I'm back in 1990

Chapter 196: The Choices of Adults

Because it was shipped by air freight, the fifteen heating stoves that Huang Xiaochuan asked Ge Changli to import arrived in Shanghai a few days later. After handling the customs clearance procedures with ease, Huang Xiaochuan took Yang Junmin and He Guang to the bonded warehouse to pick up the goods.

As a result, Huang Xiaochuan saw a row of imported cars parked neatly. He walked closer and took a closer look. They were all Toyota Prados, and they were all four-wheel drive. Immediately, Huang Xiaochuan had an idea.

He told Yang Junmin and He Guang to take the heater back first, while he went to the customs office himself.

He went directly to Tang Yuan'an.

"Brother Yuan'an!"

"Hey! Xiaochuan! What brings you here? What's up?"

Huang Xiaochuan didn't bother with formalities with Tang Yuan'an and went straight to the point about the batch of SUVs he had just seen: "Brother Yuan'an, I saw a batch of Toyota Prados in the bonded warehouse just now, so I came to ask you which unit these cars belong to?"

You've come to the right person.

"That batch of Toyotas! The paperwork was incomplete and they were suspected of being smuggled, so we seized them. Why did you suddenly ask about this car? Is this car related to you?" Tang Yuan'an thought Huang Xiaochuan was there to act as a mediator.

Huang Xiaochuan quickly waved his hand: "It has nothing to do with me. I just thought that car was nice, powerful and imposing, with a large interior space and an automatic transmission, so I was thinking about whether I could buy one."

Tang Yuan'an said "Oh" and couldn't help but glance at Huang Xiaochuan a few more times.

He had heard from his sister that Huang Xiaochuan's family was quite wealthy, but he never expected that they could afford a car.

However, Tang Yuan'an still had a good impression of Huang Xiaochuan. When Huang Xiaochuan said he wanted to buy a car, he naturally wanted to help him.

"Ogawa, you only want to buy a Toyota? What about other brands?"

Because these cars were only detained for verification and not yet confirmed to be smuggled vehicles, they had not been confiscated. Therefore, Tang Yuan'an naturally couldn't help Huang Xiaochuan buy such a car. However, there were quite a few cars confiscated by customs, which Huang Xiaochuan could choose himself.

"I don't necessarily want to buy a Toyota. I just happened to see one and came to ask. Other models are fine too, as long as it's an SUV."

"We just confiscated a batch of smuggled cars, they're in our warehouse. I'll take you to see them. If you see one you like, pick one, and I'll help you with the paperwork."

Huang Xiaochuan's eyes lit up. A car confiscated by customs! If he could buy this one, he would have gotten a great deal.

"Hehe! If it's not too much trouble, then please have Brother Yuan'an take me to see him!"

"It's no trouble at all. We'll get rid of these cars soon. It doesn't matter who we sell them to. As long as you're interested, that's fine."

Tang Yuan'an personally drove an Accord to the warehouse with Huang Xiaochuan.

Huang Xiaochuan looked at the car Tang Yuan'an was driving. It was an automatic car with a sunroof and central locking system. This configuration was considered a luxury car in those days. The main problem was that the old cars like the 212, Shanghai sedan, and Volga, which had been used in China for decades, had manual windows. The 212 was a bit shabby, with its windows made of plexiglass. Over time, the windows would become rough, and you couldn't see anything outside the window even when you were pressed against it. Fortunately, the windshield was glass.

The worst part is that none of these cars have air conditioning. It's a little better in winter, but in summer, sitting inside is like being in a sauna.

When Huang Xiaochuan arrived at the warehouse, it was like Ali Baba entering the treasure cave of the Forty Thieves. His eyes couldn't take it all in. The warehouse was full of well-known foreign car brands. Although the cars were covered with a thick layer of dust, the flaws did not detract from their beauty. As long as they were washed and driven out, they would definitely turn heads. At this time, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi were not popular. As long as it was an imported car, the bigger the better!

The warehouse has Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Ford Mercury, Cadillac, Dodge, Chevrolet, Toyota, Mitsubishi, and many other brands.

