Chapter 256 - 198: A Servant?

Just then, Shen Meng walked over. Wu Min said, "Shen Meng, some inconsiderate jerk blocked my car in. Looks like we can’t go for that drive today. Let’s go tomorrow instead. Come on, come on, get in and check out my car’s interior. It’s very minimalist, but simple without being plain."

Shen Meng said, "It’s okay, Cousin. We can still go for a drive. I’ll just move this car."

When Jia Lian and Wu Min heard her say she was going to move the white Mercedes, they exchanged a look, both reading the same thought in the other’s eyes—’Is Shen Meng talking nonsense?’

"Meng Meng, maybe you should see a doctor. You’re not acting like yourself today."

Just as she finished speaking, the daytime running lights of the Mercedes C260L lit up. Shen Meng pulled open the driver’s side door. "Cousin, excuse me. I’ll just pull forward a bit to let your car out."

Wu Min’s mouth hung open, her lower lip trembling slightly. Her nostrils flared, and her right hand unconsciously clutched her silk collar, pressing a red mark into her clavicle.

"This... this is... your car?"

Jia Lian also stared at her niece in astonishment. ’Since when does the name Mercedes have any connection to our family?’

Shen Meng hummed in acknowledgment and then asked, "So, are we taking my car or yours?"

If they took Wu Min’s car, Shen Meng would just back her own car into the parking space. But if they took Shen Meng’s car, Wu Min’s wouldn’t have to move, and Shen Meng could just park here again when she returned.

In the end, they took Shen Meng’s car. Sitting in the passenger seat, Wu Min silently stared at the car’s interior. She thought about how she had just been boasting about her Golf’s "simple without being plain" interior on the way over. Now, every single ambient light in this car seemed to be mocking her.

As Wu Min’s fingernails unconsciously scraped against the headrest, she saw her own embarrassed expression in the rearview mirror. The seat beneath her, with every single stitch, seemed to laugh at her Golf’s faux-leather seats.

On the riverside avenue, Shen Meng drove with concentration. The car was light and nimble, a perfect fit for her.

After inspecting the interior, Wu Min turned her head to look out the window. She felt like a textbook example of someone who tried to act cool but just ended up looking like an idiot. Even the "hot hatch" Golf she had adored just this morning didn’t seem so special anymore.

After stewing for a long while, she said to Shen Meng, "Didn’t you say you were just getting a used car? How did you end up with a Mercedes?"

Keeping her eyes on the road, Shen Meng answered casually, "He said to get a small beater to practice in. I thought he meant a used car. Who knew his idea of a ’small beater’ was this."

Jealousy +1

"How many years is the financing on this car? How much are the monthly payments? This is going to seriously lower your quality of life."

This was probably Wu Min’s only source of consolation. So much debt... this was living beyond one’s means, and reckless spending at that.

"There’s no financing. The sales consultant said we could get over ten thousand off the sticker price if we financed it, but Yang Hui refused. He paid in full."

Jealousy +2

"So is the car in your name or his?" Wu Min thought. ’It must be in Yang Hui’s name; he’s just letting her drive it. They would only put it in her name if they were financing it.’

"It’s in my name."

Jealousy—Overload

She composed a text to Wang Hua: "Yang Hui bought Shen Meng a top-spec Mercedes C260. Paid in full and put it in her name."

Then she reclined her seat all the way back and lay down, feeling absolutely miserable.

Meanwhile, Wang Hua was humming a tune. He’d just gotten out of the shower, thinking about how the new Golf seemed to have caused a huge improvement in Wu Min’s attitude toward him. After dinner, she had even let him hold her hand. It looked like with just a little more effort, he could seal the deal.

Just then, he saw the message from Wu Min. His first thought was that she was in a great mood after getting the car and wanted to chat. He opened the message and saw:

’Damn it, Yang Hui, you’re something else. This endless one-upmanship is going to be the death of me! With you pulling stunts like this, how am I ever supposed to win my girl?’

He tossed his phone aside. The excitement from picking up the car earlier in the day vanished completely. This had turned into a sad story.

「Futong Commerce」

Yang Hui received a message from President Zhang, the Vice President of Business at San Yang Xinyue Square’s first location. The mall had forced the original tenant to move out to accommodate the NLB store location he wanted, giving the spot to Yanghe Commerce. They also told them to proceed with the process using the standard business terms for the region. If the corporate group approved it, they could sign the contract.

Suspecting nothing, Yang Hui expressed his thanks. He had no idea that President Zhang was playing both sides, trying not to offend anyone. The location had been arranged, but if Zhao Rui really had a way to block the deal, Zhang wouldn’t mind. After all, Yanghe Commerce’s business terms were so low that if they came in, it would negatively impact his KPI assessment.

Although it would make the performance numbers look a bit better, sales performance wasn’t their most important evaluation metric—rental income and collection rate were.

Meanwhile, Zhao Rui was on the phone with Han Chao.

"Old Han, the regional office has sent Yanghe Commerce’s business terms to the store and told us to initiate the process. Just as expected, it’s still the 6% commission rate. I’ve already called my aunt and asked her to block it during the review. She said she’ll keep an eye on it."

"Last time during the review for Xinyue Square’s first store, she admits she didn’t look closely. That’s because it mainly concerns the regional assessment; once the regional departments approve something, her department just clicks a button to push it through. After all, blocking it could offend the regional office. But these terms are just too ridiculous. If she sees them, she’ll definitely mark it for disapproval. Then the proposal will end up going to corporate headquarters, and once the senior executives take a close look at the application, they’ll surely fly into a rage and reject it."