Chapter 24 A New Car
"Sweetheart, pick the clothes you like. I'm going get some fresh air," Noah smiled as he picked out a nicely styled baseball cap from the rack and put it on. He wasn't interested in clothes. Considering Lisa was going to take some time, he thought it was time for a leisurely stroll.
"Okay!" agreed Lisa, her attention already on the clothes.
Leaving the store, Noah wandered around the mall. It was the weekend. So, the mall was bustling with the noise and commotion of a lively crowd.
"Guitar lessons. Students and teachers are both wanted!" a girl shouted, handing out flyers for a guitar training institution at the mall.
It piqued Noah's interest as he had learned the guitar under the tutelage of his parents when he was a kid. Slowing his pace, he walked into the establishment.
"Sir, are you here to learn to play guitar or...?" inquired the receptionist with a smile.
"I'm here to apply for the tutor's position," Noah answered casually.
"A tutor? How about you give us a little show of your skills?" the receptionist suggested.
"Sure thing!"
Noah agreed. He picked up a guitar and sat down with one foot propping up. Looking down at the guitar, he started playing. A melodious sound rang through the room.
"He's playing...Richard Clayderman's 'Mariage D'amour'!" Someone recognized the piece Noah was playing.
Alternating between romantic and melancholic, the melody was beautiful and thoroughly enchanting.
The whole room fell silent, every listener rapt with attention, their faces reflecting their deep enjoyment. "Mariage D'amour" painted a romantic story from the land of dreams. Through the melody, the audience envisioned burning campfires, castles at dusk, and shooting stars streaking across the sky...
"It's so beautiful..."
"How romantic."
A few girls had moist eyes, clearly touched by the tune.
The music came to an abrupt end, but the listeners remained in a reverie. It took them several minutes to come back to reality and realize that the performance had concluded.
"Unbelievable. It's really the first time I've met someone who can play the guitar so well!" one person exclaimed.
"Yes, where did that guy go?" People all began to look around for Noah, only to find that he had already left.
"No! The handsome guitarist has left!"
"Did anyone record his performance?"
"Of course!" A girl showed them the video on her phone, featuring Noah with his head down, engrossed in his performance.
"But his face wasn't captured because of the cap," the girl moaned in disappointment.
"Wait. This guy looks familiar!" another girl remarked.
"I...I recognize him. He seems to be the owner of a Rolls-Royce!"
"No way! Let me see!"
A girl quickly compared a short video featuring the owner of a Rolls-Royce with the one of Noah playing the guitar. As expected, the figures in both videos matched.
"My goodness, the owner of the Rolls-Royce came to our guitar shop!"
They were all astounded.
"I never expected that the handsome guy is not only rich but also knows how to play the guitar!"
"I can't help it. I have to post this online!"
***
When Noah returned, Lisa had almost finished picking the clothes she liked. They gave their address to the store for the delivery and left. After browsing the mall for a while, the couple was ready to say goodbye to Evelyn and Joshua.
"Evelyn, let me give you a lift back home!"
Joshua offered as he approached a parked Lamborghini convertible by the road.
"Sure." Evelyn nodded and settled into the passenger seat.
In the past, Evelyn would never have agreed. But because of the financial crisis at Pinnacle Wealth Management, Joshua had become Evelyn's lifeline. She must get close to him.
Joshua revved up the car, sticking his head out to look at Noah.
"Noah, this sports car only seats two. So you two will have to take a taxi back!"
"I didn't mean to judge. Since you have 120 thousand dollars, you should at least get a good car as it isn't enough to buy a house! Only a fool would waste his money in a pissing contest! What's the difference between you and a parvenu now? Well, I guess all your savings are gone now! Shame that you can't buy a car now.
"Goodbye."
Joshua hit the gas, and his car speeded away.
"His car isn't that impressive," Lisa snorted.
"It's okay. We'll get a car too," Noah laughed. The couple hailed a taxi and went home.
Back home, the idea of buying a car took root in Noah's mind. He remembered there was a Mercedes-Benz 4S shop not far away. If he took his old bicycle, it'd only need about twenty minutes. Soon, Noah made up his mind and headed out.
***
At the Mercedes-Benz 4S dealership.
Several salespeople were chatting.
"Look, someone's coming over."
One of the salespeople noticed a visitor approaching. He blinked in astonishment and rubbed his eyes.
"Someone is riding a bicycle to a Mercedes-Benz 4S shop?"
A young man was seen pedaling towards the shop in a leisurely manner.
"Well, he's probably just passing by. In all my years as a salesman, I've never seen anyone..." Another salesperson stopped mid-sentence.
They watched as the young man propped his bicycle at the door of the shop and walked in.
"That bicycle's handlebars are rusty. How old is that bike?" one salesperson sneered with disdain.
"Lucy, you're the newbie. This is a chance to build up some experience. Greet the guest." Someone who looked like a manager instructed.
"Even though he's clearly not here to buy a car, we should still offer good service to avoid any negative impressions."
"Alright!" Lucy nodded reluctantly and approached Noah.
"It's always the newbies who get these thankless jobs."
"What can we do? I just hope this bicycle guy doesn't cause any trouble."
The salespeople whispered among themselves.
"Welcome to Mercedes-Benz!"
Arriving in front of Noah, Lucy forced a smile:
"Sir, how can I assist you today?"
"I'd like to buy a car," Noah stated directly.
"A car?" Lucy was taken aback. Soon, she recovered and said, "May I ask which model you're interested in? We have the C-Class and E-Class. But there are many G-Class cars in stock. If you need anything specific, we would have to call other stores."
Lucy feared Noah might not be aware of the Mercedes-Benz range available, so she listed them all.
Noah rubbed his chin. "I want an E-Class one. One that I can drive right away."
"OK. For same-day pickup, you would have to purchase the car in full. We can arrange a temporary license plate for you and insurance effective from midnight." Lucy was shocked by Noah once more. "First, let me show you the cars."
"Sure."
Noah followed her to the display area.
"This model is the new Mercedes-Benz E350L of this year, priced at 63, 350 dollars. With mandatory traffic insurance and third-party liability insurance, the on-the-road price comes to about 68,000 dollars."
Lucy stood next to a domineering, success-laden black Mercedes, elaborating on its price without discussing the features, in the hope that Noah would be dissuaded and not waste their time.
Noah eyed the E350L. It looked impressive, even more so than Larry's BMW 5 series.
"Tell me about its features," Noah requested.
"The features?"
Lucy's eyes widened with a resigned shake of her head:
"This Mercedes-Benz E350L is equipped with a 9-speed automatic transmission and a 2.0T engine that can output 299 horsepower, which is very powerful.
"Its wheelbase extends 121 inches, which is 5.5 inches longer than the standard wheelbase edition, and 2.5 inches longer than the previous long-wheelbase E-Class."
