180: Chapter 180 Picking up the Wuling Hongguang

Beijing International Auto City.

This is the largest hub for luxury cars in North China.

From Porsche to Rolls-Royce, from ferrari to Lamborghini, as long as your bank balance is long enough, this is a man's paradise.

Vroom!

Accompanied by a low, sexy roar.

A red ferrari 488, like a burning flame, parked elegantly at the entrance of the luxury car area.

The car door opened.

A pair of long, straight, glowing white legs stepped out first.

Then, Lin Qingxue, wearing sunglasses and exuding a cold, elegant temperament, stepped out.

Instantly, she attracted the gaze of countless people around.

"Holy crap! Is that Lin Qingxue?"

"It really is the heavenly queen! So beautiful!"

"Who is that in the passenger seat? Is it Su Zhe? That director of the two-billion-box-office hit?"

Under everyone's gaze, Su Zhe climbed out of the passenger seat.

He wrapped his windbreaker tightly around himself, hunched his neck, with an expression that said, "I'm very poor, don't look at me."

But even so, he was recognized by the sharp-eyed luxury car sales staff.

"Director Su!"

"Mr. Su!"

"Miss Lin!"

Whoosh.

The sales managers of the 4S dealerships nearby, like sharks smelling blood, scrambled over.

These were big clients!

Who didn't know that goodbye mr. loser had just raked in two billion at the box office?

Their combined net worth could buy half of the Auto City!

"Director Su, I'm the manager of the Porsche Center. We just got the latest 911 GT3, in stock, no waiting!"

"Director Su, look this way. I'm from Bentley. The Bentayga is the standard for successful people!"

"Miss Lin, Lamborghini has a new pink Aventador that is perfect for your temperament!"

Facing the impassioned sales staff, Su Zhe rubbed his temples with a headache.

He subconsciously covered his pocket.

There was only a few dozen yuan in cash in there. He couldn't even afford a screw on their car wheels.

"Um…"

Su Zhe cleared his throat and put on the posture of a "very picky" director: "Everyone, calm down. I'm here today because I really want to buy a car. As a studio vehicle for the future."

Hearing the words "studio vehicle," the sales staff became even more excited.

That was a corporate purchase! It must be a big deal!

"How about a Mercedes G-Wagon? Hardcore off-road, fits your temperament as a tough-guy director!"

"Or maybe an Alphard? The king of nanny vans, all the stars ride in these!"

Su Zhe shook his head.

He walked to the brand-new Mercedes G-Wagon and reached out to knock on the car door.

"This car… is not quite right."

The Mercedes manager was stunned: "Director Su, this is a legendary car with a 500,000 yuan markup! What's wrong with it?"

Su Zhe pointed at the trunk with a serious face: "The space is too small. Let me ask you, if I need to haul a three-meter-long track, can it fit? If I need to transport twenty boxes of boxed lunches, plus two cameramen, can they squeeze in? If I need to take a pig to the set, are these leather seats scratch-resistant?"

The Mercedes manager: "…"

He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead: "Director Su… this is a luxury off-road vehicle, not a delivery truck…"

"Then we can't talk."

Su Zhe sighed, looking regretful: "Too delicate. Not durable. It doesn't fit our crew's 'hard work' corporate culture."

After speaking, he turned and walked toward the nearby Bentley.

"What about this one? What's the fuel consumption?"

The Bentley manager straightened his back: "Director Su, who buys a Bentley and cares about fuel consumption? This has a W12 engine, it only uses about twenty-something liters per hundred kilometers…"

"Twenty-something?"

Su Zhe gasped, his voice changing pitch: "That's too fuel-hungry! Is this driving? This is drinking blood! No, no! I'm the most environmentally friendly person; I can't stand this kind of high-carbon emission industrial waste."

The Bentley manager: "???"

Industrial waste? You call a five-million-yuan Bentley industrial waste?

Lin Qingxue stood to the side, wearing sunglasses, desperately trying to hold back her laughter. She knew Su Zhe too well. This guy wasn't complaining about the cars. He was just flat-out broke.

"Alright."

Lin Qingxue pulled Su Zhe's sleeve, helping him out: "Director Su has his own ideas. Everyone, please stop the sales pitch. We'll look around ourselves."

Getting rid of the enthusiastic sales staff, Su Zhe took Lin Qingxue and walked straight through the luxury car area.