Huang Xiaochuan spent half a day in the warehouse and found several Ford SUVs, along with several Lexus SUVs, all North American models. These smugglers have quite a good eye.

He liked both of these cars. In his previous life, Huang Xiaochuan had owned a Land Rover, but he sold it to pay off debts. Although the cars in front of him were older models of off-road vehicles, Huang Xiaochuan knew that they were tough and durable.

The off-road vehicles of this era were different from the newer models of later generations. They still used manual differential locks and the automatic transmissions only had four gears, unlike the seven-speed transmissions of later generations. However, the displacement was quite impressive, with an eight-cylinder engine and a displacement of 48 liters, making them a true gas guzzler.

No problem, although there are only 70 and 90 octane gasoline available now, the price is cheap! 90 octane gasoline is only 12 yuan per liter, so there's no need to worry about fuel consumption. Lexus has the same engine displacement as Ford. Apart from the interior being more upscale than Ford's, the exterior is just so-so. However, most people don't recognize this brand, so it looks a bit low-key.

Huang Xiaochuan circled around the two cars for a long time, unable to decide between the Ford and the Lexus.

In the end, Huang Xiaochuan suddenly remembered a saying from later generations: "Only children make choices, adults want everything," so he decided to buy both a Ford and a Lexus.

Huang Xiaochuan asked Tang Yuan'an with a smile, "Brother Yuan'an, could we buy two?"

Tang Yuan'an was shocked. This guy actually wanted to buy two cars? He must be really rich.

Since Huang Xiaochuan could afford it, Tang Yuan'an was happy to do him a favor. These confiscated vehicles were mostly bought by people with connections and relatives and friends of customs officials. The country didn't lose out, and individuals also benefited. Why not?

Thinking of this, Tang Yuan'an joked, "If you had money, you could buy all these cars. Have you chosen one? What brand?"

Huang Xiaochuan pointed to the two cars further inside: "The Ford SUV and the Lexus next to it."

Tang Yuan'an looked at the two cars and said, "Wow! Both of those cars are gas guzzlers. Filling up a tank will probably cost more than a hundred yuan."

Huang Xiaochuan laughed and said, "It's alright, it's alright. The main thing is that they have good off-road capability. You know, Brother Yuan'an, the road conditions in some places are not very good. With these two cars, it's convenient to go anywhere."

"Alright! Once you've chosen, I'll take you back to check the exact prices. There are too many cars; I can't remember all the selling prices!"

After returning to customs with Tang Yuan'an, Tang Yuan'an found a clerk who was in charge of this matter to check the price.

When the price was quoted to Huang Xiaochuan, Huang Xiaochuan's jaw almost dropped to the ground.

The Ford costs 230,000, and the Lexus costs 310,000, which is a little more expensive. So the two cars together cost only 540,000, and this price includes all taxes.

In fact, this price is astronomical for ordinary people. You should know that the price of any car can buy a very nice house in Shanghai.

But for Huang Xiaochuan, who is now quite wealthy, this is really a bargain, because he knows that buying these two cars through normal channels would cost more than a million.

Huang Xiaochuan asked, "How do I pay?"

The clerk said, "I'll give you an account. Go to the bank, deposit the money directly into it, and then bring the deposit slip."

Huang Xiaochuan nodded excitedly: "Okay! I'll send it over tomorrow."

If it weren't for the paperwork and bank transfer issues, Huang Xiaochuan would have loved to drive those two cars away right now.

As Huang Xiaochuan was about to leave, Tang Yuan'an suddenly asked him, "What are you planning to do with your license plate?"

This stumped Huang Xiaochuan again. His household registration was under a collective household, so even if he bought a car, it wouldn't be registered in his name. Oh no! Seeing the car made him so happy that he completely forgot about the whole thing.

Seeing that Huang Xiaochuan was stumped, Tang Yuan'an laughed and said, "Alright, I'll take care of the license plate for you."

Hearing this, Huang Xiaochuan was overjoyed: "That's great, thank you, Brother Yuan'an."