Future Pet Shop

Chapter 110: Of Course an Old Driver Drives a Divine Car

"No problem. You can come with me tomorrow after breakfast. Sun Qian, Cheeky, and Hah’Er will watch the store," Shen Yibin happily decided. ’The princess’s taste is sure to be impeccable.’

"Can’t we bring Hah’Er?" Sylvie couldn’t bear to be separated from Hah’Er for even a minute. Whenever she was done with work, she would gleefully squeeze onto the sofa with Hah’Er, scratching his head and patting his brow, having the time of their lives.

"It’s not convenient to take him in a taxi." The car dealerships were all quite far from the city center, and Shen Yibin couldn’t afford any surprises. It was better to have Hah’Er stay obediently at home.

"Fine, then. Let’s pick a car and come back early," Sylvie said, disappointed. "Boss, it’s almost closing time. What are we having for dinner?" Yesterday, with Alfred watching, she’d been too embarrassed to really dig in. And at noon, Shen Yibin had been out. She was determined to have a good meal tonight.

"We’re having braised mutton today." Hah’Er hadn’t eaten much meat at the Giant Panda Base, so he needed a proper nutritional boost now that he was back. "If you’re not used to it, you can have some fig salad with Cheeky."

"No way! The figs are all mine!" Cheeky protested repeatedly, but after Sun Qian shot it a look, its voice trailed off. "...Fine, you can have some. But when is that Sokovian fruit you promised me going to arrive?"

"It should be here soon. I had Alfred pick it out for you personally," Sylvie said with a grin. Although she was more interested in the braised mutton, trying some fig salad sounded pretty good too.

When dinner was served, Shen Yibin, Sun Qian, Hah’Er, and Cheeky were all dumbfounded. Princess Sylvie, by herself, ate more than Shen Yibin and Sun Qian combined. The two of them couldn’t help but stare at each other. ’Seriously, is this a princess or a refugee from Africa?’

"Oh, sorry. It’s just that the experience of eating without anyone watching is so enjoyable, I couldn’t help but have a little extra." Sylvie, who had been about to get another bowl of rice, suddenly noticed everyone staring at her and quickly explained, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"It’s fine, take your time. There’s more in the pot." Hearing her explanation, Shen Yibin felt a pang of sympathy. He thought back to the day before, to Alfred standing ramrod straight while serving Sylvie’s meal. ’Sigh, it seems being a princess isn’t so easy after all.’

After dinner, Sun Qian left for her singing gig at the bar, while Shen Yibin, Sylvie, and Hah’Er cleaned up and fed the pets. The pet cages in the store were already half-empty. It looked like he’d have to restock as soon as they got the car.

After they finished their chores and fooled around for a bit, Shen Yibin went to his room to rest. The next day, after waking up and having breakfast, he left Hah’Er at the store, and he and Sylvie hailed a taxi straight to a car dealership.

"Hello, welcome. What kind of car are you two looking for?" The salesperson was a bit puzzled by the pair. The man looked completely ordinary, probably here to buy an economy car. But the foreign girl with him had such elegant manners and a noble air; she was clearly from the upper class. ’Why on earth are these two together?’

The previous night before bed, Shen Yibin had gone over his finances. The store’s net profit was about fifty to sixty thousand a month. After paying off some debt, he still had a balance of over sixty thousand in his bank account. If he took out a car loan, he could afford a pretty nice vehicle. But when he thought about his future plans to buy the adjacent storefront and expand, Shen Yibin decided it was better to get an ordinary car for now.

"We’re looking for something larger, a vehicle that can seat seven or more," Sylvie said. She had done the math: in the shop, there were herself, Sun Qian, Shen Yibin, and Hah’Er, making four passengers. Cheeky was small enough to be ignored. Plus, they’d need room for future restocking trips. A seven-seater was the bare minimum.

"Based on your requirements, I’d recommend an MPV, a multi-purpose vehicle. They have a commanding presence, a spacious interior, and high passenger capacity. It’s sure to meet your needs." With that, the salesperson led them to a luxurious-looking car.

"This is the 2016 Mercedes V260L, the premium long-wheelbase edition. Five doors and seven seats, just what you’re looking for. A 2.0-liter engine, top speed of 185 kilometers per hour..." Judging by Sylvie’s noble aura, the salesperson had taken them straight to the most expensive seven-seater in the dealership, rattling off a stream of specs.

"And most importantly, the base price is only 618,000 yuan, and the total on-road price is just 688,000..." Shen Yibin had been quite interested at first, but he recoiled the moment he heard the price.

"That’s too expensive. We’d like to see something cheaper." Sylvie was on the same page as Shen Yibin. While she might be the princess of Sokovia, the annual stipend allocated to the royal family was only ten million euros. After deducting the maintenance costs for the royal palace, the family castle, and staff expenses, the pocket money that ended up in her hands wasn’t actually that much. As a result, she was quite frugal.

"Alright then, let’s take a look at this one." The salesperson wasn’t discouraged. He led them to the next car. "This BMW 218i has a base price of just 329,000, and the on-road price is only 362,000..."

"Still too expensive. Do you have anything cheaper?" Sylvie asked, frowning.

"Fine. This BYD M6 is 149,000 for the base model, 166,000 all-inclusive." The enthusiasm in the salesperson’s voice was fading. He kept glancing at Shen Yibin, his eyes filled with envy, jealousy, and hate. ’Damn it, if you were some rich guy who landed a gorgeous girl like that, I’d get it. But you can’t even afford a 300,000-yuan car, and you’re not even as handsome as me! How in the world did you hook up with this girl?’

"Huh? That car over there seems pretty nice." Just as Shen Yibin stood there, hesitating, Sylvie’s eyes were drawn to another vehicle. She hurried over, her eyes glued to this car that seemed to radiate a primordial power, so captivating that one glance made it impossible to look away.

"Ma’am, you have excellent taste! That’s our dealership’s crown jewel, the Wuling Hongguang! It may only have a 2.4-liter engine, but it can unleash power far exceeding a 6.0-liter. Its top speed reaches 518 kilometers per hour, leaving sports cars like the Maserati and the Ferrari Enzo in the dust..." the salesperson explained, now on a roll. "And most importantly, the base price is just 56,800 yuan, it’s in stock, and you can drive it away today."

After speaking, the salesperson shot Shen Yibin a look of utter admiration. ’Dude, you’re something else. This girl’s taste is truly on another level.’

"Boss, should we buy this one, then?" Sylvie asked, turning back to him.