180: This is a Maybach!
The asphalt road at the entrance of Happiness Residential District was slightly hot from the morning sun.
The air was filled with the aroma of fried dough sticks from the breakfast stalls and the chatter of residents.
Amidst this lively scene, a Maybach, like a black behemoth appearing out of nowhere, steadily pulled up to the side of the road...
The car, over six meters long, with its sleek, streamlined body gleaming coldly, exuded an aura of untouchable nobility, like a lurking beast.
Even the passing wind seemed to slow down, intimidated by its presence.
The car's polished surface was so reflective it mirrored the mottled walls of the old residential buildings nearby...
The sunlight on the car reflected a metallic luster that wasn't as soft as ordinary cars, but rather carried a sharp, cold edge.
The leather stitching along the convertible's edge was as neat as if measured with a ruler, and the diamond patterns on the seats were clearly visible, instantly revealing them to be top-grade, custom-made leather.
The Maybach emblem on the hood sparkled golden in the sun...
Even the patterns carved into the wheel hubs were as exquisite as works of art; every detail silently declared:
This is the ride of someone with wealth and status.
This car, worth twenty to thirty million, was a rarity even in the entire city of Yangcheng, let alone at the entrance of an old residential district like Happiness Residential District...
Parked next to the district's gate, which was painted with peeling red paint, it was like a proud phoenix mistakenly wandering into a chicken coop.
The sense of incongruity was overwhelming, and it looked both out of place and stunning, instantly capturing everyone's attention...
Passersby, whether young people rushing to work or elderly folks carrying vegetable baskets, couldn't help but stop and pull out their phones to photograph the car.
Even the usually noisy breakfast stalls quieted down a bit.
"My goodness! What kind of car is this? It looks like a tank... and it's so big!"
Old Man Wang, who sold breakfast, held a freshly poured bowl of soy milk, with white foam still clinging to the plastic rim...
His jaw was agape, wide enough to fit a tea egg, and he didn't even bother to push up his reading glasses that had slipped to the tip of his nose, his eyes fixed on the car.
He had been selling food at the district entrance for ten years, and the most luxurious car he had ever seen was Boss Zhang's BMW X5 from the building next door.
Every time Boss Zhang drove by, Old Man Wang would take a second look...
But compared to this car in front of him, it was like a bicycle meeting a rocket—they weren't even in the same world.
Old Man Wang couldn't help but take two steps closer, not noticing that the plastic stool by his feet had tipped over.
He kept scrutinizing the car, his envy almost overflowing from his eyes...
Just one glance at this car filled him with awe—those wheel hubs alone could probably buy his entire year's worth of breakfast.
He kept muttering, "Oh my god," as the bowl of soy milk in his hand swayed back and forth, the pale yellow liquid almost spilling onto his pants, drawing laughter from those around him...
Old Man Wang wasn't annoyed; he just chuckled and scratched his head, his gaze still fixed on the car.
He mused that the wheel hubs on this car alone could probably buy half a year's worth of his breakfast.
He got up at three in the morning every day to fry dough sticks, and the money he earned in a day wasn't even enough to wax this car once...
"What the hell do you know? That's a Maybach!"
Big Brother Li, who was walking his dog nearby, suddenly spoke up, his voice rising like a rooster being choked.
He curled his lip in disdain, his tone full of scorn, as if Old Man Wang's words had insulted his intelligence...
Big Brother Li was wearing a wrinkled plaid shirt, and his jeans were stained with brown dog hair from his poodle.
He clutched the dog leash tightly, and the poodle on the other end whimpered, being choked.
But he was oblivious, his eyes locked on the car like a hungry wolf staring at a piece of fatty meat...
"This is a Maybach Daulet, limited to 20 units worldwide... and this is the only one in the country!"
Big Brother Li emphasized the words "limited worldwide" and then added in a loud voice,
"You can't buy it even if you have money... you need status and position to customize it! Do you think Boss Zhang's broken BMW can compare?"
He deliberately raised his voice a few notches, as if shouting.
This made the people around him turn their heads to look at him, their eyes filled with envious admiration, as if saying, "So you know so much."
Big Brother Li intentionally puffed out his chest, his vanity instantly inflating like a balloon...
See, even if I can't afford it, I know more than all of you!!!
Big Brother Li secretly gloated, glad that he usually flipped through car magazines in his free time; otherwise, he would have exposed his ignorance today.
He worked as a clerk in a small company, constantly getting yelled at by his boss for being unobservant, and no one at company dinners wanted to sit at the same table as him...
Today, he finally got to show off in front of so many people.
He even started imagining the scene of drinking with his colleagues that evening...
He would pound the table, spitting as he said:
"Today I saw a Maybach 62S, the global limited edition kind... you guys will never see one in your lives."
His colleagues would surely gather around him, asking questions, their eyes full of admiration; just thinking about it made him feel utterly comfortable!
He deliberately straightened his back and tugged at the collar of his plaid shirt, trying to appear more "knowledgeable"...
But he wasn't paying attention to the dog leash, which choked the poodle, making it whimper twice.
"How much does it cost? It must be a lot of money, right?"
Suddenly, an old woman in a floral apron squeezed through the crowd.
She carried a newly bought vegetable basket, with water droplets still clinging to the tomatoes inside, and the cucumbers were fresh and green...
The old woman stood on her tiptoes, gripping the shoulders of the person in front of her with both hands, straining to stretch her head forward, her facial wrinkles all squeezed together, full of curiosity.
She had lived in Happiness Residential District her entire life, and the most expensive car she had ever seen was the Volkswagen that Old Wang's son downstairs bought for his wedding.
Over two hundred thousand had already seemed like an "exorbitant price" to her...
The grandeur of this car was simply unimaginable in terms of its price.
In her eyes, any car over five hundred thousand was considered "exorbitant."
The old woman's heart felt like a kitten with itchy paws, growing more and more curious the more she looked...
The car's body was so shiny it reflected the floral pattern on her apron; it was even more impressive than the cars driven by those entrepreneurs on TV.
She secretly pulled out her phone, her fingers trembling as she opened the camera on the screen, and even adjusted the angle to get a complete shot of the car.
Later, she would go back and show off to her old sisters in the district; they surely had never seen such a fine car...
She even thought, if her son could drive a car like this,
she could hold her head higher when she went to square dancing, and she wouldn't have to listen to Old Lady Zhang brag about her son-in-law's Toyota anymore...
"...How much?"
Big Brother Li smacked his lips, holding up three fingers, a triumphant expression on his face, like a detective revealing a secret, deliberately building suspense:
"At least this much!"
He just wanted to whet everyone's appetite; seeing their curious faces made him feel even more pleased...
..........