The further they walked, the more remote it became. The further they walked, the more desolate it got.

Finally, they arrived at a large shed in the very corner of the Auto City.

The atmosphere here was completely different from before. No floor-to-ceiling windows, no aromatherapy, no sales ladies in black stockings. Only the smell of engine oil everywhere and a few grown men smoking.

A red banner hung at the entrance: [Celebrate National Day! Wuling God Car Big Sale! Buy a car and get window tinting! Plus two barrels of oil!]

"We're here."

Su Zhe stopped. Looking at the row upon row of uniform, boxy silver vans, his eyes revealed a sense of intimacy like finding his own group.

"This is the car you want to buy?"

Lin Qingxue took off her sunglasses. Looking at that iconic red diamond car logo, although she was mentally prepared, she was still a little shocked.

"Su Zhe… you are a big director with a net worth of billions now. Driving this out… aren't you really afraid of being laughed at by your peers?"

"Laugh? A joke?"

Su Zhe chuckled, walked over, and touched the thin-as-a-cicada-wing metal car body affectionately: "Wife, you don't understand. This is called returning to simplicity. Besides, look at this logo."

Su Zhe pointed at the red diamond: "What does it look like to you?"

Lin Qingxue took a look: "Like… wuling hongguang?"

"Superficial!"

Su Zhe spouted nonsense with a straight face: "This is called — the Domestic Corvette! Look at this styling, these lines, what's the difference from those multi-million supercars? The most important thing is…"

Su Zhe opened the car door and pointed to the spacious back seat where one could roll around: "Mid-engine, rear-wheel drive! Supercar layout! Manual transmission, driving pleasure! Seven-seater, huge space, can carry people and cargo! Even if Iron Bull sits inside, it won't feel crowded, and Yin Hua can even practice splits in the back! And…"

Su Zhe lowered his voice and said the most important reason: "It's cheap! The top trim is only fifty thousand! I won't feel heartbroken if I crash it, won't feel the pain if I scratch it, and I can even use it as a prop car to blow up for sound effects when filming in the future. This price-performance ratio, doesn't it beat Rolls-Royce?"

Lin Qingxue: "…"

She actually couldn't refute that.

"Boss!"

Su Zhe shouted at the salesperson who was playing cards inside: "Business is here! I want to buy a car, the top trim, the most expensive one!"

The big brother salesperson, cigarette in his mouth, walked out slowly. He glanced at Su Zhe, then glanced at the elegant Lin Qingxue beside him. He was stunned for a moment.

"Oh?"

"Isn't this… isn't this Su Zhe who directed goodbye mr. loser?"

Although the big brother didn't go online much, the movie was so popular that he had watched it with his wife.

"It's me." Su Zhe nodded.

"Oh my god, a big star!"

The big brother was so excited he threw away his cigarette and hurriedly wiped his hands: "Are you… here to experience life? Or is the crew buying props?"

"I'm buying a car."

Su Zhe pointed to the latest wuling hongguang S: "To drive myself."

The big brother: "…"

He had been in sales for so many years, he had seen people buying for groceries, seen people buying for hauling cargo. He had never seen a big star with a net worth over a hundred million buying this as his daily driver. Could this be the legendary… rich person's weird hobby?

"Okay! Director Su has good taste!"

The big brother was also a straightforward person, giving a thumbs up: "This car is sturdy, durable, and everything rattles except the horn… ah no, everything is good! Top trim, comes with air conditioning, central control screen, and can connect to Bluetooth to play music! The drive-away price, I'll give you a lucky number, fifty-eight thousand! I'll throw in full-car tinting, floor mats, and another barrel of glass cleaner!"

"Deal!"

Su Zhe agreed readily. This price was so comfortable. Compared to the Bentley of millions just now, this was practically giving it away!

"Then, shall we go pay?"

The big brother led Su Zhe toward the finance office. When they reached the door, Su Zhe suddenly stopped. He turned around and looked at Lin Qingxue who had been following behind. A slightly awkward but polite smile appeared on his face.

"Um… wife."

"What's the matter?"

Lin Qingxue asked, knowing the answer.

Su Zhe rubbed his hands: "Can you… lend me some money first? Fifty-eight thousand, I'll pay you back when I get my announcement fee next month."

Although there was 0 yuan in his card, that poor man's self-esteem prevented him from saying "you pay." Instead, he used the word "lend."

"Lend?"

