America: Starting with Daily Intelligence

Chapter 56 Hiking RV

The two exchanged insults through the window, repeating the same few offensive words over and over. However, Mark seemed to have systematically studied how to swear, as his speech and vocabulary were extremely vulgar.

The fat man couldn't stand the insult. Unable to out-argue Mark, he turned and stormed into the house. When he came out, he had a dark, grimy object in his hand.

Mark saw the other person take a Remington M870 shotgun out of the house, and his scalp tingled instantly. He stepped on the gas and sped away.

Bang! The fat man fired a shot into the air.

He jogged back onto the road, cursing at the departing Mustang's taillights, and fired two shots, both missing. "Come on! Coward! Don't run away if you dare! Fxxk you!!"

The wild horse galloped at high speed on the bumpy road, undulating and jolting. The two bulls in its arms were very obedient, not daring to utter a sound. No wonder they were only fit to guard the gate!

Zhang Ailun was dumbfounded. Was this the high-level jungle?

Am I not high enough level to come here?

This is so exciting!

After calming down, Mark, still shaken, lit a cigarette. "F***! That fat guy actually dared to shoot me! I'm going to carry a gun next time!"

"Mark, isn't your custom shop the only one around here? What's the connection between Mike's Custom Shop and Mike's Scrap Metal Recycling Station in town? Are they owned by the same person? And who's that fat guy?"

Zhang Ailun pretended that he didn't know anything.

Mark didn't care about any of that and casually replied, "Buddy, just look it up on a map and you'll see how many car graveyards there are around here! After all, this is the most famous car graveyard near Los Angeles. Vehicles scrapped for various reasons are all taken here for disposal. Everyone in this business wants a piece of the pie, so the competition is fierce! The place that fat guy works at is owned by one of our boss's arch-rivals. Rivals are enemies, I'll burn his place down sooner or later!"

Zhang Ailun clicked his tongue, thinking, "This is too barbaric."

If you get into a fight in the suburbs and die, no one will know; they can just dig a hole and bury you.

In comparison, Los Angeles's competitive tactics in the poor streets seem incredibly mild.

After driving smoothly for a few minutes, we arrived at a shop with all sorts of vehicles parked outside. An old white man came out of the yard. He had heard the Mustang roaring inside long ago and knew that there must be a customer, so he simply came out to wait.

"This is it." Mark stopped the car, put away the car keys, turned around, and got out of the car.

Zhang Ailun opened the car door, and the two bulldogs, who had been sitting still for a while, jumped out of the car, leaving him behind.

"Idiot dog."

Zhang Ailun looked at the dog paw prints on his leg and couldn't help but curse. He patted the paw prints off his trousers and got out of the car.

"Is that the GMC motorhome you want to see?" The old man looked at Zhang Ailun with some surprise after learning about Mark's intention to buy it.

"Although it's a clearance sale, you can drive it away for $200, but that car isn't for the average person. The maintenance and repair costs alone will be more expensive than buying a new car!"

"Hey! Old man! Don't interrupt my business with my customers, okay!" Mark was annoyed when he heard this, wishing he could sew the old man's stinking mouth shut, and shoved him away.

He waved to Zhang Ailun, "Come in and take a look. If there are any other vehicles here that you like, the price is negotiable."

Zhang Ailun followed him into the car dealership and found that there were all kinds of cars in the yard. They were all cars that had been pieced together from parts and heavily modified. Putting aside the car logos, you couldn't tell what the original cars looked like at a glance.

Its performance is also beyond doubt; the Chevrolet Camaro can reach a top speed of 300 kilometers per hour.

This isn't a Camaro at all; it's more like a Bumblebee in disguise, a complete supercar through and through! Is there a V12 engine under the hood?

You might as well change your name to Decepticons. Why call yourself Bumblebee? Aren't you afraid you'll fall apart from running?

The signs on the car windows also listed their performance and price.

Dodge Charger, Corvette, Jaguar, Land Rover – these vehicles range in price from $2000 to $20000. The price reflects the performance and quality they offer; they're rugged, durable, and reliable – they deliver on their promises.

Zhang Ailun looked on with envy, but after checking his pockets, he decided against it.

I simply can't afford it.

