Chapter 138: New Intelligence: A Bmw Spontaneously Combusted, Causing Tens Of Millions In Losses!
Some rejoice while others grieve.
When Jiang Tao and Xu Li received 4.48 million, someone lost 4.48 million.
At the General Manager’s Office of Chaoyang Huiron Mercedes-Benz 4S Center.
Sales Manager Chen Xin was thoroughly berated by General Manager Chen Peng.
“This is what you call foolproof!”
“4.48 million! An entire month and a half of profit, all gone!”
“Didn’t you delete the records? Why do others still have them!”
“How could I have let such an idiot like you be a manager! I must have been blind to appoint you!”
Chen Peng shook the letter of understanding from Wanxiang Hui, his expression worse than if his mother had died.
“I’m sorry, brother… I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”
While Chen Xin kept apologizing, he secretly grumbled.
You approved this plan initially too…
You praised me for being clever when nothing went wrong, but now you’re scolding me so harshly.
I’m really having a tough time!
While complaining inwardly, Chen Xin also felt something strange about this situation.
He couldn’t figure out how Wanxiang Hui knew that the Mercedes-Benz GLS was a returned car and had retained the evidence.
Originally, according to the normal course of events, wouldn’t this car be for the customer’s lucky draw?
After the customer won the lucky draw, who would bother to check the maintenance records!
Moreover, the car had comprehensive insurance and came with 5 free maintenance services.
Huiron would be responsible for any repairs and maintenance within the next year or two.
As long as Huiron didn’t do something foolish and reveal it themselves, no one would ever know the car’s true information!
The key evidence was deleted from the system before the Lunar New Year, so even someone with ill intentions wouldn’t be able to find it.
But… this matter suddenly erupted, catching Huiron completely off guard.
Facing the aggressive legal team of Wanxiang Hui, Huiron’s quickest way to resolve this was to quickly concede and pay compensation, thus minimizing the losses.
Chen Peng scolded his younger brother for a long time and fined him two months’ salary.
Finally, he told him to put the returned Mercedes-Benz GLS from Wanxiang Hui up for sale as a used car.
It had only been driven for 3 days when it was returned last time; the usage marks could be cleared, and it could be sold as a new car.
This time, the Mercedes-Benz GLS had been driven for over a month, making it unlikely to be sold as a new car.
Furthermore, Chen Peng did not want to fall into the same trap twice.
The lesson learned this time was profound enough; he did not want to go through it again.
Chen Xin returned to his office with a dejected expression.
Although he felt wronged, if he wanted to continue working there, he had no choice but to endure it silently.
After smoking two cigarettes in frustration, Chen Xin found his good buddy Li Ming’s phone number and called him.
“Hey Li Ming, I have a customer’s returned car here, can you come take a look.”
“The car condition is excellent, original paint, and the mileage is only a little over 1000, less than 2000.”
“Okay, come over as soon as possible.”
The two brothers spoke briefly on the phone, and less than half an hour after hanging up, Li Ming drove to Huiron.
Led by Chen Xin, Li Ming inspected the car, took some photos, and then proceeded to the valuation stage.
After the Lunar New Year, Mercedes-Benz, along with Audi, BMW, and various domestic brands’ electric cars, were forced to join the price war.
Originally priced at 1.06 million, which would cost tens of thousands more with optional accessories, the Mercedes-Benz GLS’s listed price was directly reduced by over 200,000.
The new car was now selling for only 840,000.
Although Chen Xin’s Mercedes-Benz GLS450 was very new and had low mileage with few signs of use.
Strictly speaking, it had changed hands twice and was now considered third-hand.
After considering various factors, Li Ming gave his quoted price:
“670,000, that’s the most I can offer.”
“What the heck, Li Ming, isn’t your offer a bit too low?”
Chen Xin’s lips twitched upon hearing Li Ming’s offer, which was about 50,000 lower than he had anticipated.
“Xin, it’s not that I’m deliberately lowballing, this price is absolutely fair.”
“Domestic electric cars are getting better and better and are increasingly popular among young people.”
“People are no longer dazzled by so-called world-class luxury cars like Mercedes, BMW, and Audi; their brand value is decreasing.”
“If I buy this from you at this price, it would be good if I can sell it within half a month.”
Li Ming’s words were very practical, and this was the highest price he could offer.
Chen Xin, still a bit reluctant, asked, “Can’t you add a little more?”
Li Ming insisted, “Not a penny more. If you can sell it at this price, I’ll buy it; otherwise, you can ask someone else.”
