Brother Xiao Mao and Ranran entered one after the other, just as Zhou Wang was sitting on the sofa admiring the watch on his wrist.
He had never worn a watch before, but he instantly loved the feeling of this one. In that moment, he didn't even think its 400,000 yuan price tag was too steep, and it had nothing to do with the confidence the System had given him.
Though the watch wasn't particularly eye-catching at first glance, it possessed an inexplicable understated coolness.
Just then, Ranran and Brother Xiao Mao approached. Zhou Wang showed the watch to Ranran and asked, "What do you think?"
"It's really nice! It suits you perfectly, Brother!" Ranran replied after carefully examining it.
She genuinely liked it. Zhou Wang was wearing the Versace casual outfit he had just bought, and both its color scheme and style inexplicably complemented the watch.
"Then it's settled!" Zhou Wang had already made up his mind. Since Ranran, unaware of the watch's price, also approved, it should earn him plenty of "Impression Points."
As Zhou Wang showed the watch to Ranran, Brother Xiao Mao instinctively glanced over.
Hmm, it's certainly attractive, he thought, but not one of the IWC models I'm familiar with. Unfazed, he stepped forward with a smile. "Hello, I'm Ranran's boss. I have a quick question..."
"Hold on a moment!" Zhou Wang snapped, his mind focused on the rapidly dwindling time left in the round. He couldn't afford any distractions, lest another unexpected incident arise.
Brother Xiao Mao frowned at the abrupt interruption, but restrained himself.
"I'll take this watch. Where do I pay?" Zhou Wang turned to Manager Cao, who had been waiting patiently.
Maintaining his professional composure, Manager Cao showed no outward surprise, though inwardly he was astonished by Zhou Wang's decisive purchase. After all, less than ten minutes had passed since Zhou Wang entered the store.
The previous customer had clearly admired the same watch, but the hefty price tag of 400,000 yuan had given him pause. Manager Cao had already given up hope of selling it so easily.
"Mr. Zhou, although you've made up your mind, I feel it's important to clarify one more thing," Manager Cao said.
"Go on," Zhou Wang replied.
Seeing Manager Cao's earnest demeanor, Zhou Wang listened patiently.
"At IWC, we often run promotions on many of our popular models. In short, you can receive discounts of varying degrees on most of our watches. For watches in the 400,000 yuan price range, you still have several options, such as the IW503604 from the Pilot's Watch Collection or the IW503406 from the Portugieser Collection."
Manager Cao continued sincerely, "You might even find a model you like better among these alternatives. However, if you insist on this limited-edition piece, you won't be eligible for any discounts and will have to pay the full retail price of 436,000 yuan. So..."
"Pfft... cough, cough!"
As Manager Cao was explaining, Brother Xiao Mao, who had picked up the teapot and was casually pouring himself a cup of tea, suddenly choked on his drink. He stared in astonishment, unsure whether to look at Zhou Wang or the watch in his hand.
"How much?!"
"Did you just say how much...?"
Brother Xiao Mao wondered if he'd misheard.
This watch... costs over 400,000 yuan?!
Brother Xiao Mao wasn't usually one to lose his composure, but his face contorted involuntarily at the price.
Manager Cao's words were interrupted by Brother Xiao Mao's cough. Zhou Wang frowned at him, and Brother Xiao Mao instinctively made an apologetic gesture.
Compared to Brother Xiao Mao, Ranran wasn't as shocked. Having witnessed Zhou Wang's lavish spending in luxury boutiques, she almost found it expected.
Although Manager Cao hadn't finished speaking, Zhou Wang already understood his point: while discounts might be available on other watches in the same price range, this particular model would have to be purchased at full price, a potential "loss" for the customer.
Manager Cao was certainly attentive to his customers' interests. What more could one ask for from a shopping experience?
With a wry smile, Zhou Wang shook his head. "Thank you, but I'm not interested in anything else. Please process my card."
"Certainly. One moment, please."
Manager Cao didn't press the matter further. He quickly retrieved the POS machine from the front desk, and only when the receipt printed out, displaying "436,000 RMB," did Brother Xiao Mao fully grasp the reality: this young man he'd dismissed as a kid had actually spent over 400,000 RMB on an IWC!
Dude, that's an IWC!
Brother Xiao Mao's mind swirled with unspoken "holy shit" moments.
It wasn't that he'd never seen a 400,000 RMB watch before; he'd even encountered million-yuan timepieces. The real shock stemmed from the fact that it was an IWC...
The problem lay in the sheer abundance of superior alternatives at that price point.
Audemars Piguet, Vacheron Constantin, Lange... even a respectable Patek Philippe could be within reach!
Take his own Longines, for example. Even entry-level models from this brand cost 60,000 to 70,000 RMB. But with that kind of budget, who in their right mind would choose Longines?
Forget prestige—even from an investment perspective, Rolex utterly trounced IWC. The latter was notorious for its oversupply and plummeting resale values.
Don't give me that limited edition crap. Put this IWC on your wrist, and who's going to recognize it as a limited edition?
Yet as Brother Xiao Mao calmed down and reconsidered, his gaze toward Zhou Wang subtly shifted.
Brother Xiao Mao could tell that Zhou Wang genuinely liked the watch, without considering any other factors.
When someone buys an expensive item without thinking about its investment potential, it can only mean they don't need the money.
Brother Xiao Mao had once heard a wealthy businessman say that, from an asset allocation perspective, watches and cars weren't the biggest expenses for the truly rich. They were merely for show, and spending a hundred or two hundred thousand yuan on a watch when one's net worth was in the tens of millions was considered a reasonable allocation.
But four or five hundred thousand?
More importantly, given Zhou Wang's age and the fact that he was alone, it was likely this was just his "allowance" from his family...
The deeper Brother Xiao Mao pondered, the more unsettling the implications became.
What kind of family could raise a child like this?
While Brother Xiao Mao's imagination ran wild, Zhou Wang had already moved to the full-length mirror in the store. He gazed at himself, waiting for the System's "judgment."
He didn't have particularly high expectations. He just hoped the Azure Dragon Blade would yield at least a 100% return, ensuring he wouldn't lose money on this purchase.
Ding!
The System notification finally arrived as expected.
Detecting Host's completed outfit change. System evaluation in progress...
System evaluation complete. Current Outfit Impression Points: 97
Congratulations, Host! You have received a 97% reimbursement, now credited to your account. Please verify receipt.
Host has triggered the Lucky Number "97" and received an additional reward: a one-time item, Fiona's Etiquette Training Manual (details in the System Warehouse).
Ding!
Transaction detected. Trist's Azure Dragon Blade effect activated, granting a 300% reimbursement on the purchase.
Reminder: Trist's Azure Dragon Blade's energy has been depleted and it has automatically disintegrated.