At exactly 8:00 PM.
Dad and Mom brought ten dishes—five meat and five vegetable, each bursting with color, aroma, and flavor—to the large coffee table in the living room.
Although eating at home felt a bit cramped, it carried the warmth of life and was much livelier.
This was especially true for someone like Du Ennan, a young lady born into a wealthy family.
It was her first time attending such a homely family gathering.
She felt that it was far more interesting than dining in the luxurious private rooms of a five-star hotel.
Xu Li, Du Ennan, and Mom, Jiang Xue, sat on the soft, comfortable sofa.
Meanwhile, Jiang Tao and his dad pulled up small stools to sit across from them.
As the saying goes, three women make a show.
Tian Xiaomei, Xu Li, and Du Ennan went from strangers to close friends in no time at all.
A single topic about parenting quickly bridged the gap between them.
"When I gave birth to our little Tao, it was during the strictest period of the family planning policy."
"After giving birth to Xiao Tao, his dad used a big cart to rush us to my parents' house overnight."
"My dad was also afraid that the village's family planning committee would come knocking, so he had us stay in the vegetable cellar."
"Plus, it was the busy farming season, so who had time to rest during confinement?"
"On the third day after giving birth, I was already out in the fields with his dad, harvesting corn."
"Looking back now, what a tough life we lived back then!"
"You younger generations have it so much easier compared to us."
Mom looked at Du Ennan's pregnant belly, her emotions stirred by memories of her own pregnancy and confinement.
In the past, they weren't allowed to have children even if they wanted to; now, things had completely flipped.
"Tao, when are you and Lili planning to have a second child?"
Dad quietly chatted with Jiang Tao, once again entering "urging-grandkids" mode.
His son had made something of himself.
Driving a luxury car worth over a million, running a business worth millions.
Let alone a second child—even a third or fourth child was affordable!
If they could afford it, they should have more.
The more kids, the higher the chance of nurturing talent within the family!
Look at that foreign tycoon, Musk.
His children could already form a soccer team, and he still wasn't done—he kept having more.
Currently, he had 14 kids, and in his lifetime, he might even reach 20 or 30.
Jiang Tao smiled, clinked glasses with his dad, and said, "We're already working on it."
"Then you'd better drink less and smoke less, young man."
Hearing his son's words, Jiang Wen's face lit up with a gratified expression.
The old couple had always hoped that Jiang Tao and Xu Li would give them another chubby grandson.
Although the preference for boys over girls had faded significantly, and the couple adored Jiang Xue, they still felt it was a pity that Jiang Tao and Xu Li didn't have a son.
Dinner stretched from just past 8:00 PM to 9:30 PM, and the atmosphere was incredibly warm and harmonious.
After dinner, Mom started clearing the dishes, while Dad stayed in the living room to play with Jiang Xue and her toys.
Jiang Tao and Xu Li walked Du Ennan downstairs.
The three chatted and laughed as they arrived beside a silver-gray Bentley Bentayga.
Its sleek roofline gleamed like liquid metal under the dim streetlights of the neighborhood.
It was as if all the lights in the neighborhood had been crushed and plated onto the car's curved body.
Noble, majestic!
Seeing Du Ennan's car, Jiang Tao, who had thought himself somewhat well-off, instantly felt poor again!
Her car was worth three or four of his!
"Lili, Jiang Tao, thank you for your hospitality tonight. This was the most enjoyable and interesting family dinner I've ever attended."
Du Ennan smiled as she said goodbye to Jiang Tao and Xu Li, pressing her car key.
The car's headlights flicked on with a *click*, like a dormant beast suddenly opening its eyes, exuding a fierce aura.
Xu Li smiled and said, "We're so glad you came, but next time, don't bring so many gifts—it feels too formal."
"Haha, Lili, you've got it all wrong."
"Giving you gifts isn't about being formal; it's because I feel close to your family."
"For acquaintances, forget gifts—I wouldn't even come over for dinner."
Du Ennan's words were the honest truth, without a hint of exaggeration.
Ever since her father, Du Taiming, hosted a dinner where she met Jiang Tao's family, she had hit it off with Xu Li.
It was as if they were kindred spirits who regretted not meeting sooner.
In just a few days, they had gone from new acquaintances to best friends who could talk about anything.
Xu Li smiled and said, "Alright, you always have a point. But still, no more next time. It's getting late—head home."
"You sure you don't need us to drive you? Are you really okay on your own?"
"I'm fine on my own. Bye, Lili. Bye, Jiang Tao."
