"Going to the car show, young man? Today's the last day," the driver asked curiously.
The 2014 Rongcheng Auto Show had started on June 29th, and today was the final day. Having just received a fortune, Wu Yun certainly wasn't going to miss this chance to see all the different models. (PS: The '14 Rongcheng Auto Show actually opened on August 29th, but for the sake of the plot, it's been moved up by two months.)
"Yeah, I thought I'd check it out. You should get out and see new things while you're young," Wu Yun said.
"Exactly. Broaden your horizons. I'm always telling my own kid the same thing. I may not earn a lot, but I fully support him getting out to see the world." You could tell at a glance that the driver was a family man.
"You say you don't earn much, sir? You must be making ten or twenty thousand a month!" 2014 was when DiDi was really taking off. Compared to the later era where most DiDi drivers barely scraped by, the ones who caught the first wave were making money hand over fist.
Wu Yun chatted with the driver the whole way. Since it wasn't rush hour, he got from the west side of the city to the south side in no time.
The Rongcheng Century City New International Convention and Exhibition Center was massive, with a total of nine halls.
Wu Yun had looked up the info online, so he knew his targets for the day were all concentrated in Hall 9.
It was past eleven, but Hall 9 was still packed. You'd never guess it was almost time for the lunch break.
As the hall where all the luxury brands were gathered, Hall 9 had always been a holy land for car enthusiasts. It was filled with tourists and media members holding DSLRs or phones, all snapping pictures. It was hard to tell, though, whether they were photographing the cars or the car models.
Wu Yun entered directly from an outside entrance, and the first thing that caught his eye was the logo of a prancing horse.
Wu Yun had already looked up the cars Ferrari would be showing. At this year's international auto show, they were primarily featuring five models: the California T, the FF, the F12 Berlinetta, the 458 Italia, and the 458 Spider.
As one of the industry's most famous supercar brands, Ferrari had a legion of loyal fans. Wu Yun squeezed through the crowd to look at the two 458 supercar models, but he couldn't tell them apart.
Walking up to the display, he spoke to a gorgeous saleswoman—an 89 out of 100 in his book—who was chatting with a colleague. "Hello, beautiful! I'm here to see the cars!"
His voice wasn't loud, but it was enough for the people nearby to hear. Heads turned, and curious glances were thrown his way.
The saleswoman, Lin Xue, turned to Wu Yun. Noticing his luxury brand attire, she immediately identified him as a potential client. "Sir," she invited, "is there a particular model you're interested in?"
Wu Yun pointed to the two 458s. "What's the difference between these two?"
Lin Xue led Wu Yun over to the driver's side of the 458 Italia. "This is the 458 Italia," she began. "It features a mid-rear-mounted V8 engine and is a highly innovative, landmark high-performance sports car."
...
"This car integrates technological innovation, creativity, style, and passion—the very hallmarks of Italy itself. That's why, when naming this model, Ferrari combined '458'—representing the engine's displacement and cylinder count—with the country's name, 'Italia,' as a tribute to the nation." Lin Xue recited the lines she had memorized by heart, delivering them flawlessly.
"Can I get inside and have a look?" Wu Yun asked.
"Of course. Please!" Hearing their conversation, the car model stepped aside, eyeing Wu Yun and sizing him up.
Wu Yun sat down and felt the distinctive Ferrari steering wheel. "What's the price on this one?" he asked.
"The 458 Italia is priced at 4.2 million, and the 458 Spider next to it is 4,438,800," Lin Xue said, gesturing to the other, similar-looking 458.
"What's the difference with that one?"
"The 458 Spider is equipped with Ferrari's patented, fully retractable hardtop. It's also the world's first mid-rear-engine sports car to feature such a design," Lin Xue explained.
"Sir, if you like it, you can purchase it on the spot. If you're not a fan of the yellow, our Rongcheng dealership has a red one in stock," Lin Xue added, making her sales pitch.
"I want to think it over and look at the other options. Let's add each other on WeChat for now. I'm definitely buying a car today, one way or another!" Wu Yun wasn't completely sold. After all, he wasn't a die-hard Ferrari fan and wasn't yet at the point of buying one on impulse.
"Very well, sir. Please, take your time and look around."
After adding Lin Xue on WeChat, Wu Yun walked out of the Ferrari exhibit, much to the disappointment of the surrounding crowd. They had been hoping to see a rich kid drop a fortune on a supercar.
Wu Yun glanced at the McLaren display across from Ferrari but didn't head over. He wasn't a big fan of their logo, and they didn't have the same name recognition as Ferrari.
Wu Yun walked straight to the neighboring Bentley exhibit. Honestly, the front of a Bentley just screamed 'successful businessman'. Even the 2014 coupe, the Bentley Ao Lu, couldn't escape the brand's signature family look.
He walked a circle around the Ao Lu and sat inside to get a feel for it. The interior was definitely more spacious than a supercar's. 'If I were thirty,' he thought, 'I'd buy this Ao Lu on the spot.'
After adding the salesperson on WeChat, Wu Yun continued deeper into the hall. He passed some grocery-getter and a brand he didn't recognize before arriving in front of the raging bull logo of Lamborghini.
The Lamborghini exhibit only had two models on display: one was the brand-new Huracán LP 610-4, released this year, and the other was the Aventador LP 700-4.
"Hello, could you tell me about these two cars?" Wu Yun asked a male salesperson who looked hungry and a bit out of it.
"Of course, sir! Right this way." The salesperson greeted Wu Yun with enthusiasm. The reason for his sudden energy? The moment Wu Yun had stepped into the Ferrari exhibit, his photo had started circulating in the Hall 9 sales group chat. A juicy new prospect had arrived.
Wu Yun might be young, but these salespeople had eagle eyes. Anyone who swaggered into a booth dressed in luxury brands to ask for prices was one of two things: either they had the money to back it up, or they were just pathologically bold.
Even with only a fifty-fifty chance, none of the salespeople were willing to let the opportunity slide.
"This Huracán LP 610-4 is a new model that just launched this year. It uses a new chassis built from a carbon-fiber and aluminum composite. This highly lightweight chassis brings the car's total weight to just 1.4 tons."
"The Huracán LP 610-4 is equipped with a 5.2-liter V10 engine. Its top speed is 325 kilometers per hour. It goes from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour in just 3.2 seconds, and can hit 200 in 9.9 seconds."
Wu Yun looked at this "little bull," the successor to the old "Bat" (the Murciélago). The body lines seemed to have lost the sharp, aggressive feel of its predecessor. It was still a beautiful car, but looking at it just made him indecisive between it and the Ferrari. It didn't give him that instant spark.
"How much?" Wu Yun asked.
"4.29 million."
"That's about the same as the 458."
Perhaps hearing Wu Yun's muttered comment, the salesperson said with a smile, "This model was designed to compete directly with the Ferrari 458. But wouldn't you agree that our Lamborghini's design is much more beautiful than the Ferrari's?"
Then, figuring Wu Yun was still a student, the salesman leaned in and whispered provocatively in his ear, "Drive this car, and your whole campus will be your personal playground. I'll even award you the official title of 'The Panty Dropper'!"