My cousin-in-law helped me achieve my ambitions.

Before the other party could finish speaking, Lin Shumei raised her hand to interrupt him, her voice turning colder, carrying a sharp edge honed from years of haggling with suppliers: "Stop giving me irrelevant nonsense. Just give me a bottom price, stop with all those application-and-application gimmicks. If you can't make the decision, just call your manager to talk to us."

The salesman's face instantly turned ashen. His lips moved, as if he wanted to say something to smooth things over, but when he met Lin Shumei's imposing eyes, he swallowed his words. He nodded awkwardly and smiled, "Then please wait in the lounge area for a moment, I'll go and call our manager right away."

Lin Shumei glanced at him indifferently, got out of the car, walked to the sofa in the rest area, sat down, crossed her legs, picked up a disposable water cup from the coffee table, and took a sip, her demeanor as composed as if she were in her own living room. Su Ming sat down next to her, secretly admiring her bargaining aura. This woman probably used the same approach when negotiating prices with suppliers in the warehouse, leaving them no room for negotiation.

A moment later, the salesperson led a middle-aged man in a dark blue suit out of the back room. The man, in his early forties, had his hair neatly combed, and his name tag read "Sales Manager." With a professional smile, he quickly walked to Lin Shumei, presented her with his business card, and greeted her respectfully, "Hello, Ms. Lin, I'm the sales manager here, my surname is Wang. My colleague told me you're interested in the Passat?"

Lin Shumei took the business card and casually placed it on the coffee table. Without any pleasantries, she went straight to the point: "Manager Wang, I'm short on time, so I won't beat around the bush. I've test-driven this car, and I'm willing to buy it. Just give me your bottom line, the full price, including insurance, registration, purchase tax, and all other fees—a fixed price."

Manager Wang was taken aback; he'd never seen such a direct customer before. He glanced at Lin Shumei's expression, confirming she wasn't joking, then sat down, took out his calculator, and quickly pressed a few keys. He frowned, hesitated for a moment, and finally gave a price: "Ms. Lin, since you're so straightforward, I won't beat around the bush. Full payment upfront, including insurance and all fees, I'll get you the lowest I can get: 220,000. Any lower, and I really can't make the decision."

After listening, Lin Shumei turned to look at Su Ming, her eyes seeking his opinion. Su Ming nodded slightly. The price of 220,000 was almost 10,000 lower than he had expected, which was indeed a very reasonable price. Seeing him nod, Lin Shumei stopped talking, took out her bank card from her bag, and handed it over, her tone as relaxed as if she were checking out at a supermarket: "Okay, this is the price, swipe your card."

Manager Wang took the bank card with both hands, moving even faster than the Mercedes salesperson. He rushed back to the counter, swiped the card, printed the receipt, and issued the contract—all in one smooth motion. Lin Shumei took the car purchase contract, glanced at the key clauses, and after confirming everything was correct, signed her name. Her handwriting was smooth and sharp, just like her clean and efficient personality.

The difference this time was that she didn't raise the price. Manager Wang apologized, explaining that this was a popular configuration, and the cars had just been taken away; the earliest delivery would be ten days. Lin Shumei readily agreed, turning to Su Ming beside her with a smile, "There's nothing I can do; it seems it's difficult to get the car immediately!"

Su Ming laughed and said, "Actually, I don't need the car that soon. I haven't taken my driver's license test yet. I take it on Monday, and I'll pick up the car in ten days after that. The timing is just right."

Lin Shumei patted Su Ming's shoulder, her tone earnest and expectant: "Never mind, as long as you can get this sorted out for you before I leave, I'll be at ease. When you take office, you'll have a car worth around 200,000 yuan by your side, and no one in the factory will dare to look down on you. Now, Vice President Liang and Factory Director Gu are both your people, and even the manager will have to give you some face. You won't lack any of the prestige you deserve."

A warm feeling welled up in Su Ming's heart. He reached out and put his arm around Lin Shumei's slender waist, pulling her closer to him. He said softly, "Sister Lin, you're so kind."

Lin Shumei smiled and leaned closer to his ear, her lips almost touching his earlobe. Her voice was soft and gentle, with a hint of coquetry and ambiguity: "Now that you know how good I am, you know what to do next, right?"

Su Ming exclaimed "Ah!" and turned his head, meeting her smiling eyes. He was momentarily stunned and asked dumbly, "Sister Lin, how do you want me to repay you?"

Lin Shumei looked him over with concern, her gaze slowly sliding from his face to his shoulder, then back to his eyes. She then took his arm, leaned against him, and smiled charmingly, her voice carrying a seductive tone: "I don't want anything, I just want you to stay with me tonight."

Without hesitation, Su Ming replied, "Okay, then I'll stay with you tonight. Are we staying at the same hotel as last night?"

Lin Shumei smiled and shook her head, a sly glint in her eyes: "No, let's go to a better place tonight. We won't stay in a business hotel, we'll stay in a five-star one. You're with me tonight, not at the factory."

It was already dark when the two left the Volkswagen 4S store. The city's neon lights lit up one after another, turning the streets into a dazzling spectacle. Lin Shumei drove Su Ming to a seafood restaurant for dinner, ordering a table full of dishes: steamed grouper, steamed scallops with garlic and vermicelli, salt and pepper mantis shrimp, and stir-fried crab with scallions and ginger. Su Ming ate with gusto, his mouth greasy, while Lin Shumei peeled shrimp for him, teasing him about his unseemly eating habits. The atmosphere was as relaxed as that of an old married couple.

After dinner, Lin Shumei took him for a stroll through the city's commercial street. She pulled him into a high-end men's clothing store, weaving through the racks, holding up each garment against him. Finally, she picked out two outfits: a dark gray casual suit and a navy blue stand-up collar jacket with dark trousers, along with two pairs of leather shoes and several shirts. Su Ming secretly glanced at the price tags; the total cost was over five thousand yuan, which startled him. He wanted to refuse, but Lin Shumei glared at him, putting him back down. After changing into the new clothes and leaving the fitting room, Su Ming stood in front of the mirror, stunned. The man in the mirror was tall and well-dressed, his eyes radiating a sharpness and confidence he hadn't seen before—a man he felt was unfamiliar even to himself. Lin Shumei stood behind him, her hands on his shoulders, her chin resting on his shoulder, looking at him in the mirror with eyes full of admiration. She whispered, "See? You're much more handsome now."

Su Ming was incredibly excited. He had never worn such expensive clothes in his entire life. He touched the stitching on the cuffs, then looked down at the shiny leather shoes on his feet, and secretly sighed, "Money really does feel different when you spend it on yourself."