Li Bin's favorite, of course, is the Maybach S-Class and the S-Class AMG, but both of these cost over 1.5 million, and you even have to pay extra to reserve them. Although Li Bin currently has 1.8 million on hand, it's obviously still far from enough to take on cars like these.
Even if he had 10 million, Li Bin wouldn't consider this kind of top-tier luxury car.
Besides, the S-Class cars are too big. They look nice, sure, but they're not suitable for driving yourself—they're better suited for hiring a driver to operate.
The Mercedes S-Class is more of a business vehicle anyway. If Li Bin were to start his own company or something in the future, he might consider getting one.
But for now, it's about buying a car for his mother-in-law to use for grocery shopping. After looking around, Li Bin still feels the Mercedes E300L best matches his mother-in-law Shen Han's current age and needs.
"That's the one!" Li Bin did a simple comparison between the Fashion, Luxury, and Prestige trims. The Fashion trim starts at 460,000, and with taxes and fees, it'd probably land just over 500,000. The top-tier Prestige trim is 100,000 more expensive, with a base price around 550,000, landing at about 650,000 fully loaded.
As for performance and features, Li Bin didn't even bother looking into details—he just went straight for the updated Prestige trim of the Mercedes E300L. He didn't care about getting the best, just the most expensive.
Money comes easy these days anyway, and Li Bin has always believed you get what you pay for. Expensive stuff has to have a reason for being expensive, right?
Decision made, Li Bin directly dialed the local 4S dealership.
"Hello, this is Hangzhou Hezhong Mercedes 4S Store. I'm sales representative Zhang Xiaoya. How can I assist you today?" The call connected quickly, and the voice on the other end was a female salesperson, sounding gentle and pleasant.
"Oh, I want to buy an updated Mercedes E300L Prestige trim, with the upright hood ornament—I don't like the big badge. Do you have any in stock? I need to pick it up tomorrow!" Li Bin said bluntly.
Having money sure feels great—no need to overthink or hesitate about anything. Simple and straightforward, just get it done.
Hearing Li Bin's bold and wealthy tone, the salesperson immediately responded with respect and excitement: "Hello, sir! We do have that model in stock, but it's only available in black. What color were you looking for?"
"Black works then. Reserve it for me. I'll come to your store tomorrow to buy it. Do you need a deposit? If so, add me on WeChat, and I'll transfer it to you now." Li Bin had wanted a black one anyway—Mercedes cars don't look good in other colors; only black fits the solemn, steady, and grand vibe of a Mercedes.
The thought of soon becoming a proud Mercedes-Benz owner was starting to excite Li Bin. Back in the day, he could only drool over other people's Benzes, fantasizing about the day he might drive an entry-level C-Class.
And now, he was actually about to buy a Mercedes—and not just any Mercedes, but an E-Class worth over 600,000!
It gave Li Bin a surreal feeling, like he was dreaming. He felt a bit like a nouveau riche now.
"Great! Sir! May I have your surname? Is your WeChat tied to your phone number? I'll add you right away! Please remember to call me before you come tomorrow!" The salesperson sounded young, and hearing Li Bin was ready to put down a deposit and pick up the car tomorrow, she seemed startled by his brash tone before quickly switching to an eager and flattering response.
"My surname's Li. My WeChat is my phone number—just add me." Li Bin hung up after that, opened WeChat, and soon enough, the salesperson sent a friend request.
After passing the verification, Li Bin glanced at her profile picture. She really was a young woman.
Her avatar was a standard ID photo: black suit, white shirt, long black hair tied into a ponytail, and fair, soft skin that looked pretty youthful.
Not sure if it was a beauty filter, but Li Bin thought she looked quite pretty.
Makes sense—salespeople for luxury cars like Mercedes are usually attractive women.
Suddenly, Li Bin remembered the school beauty from his school days. Rumor had it she worked at a 4S dealership too. He didn't have her contact info, though, or he could've asked about her situation.
Wealth without showing off is like walking in the dark in fine clothes—what's the point? Li Bin's strongest urge now was to flex in front of the people who used to look down on him—his relatives, friends, and old classmates!
If he could get in touch with that school beauty from back then and buy a Mercedes E300L from her, the effect would be killer.
The look on her face—someone who once dismissed him—would probably be priceless. Who knows, maybe it'd even fulfill a teenage dream from back in the day…