Chapter 92: The Toyota Guy

"Damn it! Zhou Ming, you really dare to say anything!" Du Peng said to Zhou Ming.

Nanjing City is an economic zone, and as the mayor, Chen Yunfei had a lot on his plate every day. After discussing the matter with Zhou Ming, Chen Yunfei left the reception room. Once Chen Yunfei was gone, Du Peng, relieved of his pressure, started to freak out. After all, what Zhou Ming had said in front of Chen Yunfei was so shocking that it was hard to believe anyone else would dare to speak like that.

Zhou Ming didn't care much: "What's so daring about it? I'm just someone with nothing to lose. If there are benefits, fine; if not, I was just as much of a nobody two months ago."

Du Peng was aware of Zhou Ming's rags-to-riches story, but this made him even more astonished. For most people, being penniless might make them take risks, but once they start earning money, they often become cautious and lose that fighting spirit.

"But on another note, Zhou Ming, are you sure you can persuade those bank presidents? I know those guys are hard to deal with," Du Peng asked.

"If you had asked me this question yesterday, I would have said I had little confidence. But today, I can tell you I'm completely confident!" Zhou Ming replied.

Du Peng was stunned: "Why is that?"

"Because I met a very special person on the train who gave me a great deal of inspiration. Seeing him reminded me of a way to persuade people effectively," Zhou Ming said.

Du Peng was baffled by this. He didn't understand what Zhou Ming was talking about. Since Yang Yong, the person Zhou Ming encountered, was not yet the future sales master, Zhou Ming did not explain further to Du Peng.

After leaving the Nanjing City Government Building, Zhou Ming went to the Immigration Office to pick up Tang Ran. Tang Ran had not seen Zhou Ming for over a month and missed him a lot. She had taken the day off to meet him, intending to pick him up at the train station. However, Du Peng informed her that Mayor Chen Yunfei wanted to see her, so she couldn't come to pick up Zhou Ming and had to wait for him to finish his business.

Zhou Ming had called Tang Ran before leaving the city government, and when he arrived at her unit's dormitory door, he saw Tang Ran standing there, looking around eagerly.

Zhou Ming waved at her, and Tang Ran, spotting him, was delighted and ran towards him. Just as she took a few steps, a white Toyota pulled up in front of her, startling her.

The car window rolled down, and a face wearing sunglasses leaned out. Speaking with a half-learned Lingnan accent, the person said to Tang Ran, "Beautiful lady, where are you heading? Would you like a ride?"

Hearing this, Zhou Ming knew the person was trying to flirt with Tang Ran. Today, Tang Ran was wearing a t-shirt and skirt that Zhou Ming had brought back from Hong Kong, along with a white hat. With her innocent demeanor, she looked like a pure, sweet girl next door, making men naturally inclined to be affectionate towards her. This guy, who could afford to drive a car, was likely some wealthy boss looking to flirt. But he had picked the wrong target!

"No… it's okay. My boyfriend is waiting for me; he's coming over," Tang Ran said hurriedly, stepping back and instinctively keeping a distance from the Toyota.

The Toyota guy, surprised by Tang Ran's response, looked over at Zhou Ming, who was approaching, and gave a dismissive smile. Then he turned back to Tang Ran and said, "Beautiful lady, it's so hot today. With such a big sun, how inconvenient is it for you two without a car? It's much more convenient to ride in my car. Don't you think?"

Tang Ran shook her head vigorously and said, "No, really, it's okay. We'll just take a taxi."

"A taxi is such a hassle; you'd have to stand by the roadside like a roadside sign, waiting and getting covered in dust. It's no problem for me, anyway. I'm free right now," the Toyota guy persisted.

By now, Zhou Ming had arrived. Before he could say anything, the Toyota guy asked with a sideways glance, "You're this beautiful lady's boyfriend, right?"

Zhou Ming nodded, asking what the issue was. The Toyota guy looked Zhou Ming up and down and said, "You seem like a cultured person. Here's the deal: I have a company outside the East Gate. Why don't you come work at my company? I can offer you 400 yuan a month, which is a pretty good deal. Unfortunately, I just happened to hit it off with your girlfriend."

Listening to the Toyota guy, Zhou Ming couldn't help but laugh. This guy was really full of himself.

Looking at his own outfit, Zhou Ming understood why the Toyota guy acted this way. He had just gotten off the train and was brought straight to the city government by Du Peng. He hadn't had time to change clothes, so the Toyota guy mistook him for a poor student working in Nanjing who was lucky to have such a beautiful girlfriend.

"Zhou Ming, don't pay attention to him. I don't even know him," Tang Ran hurriedly explained to Zhou Ming.

