Chapter 339 Big Shot
Thomas didn't want to argue anymore.
Ashley handed him the warm milk, "Hot milk's good for your stomach, but just pancakes? That's kinda boring. Eat up, and we'll grab something better later."
Damian furrowed his brows, looking like he was in serious pain, "Mm."
Thomas couldn't believe Damian's over-the-top act.
As they were wrapping up breakfast, Thomas finally looked away from Damian's drama, "Miss Astor, what happened to your car? There's a huge scratch on it."
Damian put down his fork, "What happened to the car?"
Ashley was pretty annoyed. She'd left a note, but why hadn't anyone called her yet? "It got scratched in the mall parking lot. I didn't wait for the owner."
Thomas said, "Which mall? I can check the surveillance footage. Do you remember the license plate number? With the plate, we can track them down."
Ashley had a good memory and could recall the license plate after just one look, but she didn't want to bother Thomas with such a small issue, fearing he might blow it out of proportion, "It's fine. I left my number for him. He should contact me."
Thomas didn't push it, especially with Damian sitting there. Being too eager wouldn't look good, "But it seems like the car can't be driven anymore."
Ashley sighed, "This is a car provided by the law firm. At least I need to drive it back."
Thomas couldn't hold back, "You... don't have your car?"
Ashley was stunned.
How did breakfast turn into a visit to a car dealership?
She had to admire Thomas's persistence and eloquence. Everything seemed to make sense when he spoke.
Starting with, "You're a hotshot lawyer in the legal world. How can you not have your car?"
Then, "The car provided by your firm should be upgraded as your career advances. That car is only worth a few tens of thousands of dollars, which doesn't match your current status."
And then, "Even if you don't care about brand and image, you should at least consider safety. Lawyers sometimes face dangerous situations. If you encounter an unreasonable defendant, they might secretly harm you. Your car would be totaled with just a minor collision."
Finally, the clincher, "I have a good friend who works at a car dealership. You should check it out today and pick a car you like. He can give you a member's discount, and you can trust the after-sales service. I happen to be going there for car maintenance today, so I'll take you along!"
And so, she found herself in a car, heading to a dealership, with Damian, now dressed in a brand-new suit, looking impeccable, sitting beside her.
This was surreal.
Ashley thought he meant an ordinary brand, but when she looked up and saw the Rolls-Royce logo, she was terrified. "Thomas, you might have misunderstood my income. I'm not as wealthy as the internet claims. Maybe I'll consider this kind of car in ten years."
Thomas laughed, "No, no, I'm just here to get my car serviced. We'll walk over afterward."
Ashley finally understood. Right, Thomas was driving Damian's car, so he had to service it at a dealership of the same brand. She regretted her earlier comment, wondering how Damian might be mocking her in his mind.
After dropping off the car, Thomas messaged Damian: [Mr. Hearst, any instructions?]
Damian, who had been checking his phone, switched from emails to WhatsApp: [Something cost-effective, doesn't need to be a big brand. She won't accept it.]
Thomas understood: [Got it, Mr. Hearst.]
Ashley hadn't planned on buying a car today. With her current savings, she could only afford a cheap one, so what was the point of changing cars? But she couldn't say no to Thomas's enthusiasm, so she decided to just check out the market.
Thomas took her to a Volvo showroom. With Rolls-Royce as a backdrop, this middle-class option seemed much more approachable.
At the entrance was a sleek silver-white SUV with a hybrid engine. It looked really stylish, but the price tag was a bit much for her.
Ashley didn't stop and kept walking.
Thomas brought over a man and warmly introduced him, "This is my good friend Austin Roberts. Just call him Austin. He's the sales manager here and has a lot of authority."
Austin, who had been informed beforehand, politely greeted Ashley, "Miss Astor, hello. What kind of car are you looking for? Do you have any preferred features?"
Ashley thought, 'I can't afford any car in your store.' But out of politeness and pride, she mentioned a model not in the showroom, one she knew because Harold had a Volvo.
Austin laughed, "Miss Astor, you're an expert! That model is very popular this year, and it was imported directly from the factory. The only one in stock was just sold yesterday. If you want, I can arrange for one to be delivered in half a month."
Half a month was quick for an imported car, but Austin felt Thomas's gaze was a bit hostile.
Did he want the car flown in from Switzerland?
Ashley ran her fingers through her hair, glancing at Damian by the window, deliberately raising her voice, "Oh, that's a shame. I guess that car and I aren't meant to be. No worries, I'll look at others. I'm not in a hurry."
Austin smiled, "Yes, please take a look at the others. We offer internal prices with significant discounts, and we also have interest-free loans with up to ten years of installments, basically making it a zero-cost purchase. The sooner you buy, the sooner you enjoy."
Interest-free loans, zero-cost purchase.
These sales tactics worked as intended. Ashley admitted she was tempted. With ten years of interest-free payments, she would only need to pay a little over ten thousand dollars a year, "Is this for all models?"
"Yes! It's our new policy. With the economy being tough, this helps boost sales and meets customer needs," Austin said.
Ashley tugged on Thomas's sleeve, whispering, "I don't know much about cars. How should I choose?"
Thomas smiled, "That's easy. Just pick the one that looks good."
"Huh?" Ashley said.
"If it looks good, the performance won't be bad. Why would they go through the trouble of designing a good-looking car and then installing junk parts, causing a bunch of accidents and getting criticized by consumers? It would be a waste of the designer's talent," Thomas said.
That made some sense.
Ashley pointed to the car at the entrance, "What about this one..."
Austin quickly said, "This car is on promotion. If you buy it now, you'll get two years of free insurance. The on-road price is just $100,000."
Ashley thought the on-road price would be at least $200,000.
Half-convinced, she signed the papers, paid the deposit, and the car was hers.
Austin confirmed the order, smiling, "Miss Astor, you can pick up the car in three days. We'll have all the paperwork done by then, including the registration."
Ashley wasn't in a hurry, so she agreed.
After she left, Damian got into the car, started it, listened to the engine, then tapped the windshield and side windows, "Replace everything."
Thomas patted Austin's shoulder, "Got it? Replace all parts with the top specs."
Austin swallowed, quietly asking, "Who is this big shot?"
Thomas gently reminded, "Don't ask. Knowing too much can be dangerous."