Lin Qingxue raised her eyebrows and looked at him with a half-smile: "Director Su. You weren't saying that when you were pointing the country in the luxury car area just now. Didn't you say… this is a man's romance? What? Romance requires borrowing money from a woman?"

Su Zhe's face didn't flush, and his heart didn't beat faster: "This is called… capital turnover. My money is all in wealth management, and I can't take it out for a while. Besides."

He leaned close to Lin Qingxue and whispered: "After buying this car, it will be used to carry you in the future too. Think about it. In the future, when we go out on dates, driving this car, and parking it on the side of the road. Who could recognize that a heavenly queen is sitting inside? This is called low-key, this is called the best disguise!"

Lin Qingxue was amused by him. What kind of disguise was that. However, she also knew Su Zhe's current predicament.

"Alright, stop spouting nonsense."

Lin Qingxue took out that black card from her bag and handed it to the big brother salesperson: "Swipe the card. The password is his birthday."

The big brother salesperson took the heavy Centurion Black Card. His hand shook. Good heavens. This card… could buy the entire Wuling factory, right? And it was only being used to swipe fifty-eight thousand? Is this the world of the rich?

The paperwork was handled very quickly. Half an hour later, a brand-new, gleaming silver wuling hongguang S was parked at the store entrance.

Su Zhe circled the car three times. The more he looked, the more satisfied he became.

"Not bad, not bad. These lines, these headlights, these tires. Full of the primitive beauty of machinery."

However, he always felt something was missing.

"Boss."

Su Zhe took out the remaining few hundred yuan in cash from his pocket: "Can you help me modify it a bit?"

"Modify? How to modify?"

The boss was stunned, "Add a spoiler? Or change the exhaust?"

"No need to be that troublesome."

Su Zhe pointed to the rear of the car: "Put a sticker on for me. Just write — [God of Mt. Akina]. It needs to be reflective! The kind that glows at night! And on the car door. Put a line of text — [Su's Film & TV · Dedicated Work Vehicle]. The font must be large, eye-catching, preferably that gold-stamped kind!"

The boss: "…"

Such taste. Truly one of a kind. But the customer is God.

"Alright! I'll arrange it immediately!"

Ten minutes later, the modification was completed. The originally plain minivan instantly became even more rustic. The rear of the car was plastered with a huge "God of Mt. Akina". The side of the car was printed with the golden "Su's Film & TV". Even the Wuling logo on the front was painted red by Su Zhe with a red paint marker.

"Perfect!"

Su Zhe clapped his hands. He opened the driver's seat door and sat in. The hard fabric seat made him feel incredibly grounded.

"Wife! Get in the car!"

Su Zhe rolled down the window and waved at Lin Qingxue: "I'll take you for a spin!"

Lin Qingxue looked at this god car. And then looked at her own ferrari parked nearby. She sighed.

"I won't ride in it. I'm afraid of motion sickness. And…"

She pointed to the golden text: "This car is too high-profile. I'm afraid I'll be on the trending list tomorrow."

Su Zhe curled his lips: "No appreciation. Fine, then you drive your ferrari and follow behind. We're going to a place."

"Where to?"

Su Zhe's eyes became profound. He gripped the steering wheel tightly. His gaze turned to the north of the city. There, there was a famous unfinished building. It was also his chosen future base.

"To give our studio… a home."

Vroom!

Su Zhe stepped on the gas pedal to the floor. The wuling hongguang let out a roar and rushed out of the 4S shop. Behind, Lin Qingxue drove the ferrari and followed helplessly.

Under the sunset, a minivan worth tens of thousands was in front. A supercar worth millions was behind. This bizarre combination became a unique landscape on the Beijing Fifth Ring Road. Passing drivers turned their heads one after another.

"Holy crap? What's the deal with that minivan?"

"A ferrari escorting it?"

"Look at the car sticker! God of Mt. Akina! Su's Film & TV?"

"Awesome! Is this a crew filming a movie?"

Su Zhe held the steering wheel with one hand and turned on the car radio. It happened to be playing The Ordinary Road.

"I once crossed mountains and seas, and also passed through crowds of people…"

He hummed along. Although he was still heavily in debt. Although he was driving the cheapest car. But in his heart, he was full of hope. The movie was a hit. The fame was there. The wife was there too.

"Next…"

Su Zhe looked at the tall buildings in front, "is to build my own entertainment empire. The first step. Take down that legendary 'haunted house'!"