Just as Du Ennan was about to open the car door, Jiang Tao stopped her.
"Wait, Du Ennan!"
After hesitating all evening, Jiang Tao finally decided to seize the moment to bring up the Mercedes issue with Du Ennan.
The sooner this matter was settled, the sooner he could rest easy, avoiding any potential complications.
Although he had evidence, taking the Mercedes dealership to court wasn't a guaranteed win.
"Hm? What's up, Jiang Tao?"
Du Ennan turned to look at Jiang Tao, her face showing a hint of confusion.
Xu Li also looked at Jiang Tao curiously, waiting for him to continue.
Jiang Tao smiled, trying to keep his tone calm:
"Ennan, there's something that's been weighing on my mind for a while. I wasn't sure if I should ask you about it."
Du Ennan laughed heartily, "Why so polite with me? Just ask whatever's on your mind—I'll tell you everything I know."
"Alright, I'll say it then. It's been bothering me, and I need to get it off my chest."
After preparing her, Jiang Tao continued:
"Before the New Year, the Mercedes GLS I won in your mall's raffle had a small issue before I drove it home."
"What? A new car had issues?"
Du Ennan's face showed disbelief upon hearing Jiang Tao's words.
"Yeah, let me finish."
Jiang Tao went on, "It wasn't a big deal, but the warranty process at the dealership would've taken days, and I was in a hurry to get home, so I couldn't wait."
"So, I asked a friend to do a quick fix, and we discovered something unusual."
Du Ennan's expression grew serious as she pressed, "What was unusual?"
Jiang Tao didn't beat around the bush and said directly:
"My friend said the car had been under warranty before and had a repair record—it was a used car that someone had returned."
"What! A used car that was returned?"
Du Ennan's voice shot up in shock, her face full of disbelief.
"Yeah, it's used, but it drives fine, just like a new one."
"I'm bringing this up today to check with you—did you know about this?"
"If you knew, no big deal. New or used, as long as the quality's fine, I don't mind."
"But if even you were kept in the dark, then the dealership's been dishonest."
As Jiang Tao spoke, he observed Du Ennan's expression.
Her shocked and slightly angry look made it clear she was unaware of the situation.
"Jiang Tao, I swear, I had no idea! I didn't know the car we gave you was used!"
Du Ennan's chest heaved with anger after hearing Jiang Tao's words—she was genuinely furious!
Who could tolerate paying for a new car but getting a used one someone else returned?
Xu Li, standing nearby, looked surprised and indignant after hearing Jiang Tao's revelation.
Jiang Tao feigned surprise, "Oh, you didn't know? Could the dealership have scammed your mall?"
"Jiang Tao, don't worry. I'll make sure you get a satisfactory resolution!"
"Those dealers had the nerve to pull this on us—I'll get to the bottom of it!"
Du Ennan's furious demeanor showed she was truly enraged.
No one could stay calm in a situation like this.
"Nan Nan, don't get upset—it's not good for you or the baby. We'll solve the problem; getting angry won't help," Xu Li said softly, grabbing Du Ennan's hand to comfort her.
Jiang Tao also smiled reassuringly, "Xu Li's right. No need to get mad, Ennan. It's not your fault at all."
Du Ennan looked at Jiang Tao and solemnly promised:
"Thank you for understanding, Jiang Tao. I really didn't know about this. Rest assured, I'll make sure you get a satisfactory resolution."
Jiang Tao smiled and said, "Even if you don't resolve it, it's fine. I was just mentioning it. The car drives fine, no issues."
"No way! They've messed with our Wanxianghui Mall!"
"I won't let them off easily, or they'll think we're pushovers!"
Du Ennan huffed, "Our mall's legal team isn't just for show. This time, we'll make them feel the pain!"
Jiang Tao didn't pressure her further and said:
"Handle it however you see fit. I'm okay with any outcome."
"Alright, I'll call the procurement department as soon as I get home and have them follow up first thing tomorrow!"
Du Ennan's decisive, no-nonsense approach shone through again that night.
"Oh, Ennan, I have a record of the GLS's previous repairs on my phone. My friend sent me the photos."
"Good thing I kept them, because when my friend checked the maintenance records after the New Year, they'd been deleted by the Mercedes side."
Jiang Tao's words were like adding fuel to the fire against the dealership.
Du Ennan gritted her teeth, "Got it. Send me those maintenance records, Jiang Tao. Those guys even tried to erase evidence—despicable!"
