Chapter 323 — First Arrival in the Small Town
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 2
Hearing Wei Zhao say so, the scar-faced man was not particularly disappointed. After all, the fancy stolen cars were almost all smuggled off to other countries, and the ones kept for domestic sale were nothing special.
For someone like him, closing even one such deal a month was quite good, so he paid it no mind: "They're all cheap — anywhere from a few hundred euros to a few thousand. We can do it in US dollars too."
"Take me to have a look," Wei Zhao said.
"Come with me!" The scar-faced man nodded and led Wei Zhao on a winding course through the North District.
Wei Zhao followed unhurriedly behind him. After walking for about ten minutes or so, twisting and turning this way and that, they arrived at the entrance of an auto repair shop.
A faint smile flickered at the corner of Wei Zhao's mouth. It seemed his gamble had paid off: the Water Blue Gang's stolen cars really were stored inside the repair shop. And this repair shop was probably the Water Blue Gang's headquarters.
"York, what's this one?" A Water Blue Gang member in a blue cap standing guard at the repair shop entrance clearly knew the scar-faced man, though he did not know Wei Zhao.
"Here to buy a car!" The scar-faced man, York, greeted him with a smile, then swaggered into the repair shop with Wei Zhao in tow.
Plainly they did not think that Wei Zhao alone could stir up much trouble on the Water Blue Gang's turf, so they did not even search him and simply let him through.
Wei Zhao shook his head inwardly. The Water Blue Gang's discipline was far too lax. In truth, in Blue City, the Water Blue Gang were the local overlords. Never mind someone daring to make trouble at their headquarters — if anyone so much as provoked them anywhere in the city, the gang's members could snuff them out in short order.
York led Wei Zhao into a large yard behind the repair shop. Nearly a hundred cars were parked there in disarray—some models Wei Zhao recognized, others he did not, though all of them looked like they had seen better years.
"They're all here. Pick whichever one catches your eye and take it for a spin—no problem at all." York's manner was pleasant enough; after all, if this deal went through, his commission would be hefty, and he would have his spending money for the whole month.
"This one," Wei Zhao said, pointing at an unremarkable old Santana sedan.
"That one? I'll let you have it cheap—how about five hundred euros?" York glanced at the car Wei Zhao had indicated, then named his price.
"Too much. I'm buying in good faith here," Wei Zhao said, shaking his head.
"It's not expensive at all—the price is very fair. This car is ten years old, and it still runs beautifully!" York said.
"Four hundred," Wei Zhao said. Judging by the model and its worn condition, the car dated from the nineties—probably about as old as he was himself. Ten years, was it? Eighteen was more like it...
"Come up a little—four fifty?" York ventured. In truth, Wei Zhao's counteroffer was not especially harsh; it was essentially a fair price, and he did seem to be buying in earnest.
"Four hundred, and that's it. This car is more than ten years old, and I'm only buying it to drive around casually—I might even toss it in a few days," Wei Zhao said.
"All right then, four hundred it is!" York nodded briskly. "Cash on the barrelhead!"
"I'll be staying in this small town for a few more days to take care of some other business. Driving this car around here—there won't be any problems, will there?" Wei Zhao asked.