After connecting the call, Jian Wei concisely said to me, “Zhaoyang, Uncle Yang Congrong is coming to Suzhou tonight. Let’s have dinner together.” She paused briefly and added, “He’s coming especially to see you.”
“Don’t worry, no matter how busy I am, I will definitely make time for tonight.”
“You need to make time this afternoon.”
With some confusion, I asked, “What’s going on?”
Jian Wei complained, “How come you have so little business sense? Uncle Yang helped you a lot last time, and this time he’s coming to Suzhou, especially to see you. At the very least, you should prepare a gift to show your gratitude!”
After Jian Wei reminded me, I realized I had indeed been careless. Perhaps I still hadn’t fully embraced the identity of a businessman, which is why I had always been indifferent to business etiquette. However, Jian Wei seemed like my guide, leaving footprints along my path of growth.
I asked her, “What does Uncle Yang like? I’ll buy it this afternoon.”
“It’s the weekend today, and I have time. I also need to prepare a gift for him. Let’s go together.”
After thinking for a moment, I agreed, “Alright, then let’s meet at the city center at 3 PM.”
…
After ending the call with Jian Wei, I returned to the Jeep showroom. Mi Cai was already chatting with a salesperson while holding a car brochure. Seeing me, she asked, “Zhaoyang, are you sure you want to buy the Grand Cherokee?”
I nodded.
The salesperson immediately handed me a brochure and said, “Sir, please take a look at the configurations you might want, and then we can take you for a test drive.”
While flipping through the brochure, I asked, “Do you have any stock cars available?”
“Uh… currently, we have the 3.6L Summit Edition and the 5.7L Summit Edition in stock!”
Upon hearing the word “Summit,” I felt uncertain. Instinctively, I looked at the prices listed on the brochure. I was immediately taken aback—the official prices for these two configurations were 730,000 and 830,000 yuan respectively, making them the top-tier models of the Grand Cherokee series…
Trying to stay calm, I said, “I actually prefer the Comfort Navigation Edition more. It’s a shame they don’t have any in stock.”
The salesperson quickly replied, “Sir, that’s not a problem. If you decide on that model, we can arrange to transfer a car from a nearby 4S dealership. It should arrive within a week!”
I closed the brochure and turned to Mi Cai beside me, saying, “Let’s check other brands. I think Cadillac’s SRX is also good, or maybe the Q5.”
Mi Cai seemed to see through my thoughts and smiled, saying, “Why don’t we go for a test drive first? There’s still time to check other brands afterward!”
As if fearing I might walk away, the salesperson quickly added, “Sir, please take a test drive. I believe the Grand Cherokee won’t disappoint you. Judging from your and your girlfriend’s attire, you must appreciate a car that combines freedom with a rugged character. It really suits your personality, and your girlfriend will definitely love it!”
These words made me feel quite pleased. I lifted my leg and looked at the flip-flops I was wearing, saying, “I guess I am pretty rugged!”
…
The salesperson drove us back to their 4S dealership, arranged for a 5.7L Summit Edition Grand Cherokee, and handed me the keys. After I got into the car, Mi Cai also got in and sat in the back seat, while the salesperson sat in the front passenger seat, introducing the car’s performance and features.
Ahead was a wide, empty road reserved for test drives. After starting the car, I pressed the accelerator hard, immediately feeling a powerful push against my back as the engine roared, sending me into a state of excitement. In terms of power alone, it was even stronger than Mi Cai’s old Q7. No wonder it was known for its off-road capabilities. The car could accelerate to 100 km/h in about six seconds.
After gradually reducing speed, Mi Cai said to me, “Try doing an emergency lane change at 50 mph. This model used to have poor balance, but I heard they’ve improved it now.”
The salesperson confidently replied, “Miss, there won’t be any problem doing an emergency lane change at around 70 mph. The previous moose test was affected because there were heavy objects placed inside the car, which caused instability. That was actually a scheme by competitors.”
I accelerated to 60 mph and made two consecutive sharp turns. Surprisingly, despite the car’s heavy body, it remained very stable. For an off-road vehicle, this performance was quite impressive. Mi Cai finally dispelled her last doubts about the car and asked for my opinion on purchasing it.
After returning the car to the salesperson, I said to Mi Cai, “The car is great, but it’s too expensive. If I’m going to buy it, I’d prefer a lower configuration and take out a loan!… Forget it, I’ll just buy an ordinary SUV.”
“If you like it, just buy it. If you don’t have the money, I can pay for you first. You can repay me when you’re financially stable.”
I remembered that I still owed Mi Cai 1.5 million yuan, so I was even less willing to let her pay for me. However, her perspective was: since I already owed her 1.5 million, an additional 800,000 wouldn’t matter much.
