“Alright, you all split into three teams.”
After a brief chat, Darnell finished his tea and waved his hand. “Arthur, you continue to be in charge of training the new recruits. Get them up to speed as soon as possible.”
“Vance, you stay behind in Woodsea. With the Axe and the Apex at war, everyone needs to stay alert. Garrett, pick ten brothers who can drive. Wait for my orders to pick up the cars.”
Garrett and the others stood up in unison. “Understood, boss.”
Everyone went about their tasks, and Garrett quickly selected ten men to be on standby.
After handling his immediate tasks, Darnell got up to leave. He thought for a moment, then pointed at Garrett. “Garrett, come with me to buy the cars.”
He didn’t want to wait around after buying the cars, and he also wanted Garrett to gain more experience, so he decided to bring him along.
Garrett was momentarily stunned but then nodded. “Alright.”
He was now completely obedient to Darnell.
The parking lot currently held two of Darnell’s cars-a Lamborghini he had won and Areli’s Porsche. Darnell got into the Lamborghini and drove off with Garrett in tow.
Garrett looked around the car with curiosity, several times reaching out to touch the interior but pulling his hand back each time.
Darnell noticed Garrett’s hesitation and smiled. “It’s fine. Go ahead. It’s just a car I won. You can’t break it by touching it.”
Garrett chuckled awkwardly, “No, I’m too rough. I might accidentally damage something.”
“If I ruin such a nice car, it’ll be a shame, and it’ll cost a fortune to fix. I’ve seen on the news that even a single screw on this car is worth tens of thousands.”
Garrett sighed. He had never imagined he’d ever get to ride in such a luxury car. Yet here he was, living the dream. The luxury car was indeed far superior to a taxi.
“Don’t be so reserved. Money is just an external thing. Don’t take it too seriously,” Darnell said, patting Garrett on the shoulder. “These things are just accessories in life.”
Garrett nodded, though he didn’t fully understand.
“Later, when we get to the car dealership, Garrett, pick out a car you like. It’ll be your personal vehicle.”
“No matter which one you choose, I’ll buy it for you.”
Garrett was stunned and quickly waved his hands. “Boss, no, that’s too much.”
“Besides, I can just use the company cars when I need to. There’s no need to spend so much on a personal car for me. And I’m a new driver-if I had my own car, I’d probably be in the repair shop every other day. Please, don’t buy me one.”
Darnell waved his hand dismissively. “You’re the deputy captain. It’s only right that you have your own car. It’s about the image of Darnell’s Elite Force.”
“If you don’t have a dedicated car, how can clients trust our capabilities? It’s settled! We’re not short on money-30 million is enough to last us half a year.”
“Right now, we need to focus on expanding, not cutting costs. As long as the company completes one job a month, buying cars will be like buying toys.”
Garrett hesitated for a moment but finally relented. “Thank you, boss.”
Thirty-five minutes later, Darnell and Garrett arrived at the Whiteville car sales district, the same place where Darnell had repaired the Porsche before.
This area was home to dozens of car brands and was also one of the Apex’s territories. Darnell took Garrett to the BMW dealership about a hundred meters away. To make Darnell’s Elite Force appear more professional and upscale, Darnell was willing to invest.
The dealership was clean and well-air-conditioned, with salespeople who were either handsome men or beautiful women. Just looking at them was a treat.
“Welcome!”
When Darnell pushed the door open, the receptionist greeted them with a lackluster tone.
Not far away, a tall, well-dressed female salesperson in her thirties approached. She had a refined appearance and an air of superiority, followed by a young, inexperienced girl.
From the girl’s modest attire and scholarly demeanor, Darnell could tell she was an intern.
“Garrett, take your pick. Let me know which one you like. I’ll look around first.”
Darnell patted Garrett on the shoulder, letting him choose a car he liked, while he wandered around the showroom.
“Wow, so many cars!”
Garrett, like a country bumpkin visiting the city, marveled at the cars on display, circling each one with awe and admiration.
Then, remembering Darnell’s words, he patted a black car and called out, “Excuse me, what kind of car is this?”
The tall saleswoman who approached looked at him with disdain, thinking, “What a country bumpkin. This is a BMW dealership, of course it’s a BMW.”
She glanced at Garrett’s plain appearance and Darnell’s eccentric outfit and immediately concluded that these two weren’t here to buy a car. They were probably just here to enjoy the air conditioning.
Her expression soured, and her attitude became noticeably colder. Seeing Garrett eagerly waiting for an answer, she replied sarcastically, “It’s a BMW.”
Then, she stared at Garrett as if he were a thief. “Never heard of it?”
“Ms. Giles, we shouldn’t treat customers like this,” the young intern whispered timidly. “If they complain, you’ll lose your bonus.” Then, she turned to Garrett and added, “Sir, this is a BMW X5. If you like it, you can test drive-”
Before the intern could finish, Ms. Giles interrupted, “Sophia, you’ve been interning for almost a month. Can’t you be smarter?”
“Do you really think he can afford this car? Why waste your time on him? Save your energy for better clients.”
“No wonder you haven’t closed a single deal in a month. With your judgment, you should just leave this industry.”
“I’m unlucky to have to guide you for a week.”
After venting, Ms. Giles turned her attention back to Garrett. “Sir, are you here to buy a car?”
Garrett’s mouth twitched, and he managed to ask, “Uh… how’s the performance of this car?”
Hearing such a naive question, Ms. Giles grew even more impatient and snorted, “Sir, are you here to buy a car or to enjoy the air conditioning?”
“If you’re here for the air conditioning, find a corner to stand in. Don’t pretend to be a buyer and waste our time.”
Garrett looked embarrassed and reached out to touch the car’s window. “I’m here to buy a car.”
Ms. Giles, with her expensive red-soled high heels, tailored professional suit, chestnut wavy hair, and cold, refined makeup, exuded an air of superiority and high income. She looked at Garrett with undisguised disdain.
“Sir, this car is expensive. If you’re not buying, don’t touch it.”
Sophia, the intern, wanted to say something, but under Ms. Giles’ sharp gaze, she reluctantly lowered her head.
“Alright-”
Garrett awkwardly agreed, then leaned in to look at the price tag-850, 000 dollars. He gasped and quickly stepped back.
But he really liked the car, so as he moved away, he couldn’t help but glance back at it longingly.
“What’s wrong? You like this car?”
At that moment, Darnell walked over with a cup of coffee, slinging an arm around Garrett’s shoulders and nodding toward the BMW X5. “Want to take it for a test drive?”
Garrett shook his head repeatedly. “It’s too expensive… way too expensive.”
He really liked the car, but the price was just too high. Garrett didn’t want Darnell to spend so much, and Ms. Giles’ attitude had crushed his confidence, leaving him feeling down.
Darnell let out a hearty laugh. “It’s fine. If you like it, let’s test drive it.”
Ms. Giles glanced at Darnell. “Sir, I’m sorry, but if you want to test drive the car, you’ll need to put down a 30% deposit first. Otherwise, no test drive.”
“What if you damage it or cause an accident? You can’t afford to pay for it.”
Darnell narrowed his eyes at Ms. Giles. “Is that your dealership’s policy?”