Reborn to Build a Billion-Dollar Empire

Chapter 008

Vanessa Mercer froze when she heard that, then threw her head back and burst into laughter.

"Victor Hale! Did the alcohol rot your brain or something?"

The saleswoman's eyes were fixed solely on Victor now, greeting him with the respect due a VIP customer, but Vanessa interrupted her.

Vanessa tugged at the saleswoman's sleeve again.

"Honey, listen to me! I'm not lying to you! This man, he's an absolute animal. If it weren't for the fact that you treated me so well just now, I wouldn't even bother warning you about him. Seriously, this man, he..."

Truth be told, if it weren't for the fact that Vanessa had just purchased a car from her, the saleswoman would have lost her temper long ago.

After dealing with Vanessa perfunctorily, the young woman turned to Victor.

"Sir, why don't we step inside to talk? Would you prefer coffee or tea?"

"That won't be necessary."

Victor pulled his bank card directly from his wallet and handed it over.

"I'll take this model. Do you have it in stock right now?"

"Yes, yes we do!"

The saleswoman beamed, flashing a brilliant white smile. "This luxury elegant edition Astor A3 just launched a few days ago. Because of its higher price point, Fairhaven has plenty in stock."

Victor nodded with satisfaction, glancing at Vanessa from the corner of his eye before asking the saleswoman, "What car did she just buy?"

The saleswoman paused for a moment, then answered honestly.

"This lady and her husband purchased a Wexler."

Victor followed up immediately.

"What's the price difference between that and mine?"

"Victor!" Her anger flared in an instant, fury practically erupting from her chest.

"Stop putting on airs you cannot afford! You think I don't know whether you have any money in your pocket?"

"You lunatic! Don't think you're something special just because you can pull out a bank card! Everyone has a bank card these days! But do you actually have money in yours?"

"That's right! Honey, you should check it right now! This man is an animal! He's just pulling out some random bank card to spite me! Really, go check it right now!"

Vanessa never expected Victor would retaliate this way, catching her completely off guard.

She no longer cared about her own reputation now. If he dared to fight back, then she'd see this through to the bitter end.

Dale Corwin tried to pull her away but couldn't hold her back. Instead, she dragged him further into the showroom.

Because Vanessa kept making such a scene, more and more onlookers gathered to watch the spectacle, eventually blocking Victor's path entirely.

The saleswoman's face showed clear displeasure now, though her professionalism kept her from arguing with Vanessa. She led Victor toward the back.

Victor followed with a faint smile on his face.

"You still haven't answered my question."

The saleswoman hadn't even finished speaking earlier before Vanessa had already gotten this worked up.

Victor was particularly curious to see how Vanessa would react once the price difference was announced.

By this point, the saleswoman had clearly formed her own judgment about the two of them. She replied to Victor loudly and respectfully.

"Sir, the Astor A3 is one hundred and eighty thousand dollars. That Wexler cost barely a fraction of that."

Upon hearing this, Victor looked at Vanessa with an amused smile.

Money and composure were power. They were victory.

The more Victor avoided direct confrontation with Vanessa, the angrier and more stifled she became.

"Swipe it! Swipe the card! Why are you wasting time talking?"

Vanessa had staked her entire reputation on this. There was no retreat now, only forward.

However, buying a car wasn't like buying vegetables. Before payment could be processed, purchase agreements and other documents needed to be signed.

The crowd that had been watching from the beginning gradually reached their own conclusions.

"That man is quite handsome. He doesn't look like a lunatic at all."

"I think so too. Look at how beautifully he writes. You can tell he's had a proper education."

"If you ask me, that woman's the one who acts like a lunatic. That mouth of hers won't stop squawking like a crow."

This last comment struck a nerve with Vanessa. She whirled around and glared furiously at the elderly woman who'd insulted her.

"What did you just say? I'm a lunatic? Take a look at what I'm wearing, designer brands from head to toe. This one outfit alone cost over eight hundred dollars!"

"Him, Victor Hale! You have no idea what he's really like. He's an absolute animal! If you knew what he's done, you wouldn't be saying any of this."

"Sure, he went to college. He built something from nothing and became a business owner. But the moment his company collapsed, he became completely worthless. He even has to get his meal money from my sister every month!"

"He is an animal, I'm telling you..."

While Vanessa was busy smearing Victor's reputation, the purchase contract was completed and it was time to swipe the card.

"They're swiping the card now, they're swiping it."

Someone's reminder drew everyone's attention back to the saleswoman.

In all her time selling cars, the saleswoman had never encountered a situation quite like this. She felt like a dealer at a gambling table with everyone staring intently at the cards she was about to reveal.

Vanessa's eyes were glued to the card reader. Many others' eyes moved back and forth between the machine and Victor's expression.

Victor himself didn't even glance at Vanessa. He calmly organized his documents, already planning tomorrow morning's trip to register the vehicle.

The bank card slid through the reader. Moments later, a white receipt began emerging from the slot.

Receipts only printed when transactions succeeded.

The onlookers froze for a moment, then slight smiles appeared on their faces. They glanced at Vanessa, and murmurs rippled through the crowd.

"Who would've thought? So pretty, so well put together, but she's actually a crazy woman."

"What a waste, truly."

"That young man buying the car has genuinely good character. She slandered him right to his face and he didn't even get angry with her."

"Exactly! Didn't I say so earlier? You can tell just by looking at him that he's an educated man with money. My eye for these things is never wrong!"

The moment Vanessa decided to stake her reputation on this gamble, Victor had already won.

So he no longer cared about the outcome, or even about Vanessa's reaction in this moment.

He retrieved his bank card and receipt, took the car keys, and headed to the warehouse with the bright young saleswoman to pick up his vehicle.

"The warehouse is over by the plaza, Mr. Hale. Please follow me."

To reach the warehouse, they had to turn around and walk past Vanessa.

Only then did Victor actually look at her. She resembled a bomb ready to detonate at any second. Her face, caked with thick rouge and powder, had flushed as red as a balloon. Her entire body trembled with rage, yet she had no recourse whatsoever.

Victor walked past her with complete nonchalance, as though Vanessa were nothing but air.

This prompted quite a few bystanders to feel indignant on Victor's behalf. They began speaking up righteously to defend him.

"Look at him! You just tried your damndest to destroy him, and he didn't say a single vindictive word! You really are a crazy woman!"

"She is completely insane!"

"You're her husband, right? Take her home already and stop letting her embarrass herself in public!"

"Seriously, if it were me, I would have beat the hell out of her by now."

The tide of condemnation behind him rang clearly in his ears.

Victor maintained his gentlemanly composure on the surface, but inside, tears threatened to fall.

For so long, he'd endured so much humiliation from the Mercer family. Today, he could finally release this pent-up resentment.

Still, tonight was merely an appetizer. The real show was yet to come.