Hearing this, the Toyota guy said to Zhou Ming, "So your name is Zhou Ming? That's a nice name. How about it? 400 yuan a month, which is a rare opportunity. But I really get along well with this beautiful lady, you know."

"Zhou Ming, let's ignore him. He's just a lunatic. Let's go," Tang Ran suggested to Zhou Ming.

Zhou Ming patted Tang Ran's hand reassuringly and smiled at her, then asked the Toyota guy, "Are you very rich?"

When the Toyota guy finally heard Zhou Ming speak to him, he perked up. Little did he know, Zhou Ming was deliberately engaging him in conversation. After all, daring to flirt with Tang Ran in front of Zhou Ming and acting so self-satisfied meant Zhou Ming felt the need to teach him a lesson. However, the Toyota guy was completely oblivious. He proudly patted his car and said, "Look at my car, a Toyota Crown, a luxury sedan. Do you think I'm rich?"

Zhou Ming found this amusing. Since when did owning a Toyota make someone rich? However, considering that Mercedes-Benz and BMW hadn't yet entered the market at this time, a Toyota could indeed be seen as a luxury car.

Seeing Zhou Ming's strange expression, the Toyota guy assumed Zhou Ming didn't recognize the Toyota Crown. He changed his approach, saying, "How about this: Since you seem not to know what a Toyota Crown is, why don't you and this beautiful lady get in the car? I'll treat you to lunch, and you'll see whether I'm rich or not."

"Treat me to lunch?" Zhou Ming smirked inwardly, "Are you sure? I can eat a lot."

The Toyota guy sneered, "How much can you eat? Hurry up and get in the car. Let me take you to a fancy meal."

"Alright then, since you're being so generous, I'll go see the world with you," Zhou Ming said.

As Zhou Ming spoke, a glint of calculation appeared in his eyes. He thought, "Since you like showing off so much, you're asking for trouble."

Zhou Ming and Tang Ran got into the car. After they were inside, Tang Ran clung to Zhou Ming, scared as if the car were filled with poisonous snakes and devils.

Zhou Ming held Tang Ran, gently patting her back to comfort her, "It's okay. Just think of it as taking a taxi. The guy up front is just the driver."

The Toyota guy, preparing to start the car, almost choked when he heard Zhou Ming. He ground his teeth in anger, mentally cursing Zhou Ming: Damn it, I'm offering to take you to a fancy meal, and you're treating me like a taxi driver? Have you ever seen a luxury car as a taxi? If it weren't for that beautiful lady, I would've thrown you out of the car!

The Toyota guy fumed internally but maintained a smiling face as he asked, "Looks like the beautiful lady doesn't often ride in cars!"

"Yes, we usually take taxis," Zhou Ming replied.

"In that case, I have to say something to you. Look at this beautiful lady. How can you bear to let her take a taxi? If it were me, I would never let my woman take a taxi. It's better to drive ourselves, don't you think?" the Toyota guy said deliberately.

Zhou Ming, uninterested in continuing the conversation, replied, "Can we go to the hotel now? I'm hungry."

The Toyota guy was momentarily taken aback by Zhou Ming's sudden comment. He started the car while muttering, "Poor people are always poor."

After about ten minutes of driving, the Toyota guy took Zhou Ming and Tang Ran to the East Gate Hotel, parking the car. He got out and introduced the place to Zhou Ming, "This is the East Gate Hotel, the most luxurious hotel in Nanjing. How about it? I bet you haven't been here before, right?"

Zhou Ming completely ignored his condescension and retorted, "I heard that a new hotel, the South Lake Hotel, was recently built in the South Lake area

. It's much taller and is supposed to be the best. Isn't it?"

The Toyota guy glanced at Zhou Ming and said, "Oh, so you do know a bit despite your appearance. Yes, a new hotel was built in South Lake, but it's still being furnished and lacks the completeness of this place. The East Gate Hotel is a time-honored establishment. For someone of my status, it's always the first choice."

Zhou Ming smirked inwardly. According to Du Peng, the South Lake Hotel was built to international standards and was indeed the best in Nanjing. Naturally, it was more expensive, with good rooms costing around 30% more than the East Gate Hotel, and top-tier rooms even more.

It seemed the Toyota guy was just a regular small-time boss, and since Zhou Ming and Tang Ran were not particularly important clients, the Toyota guy was likely trying to show off and save money.

Zhou Ming's gaze made the Toyota guy uncomfortable, and he quickly waved his hand, saying, "Forget what I said. You don't often dine at such places, so it doesn't matter. Let's go in!"

"Sure."

Zhou Ming agreed, taking Tang Ran and following the Toyota guy inside. He thought, "East Gate Hotel or not, I'll make sure you regret showing off. I'm more familiar with this place anyway."