Hours later, Song Qiao and Gao Meng, along with four others, disembarked from the plane.
They first went to the hotel booked by the company, washed away the dust from their journey, and after a brief rest, headed to the auto show.
Indeed, they had arrived at the perfect time. The auto show opened in the morning, but that was for officials and organizers to speak. Their purpose was merely to experience the auto show, so there was no need to arrive that early.
The afternoon was the true feast for tourists and car buyers.
As expected, upon arriving at the venue, they saw colorful flags fluttering and a sea of people.
Various inflatable arches, balloons, and other decorations were also present.
The entire atmosphere exuded a distinct 1990s vibe.
Having witnessed so many advanced and high-end exhibition setups in later years, Song Qiao felt that this exhibition was akin to a farmer's market.
However, this was normal. China's development was precisely this way, slowly transforming from its former poverty and backwardness, and rustic charm, into a more advanced and developed nation.
Even now, being immersed in such a scene, Song Qiao felt a sense of comfort.
Perhaps from a psychological perspective, Song Qiao's heart remained in the past, or one could say he had grown old.
The place was teeming with people: promoting merchants, various staff members, media reporters, and of course, numerous prospective car buyers.
These were the people that numerous car companies were closely watching, as profits were to be earned from them.
At the venue, the most captivating attractions, besides the brand-new cars, were the beautiful women, especially the car models.
They wore revealing outfits and struck alluring poses in front of the cars, drawing the attention of the majority.
As long as someone gathered around their booth, their mission was accomplished.
"Perhaps car models are the easiest to connect with internationally?" Wei Feng said, his eyes fixed on the car models before him.
"Heh, you're right, that's very insightful! It would be even better if you wiped your drool," Chen Chen remarked casually, glancing at him.
"Where is it?" Wei Feng quickly retorted, then inadvertently, he brushed his right hand across his mouth.
Immediately, his face contorted with anger. "Are you messing with me?"
"Haha, who told you your mind was full of those women?" Chen Chen scoffed.
"Slander! This is pure slander! I was thinking about the cars!" Wei Feng protested.
"Oh, really? Then we have something in common. I'm thinking about cars too!" Chen Chen exclaimed.
"You? I know you well enough. You're probably thinking of driving all these women away in a car!" Wei Feng quipped.
"And you? You wouldn't use a car, would you? You'd carry them away directly!"
"Pah! You're the one who'd carry them like Zhu Bajie carrying his bride!"
"..."
The two then engaged in a bout of playful roughhousing.
Song Qiao watched their antics, saying nothing.
He even felt that their personalities were quite good: outgoing, able to converse freely, not the sort of people with deep, hidden agendas.
Thus, he let them be.
Especially because, amidst their roughhousing, they didn't forget their duties, always subtly or overtly protecting him and Gao Meng.
Before they knew it, they had explored nearly half of the auto show.
They stopped in front of a car model that was exceptionally well-designed and exuded high-end luxury, examining it with interest, circling it.
According to the brochure beside it, the car's features were indeed top-tier, no wonder its price tag was as high as a million.
Even the prancing horse emblem on its hood, leaping forward, was likely quite valuable.
Gao Meng exclaimed repeatedly, "This car looks really good. With such excellent features, I have to admire the Deng family's strength. To achieve this level in independent research and development! It seems their venture into the high-end sedan market is not just talk."
Song Qiao smiled and explained to her.
Since he was investing in the Deng family's industries, he had naturally conducted in-depth research and gained a thorough understanding of their various business developments.
"Actually, what the Deng family does is the most crucial part, the engine. The other components are outsourced to partner manufacturers."
Gao Meng's interest was piqued even further. "Then that's even more impressive. The engine is the heart of a car. The Deng family has excellent foresight and courage. Of course, you are the truly remarkable one for investing in them."
Song Qiao burst into laughter. Gao Meng's words were indeed accurate.
As they spoke, they continued to look at other cars.
They had contacted Deng Yihan, but after so much time, she hadn't appeared. He wondered what she was busy with.
However, Song Qiao was not in a hurry.
"Ah, look, it's a Martin! Such a beautiful car, this is the car I've dreamt of," Gao Meng suddenly exclaimed excitedly and walked over quickly.
Then, she began to praise it incessantly, talking about its luxury, grandeur, and sophistication, its features, almost as if reciting them by heart.
She even said, "It would be wonderful if someone could gift me a car like this."
Of course, she was deliberately praising the car in front of Song Qiao, because she knew it was Song Qiao's car, which he had lent to Deng Yihan for the exhibition.
Song Qiao simply smiled, thinking that this young girl had a bit of a calculating streak, subtly trying to please him while also expressing a hint of dissatisfaction and envy.
He smiled even more heartily, about to tease her a bit, when suddenly a man stepped forward, passed him, and said to Gao Meng, "Miss, would I be so fortunate as to present this Martin to you? If you would agree to be my girlfriend."
Gao Meng looked at the man before her, who was just over 1.6 meters tall, with an unremarkable appearance and an arrogant demeanor. She discerned that he was not Chinese but from Joseon or Xue country.
She had no good feelings towards such individuals and refused without hesitation: "No, I don't need it. Go away!"
The Joseon man was taken aback that such a beautiful woman would reject him. His expression changed instantly. "Heh, with this poor * you're with, you'll never afford a Martin in your life!"
As he said this, his attention shifted to Song Qiao, seemingly wanting to assert his dominance by stepping on Song Qiao.
Song Qiao looked at him, his eyes filled with amusement. "From where do you conclude I am poor?"
The man retorted, "You can't even afford a Martin worth three million yuan, and you're not poor?"
As he spoke, he smugly pulled out a set of car keys from his pocket, which were indeed for the Martin.
Song Qiao was surprised. Did this guy have a screw loose, defining poverty and wealth based on whether one could afford a Martin?
So, he stated directly, "What does it make you when you use someone else's car keys to show off and pick up women here?"
Hearing Song Qiao's words, the man showed a flicker of unease, which quickly turned into a look of fury.
"What do you know to be talking such nonsense? This car is naturally mine. I am Han Qingchuan, the vice president of Contemporary Automotive Company. How could I not afford a car like this? A mere three million yuan..."
"Still bragging!" Song Qiao was clearly unconvinced.
"My father, Han Yu, is the chairman of the company. And I don't have to climb up from the bottom like you poor beggars! I already have a good position waiting for me!" he declared, looking at Song Qiao with disdain and provocation.
"Oh, so you're a Joseon fellow, and a pampered son who got ahead through his elders!" Song Qiao looked at him with even greater disdain.
Song Qiao chuckled. This guy had revealed everything after just a little provocation.
Then, he recalled Deng Yihan mentioning that she had some cooperation with Contemporary. Therefore, he guessed that Han Qingchuan had likely obtained the car keys by shamelessly asking for them!
At this moment, the smile on Song Qiao's face infuriated Han Qingchuan.