Zhou You rode his electric scooter, with Big Head sitting behind him carrying a bag, and they wobbled all the way to Xinyuan Residential Area. Youth was truly something—they moved everything up to the third floor without breaking a sweat. The place was still empty, so without a word, they turned on the air conditioner first.
"Big Head, what do you want to drink? I'll go down and grab some drinks." "Cola, ice cold."
The neighborhood wasn't big, and there was a small commercial street that could fully meet daily needs.
At the small supermarket downstairs, he bought two bottles of cola. Seeing plenty of fruit, he also grabbed a big watermelon. In this weather, chilling a watermelon in the fridge—nothing could beat that.
*Little person, oh* *Riding the wave, yeah* *Always loving simple joys* *Carefree spirit, oh* *Playfully serious* *Giggling, we're carefree*
Just as he reached the downstairs, his phone rang. He figured it was the delivery guys arriving.
"Hey, boss, we're here. Which building is yours?" the worker asked politely. "Building 5, Apartment 301. I'm right downstairs waiting for you," Zhou You said, turning around to go back to the supermarket for a few more bottles of water and drinks.
In this scorching heat, no one had it easy.
The worker drove a small truck and parked downstairs. The neighborhood was still okay—not many cars, and parking was convenient. Since it was an old complex with no underground garage, all spots were on the surface. Later on, they'd have to fight for spaces.
"Ah, so good. Took a sip of ice-cold cola, lying on the sofa—this is life. Bro, how about I move in with you?" Big Head said enviously. "Heh, just because your head's big doesn't mean your face is," Zhou You taunted. "Hey, people, huh. Once you've got money, you turn your back on friends," Big Head pretended to be sad. "A guy with more houses than me is playing poor in front of me." "Thousands of houses, and not one is mine. You're right, I need to move out on my own. Living with my parents is too awkward—going out is a hassle."
The two of them chatted and joked around.
With things mostly settled here, Zhou You planned to go home for a few days, fill his family in on the basics, give his parents some money, and fix up the house.
Going home meant buying a car; otherwise, taking the bus back would be a pain.
"Big Head, you free this afternoon?" "What's up? Gonna treat me to dinner?" "Dinner's a given. I'm thinking of buying a car. Want to come with me?" "Dude, seriously? Buying a house and a car—how am I supposed to feel? You're making me feel like a total failure." "Get lost. You coming or not? If you do, I'll let you borrow it later."
Big Head got excited at that. "I'm in, definitely in. What car are you getting?" "A Wrangler." "Holy crap, you aiming for the sky? Bro, let's go, let's go now. You've gotta let me drive it. Good brothers for life—I'm latching onto you."
The two hyped-up guys grabbed a quick lunch and headed straight to the 4S dealership.
They arrived before 2 PM. The weather was hot, and barely anyone was outside. The salespeople sat listlessly in the shop.
"Hi, where are your Wranglers? I'd like to take a look," Zhou You said. "Hello, do you have an appointment? Have you contacted any of our sales before?" the saleswoman asked politely. If he'd been there before or had a prior contact, they'd assign someone to avoid internal conflicts from poaching. "No, just show me around." "Alright, my last name is Cao. Just call me Xiao Cao," she said. She was a woman, average-looking with a decent figure, probably new to the job—still had a bit of naivety on her face. The veteran salespeople rarely hung around the shop at this hour; only newcomers got more hands-on experience.
Xiao Cao walked and talked as she introduced the cars. "The Wrangler comes in two-door and four-door models. Which one do you prefer?" "Give me the rundown on both first."
The Jeep Wrangler four-door version has a longer wheelbase than the two-door, with different departure and approach angles. Compared to the two-door, its off-road capability might be slightly limited, but the longer wheelbase offers more space.
The two-door Jeep Wrangler measures 4334mm in length, 1894mm in width, and 1839mm in height; the four-door version is 4882mm long, 1894mm wide, and 1838mm tall.
Performance-wise, the two-door's shorter body gives better maneuverability in the jungle, especially weaving through tight spots. The four-door isn't as nimble, but it handles big elevation changes better—on steep drops, the two-door can't even get down. Fuel consumption ranges from 11 to 18 points, depending on the road. Highways save gas, while city driving guzzles it.
Zhou You understood some of it, but not all. He just knew the four-door was bigger and pricier.
"Show us the four-door." "Sure. The four-door models available are the Sahara and the Rubicon. They look similar inside and out, but there are differences. Externally, the Rubicon and Sahara aren't that different at a glance, but details set them apart. The Rubicon has a two-tone body design, with black plastic textured wheel arches instead of body-colored ones. Under the chassis, they're very different—two distinct off-road styles. The Rubicon focuses on extreme off-road performance, handling tougher terrain. It's reinforced, with a larger reduction ratio on the rear axle than the Sahara, giving it more wheel torque with the same engine output. The downside is it can't go as fast. The Sahara, on the other hand, prioritizes everyday off-road practicality and economy."
Big Head chimed in, "Just get a Sahara. You're too cautious to go anywhere dangerous." "Alright, can I test drive a Sahara now?" Zhou You said with a smile.
Sitting in it, the first thing he noticed was the size—way bigger than a sedan's cabin. The view was wide, giving a commanding, elevated feel. It oozed a sense of security.
The interior was basic, looking cheap and lacking any texture.
The seatback was a bit stiff, not as comfortable as a sedan, but that could be modified later.
He could only test drive on the road for now, but the overall feel was decent. The noise wasn't too bad, within acceptable limits, though it bounced a bit over speed bumps.
"What's the price now?" Zhou You decided to wrap it up quickly—it was just too hot. "Full price is 490,000 yuan. We handle the paperwork. Add the purchase tax, estimated at 50,000 yuan, plus insurance, and it comes to about 550,000 yuan total," the saleswoman calculated fast.
"Do you have any in stock?" Zhou You and Big Head were both eager. "Yes, we have black, yellow, and blue." "I'll take black. Let's do the paperwork now. Take me to inspect the car."
Xiao Cao, the saleswoman, quickly went to get the store manager. She couldn't believe her luck—off-road vehicles were tough to sell, usually requiring multiple visits before a decision. This was done in under an hour, way too fast. She'd easily pocket a few thousand in commission.
After a short wait, all the paperwork was done, including the license plate—randomly assigned, no big deal.
Car in hand, time to roll.
Can anyone see this?