(PS: Many readers have found this segment extremely toxic... Xiaohan is deeply reflecting... It's recommended to skip chapters 30-33 and go straight to chapter 34, twt.)
"Brother Yang, I've made a business plan for you. We can open this shop after Eason's album drops, ride the wave, and make a name for ourselves overnight!"
At noon, after finishing his abalone and sea cucumber omurice, Guo Ziyi was unusually excited. He pulled out a small blackboard, ready to give Yang Yi a lesson.
"No." Yang Yi refused with a simple word, cutting off the chubby kid's momentum.
Guo Ziyi was stunned for a moment, then jumped up excitedly: "Why? If everyone finds out you're the lyricist and composer for Eason's new album's lead single, they'll swarm in, and our coffee shop will be a huge hit!"
Yang Yi corrected him mercilessly: "First, this is my coffee shop!"
"Second, why would I want it to be a huge hit?" Yang Yi shrugged and said, "Too many customers, and I can't handle it. I might as well not open the coffee shop at all."
Guo Ziyi was speechless. He realized that although what Yang Yi said didn't fit his usual way of thinking, he couldn't find a reason to argue.
"Then are we still renovating this afternoon?" Guo Ziyi thought about hammering nails and sawing boards in that sweltering environment again and felt a bit annoyed. "Ahem, Brother Yang, I have something to do this afternoon. Yeah, I need to go to school to submit some materials."
Seeing his eyes darting around, Yang Yi knew the kid was trying to slack off again!
"We're not renovating this afternoon. Go play if you want!" Yang Yi stretched and yawned, ready to head back to his room for a nap. He casually added, "I'm going to buy a car this afternoon."
"Buy a car? Buy a car!" Guo Ziyi's eyes lit up instantly. He grinned and scurried over. "Brother Yang, take me with you! I know where to buy cars!"
Yang Yi glanced back at him strangely and said, "Didn't you say you had something to do this afternoon?"
"No, no." Guo Ziyi waved his hand with an awkward smile. "I might have misread the notice. It's not this afternoon."
Yang Yi chuckled. He knew it.
"Brother Yang, are you buying a supercar? A Katerati or a British Maserati?" the chubby kid asked eagerly.
"Can't afford a supercar." Yang Yi roughly calculated his finances. His expenses these days had been considerable, but after Chen Yijie paid the 80,000 yuan copyright fee, Yang Yi still had a few tens of thousands left. As for the two million reward, after some shuffling, he could consider it untouched for now!
But even so, two million wasn't enough for a supercar!
Damn it! Yang Yi loved supercars too!
In his past life, he had a Lamborghini Reventon. The car was limited to twenty units worldwide, so of course he couldn't afford it. But once, during a mission, he offed the owner, saw the car, and couldn't resist driving it back.
The cost was steep. After enjoying the car for a month, he was tracked down by the NSA and had to flee everywhere, eventually abandoning that residence to make a clean getaway.
That's a bit off track. The chubby kid had sparked his interest, but reason told him this wasn't the time to think about such things!
If he wanted a supercar, he'd need to earn a hundred million first. He'd figure out how to make money legally later!
...
In the afternoon, led by the "local snake" Guo Xiaopang, Yang Yi arrived at the auto city at the junction of Dongcheng District and Binhai District. This was the largest car market in Jiangcheng, home to various brand 4S stores and second-hand car dealers.
Yang Yi was curious because all the models and logos here were unfamiliar to him, completely different from his past life!
Guo Xiaopang was also a car enthusiast. Although he was a bit disappointed that Yang Yi wasn't buying a sports car, he still chattered endlessly about budget cars: "Under 100,000, there are plenty of domestic cars, like Feiyadi, Changjiang JXF... They're all pretty similar. Feiyadi and Changjiang are old brands, with slightly better quality."
"Too ugly, no." Yang Yi glanced at the storefront and shook his head.
He was indeed a sucker for looks, and he'd seen Feiyadi and Changjiang at rental places before. He just didn't like them.
"Between 100,000 and 200,000, the options are broader. Imported cars sell the most. European cars are safe but guzzle gas. Japanese cars save fuel but have weak frames..."
Yang Yi listened while walking slowly with Guo Xiaopang, eyeing the models in various stores from a distance.
"What's this car?" Yang Yi suddenly stopped, pointing at a storefront.
Guo Xiaopang looked, scratched his head, thought for a moment, and said, "This one's pretty niche. It's a civilian pickup brand called Wolf Fang, spun off from a former military vehicle factory. But its cars don't sell well because they don't fit mainstream tastes and are overpriced..."
"Let's check it out!" Yang Yi felt the name "Wolf Fang" stirred something in his blood. Besides, from a distance, the vehicle's massive frame looked like the kind of muscle car he loved!
"Pfft!" A disdainful laugh came from behind, catching Yang Yi and Guo Xiaopang's attention.
Turning around, they saw a young man with slicked-back hair, dressed in a suit and leather shoes, with a fair, oily face like a pretty boy! From the brochures in his hand, Yang Yi recognized him as someone from the Feiyadi 4S store they'd just passed.
"Tsk tsk, big bro, little bro, you sure know how to pick 'em!" the pretty boy sneered. "From the looks of you, you're probably in the market for a 100,000 to 200,000 car. And you want to look at Wolf Fang? Don't you know you can't even touch a Wolf Fang without 400,000?"
He was the type to say different things to different people. Having observed Yang Yi and his companion's plain clothes, he figured they were potential customers for cheap cars like Feiyadi and wanted to rope them in.
But before he could speak, he heard Yang Yi's "disdainful" remark, and anger flared up inside him!
It wasn't that he thought his brand was great, but he felt Yang Yi was just a poor loser coming to buy a car with a shabby duffel bag, worse off than him!
The pretty boy fancied himself a seasoned car-buying consultant in the industry, earning a monthly salary of over 10,000, wearing suits and leather shoes, drinking red wine and coffee. Unlike these two in sandals, shorts, and cheap clothes, utterly tasteless!
But the pretty boy himself drove a Feiyadi, thanks to a company discount. Too stingy to buy anything else, he settled for it.
Why should someone worse off than him have the nerve to talk about buying a better car?
So the pretty boy couldn't help but mock him.
Yang Yi frowned, confused about what this guy's problem was. He exchanged a glance with Guo Ziyi, who looked equally baffled, his eyes saying, "I don't know this guy either!"
"Well, go ahead and look. Don't say I didn't warn you!" the pretty boy said with a sly grin. "In life, the most important thing is knowing your place. Someone who can only afford a Feiyadi shouldn't be daydreaming."
Yang Yi really wanted to punch him. In his past life, if someone dared to mock him like that, he'd teach them a lesson in no time!
But now, he found it amusing!
"You think we can't afford a Wolf Fang?" Yang Yi asked calmly.
"Oh, no, no. Wolf Fang's price range... well, I just think you can't even afford a Feiyadi!" the pretty boy scoffed.