Chapter 171: Chapter 110: Adulthood, Boys and Girls, Men and Women

At 2:00 PM, Don Quixote was cruising around in his beat-up Toyota, a car where everything rattled except the horn.

As he passed a luxury car dealership on Long Island, he was suddenly reminded of how difficult parking was in New York.

’A Cadillac Escalade is big, but it’s a pain to park,’ he mused. ’Besides, a young guy driving a car like that doesn’t look cool. It kind of gives off chauffeur vibes.’

Don Quixote turned the wheel and pulled in.

The dealership was quiet. When Don Quixote pushed the door open, only two salespeople were chatting at the front desk.

Although Don Quixote didn’t look rich, the two salespeople still maintained a professional attitude and greeted him warmly.

"Feel free to look around, sir," one of the salesmen said. "We have sports cars over here, and the off-roaders and SUVs are on the other side."

Don Quixote scanned the showroom, his gaze landing on a bright yellow Lamborghini.

"This one," Don Quixote said, pointing. "What’s the out-the-door price on it?"

"Sir, that’s a Lamborghini Huracán," the salesman said with a chuckle. "With options, it comes to 300,000 USD."

"I’m buying it for my nephew," Don Quixote said. "He’s a football player with a pretty big build. Would this be a good fit for him?"

After hearing this, the salesman politely shook his head. "If you were buying the car for yourself to go for a spin, or as a gift for a lady—oh, I mean, someone with a slender frame—it would be a top choice. But for a professional athlete, the interior is a bit cramped."

"What about a Ferrari?" Don Quixote asked. "How are they? What’s the current model?"

John Mara had given Li Wei a Cadillac Escalade, so Don Quixote was determined to get Li Wei a more expensive, better car.

"A Ferrari wouldn’t be ideal either," the salesman said, thinking carefully and furrowing his brow. "Their stiff suspension isn’t really suitable for an athlete’s daily driver. If your nephew were an NFL veteran buying a car just for his collection or for fun, then I’d recommend a Ferrari. But since he’s just entering the league, a car that’s both a practical daily driver and an attention-grabber would be better..."

As he spoke, the salesman’s eyes lit up, and he smacked a fist into his palm.

"I’ve got it," he said. "Follow me."

He led Don Quixote to the other side of the showroom and pointed to a silver Porsche with a carbon-fiber roof and a rear wing. "For an athlete’s sports car, this 911 Carrera S is the best choice."

’What man doesn’t love a Porsche 911?’

Don Quixote was taken with the car at first sight.

"A 3.0-liter twin-turbo flat-six engine with 450 maximum horsepower," the salesman rattled on. "An 8-speed PDK dual-clutch transmission, goes from 0 to 60 in just 3.5 seconds, and more importantly—"

"This car has 18-way power-adjustable seats," he said with a smile. "It’s one of the few sports cars suitable for a big athlete to use as a daily driver."

"Excellent," Don Quixote nodded. "This is the one."

"Of course, sir. You have excellent taste," the salesman’s smile grew more genuine as he quickly led Don Quixote into a nearby office. "Let’s sit down and discuss the details."

Sitting in the leather chair, Don Quixote suddenly found himself reminiscing.

’The last time I bought a car from a dealership like this... it must have been when I bought my favorite Mercedes S450... ’

Before long, a long, printed quote sheet was pushed in front of him.

"This is the detailed configuration list and out-the-door price for the car you just picked out from our inventory." The salesman picked up a pen, circling a few numbers.

The base price was 131,300 USD. GT Silver Metallic paint for 840 USD, 20-inch forged wheels for 2,540 USD, leather interior for 4,530 USD, the Bose sound system, sport package, adjustable seats, exhaust, rear wing, New York state tax, and so on... it all added up to over 185,000 USD. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

"I have no problem with the prices for the options," Don Quixote said, looking over the sheet carefully. "But what’s this 15,000 USD ’market adjustment fee’?"

"Sir, you know how the market is right now," the salesman said, putting on a troubled expression, though it was clear he had this speech memorized. "The allocation for the 911 is extremely tight, especially for a highly-optioned model that’s already in stock. That’s just how it is on Long Island. The dealership next door is even marking them up by 20,000."

"Don’t try to pull a fast one on me like I’ve never bought a nice car before," Don Quixote said, not buying it for a second. "The MSRP is 153,700. Add New York’s 8.625% tax and the doc fees you guys have to make, and the reasonable out-the-door price is around 168,000. I won’t make it hard for you: 169,000 USD. The extra thousand is on me, call it coffee money. I can swipe my card right now if that works. If not, I’m walking."

The salesman froze. 169,000 was not the price he was hoping for.

"Sir, that’s... that’s really tough," the salesman said, his face strained. "You know the market. We have no trouble selling 911s. You’ve cut us to the bone with that offer. By the way, you said this car is for your nephew? Forgive my asking, but who is he, exactly?"

"My nephew is still in high school," Don Quixote said after a moment’s thought. "You probably haven’t heard of him. His name is Li Wei."

"Li Wei?" The salesman shot to his feet. "The genius Quarterback, Li Wei? Are you kidding me? Of course I know who he is!"

Don Quixote gave a noncommittal raise of his eyebrows.