“Then please wait a moment, I need to get approval from our General Manager.”
Chen Xin said this and went to the General Manager’s Office to consult his brother.
Unsurprisingly, he was scolded again, but in the end, his brother agreed to Li Ming’s offer.
Once the price was settled, Li Ming inspected the car again carefully, then paid and drove it away.
Back at his own car lot, Li Ming immediately posted on WeChat Moments.
The content was naturally about the newly arrived, pristine condition Mercedes-Benz GLS!
He didn’t post the exact price; inquiries were by phone.
…
In the bedroom of Room 1601, Building 28, Bai Ge Zhuang New Village.
After eating their fill, Jiang Tao and Xu Li played poker for a while longer.
Afterward, they cuddled together and started discussing buying a car.
Although they had received a large sum of 4.48 million today, they had also lost a Mercedes-Benz GLS.
Accustomed to life with a car, they found it rather inconvenient to suddenly be without one.
Therefore, they needed to buy another car.
However…
When the couple was about to buy a car with their own money, they were reluctant to buy another luxury car in the million-dollar range like the Mercedes-Benz GLS.
“Hey, wife, look at this car my friend just posted. Doesn’t it look like the one we just returned?”
Jiang Tao, while browsing his WeChat Moments, stumbled upon a post by Li Ming.
The post contained a nine-grid photo collage of a black Mercedes-Benz GLS.
Front view, rear view, 45-degree angle from the left, 45-degree angle from the right, along with some interior shots.
Xu Li gave Jiang Tao a charming sidelong glance and laughed.
“Am I stupid or are you stupid? Cars of the same model all look alike.”
Jiang Tao argued, “Everyone’s child has the same nose and two eyes as your child, but are they the same?”
“Hey, husband, look at the pendant hanging in front of the car! It might really be our car!”
Suddenly, Xu Li pointed to a front view photo of the Mercedes-Benz GLS, her face full of joy.
In the photo, a small Peace Buckle was hanging from the rearview mirror of the Mercedes-Benz GLS.
Xu Li had bought that Peace Buckle for 10 yuan at a temple fair in her hometown.
Jiang Tao couldn’t be bothered to remove it when he handed the car over to the staff at Wanxiang Hui.
“See, I knew it looked familiar! It might really be our car!”
“If the price is right, we can buy it back!”
“After all, we returned it, so we know its condition inside out. It’s no different from a new car.”
As the saying goes, it’s easier to go from frugality to luxury than the other way around. Jiang Tao was not entirely happy about downgrading from a Mercedes-Benz GLS to an ordinary family car.
The couple now had several million in net worth, but before their housing issue was resolved, they were reluctant to spend millions on a luxury car.
Buying back the car they had returned at a low price was a good option!
“I’ll call Li Ming!”
As Jiang Tao said this, he pressed his finger and initiated a voice call to Li Ming on WeChat.
Xu Li nestled against Jiang Tao’s chest like a quiet kitten, her large, watery eyes blinking as she watched him.
The call was answered within 10 seconds, and Li Ming’s voice came through.
“Hello, Brother Jiang, are you back in Beijing? It’s been a while since you visited me.”
“Li Ming, I saw a Mercedes-Benz GLS you just posted on your Moments. What’s the situation?”
Jiang Tao didn’t waste time with pleasantries and got straight to the point.
“Brother Jiang, are you interested in this car? I just got it less than an hour ago, it’s still warm.”
“If you have time, you can come and see it. Several customers have already inquired.”
“The car condition is absolutely top-notch, mileage is just over 1000, and it’s over 100,000 cheaper than a new car.”
On the other end of the phone, Li Ming spoke frankly, briefly explaining the car’s condition to Jiang Tao.
Jiang Tao subtly asked, “Did you buy it from an individual, or from a 4S dealership?”
Li Ming didn’t think much of it and said what he knew, “I just bought it this afternoon from Chaoyang Huiron Mercedes-Benz 4S dealership. The quality is absolutely guaranteed.”
Upon hearing Chaoyang Huiron 4S dealership, Jiang Tao was 100% certain it was the same car he had returned that morning, and asked Li Ming:
“How much can I drive this car away for?”
Li Ming on the other end was very straightforward, “For you, Brother Jiang, 700,000 and it’s yours. For anyone else, it’s no less than 720,000.”
“Alright, I’ll consider it. I’ll come over to see the car later.”
“Okay, Brother Jiang! Then you be busy. I have another call coming in, I’ll hang up now.”
“Okay.”
