Chapter 37: Meeting at the Summit

“A BMW 3 Series!?” Tang Song clenched his fists tightly, his face beaming with joy.

Although it wasn't the absolute top-tier reward, it was a genuine luxury brand and a luxury model.

He opened his phone and searched online for the 【BMW 330i M Sport Twilight Edition】.

Compared to the standard 3 Series, the core difference of the 330i was this longitudinal four-cylinder engine. This powertrain could burst with a maximum of 245 horsepower and 400 Nm of peak torque.

The official MSRP was 381,900 RMB. The dealer quote here in Yancheng was 345,000 RMB for the bare car. Once insurance, purchase tax, registration, and other fees were included, the "on-the-road" price would be close to 400,000 RMB—a definitive luxury car.

Tang Song stood up directly from the sofa, pacing excitedly around the living room.

In his social circle, most people drove ordinary A-segment cars, ranging from tens of thousands to a hundred thousand RMB.

Those with slightly better family backgrounds might drive B-segment cars like the Magotan or Accord.

A BMW that cost nearly 400,000 RMB on the road was absolutely a status symbol.

Next, Tang Song sat down at his computer and began browsing different colors of the BMW 330i.

The most popular ones online were undoubtedly Carbon Black, Mineral White, and Skyscraper Grey.

Zooming in on the pictures, every color was beautiful.

After agonizing for a while and watching several car review videos, Tang Song finally settled on the classic combination: Carbon Black (exterior) + Volcano Red (interior).

Looking at the shimmering "Black Knight" on his monitor, Tang Song felt a sense of restless excitement.

He was a young man, after all, and had zero resistance to such a cool, big toy.

*Slide—* The window was pulled open.

Tang Song stood on the east-facing balcony, letting the April evening breeze brush against his burning cheeks.

In the less than 20 days since he had obtained the System, his life had undergone earth-shattering changes.

Successful weight loss, lung fortification, growing 1 cm taller, a 200-square-meter office in Yunxi Building, a 400,000 RMB BMW 330i...

For a moment, his heart was filled with ambition and anticipation for the future.

Gazing at the hazy moonlight on the horizon, he opened WeChat, took a photo of the view outside the window, and shared it with his "White Moonlight"—the girl far away in Shenzhen.

He left a message: "Wait for time to reward you, and for the spring breeze to bring success! I hope your entrepreneurial journey goes smoothly. Take care of yourself in Shenzhen."

Just as he put his phone down, Tang Song picked it up again and dialed his mother, who was 150 kilometers away.

*Ring, ring—*

The phone was answered after only a couple of rings.

"Hello! You child, you finally remembered to call me on your own." His mother's familiar voice came through the receiver. Though not particularly gentle, it was exceptionally pleasant to hear.

Tang Song chuckled, first checking on their health, and then asked, "By the way, Mom, how is Dad's hardware store doing now?"

His mother suddenly lowered her voice and said, "Your father and I did the math. At this rate, after deducting bad debts, losses, rent, and such, we can have a net income of over 6,000 a month!"

"That much?" Tang Song said in surprise.

He had seen the shop with his own eyes; it was very small, the location wasn't great, and there were only four sets of shelves. Because they lacked funds, there wasn't much stock in it.

It was already difficult enough to make any money, so he hadn't expected it to be quite this much.

"It's mainly thanks to the connections your father built up from his previous renovation work; a few acquaintances come by to buy in bulk frequently. Oh, son, how is your work lately? Are you still working overtime every day? Are you tired?"

"I've slowed down now; every day is very easygoing. And I've lost quite a bit of weight. I'll send you a photo in a bit."

"That's good, that's good! Health is the most important thing." His mother's voice immediately became cheerful, and she began to chatter about the trivialities of daily life.

Tang Song listened quietly, occasionally offering a few words of agreement.

When his mother finally paused, he said in a light tone, "Mom, everything is great for me here. Since work isn't busy anymore, I plan to use my spare time to try entrepreneurship, and I already have a good direction.

Once I make my fortune, you and Dad can just lie back and enjoy life peacefully.

Doesn't my second uncle always love to show off? When the time comes, I'll give you guys..."

Tang Song leaned against the window, looking at the crescent moon hiding behind the clouds, sharing his beautiful visions for the future with his mother.

On the other end of the line, his mother did not interrupt, only letting out happy laughs from time to time.

...

After hanging up, the excitement and joy Tang Song had been suppressing in his heart were completely released, and his whole body relaxed.

*Ding-dong—* A WeChat notification sounded.

His "White Moonlight" in Shenzhen finally replied: "April 19, 2023, Wednesday. Shenzhen is experiencing thunderstorms; the air is damp and muggy. I'm sitting in the office working overtime, and I happened to think of a certain idiot. You must work hard too, and take care of your health."

Her words seemed to flip a switch, causing Tang Song's eyes to glaze over slightly.

After a moment of thought, he walked straight to the bedroom and pulled a small storage box from under the bed.

After rummaging through it for a while, he pulled out an exquisite notebook.

He opened the first page.

On it were several lines of confident, soaring text.

【For my best friend, Tang Song

June 6, 2015, Saturday, Night. Exactly one year until the Gaokao.

The person you are now is decided by the person you were ten years ago.

And the person you will be ten years from now is decided by the person you are today.

When your talent cannot yet support your ambition,

Take the time to study quietly and work hard with a calm heart.

The starlight does not ask the traveler's name, and time does not fail those who are determined.

All unexpected encounters are still on the way; the future will be as you wish.

Let us each work hard, and meet at the summit!】

It was precisely these words that had caused his academic performance to skyrocket during his senior year of high school.

They had supported him in his continuous efforts, continuous learning, and continuous pursuit.

Now, eight years had passed since 2015.

Tang Song gently closed the notebook and put it back in its place.

He opened WeChat and replied earnestly: "Let's both work hard!"

...

April 20, 2023, Thursday.

At 8:30 AM, Tang Song put down the book he was reading, *Make It Stick*, and dialed the number for the Baode BMW 4S dealership in Yancheng.

Perhaps because they had just started work, the phone rang for quite a while before being answered.

"Hello, welcome to Baode BMW 4S dealership. How may I serve you?" It was a crisp female voice, speaking at a fast pace.

Tang Song weighed his words and said, "Hello, I reserved a BMW 330i and would like to get some specific information about the vehicle."

"Certainly, sir. Please provide your name, mobile number, and ID number."

Tang Song recited the information clearly.

"One moment, I am checking."

After a moment, the female customer service representative replied enthusiastically, "Mr. Tang, I've found it. Last night, through our Desheng Automotive Trading headquarters channel, you placed an order for a 【BMW 3 Series 2023 330i M Sport Twilight Edition】. The total price is... 360,000 RMB, including registration, insurance, purchase tax, and options."

As she reached the end, her voice faltered slightly.

This was truly the first time she had seen such a price; even including those option packages, they were basically selling the car at a loss!

Hearing the exact information, Tang Song breathed a sigh of relief. "Hello, I would like to confirm the interior and exterior colors."

"Please go ahead, I'll check them on my end!" The customer service representative's tone became exceptionally enthusiastic.

"The exterior is Carbon Black, and the interior is Volcano Red."

"Got it! Mr. Tang, you really have great taste. This color combination is attractive to both men and women; it's very beautiful."

"Then roughly when can I pick up the car?" Tang Song asked the question he cared about most.

According to the information he had found online, it usually took about two months from reservation to delivery for a BMW 330i.

The customer service representative quickly replied, "One moment, let me contact my manager to confirm the delivery time! I will call you back shortly, please keep an eye on your phone."

"Okay, thank you."

(End of Chapter)