Xu Li, concerned, comforted Du Ennan:
"Don't get mad, Nan Nan. It's not worth getting upset over this."
"Done, I sent them to you."
Jiang Tao took out his phone, sent Du Ennan the evidence he'd kept, and pocketed it again.
"Got it! It's late, so I'll head back. Let's meet up again soon."
"Alright, Nan Nan, drive safe. Bye."
"Bye, Du Ennan."
Jiang Tao and Xu Li waved goodbye to Du Ennan.
They watched her disappear around the corner of the neighborhood road.
Only then did they turn back and head toward their building.
"Honey, is our car really a problem car?"
Xu Li clung to Jiang Tao's arm, asking with a worried expression.
Jiang Tao smiled, "Minor issue, and it's already fixed. Doesn't affect its use."
Xu Li patted her chest, letting out a relieved sigh:
"That's good. When you said it was a problem car, my heart nearly jumped out of my throat."
"But if it doesn't affect anything, why did you tell Nan Nan about it?"
Xu Li asked, looking curiously at Jiang Tao's profile.
Jiang Tao pinched Xu Li's pert nose and chuckled:
"Silly wife, for goods like cars, if a dealership dares to pass off substandard products as new, there's a law that allows for a refund plus triple compensation."
"What? Refund plus triple compensation??"
Xu Li's face lit up with shock at Jiang Tao's words.
"You mean, if we prove there's an issue, we can return our Mercedes and get compensation for three more?"
"My gosh, that means we'd have three Mercedes!"
"Uh…"
Jiang Tao couldn't help but laugh at his wife's logic, explaining:
"Silly wife, refund plus triple compensation doesn't mean that. It means they refund the purchase price and then pay three times that amount as compensation."
"What?? Really?!"
"That means we could make over 4 million in one go!"
Hearing Jiang Tao's explanation, Xu Li grew even more excited!
A chance to make a cool 4 million was right in front of them.
And the success rate was practically over 90%!
Xu Li clung to Jiang Tao's arm, shaking it excitedly:
"Honey, we're going to strike it rich! With that money, we could buy a house outright in Baigezhuang New Village!"
Jiang Tao, half-serious, half-joking, said:
"Who's buying a house here? We'll buy a villa by Walden Lake and live in style."
"Yes, yes, I'll follow you wherever you go, honey."
Xu Li gently rested her head on Jiang Tao's shoulder, her face glowing with happiness.
The couple chatted and laughed as they entered the elevator, taking it back to their 16th-floor apartment.
As soon as they walked in, Jiang Tao saw his dad dozing off on the sofa and told him to go rest.
Jiang Xue was also tired and had school tomorrow, so Xu Li took her to bathe.
Then it was Mom's turn, and finally Jiang Tao's.
Sharing one bathroom among the whole family was, admittedly, a bit inconvenient.
Once they had money, they'd definitely need to buy a big villa!
…
At 11:00 PM.
Du Ennan drove her car into the garage on the first floor of her villa.
Then she entered the villa through a small door from the garage.
"Miss Du, you're back."
The nanny, who had kept the lights on and was waiting in the living room, greeted Du Ennan respectfully.
"Wang Ma, you can go to bed. I have some things to handle before heading upstairs."
"Alright, Miss Du. Don't work too hard and rest early."
After exchanging pleasantries, Wang Ma headed to the nanny's room on the first floor.
Du Ennan took a few steps to the large sofa by the coffee table and sat down.
She pulled out her phone and called Ma Le, the manager of Wanxianghui's procurement department.
The Mercedes GLS used for the raffle had been purchased by the procurement department.
If the purchased goods were defective, the procurement department bore significant responsibility.
*Beep beep beep—*
Though it was late at night, the call connected after a few rings, and a man's voice came through.
"President Du."
Ma Le's tone was neutral, betraying no emotion—nor daring to.
Du Ennan didn't waste words and said directly:
"Manager Ma, the Mercedes GLS we procured for the promotional event was a used car that had been returned and resold. Did you know about this?"
"What! A returned and resold used car? That's… that's impossible!"
On the other end, Ma Le's soul nearly left his body upon hearing Du Ennan's words!
As the procurement manager, he knew the value of that Mercedes GLS!
If a product worth over a million had been passed off as new, his responsibility would be enormous!
"I'm sending you a few photos. Take a look for yourself."
As she spoke, Du Ennan sent Ma Le five photos.
The photos showed the body and nameplate of Jiang Tao's Mercedes GLS, along with the engine number.
