Chapter 513: Buying Rolls-Royce Silver Shadows

Xia Yu had been diligently practicing Tai Chi, and his energy was abundant every day, so he was not affected by jet lag. On the other hand, Li Qian, being a girl, was somewhat fatigued after the flight and spent the entire morning resting in the room.

After having lunch and a short rest, Xia Yu set out for the City of London.

The Galaxy Fund had rented an office space and some residential properties in the western part of the City of London, but the office did not display any sign of the Galaxy Fund.

By the time Xia Yu arrived, Liu Xiao and the others had been waiting for a while.

"Hello, boss!"

"Hello, everyone!"

After exchanging pleasantries with everyone, Xia Yu followed Liu Xiao into the company's premises. After a brief tour, they all gathered in the conference room.

"I heard from Xue He that you started working this morning. How's it going?"

Xia Yu smiled and glanced around at everyone, casually inquiring.

"Boss, things are going quite well. Although our team is not familiar with the UK, there are over 600 banks in this area, along with other financial institutions, most of which have gold businesses. So everything is going smoothly."

"Following your instructions, to avoid drawing attention, we dispersed the funds widely. Although it's a bit cumbersome, it's secure and discreet."

Liu Xiao reported with a smile.

"That's good!"

"Though it's a bit of a hassle, you need to pay attention to timing."

Xia Yu was reassured and reminded everyone.

"We understand!"

Liu Xiao nodded seriously.

"By the way, what kind of results have you achieved this morning?"

Xia Yu asked with curiosity.

"We calculated that due to some unfamiliarity, we spent 12 million USD this morning, all using five times leverage."

"Okay, speed up the process…"

After chatting a bit more and understanding the situation, Xia Yu decided not to waste their time and let them continue with their work. He planned to buy a batch of vehicles.

He noticed that there were no cars at the base below, and Liu Xiao and the others had not yet bought any. They were all taking taxis, which was quite inconvenient.

Moreover, although he had a few cars, the number was still insufficient. He would be staying here for a long time and needed a luxury car that matched his status. At the very least, he needed to make a good impression and integrate into the local circles.

To buy a car, especially a luxury car, Xia Yu needed to find the right market.

He remembered that six months ago, he bought cars in a concentrated automotive sales area in London, where various types of cars were available.

London has a total of 33 boroughs. Xia Yu traveled through four or five districts from the City of London and arrived at the Hammersmith and Fulham area. This area is a traditional residential and affluent area in western London, with many famous places such as Fulham Palace, Westfield Shopping Centre, Bishops Park, and Stamford Bridge stadium.

In this area, there are also three professional football clubs: Chelsea, Fulham, and Queens Park Rangers.

Having three football clubs is unique among the 33 boroughs of London.

As the car slowly drove through the street, Xia Yu rolled down the window and scanned the shops along the road.

Suddenly, he saw a car dealership with the sign "Rolls-Royce" and a double R logo with wings.

It was a Rolls-Royce dealership.

"Stop here, this one!"

Xia Yu said, and the car found a spot to park. Xia Yu and Li Qian got out of the car and walked straight to the Rolls-Royce dealership.

He was there to buy luxury cars, and in the UK, if you ask any British person which car is the most luxurious, ninety-nine percent would answer Rolls-Royce. 

To the British, Rolls-Royce almost represents the power, prestige, and splendor of the British Empire.

Moreover, to be honest, Rolls-Royce cars are indeed luxurious. The most distinctive feature of Rolls-Royce is its extensive use of handcrafted labor. In the UK, where labor costs are quite high, this inevitably leads to high production costs, which is one reason for the exorbitant prices of Rolls-Royce cars.

Even in later years, Rolls-Royce engines were still entirely hand-made. Xia Yu had seen data showing that from 1906 to the present, more than 60% of Rolls-Royce cars had excellent performance.

Entering the Rolls-Royce dealership, a salesman greeted Xia Yu respectfully and then began to inquire.

Xia Yu chatted with him while scanning the dealership.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are the largest Rolls-Royce dealership in London, selling both Rolls-Royce and Bentley brands. Here, you can choose any model available on the market. Only Rolls-Royce can match your esteemed status."

The mature and handsome middle-aged salesman spoke with pride in his voice, which made Xia Yu nod inwardly, recognizing him as an excellent salesman.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this one is from the Silver Shadow series, the first model ever launched by Rolls-Royce…"

"This one is from the Bentley T series. It has a similar model to the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow, with a unified body and a 6.75-liter V8 engine…"

"Xia Yu, that black one looks really good."

Li Qian whispered in Xia Yu's ear. Following her gaze, Xia Yu noticed a pure black luxury car not far away. The black exterior gave a sense of weight and elegance.

The salesman immediately said, "Ladies and gentlemen, this car is the best-selling Silver Shadow series in recent years…"

"Can we sit in it and try it out?"

Xia Yu suddenly asked.

"Of course! Please!"

Hearing this, the middle-aged salesman's spirits lifted. He enthusiastically said this while opening the car door and making a slight bow.

Xia Yu and Li Qian sat in the back seat, feeling the touch of the bright red leather seats.

The interior door trim was made of pure handcrafted walnut wood, extensively used. It looked pleasing to the eye and felt great to the touch.

Xia Yu thought of the reviews for this car. This model is a classic Rolls-Royce, and if sold in later years, it would easily fetch thirty million.

"How much is this car?"

After getting out of the car, Xia Yu asked the salesman.

The salesman was pleasantly surprised by Xia Yu's straightforwardness and immediately said, "Sir, this car has a base price of £150,000."

£150,000, at the current exchange rate, is over 1.3 million HKD. In later years, this purchasing power would be close to ten million.

However, Xia Yu was not short of money. He told the salesman, "I need six of them. Can I pick them up today?"

"Six?!"

The salesman's eyes widened in surprise, and with a beaming smile, he quickly said, "Sir, don't worry. We have two on display in the store and more in the warehouse. We'll handle all the other procedures. We just need the necessary information from you, and we'll take care of the rest."

Those who can afford luxury cars are wealthy, so Rolls-Royce's service naturally caters to the mindset of the wealthy, with very attentive service.

Particularly in recent years, with the UK economy in turmoil and Rolls-Royce's production and operations in a downturn, good service was essential for business.

Buying six top-of-the-line cars at once—indeed, a big spender! 

Xia Yu observed that the Rolls-Royce business was not doing well. He waited in the store for nearly an hour, and only one customer came in, merely to browse.

Understanding the situation, Xia Yu sank into thought as he drove back in the new car.