After Jiang Tao hung up, Xu Li wrapped her arms, as delicate and fair as lotus roots, around his neck and said joyfully.
“Husband! It really is our car! 700,000… 700,000 seems acceptable too!”
Jiang Tao gently stroked Xu Li’s smooth back and smiled in agreement.
“How about we go buy it back? After subtracting 700,000 from 4.48 million, we’ll still have a net profit of 3.78 million.”
Xu Li nodded in agreement, “Yes! I’m hesitant to buy a used car from someone else, but buying our own used car is the best value for money!”
“Then let’s go.”
“Yes, yes!”
The couple immediately agreed and started putting on their clothes.
…
4 PM.
The couple took a DiDi to Li Ming’s used car market on the South Third Ring Road.
Returning to a familiar place, Jiang Tao couldn’t help but recall the old Audi A6 that had yielded him four gold bars.
“Brother Jiang! This must be Sister-in-law, hello Sister-in-law, I’m Li Ming!”
Upon seeing Jiang Tao and Xu Li, who was holding his arm, Li Ming approached them with a beaming smile and greeted them warmly.
When Li Ming saw Xu Li beside Jiang Tao, a flicker of admiration flashed in his eyes.
Li Ming and Zhang Bo were regulars at Sanlitun and had seen their fair share of handsome men and beautiful women.
However, a natural beauty like Xu Li, who was over 1.7 meters tall, with an outstanding figure and appearance,
and without any signs of cosmetic surgery, was still rare.
“Hello Li Ming, nice to meet you.”
Xu Li also greeted Li Ming with a smile.
Jiang Tao didn’t waste time with Li Ming and said directly, “Where’s the car, Li Ming? It’s getting late, let’s go see it first.”
“Brother Jiang, Sister-in-law, the car is over there. I’ll take you.”
“After I picked up the car from Huiron this afternoon, I had my employees take it to the car wash for a thorough cleaning. It’s very clean.”
Li Ming smiled and beckoned to Jiang Tao and Xu Li, then led them to the parking lot where they saw the actual Mercedes-Benz GLS he had posted on his Moments.
Ring ring ring—
As the three arrived next to the Mercedes-Benz GLS, Li Ming’s phone rang.
“Brother Jiang, Sister-in-law, you two look at the car first, feel free to inspect it, you can even take it for a test drive. I need to take a call.”
“Here’s the car key.”
Although they hadn’t interacted much, Li Ming felt comfortable entrusting Jiang Tao and handed him the car key before stepping aside to take the call.
After unlocking the vehicle, Jiang Tao directly opened the front passenger door and crouched down to look at the vehicle’s data plate on the B-pillar.
Comparing it with the vehicle’s data plate he had previously saved on his phone.
It was confirmed, it was indeed the same car!
From purchasing this Mercedes-Benz GLS from Wanxiang Hui for a lucky draw, to Jiang Tao winning the right to use it.
Then to Du Ennan giving him the car, and then the return and compensation of three times the price.
And now to Jiang Tao and Xu Li coming to the used car dealership to buy it.
This Mercedes-Benz GLS had gone through a long journey and returned to Jiang Tao’s hands!
He really had a strong connection with this Mercedes-Benz GLS!
Moreover, this car had once been Jiang Tao’s dream car.
When he was poor, he dreamed of buying one after striking it rich.
Now that he had money, even though he could afford more expensive cars, Jiang Tao still had a special fondness for this Mercedes-Benz GLS.
What is loved is priceless!
“How is it, husband? Is it our car?”
Xu Li leaned close to Jiang Tao’s ear and asked in a low voice.
“Yes!”
Jiang Tao smiled and made an OK gesture to Xu Li.
Jiang Tao had been driving this car for over a month, and he had driven it this morning.
He knew the car’s condition better than Li Ming, so he naturally knew there were no problems with it.
About five minutes later, Li Ming returned after finishing his phone call and greeted Jiang Tao and Xu Li, saying with a smile:
“Brother Jiang, how did you like the car? Would you like me to take you for a spin and explain more about it?”
Jiang Tao laughed heartily, “No need, Li Ming. This is the one. If you say it’s okay, it’s definitely okay. Brother trusts you.”
Li Ming said jokingly, “Brother Jiang, why don’t we still test drive it? I’m a bit overwhelmed by your weighty trust, little brother.”
Jiang Tao smiled, “Stop joking, kid. Aren’t you in a hurry to get off work? I’m in a hurry to go home, so let’s finish the paperwork quickly.”
“Alright! Then Brother Jiang, Sister-in-law, please follow me!”
