Chapter Four: Mercedes-AMG

"No need, Uncle Li. Whenever I have time after work, I will try my best to spend more time with her."

"As for the car, that’s unnecessary. It’s far too expensive!"

Lin Ye shook his head in refusal. He didn't know why, but he actually found himself willing to talk to Su Qing. Perhaps it was only in those circumstances that he felt comfortable speaking his true thoughts, things he would never dare to say otherwise.

"It’s fine! This car isn't just for convenience."

"I said before, as long as you can help her recover, I will reward you handsomely! Consider this car a reward. Xiao Lin... I truly don't know how to thank you."

By the end, there was a clear note of choked emotion in Li Dehua's voice.

"Alright. I'll drive it for a while then, but Uncle Li, you can take it back whenever you want."

"Good! Then I won't disturb your rest."

The call ended, and Lin Ye finally put his phone down.

He had agreed for two reasons: first, he didn't want to make Uncle Li feel awkward, and second, having a car would indeed save him time. If nothing else, he could just return it once this whole affair was over.

However...

What if she actually woke up?

Even though Lin Ye called her "darling" or "wife" with such affection during the day, that was just him talking to himself. If she really woke up, he would be far too embarrassed to flirt with a woman older than his own mother.

"I'll cross that bridge when I come to it."

Perhaps by then, they wouldn't even need to see each other anymore.

...

"Hey! Have you heard?"

"Our chairman hasn't been to the office for a long time because his daughter is ill. I don't know what's going on today, but it seems he's coming to the headquarters for a meeting!"

During their lunch break the next day, Sun Hua pulled Lin Ye aside to gossip about the company.

Lin Ye wasn't interested in such rumors. "Never heard of it. It has nothing to do with us. That’s for the executives to worry about; we should just focus on our own work."

"Sigh, true! We're just the cogs in the machine, why should we care about the cattle herder's business?"

Sun Hua sighed as well, then added, "Our department supervisor is a real piece of work. He doesn't treat us new guys like human beings at all, just constantly looking for ways to pick on us!"

Seeing that Lin Ye didn't react, Sun Hua poked him with some dissatisfaction. "Hey, I'm talking to you."

"Huh? Me?"

Lin Ye looked up and, with a resigned expression, showed him the work chat with his team leader.

The last message displayed only one sentence:

"This report must be finished by working overtime this weekend. If you can't do it, pack your bags and get out once your internship is over!"

"See! All crows are black."

Sun Hua patted Lin Ye’s shoulder sympathetically.

Finally, the workday came to an end.

Sun Hua waited at the company entrance, and as soon as Lin Ye came out, he approached him. "Come on, I know a great barbecue place. Let's grab a shared bike and head over. How about you join me for a couple of drinks tonight?"

Uh...

Lin Ye wanted to say he had something to do, but he didn't know how to phrase it. He couldn't exactly tell him he was going to pick up a car!

It was a normal enough thing, but for some reason, thinking back to what Sun Hua had said about "taking shortcuts" the other day, Lin Ye felt inexplicably guilty.

"Let's go! My treat, you don't have to pay a cent!"

Sun Hua wore an expression that said he already knew exactly what Lin Ye was thinking.

Lin Ye felt even more awkward. "No, thanks. I really have something to do today. How about another time?"

"You kid, you're hiding something!"

Sun Hua acted like a bloodhound, leaning in to sniff the air.

"Alright, I'll talk to you later, or I'm going to be late."

...

Following the address, Lin Ye soon arrived at the 4S dealership Uncle Li had mentioned.

Although he knew last night that Uncle Li intended to give him a car, he still froze in his tracks when he saw the incredibly conspicuous Mercedes-Benz logo.

A Mercedes?

Even an entry-level model had to cost over two hundred thousand, right?

Just as he was hesitating whether to call Uncle Li and decline, a young man at the entrance spotted him and immediately walked over with a bright smile.

"You're Lin Ye, right?"

"Hello, are you..."

Lin Ye didn't remember knowing this person.

"Haha, hello Mr. Lin. I work here at the dealership. Chairman Li instructed me early this morning to assist you. My name is Wang Qing, you can just call me Xiao Wang." Wang Qing was very enthusiastic.

At this point, Lin Ye felt it would be too rude to turn around and leave.

"Mr. Lin, Chairman Li has already paid for the car. This is the one. Please verify the condition of the vehicle, and if everything is in order, we can process the remaining paperwork."

Following Wang Qing's gesture, a white sedan was parked right there.

The sleek body, the metallic luster of the paint, and that incredibly bold Mercedes three-pointed star—it was a Mercedes-Benz C-Class AMG!

As a young man, who hadn't paid attention to this car?

Lin Ye was instantly captivated. He knew the on-the-road price of this car was nearly a million!

"No need to check."

"Very well! Mr. Lin, may I have your ID card? I'll go process the paperwork for you. Please wait here; someone will bring you refreshments. I'll be as quick as possible."

One had to admit, the service at luxury brand dealerships was impeccable.

Lin Ye nodded. At this moment, he had no heart for refreshments. After Wang Qing left, he couldn't wait to walk up to the AMG and sit inside to get a feel for it.

Just then.

"Lin Ye?"

A voice filled with slight surprise rang out.

Looking toward the sound, he saw a beautiful woman dressed in professional sales attire, her long, shapely legs wrapped in sheer stockings, with shoulder-length wavy hair.

"Xu Xiaowei?"

She was a classmate of Lin Ye's from university—or to be more precise, one of his former pursuers.

Back in university, Lin Ye, who came from a poor background, had been entirely focused on earning money and studying. He had never been interested in romance and had simply and cleanly turned down her advances.

Who would have thought that Xu Xiaowei, feeling her pride wounded, would go so far as to slander him on the school's anonymous forum?

She had posted all sorts of smears, painting Lin Ye as a pathetic, disgusting pervert who would use any means necessary to pursue girls, which nearly led to Lin Ye being cyberbullied at the time.

Later, when Sun Hua found out, he was furious and wanted to help Lin Ye confront her.

But Lin Ye had stopped him, saying it was better to avoid unnecessary trouble.

It was an old story, and Lin Ye didn't hold a grudge. He just smiled and nodded. "Hello!"

He then reached for the door handle, intending to get in and test the car.

But just then.

"You can take a look and test it out, but be careful not to make it dirty!"

"Otherwise, it will affect the sale, and our shop will have to hold you responsible!"

Xu Xiaowei’s voice, tinged with a hint of disdain, echoed from not far away.