Chapter 17: First Customer

Timothy spent the next two days doing what every modern buy-and-sell dealer did: taking pictures.Armed with his new iPhone, he spent the morning moving each car into position under the scaffolding. He snapped wide shots of the exteriors, close-ups of the interiors, and even shots of the engine bays. No shortcuts. If buyers online wanted proof, he would give them proof. Leather stitching, infotainment screens, spotless dashboards—he documented it all.

By nightfall, his camera roll looked like a brochure.

Timothy opened Facebook Marketplace and started uploading. One by one, he listed the cars:

2012 Toyota Vios 1.3 E (Silver Metallic) – ₱550,000

2014 Toyota Fortuner 2.5 G Diesel (Black) – ₱1,100,000

2010 Hyundai Starex Gold CRDi (White Pearl) – ₱650,000

2015 Honda Civic 1.8 E (Crimson Red) – ₱780,000

2013 Honda CR-V 2.0 V (Urban Titanium Gray) – ₱950,000

2017 Toyota Innova 2.8 G Diesel (Luxury Beige Metallic) – ₱1,050,000

2018 Mitsubishi Montero Sport GLS 2.4 Diesel (Cool Silver) – ₱1,100,000

2016 BMW 318i (Alpine White) – ₱1,650,000


Each post came with multiple pictures—front, rear, sides, interiors, engine bay—and a short description:

"Flawless Auto Resale, Tondo. Freshly refurbished units, clean papers, honest mileage. Cash only. PM for viewing."

He hit "Post."

Within minutes, the flood began.

The Marketplace Circus

Notifications buzzed nonstop.

"PM last price boss"

"Trade in?"

"Sir swap, Rusi 150cc, I’ll add ₱20k."

"HAHA scam, There’s no Fortuner in that model worth ₱1.1M legit."

"Nice units but overprice, Fortuner 2014 should be ₱800k."

Timothy scrolled through, half amused, half irritated. Trolls were expected. He ignored the ridiculous swap offers and sarcastic comments.

But sprinkled among the noise were the real ones:

"Is the Fortuner still available?? Cash buyer."

"Viewing for CR-V this week?"

"Interested in Civic sir, can I bring my mechanic?"

Timothy’s pulse quickened. These were the ones that mattered.

He replied politely, always keeping it professional:

"Yes, available. You may visit Flawless Auto Resale in Tondo. Message me for location pin."

The first appointment locked in faster than he expected.

A man named Roland, profile picture with his family in Tagaytay, confirmed he wanted to see the Fortuner. He would come Saturday, 10 a.m., bringing cash—and his own mechanic.

Timothy leaned back in his chair, grinning. "Showtime."

Saturday morning. By 9:30, Timothy had already washed the Fortuner twice, making sure the black paint shimmered like glass. The tires gleamed with fresh tire black, the interior smelled faintly of leather wipes, and the engine bay was spotless enough to eat from.

At exactly 10, a gray Toyota Hilux pulled up outside the gate. Two men stepped out.

Roland, mid-40s, polo shirt tucked into jeans, looked like the type who knew his way around deals. Beside him was a man in overalls carrying a scanner tool—the mechanic.

"Morning, boss," Roland greeted, eyeing the signboard Timothy had finally hung above the gate: Flawless Auto Resale. "You’re the one I messaged?"

"Yes, sir. Timothy. Welcome."

He waved them in. The mechanic’s eyes immediately scanned the lot, lingering on the BMW for a second before focusing on the Fortuner.

"There she is," Timothy said, gesturing proudly. "2014 Toyota Fortuner, 2.5 G Diesel, 101k mileage. Clean papers."

Roland circled the SUV slowly, running his hand over the hood, the doors, even crouching to check the underbody. The mechanic opened the driver’s door and slid in, pressing buttons, sniffing the air, clicking the switches.

"No foul odors," the mechanic muttered. "Aircon blows cold. Upholstery looks... new." He gave Timothy a skeptical look. "Did you re-upholster?"

Timothy smiled calmly. "Refurbished interiors, sir. Everything brought back to original spec."

The mechanic popped the hood. Timothy’s heart pounded, but he kept his expression neutral.

The scanner clicked into place. Lights blinked, numbers scrolled.

Roland peered over his mechanic’s shoulder. "Well?"

The man frowned, tapping buttons. He unplugged the scanner, plugged it again, waited. After a long silence, he said flatly, "No errors. Zero fault codes. Engine bay looks factory. Even the belts and hoses, everything feels new."

Roland raised an eyebrow. "That so?"

"To be honest, boss," the mechanic said, scratching his head, "either this unit was overhauled by Toyota themselves, or... well, I don’t even know. It’s perfect."

Timothy’s lips twitched upward. "Would you like a test drive?"

Minutes later, Roland was behind the wheel, Timothy riding shotgun, and the mechanic in the back.

The Fortuner purred to life with one twist of the key, engine humming smoothly. They rolled out into Tondo’s streets, the suspension absorbing bumps easily.

Roland pushed it harder down a stretch of open road. The diesel engine responded instantly, torque pulling them forward with confidence. He glanced at Timothy, impressed.

"Handles like brand new," Roland admitted. He braked hard at an intersection, steering into a U-turn. The SUV stopped without a squeak, ABS kicking in flawlessly.

From the back, the mechanic muttered. "I’m speechless boss, I can’t find any faults really from this unit."

They returned to the lot after 15 minutes. Roland parked, killed the engine, and sat in silence for a moment. Then he turned to Timothy.

"Your post said ₱1,100,000, correct?"

"Yes, sir."

Roland rubbed his chin. "Most Fortuners of this year go for ₱900,000 to ₱1M. Pero this... this feels different."

Timothy leaned forward slightly, tone firm. "Sir, you saw it yourself. No faults. Honest mileage. Clean papers. Refurbished to factory condition. You won’t find a Fortuner this solid at that price range."

Roland studied him, then chuckled. "You’re a tough one, Mr. Guerrero. Alright. ₱1.05 million. Cash. Today."

Timothy’s pulse spiked. He had expected hardball negotiations, but Roland was already offering over a million.

He pretended to hesitate, then nodded. "Deal."

They shook hands.

The rest of the afternoon was a blur. Timothy pulled out the papers he had prepared—OR/CR, deed of sale template, photocopies ready. Roland counted out thick stacks of bills on the desk inside the container office, his mechanic watching like a hawk.

When the last signature was written and the money tucked neatly into Timothy’s drawer, Roland grinned. "Pleasure doing business, son. If the rest of your units are like this, you’ll have no shortage of buyers."

The Hilux left with the Fortuner being driven by Roland.

Timothy stood at the gate, the hot Manila sun blazing overhead, his chest heaving. He pulled the drawer open again, staring at the million-peso stack inside.

From ₱120,000 investment to ₱1,050,000 return. Almost ten times profit.

He shut the drawer, locking it carefully.

Then he leaned back in his chair, smiling to himself. "One down. Seven to go."