Maybe next time.

Next time, I definitely will.

You don't even have a low-end Karin Skull Horse here, so you won't get my approval at all.

Zhang Ailun left the modified high-speed sports car area and followed Mark to the yard where pickup trucks, buses, large trucks, and lorries were parked.

Zhang Ailun spotted the green camper van at a glance. The huge windows provided excellent ventilation, and it looked fine on the outside, having been recently washed.

After all, if you want to sell a car, it needs to look like a new car.

Mark retrieved the car keys from inside the house, went to the RV, and opened both side doors and the front hood, revealing a complex web of wiring inside. A side-mounted generator and a deep blue propane tank.

"Take a good look at this car, buddy. It can still start. The fuel system and tire braking system have been checked, and there are no major problems. Just step on the gas and it'll be gone."

Zhang Ailun knew nothing about wiring, let alone vehicle repair. He followed Mark into the vehicle and toured its interior: air conditioning, refrigerator, gas stove, toilet, bed, tables, chairs, and benches—everything was there. It was basically designed in the style of the 70s.

The plastic film covering the seats wasn't rotten, just a little damp. The ventilation was excellent. The RV was solidly built, sturdy and durable, and the condition was much better than he had imagined.

Mark inserted the key and started the vehicle. The roar of the V8 engine was deafening, but there was not much vibration inside the vehicle. The air suspension absorbed the shocks very well. After all, camping RVs are all about comfort. The RV also has a built-in awning that can be opened on the outside.

I turned on the player and played a soothing song. The sound echoed through the car's speakers, instantly transporting me back to the retro feel of the 70s.

The gas stove, refrigerator, and lights were all tested and found to be working properly. However, if you want to use it normally, you still need to consider the aging of the vehicle's wiring and safety issues, and find someone to refurbish and modify it.

Zhang Ailun didn't plan to invest too much money in this car, but if he wanted to live in it, he would still need to spend money on maintenance, which was unavoidable. After buying it, he planned to drive it to the Old Pick repair shop to have it fixed up.

"How about it? You can drive this big guy away for just $200!"

Seeing that Zhang Ailun was interested, Mark immediately chimed in, "You know, a well-maintained RV like this, from the 70s, is incredibly rare these days. With a little refurbishment, it could easily fetch at least $7000, maybe even tens of thousands!"

"Don't try to fool me. If it were really that easy to make money, you would have refurbished and sold it long ago. Why would you leave it to me? I bet it's not easy to find someone who can refurbish and repair it." Zhang Ailun directly exposed his clumsy marketing tactics.

Mark wasn't good at sales; he was only good at repairing cars and arguing with people. Seeing that Zhang Ailun had seen through his rhetoric, he simply stopped pretending.

He frankly admitted, "Okay, this car isn't actually that great, and it has a lot of drawbacks. At least personally, I don't really appreciate this old relic, and I don't want to waste too much time on it. To be honest, if even I can't fix a car around here, basically no one can! Otherwise, selling it for $200 wouldn't even cover the parking fees."

"Dude, you're really arrogant." Zhang Ailun had never seen such an arrogant person before.

"Confidence takes time, and I happen to have it." Mark calmly lit a cigarette. "Give me the blueprints, and I can fix airplanes and rockets! It's talent, you know? I didn't even finish high school, I've never systematically studied car modification and repair, but I'm the best modifier in this suburb! I know where to screw in any screw that's been through my hands, I was born for this!"

"But those damn airlines only require that useless piece of junk academic credentials!"

"My dream was to modify fighter jets, nuclear submarines, and aircraft carriers, but now I can only repair used cars here. This is reality, my friend!"

"In my opinion, learning how to fix this RV is a waste of time. Time is money. I could have modified ten more expensive vehicles by now."

"I believe you!!" Zhang Ailun pulled out a two-hundred-dollar bill, handed it to the other person, and said admiringly, "I like confident people like you! You have the same rare quality as me! Keep it up! Let's work together again in the future!"

Mark was only focused on the two hundred dollars and didn't listen to anything else. He immediately took the keys, handed them to Mark, and said readily, "It's a pleasure doing business with you! If you need anything, just let me know. Welcome to visit again."

(End of this chapter)