
"Far off," Winnie Morgan said with a smile.
"Twenty million dollars?" Tailsa let her imagination stretch further.
"Too high, much too high. It's not that extreme," James interjected. Though he had never driven one, extensive reading of novels had given him a good sense of the prices for such cars.
"It's probably around eighteen million U.S dollars," James said casually.
Winnie Morgan lightly clapped her hands in admiration,
"Truly impressive, Lord King. To intuitively guess the price without even seeing the car shows you're indeed well-informed. I'm truly impressed."
Though outwardly expressing amazement at James's accurate guess, inwardly, she wasn't as impressed.
The car indeed cost over 18 million U.S dollars.
There were many reasons he might have guessed correctlyâ
it could have been a lucky coincidence,
or he might have known beforehand they had this car in stock.
In wealthy circles, much is interconnected. Such information isn't hard to find with some inquiries. It's not a big deal.