They also included the internet maintenance data that Jiang Tao's friend, Li Ming, had retrieved.
The evidence was ironclad.
"President Du, this… this is fraud! I'm so sorry, President Du, this was my oversight…"
Ma Le was speechless after seeing the photos Du Ennan sent, unable to defend himself.
Such a major mistake meant he couldn't escape responsibility!
"Manager Ma, I'm not calling to hold you accountable."
"According to Article 55 of the *Consumer Rights Protection Law*."
"If a business provides fraudulent goods or services, the consumer has the right to demand compensation for their losses."
"The compensation amount is three times the price of the purchased goods or services."
"You bought this car, so contact the legal department and prepare to initiate legal proceedings."
Du Ennan's tone was icy, like a female officer commanding on a battlefield.
Running a mall and dealing with thousands of consumers daily, she was well-versed in the provisions and compensation standards of the *Consumer Rights Protection Law*.
"Understood, President Du! I'll call Lawyer Fang first thing tomorrow!"
At this point, Ma Le had already mentally cursed every ancestor of the sales manager at the dealership they'd worked with.
After hanging up with Du Ennan, Ma Le couldn't wait until morning and immediately called Fang Jing, the manager of the company's legal department.
Fang Jing was stunned upon hearing Ma Le relay the situation.
He couldn't fathom why a major Mercedes dealership would do such a thing!
Even more baffling was why they would do something so stupid!
How could they dare?
But the fact was undeniable, and Fang Jing didn't waste brainpower speculating on their motives.
"Manager Ma, don't worry. In this case, we have the upper hand—it's a slam dunk!"
Seeing the maintenance records Ma Le forwarded to his phone, Fang Jing felt the case was a sure win with no suspense.
Based on his years of experience, the Mercedes dealership likely wouldn't want this to blow up and hit the headlines.
It was their fault, after all.
If it came to that, they'd still have to pay compensation, and their reputation—possibly even the Mercedes brand's reputation—could take a hit!
The other side stood to lose more if it escalated.
Unless they were idiots, tomorrow's consumer rights action would go smoothly—a clear win.
After Ma Le and Fang Jing agreed to visit the Mercedes dealership together tomorrow to assert their rights, they discussed some specifics before hanging up.
…
Meanwhile.
In Jiangjiazhuang, Ping County, inside the guest bedroom of Jiang Tao's house.
Jiang Bing looked at the growing orders on various platforms, her face beaming like a little money-grubber.
"Tao Net sold a total of 2,155 sets today."
"Little Red Potato sold 1,338 sets, making a total of 3,493 sets!"
"My second brother is practically a modern-day Zhuge Liang—he nailed another prediction!"
"These stainless steel cups are selling like crazy!"
"We're getting rich, rich! I'm going to make a fortune following my second brother!"
Looking at her shop's performance today, Jiang Bing excitedly rubbed her hands, as if she could already see piles of cash flying toward her.
The stainless steel cups cost 29.9 yuan to source and sold for 59.9 yuan.
Each sale earned a 30-yuan profit.
After subtracting 5 yuan for shipping, the net profit was 25 yuan.
Jiang Bing took a 20% cut of the net profit, which came to 5 yuan per set.
With 3,493 sets sold today, her share was 17,465 yuan!
And that was just her earnings from the stainless steel cups!
Thanks to the cups' hot sales, her online store's other products were also selling like crazy.
Jiang Bing's daily income had already exceeded 20,000 yuan!
"Earning 20,000 a day—I, Jiang Bing, have made it!"
"I've got to stick close to my second brother's golden thigh from now on!"
She furiously tapped away at her calculator.
After calculating her earnings for the day, Jiang Bing was instantly energized, not the least bit sleepy!
Before Jiang Tao's guidance, when she was working alone, her average monthly income was only seven or eight thousand yuan.
Now, following Jiang Tao, she earned in one day what used to take her two months!
Jiang Bing had become her second brother's biggest fan, practically idolizing him!
"Once this project is done, I'll take a break."
"Maybe I'll go to Beijing to hang out with Mom, Dad, Second Brother, and Second Sister-in-Law for a few days."
"Come to think of it, I haven't been to Beijing in ages."
Glancing at the time in the bottom-right corner of her computer, it was already past midnight.
Jiang Bing stretched, went to the bathroom for a quick shower, and returned to her room in cool pajamas.
Lying in bed, she couldn't fall asleep.
In the end, she couldn't resist starting a "little movie."