“I’ll take you two to sign the contract and complete the procedures. You can drive this car away directly later.”
Li Ming smiled and beckoned Jiang Tao and Xu Li, leading them back to the car dealership’s office.
Then came signing the contract and going through the procedures.
From when Jiang Tao and Xu Li stepped into the car dealership until they paid Li Ming 700,000 yuan for the car, it took at most half an hour.
“Brother Jiang, it’s rare for you and Sister-in-law to travel such a long way to support my business today.”
“Tonight, I’m treating. Let’s invite Zhang Bo to get together.”
“If you have any needs to buy or sell cars in the future.”
“Or if friends and family around you have such needs, please help me introduce some business.”
After signing the contract, Li Ming enthusiastically invited Jiang Tao and Xu Li to dinner that evening.
“Haha, okay! I heard online that selling used cars is quite profitable. Tonight, I must make you pay!”
Jiang Tao laughed heartily and readily accepted Li Ming’s dinner invitation.
He was also planning to develop in the Capital City long-term, and meeting more friends wouldn’t hurt.
Friends aren’t just people who have added each other on social media.
It’s also very necessary to have meals together sometimes to keep in touch.
Li Ming smiled and said, “I heard Zhang Bo recently got a girlfriend. I’ll ask him to bring her along to make it lively.”
Jiang Tao smiled and asked, “What about you? Do you have a girlfriend?”
Li Ming smiled and said, “I broke up with one last year. I can’t be bothered to date again. It’s more fun to be alone.”
Hearing Li Ming say he didn’t have a girlfriend yet, Xu Li’s eyes lit up, and she thought of her sister-in-law Jiang Bing from her hometown.
Although Li Ming wasn’t as handsome as Jiang Tao, his features were well-defined, and his appearance was above average.
His height was also around 1.75 meters, which was average.
Plus, he was a local in the Capital City and owned such a large car dealership.
With these conditions, he would be a diamond bachelor in Ping County.
Of course, Xu Li was just thinking about it.
Before she fully understood Li Ming, she wouldn’t make any rash decisions.
Wealth was certainly a bonus, but if he wanted to marry her sister-in-law, his character also had to be impeccable.
After agreeing to the dinner invitation, Li Ming immediately called Zhang Bo.
When Zhang Bo heard that Li Ming was treating and that Jiang Tao and Xu Li were invited, he readily agreed.
……
7 PM.
Led by Li Ming, Jiang Tao and Xu Li arrived outside a siheyuan near Qianmen.
On the wall at the entrance of the siheyuan, there was only a small wooden board with “Tan Family Cuisine” written on it, extremely simple.
From the outside, it was impossible to tell that this was a restaurant.
Inside the siheyuan, flowers were in full bloom, and trees provided shade, creating a very elegant environment.
The melodious sound of elegant music also distinguished this restaurant from ordinary ones.
“Brother Jiang, Sister-in-law, the head chef of this private kitchen is Master Bai Mingxu, a disciple of Master Liu Zhong, the fourth-generation successor of authentic Tan Family Cuisine.”
“Master Bai has learned over ninety percent of his master’s skills.”
“This place mainly serves member clients and does not accept walk-in customers. The taste is absolutely top-notch.”
“Once you two try it, you’ll definitely become regular customers from now on.”
As Li Ming led them into the siheyuan, he smiled and introduced the extraordinary aspects of this private kitchen.
After entering, Li Ming reported his reservation phone number to the receptionist.
After confirming the information was correct, the three were led by the server to a guest room in the East Wing.
After waiting for about ten minutes, Zhang Bo arrived fashionably late.
“Hey? Where’s your girlfriend, Zhang Bo? Why did you come alone?”
“Look at you, hiding your girlfriend like this, afraid we’ll steal her?”
Li Ming teased Zhang Bo with a smile when he saw him enter.
“She has an emergency at her company and has to work overtime. Don’t worry about her. With one less person nagging around, my ears are also cleaner.”
Zhang Bo responded with a somewhat helpless smile, then looked at Jiang Tao and Xu Li and greeted them.
“Brother Jiang and Sister-in-law, it’s rare for this kid Li Ming to treat. He’s a genuine second-generation rich person. Don’t hold back when you order tonight.”
Jiang Tao laughed heartily, “Hahaha, of course. It’s rare for Li Ming to treat us, so we must make him pay a lot.”
Li Ming chuckled and cursed, “You old scoundrel Zhang Bo, your family background is even richer than mine. When you treat us next time, we’ll see how we “slaughter” you.”
