Parking the car on the third basement level, Jiang Tao took the elevator up to the first floor.
As soon as he stepped out of the elevator, he saw a bustling crowd inside the mall, a lively and vibrant scene.
Right in the center of the first-floor lobby, a black Mercedes-Benz GLS adorned with red silk ribbons stood out prominently.
Its massive body exuded an imposing aura, commanding respect without effort.
The details revealed a sense of refinement and elegance.
The eye-catching star-shaped grille was like a beautiful woman's face.
The uniquely designed LED headlights were like a woman's perfectly shaped chest.
The powerful lines of the car's body resembled the toned waist of a fit woman.
The rear of the car was full and sexy.
The chrome trim on the body was just right, adding a touch of luxury.
Every detail showcased Mercedes-Benz's exquisite craftsmanship and pursuit of aesthetic perfection.
"Gorgeous!"
Seeing his dream car, Jiang Tao suddenly felt a bit of disdain for the old Audi he had just driven.
No comparison—absolutely no comparison!
*Click, click, click—*
Many customers lingered around the Mercedes-Benz GLS, snapping photos with their phones or cameras.
Jiang Tao couldn't resist joining them, raising his phone to take a few pictures.
Next to the Mercedes-Benz GLS was a pink Wuling Hongguang Mini, but it attracted far fewer onlookers.
"This year, Wanxiang Plaza has really gone all out, putting up a GLS as the grand prize for the year-end shopping festival!"
"It's probably just a marketing gimmick. No one's actually going to win that car."
"No need to guess—you can figure it out with your toes. The winner of that GLS is definitely going to be one of the mall's employees!"
"More likely, it's just borrowed from a Mercedes-Benz dealership to lure people in!"
"Not necessarily. Maybe someone will get lucky and actually win it."
"With so many people coming for the GLS these past few days, it's even made the news. A mall this big wouldn't dare pull a stunt like that, right?"
"The money the mall makes in a single day is probably more than the cost of a GLS. They wouldn't risk their reputation with shady tricks."
Listening to the chatter of the surrounding customers, Jiang Tao's eyes lit up, his interest instantly piqued.
Next to the Mercedes-Benz GLS display was a signboard detailing the rules of the event.
It wasn't much different from the promotional activities other malls held at year-end.
Spend a certain amount, and you get a chance to enter a raffle.
At Wanxiang Plaza, for every 10,000 yuan spent, you could participate in a standard raffle.
The grand prize for the standard raffle was the Wuling Hongguang Mini parked nearby.
First prize was a 5,000-yuan mall gift card, second prize 2,000 yuan.
Third prize was 1,000 yuan, fourth prize 500 yuan, and fifth prize 100 yuan.
If you spent 100,000 yuan, you could participate in an upgraded premium raffle.
The grand prize for the premium raffle was the Mercedes-Benz GLS parked in the center of the lobby!
First prize was a 20,000-yuan mall gift card, second prize 10,000 yuan.
Third prize was 5,000 yuan, fourth prize 2,000 yuan, and fifth prize 1,000 yuan.
Wanxiang Plaza's year-end shopping raffle was undeniably attractive, with huge prizes!
The grand prize for the premium raffle, the Mercedes-Benz GLS, was worth over a million yuan after taxes!
However…
It was obvious that the odds of winning were extremely low!
For the mall to offer such a grand prize, they had clearly calculated everything.
The chance of losing money was practically nonexistent.
"The premium raffle requires spending 100,000 yuan for one entry…"
After reading the rules, Jiang Tao immediately backed off.
Although he had a few hundred thousand yuan to his name, spending 100,000 just for a single raffle entry was something he couldn't bring himself to do!
Even though he had the "River Stone" to boost his luck, he wasn't confident he could win the grand prize.
"Someone's drawing over there! Let's go check it out!"
"Probably just a fifth prize. I've seen a few people get fifth prizes."
Following the crowd's gaze, Jiang Tao saw a young couple carrying several shopping bags, dressed in trendy brand-name clothes and wearing oversized black sunglasses.
Among the shopping bags the woman held, Jiang Tao recognized Hermès and Chanel, along with a few other brands he didn't know.
But if they were on par with Hermès and Chanel, even a fool could tell they weren't cheap.
After showing their receipts to the staff, the young couple headed to the premium raffle area to draw.
The premium raffle didn't have any fancy rules—just a giant glass box.
Inside the box were probably tens of thousands of scratch-off tickets.
The large glass box had four openings, one on each side.
The couple took turns drawing, each making three draws, for a total of six tickets.
It seemed they had spent around 600,000 yuan during their shopping spree!
Seeing someone spend his entire savings in one mall visit, Jiang Tao suddenly felt the weight of his own poverty.
He had thought his few hundred thousand yuan made him somewhat wealthy.
Now, he realized that in a place like the capital, his money was nothing!
At that moment, Jiang Tao's desire to make money grew even stronger!
Others could take their girlfriends shopping and spend hundreds of thousands, even a million, without blinking.
When he went shopping with Xu Li, he hesitated and agonized over buying a piece of clothing worth a few hundred yuan.
The clothes were nice, and Xu Li looked even better in them.
But his hesitation, his reluctance, his heartache—it all boiled down to not having enough money!
As Jiang Tao's thoughts drifted, the young couple finished their draw.
Out of six tickets, they won one fifth prize—a 1,000-yuan gift card.
The other five were "Thank You for Participating"!
For a couple who had spent over 600,000 yuan, a 1,000-yuan gift card seemed like a measly consolation.
With odds like that, even a dog would shake its head!
Jiang Tao's fleeting enthusiasm instantly cooled.
Even with his luck-boosting "River Stone," he doubted he could win anything above a third prize!
"Forget it, forget it. This high-stakes game isn't for me."
Jiang Tao took one last look at his dream car and turned toward the Zhouliufu store on the first floor.
At Zhouliufu, the gold recycling price today was only 675 yuan per gram.
And since the gold bars Jiang Tao had weren't from their store, they'd charge an extra 10% handling fee.
The situation at Laofengxiang was similar, with a recycling price just 1.8 yuan per gram higher—not ideal either.
"Forget it, I'll just hold onto them for now!"
"There's no urgent need for money at home, and I still have plenty of cash."
"I'll keep these four gold bars as an investment."
Since neither gold shop met Jiang Tao's expectations, he didn't bother checking other stores.
Leaving the gold shop, Jiang Tao took one final glance at the Mercedes-Benz GLS in the center of the lobby.
He loved that car so much!
If he could drive a big Mercedes-Benz back home for the New Year, it would cause a sensation in all of Jiangjiazhuang.
His mother-in-law and sister-in-law would probably be floored.
But with only a few hundred thousand yuan to his name, while he could afford it with installments, it wasn't worth it.