Chapter 2 Pauper

At the Grand Auto Dealership, the receptionist, Mariana, hung up the phone with a look of disdain and spat out, "What a nutcase!"

Her colleague, Xara, chuckled and asked, "Mariana, what's up? Another prank call?"

Mariana's face twisted in disgust. "Some idiot claimed he bought seven luxury cars from us, each costing at least 2.5 million dollars. It's infuriating!"

Xara burst into laughter. "These delusional guys are getting out of hand. They can even come up with such ridiculous lies!""Exactly!" Mariana's eyes sparkled with mischief as she quietly pulled out her phone. "Something this funny needs to be shared!"

She quickly posted about Berloff Reed as a joke in the Grand Auto Dealership's work group chat.

As the dealership's beauty queen, Mariana's post immediately drew a chorus of responses from her colleagues.

"Hahaha... I've seen plenty of idiots like this. They must be desperate to get rich!"

"Tsk tsk, I've dealt with weird customers before, but this shameless? First time!""Did this guy escape from a mental hospital? His brain must be fried!"

"I think he's being modest. At least he didn't claim he owns the entire Grand Auto Dealership!"

The group chat was instantly filled with a lively and cheerful atmosphere.

Reading her colleagues' complaints, Mariana felt a bit better.

Today, she had to deal with a sleazy guy who clearly had no money but loved to come to Big World Auto pretending to buy a car, snapping pictures with his phone non-stop. It was incredibly annoying.The call from Berloff Reed was the last straw, which is why she vented her frustrations in the company group chat.

Tap, tap, tap...

Just then, the cold and stunning CEO of Big World Auto, Emily, hurried out of her office and approached the reception desk where Mariana and Xara were stationed.

If Mariana was like a pure and delicate snow lotus, then Emily was a striking and seductive red rose.

With her curvy figure and icy demeanor, she made any man feel a strong urge to conquer her.However, to Mariana and the other beautiful saleswomen, Emily was someone to be feared—aloof and strict, always keeping them on edge.

All the employees at Big World Auto were nervous around Emily, terrified of making a mistake and getting scolded.

"Miss Emily!"

Seeing Emily, Mariana and Xara greeted their boss with a tense expression.

"Mariana, a client just called saying he wants to pick up the seven luxury cars he bought. Was he your client?"

Emily's piercing gaze fixed on Mariana asshe fired off the question.

"Yes, I took that call," Mariana replied nervously. "Miss Emily, is there a problem?"

Emily's eyes were sharp, her tone icy. "How did you respond to that client?"

"I...," Mariana stammered, feeling a sense of doom under Emily's intense gaze. Her face showed hesitation. "I thought he was just bragging, so... so..."

Emily let out a cold snort. "So you hung up on him first, and when he called back, you mocked him, right?"

The reception calls at Grand World Auto are always recorded. Emily had alreadylistened to the recording before rushing over from her office after seeing the message in the group chat.

Xara, standing nearby, asked timidly, "Miss Emily, is what Mariana did a problem?"

"Hmph!" Emily crossed her arms, her voice cold. "The system just showed that someone bought seven top-tier sports cars from our website. What do you think?"

Crack!

Emily's words hit Mariana and Xara like a bolt of lightning, leaving them both stunned.

"Miss Emily, do you mean the person whocalled was the one who bought the seven luxury cars?"

Mariana, looking like a schoolgirl who had made a grave mistake, turned pale as a sheet.

Emily rolled her eyes at her. "What do you think?"

"The order just came through on the website, and then the call came in. Who else could it be but that big client?"

Mariana felt her breath catch, her head spinning. She was almost scared to death.

These seven top-tier sports cars, worth billions in total, equaled the annual salesthe entire Grand World Auto dealership.

A super client like Berloff Reed was someone that not even Fatima, let alone Mariana, could afford to offend. Even the stunning CEO, Emily, had to put on a pleasant face, fearing that any displeasure could lead to her immediate dismissal by the boss.

But Mariana had the nerve to hang up on Berloff Reed and even mock him. She must have had a death wish.

Her colleague, Xara, was trembling with fear beside her.

Just moments ago, Xara had been the most enthusiastic in mocking Berloff Reedin the work chat.

If Emily decided to hold them accountable, Mariana wouldn't escape, and Xara would be in deep trouble too.

"Sigh, you two just graduated from college and already made such a mistake. You're still too young!"

Emily's face was cold, her delicate brows furrowed as she glanced at Mariana and Xara with a mix of helplessness and bitterness in her eyes.

"Miss Emily, what should we do now?"

Mariana looked at Emily with wide, anxious eyes, her panicked expression truly pitiful."I'll try to contact the client and see if we can salvage the situation."

"If he can't be appeased, it's not just you two; even I won't be able to escape the consequences!"

Emily's words made Mariana's knees go weak, her face filled with despair.

Fresh out of college, she had barely passed the rigorous interview process to land this high-paying and easy job, only to make such a rookie mistake.

If she got fired from Grand World Auto, she feared that applying for sales jobs at other dealerships would also end in rejection.At this moment, Mariana was filled with regret.

Meanwhile, Berloff Reed was riding his little scooter, huffing and puffing his way to the Grand World Car Dealership. The route was lined with subway construction sites, making it incredibly noisy.

Emily had tried calling him, but Berloff didn't hear his phone. On the other end, Emily thought Berloff was furious and sat anxiously in her office, worried that he might return all the sports cars in a fit of rage. If that happened, she, the beautiful CEO, might face the wrath of the boss and get fired.Half an hour later, Berloff finally arrived at the dealership. "Hehe, the receptionist I spoke to earlier had such a sweet voice; she must be pretty!" he thought. "Wait till I show her my driver's license and see what she does!"

He parked his battered scooter at the entrance, dusted off his clothes, and daydreamed happily.

"Ha ha ha..."

Just then, a familiar voice sounded nearby. "Berloff Reed, you broke loser! How dare you come here on a scooter and embarrass yourself!"

Turning his head, he saw Eliza, who hadslapped him last night, clinging to the arm of a chubby, middle-aged man as they stepped out of a fancy car. She looked at Berloff with utter disdain.

Hudson, the man with Eliza, sized up Berloff from head to toe and sneered at his cheap attire.

"Sweetheart, do you know this broke guy?"