In the end, Mi Cai insisted on paying for the car on my behalf. Thus, my first car turned out to be a luxury vehicle. After completing the insurance procedures, receiving the temporary license plate, and getting the car keys, I didn’t feel overly anxious because I had confidence in myself. I believed that even with this debt, it wouldn’t significantly hinder my life. However, I was determined to repay Mi Cai eventually. I still advocated for financial independence between us, as always.
…
Driving my newly purchased Grand Cherokee, I suddenly felt that my life had undergone a qualitative change. I reminded myself to work harder and keep striving forward on the path of progress. The old Zhao Yang, who used to wear a studded leather jacket and scream with anger at life in bars, would never return…
After having a late lunch with Mi Cai and resting for an hour, I drove toward the city center, as Jian Wei and I had agreed to meet at 3 PM to choose a thank-you gift for Uncle Yang.
In the outdoor parking lot, I easily spotted Jian Wei’s Cadillac CTS. She was persistent—those areas that had been previously damaged still hadn’t been repaired, and she hadn’t changed the car either.
Jian Wei opened the car door and stepped out first, and I got out of my car as well. We met up, and her gaze lingered on my newly purchased Grand Cherokee as she asked, “You haven’t gotten the license plate yet!… Is this your new car?”
I nodded without saying much because at this moment, I couldn’t help but recall the past. If only I had been more ambitious years ago, we wouldn’t have painfully destroyed our three-year relationship… But fate had arranged it this way for us, and I was lucky to meet Mi Cai in the present.
Jian Wei’s expression was complex, but she didn’t say much. Finally, she smiled and said, “Let’s go. Let’s head to the mall and see what suitable gift we can find for Uncle Yang… The gift doesn’t necessarily have to be expensive; what matters is the thought.”
I nodded and walked side by side with Jian Wei toward Baoli Department Store.
…
It took nearly two hours for Jian Wei and me to finally select gifts that we were both somewhat satisfied with. Then, we drove toward the hotel where we had agreed to meet Uncle Yang. To show respect, neither of us entered the hotel early but instead waited for Uncle Yang in the parking lot…
Moments later, a Mercedes S600 approached us. Instantly, I remembered that it was Jian BoYu’s car, and a sense of discomfort rose in my heart once again. In fact, even until now, I still couldn’t face the man who had left me with lifelong shadows.
Jian Wei seemed to sense my emotions and explained, “Jian Boyu coming to Suzhou this time isn’t just for the sake of being around. Recently, we’ve had some business conflicts, so we arranged this meeting to talk.”
“You and he have business conflicts?”
“Yes, he’s recently taken over several real estate projects of mine. It’s a bit excessive!”
Instinctively, I sighed, “Indeed, there’s no room for family sentiment in business!”
Jian Wei replied indifferently, “Whatever projects he took from me, he will have to give them back today.”
As we were talking, Uncle Yang and Jian Boyu got out of the car from opposite sides. Jian Wei and I walked forward to greet Uncle Yang, while Jian Boyu was left aside, looking somewhat embarrassed.
Uncle Yang warmly extended his hand and said with a smile, “Zhaoyang, you really didn’t disappoint me. Your ‘Perfect Travel Plan’ has created the best reputation our website has ever had since its launch. Now many other businesses are also trying to follow your example and improve their services!”
I shook his hand and responded with a smile, sincerely saying, “Our reputation is entirely due to the promotion provided by the Easy Travel website. I should really thank you for giving me this opportunity…”
Uncle Yang patted my shoulder and continued to laugh heartily, “Opportunities are equal for everyone, but you’re a young man who knows how to seize them… Let’s go inside and talk. I’m very interested in your recent business moves and would like to discuss possible future collaborations!”
I nodded and then Jian Wei and I presented the gifts we had prepared earlier in the afternoon to him. Uncle Yang happily accepted them, praising us for being thoughtful. Although the gifts weren’t expensive, Jian Boyu was once again left aside—more accurately, it was Jian Wei who ignored him, especially since this meeting had been arranged by her for business purposes.
…
Inside the hotel private room, Jian Wei and Jian Boyu sat facing each other. She wasted no time with unnecessary small talk and, with a serious expression, said to Jian Boyu, “Mr. Jian, what’s the meaning of your company recently taking over the two real estate projects, Huatang Shengshi and Lijing Garden, from us?… Haven’t you overstepped your bounds a bit!”
Faced with Jian Wei’s aggressive tone, Jian Boyu remained calm and replied in a composed manner, “Regarding the two real estate projects you mentioned, our company acquired them through legitimate bidding procedures. This is a demonstration of our company’s strong capabilities; there’s nothing to argue about here!”
Yang and I curiously looked at Jian Wei, unsure whether she would counter Jian Boyu purely from a business perspective or whether this would escalate into a family dispute…
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