After some joking and laughter, the four took their seats and began ordering.
Clear soup bird’s nest, braised shark fin, braised abalone, braised sea cucumber, chicken with mushrooms;
Braised sea cucumber with scallions, abalone in oyster sauce, stewed silver ear mushrooms, two-colored shrimp, and duck with bundled scallions.
Zhang Bo wasn’t just talking; he was truly unceremonious when it came to “slaughtering” Li Ming.
He ordered all ten of Tan Family Cuisine’s most representative dishes, calling it “Ten Perfect Dishes,” which earned him a string of curses from Li Ming.
However, jokes aside,
Since Li Ming invited everyone to eat here, he naturally didn’t mind Zhang Bo ordering a few more dishes.
Moreover, this restaurant was different from ordinary ones; its dishes focused on flavor and exquisiteness.
Braised abalone was one abalone with one piece of broccoli per person.
Braised sea cucumber consisted of a dark sea cucumber with a few red goji berries and a couple of quail eggs.
Chicken with mushrooms also had only one or two pieces of chicken meat per person.
Although many dishes were ordered, they weren’t meant to be filling; the main purpose was to savor the taste.
The alcoholic drinks for this meal were one bottle of Moutai and one bottle of red wine.
The three of them ate, drank, and chatted. Although it was their first time eating together at the same table, they got along very well and had endless topics of conversation.
The meal, which started around 7 PM, didn’t end until about 9 PM.
Li Ming’s bill was over 5,000 yuan, averaging a little over 1,000 yuan per person, which wasn’t too expensive.
Previously, Du Ennan and her daughter had treated Jiang Tao’s family at BJ Hotel, and they had also eaten Tan Family Cuisine.
That day, it was over 1,500 yuan per person, plus a 15% service fee.
Compared to that, Jiang Tao couldn’t discern any significant difference.
The four said goodbye at the restaurant entrance. Li Ming and Zhang Bo took a taxi to Sanlitun to have fun.
Xu Li drove, carrying Jiang Tao, towards Bai Ge Zhuang New Village.
The car she had just returned was now back in her hands after a loop, and Xu Li found the whole situation incredibly wonderful.
“Husband, after interacting with Li Ming tonight, I feel he’s quite a good person. Do you think it would work to introduce him to my third sister-in-law?”
While driving, Xu Li didn’t forget to look for a potential husband for her sister-in-law.
Jiang Tao smiled and shook his head, “I doubt it. With Third Sister’s personality, Li Ming might not be able to handle her.”
“How will we know if we don’t try! Third Sister is also at the age where she should be getting married.”
“She’s the only one left unmarried among Third Sister’s classmates in the village.”
“According to Mom, some of Third Sister’s classmates who married early already have three children.”
“Haha, what do you think Third Sister will be like as a mother? The thought of her acting like a mother makes me laugh.”
Jiang Tao pictured Third Sister holding a baby and burst into laughter.
“Is that how a brother should be? Marriage changes people! Who wasn’t a new mother at some point?”
Xu Li’s lips curved into a sweet smile as she recalled the time when she and Jiang Tao first became parents.
Back then, when their daughter pooped, they could only stare at each other and gag for a long time.
The couple chatted and laughed as they drove back to the residential complex downstairs around 10 PM.
When they took the elevator upstairs and returned home, the main light in the living room was off, leaving only a ring of warm yellow light strips.
Seeing the couple return, their parents’ worries subsided. After a brief chat, they went to their room to sleep.
Seeing her parents go into the bedroom, Jiang Tao no longer hesitated and went into the bathroom with Xu Li to wash up.
It was probably related to the abalone and sea cucumber they ate tonight.
What should have taken twenty minutes to wash up took them over an hour.
Back in the bedroom, Xu Li, tired and sleepy, quickly fell asleep.
Jiang Tao, as usual, stayed up until midnight for the intelligence refresh.
【Today’s Intelligence 01】:
You had contact with Li Ming from Lao Li Premium Used Cars yesterday and obtained related intelligence—
At the Lao Li Premium Used Cars dealership, a new energy BMW i3 caught fire due to a wiring fault 10 seconds ago.
Timely reminder can help Li Ming avoid economic losses of 123,456,780 yuan.
You can receive a 200,000 yuan thank-you red envelope from Li Ming, as well as his long-lasting sincere friendship.
……
Seeing the first piece of intelligence for the day.
The relaxed expression on Jiang Tao’s face instantly became serious, and he shot up from the bed!
