Reborn as Zhao Ruilong of Handong, I will defy fate.

Chapter 344 Zhong Xiaoai's True Feelings Revealed! Even at a Loss, She'd Go for the High-E

Late at night.

Yanjing International Airport was brightly lit.

Amidst the howling cold wind, a passenger plane, its navigation lights flashing, roared as it landed.

Inside the terminal building, at the domestic arrivals exit.

Upon hearing the announcement, I learned that the flight from Gyeongju had landed.

Zhong Xiaoai quickly looked at the big screen.

Zhao Ruilong's flight finally changed from the red "delayed" status to "arrived".

"Phew~ Thank goodness, the plane has finally arrived!"

Zhong Xiaoai took out her phone and immediately sent a message to Xiao Jinhua, who was staying at the hotel to entertain the guests.

Whether it's Xiao Jinhua, the initiator of this private event, Zhong Xiaoai, the organizer, or the guests invited from all over the country.

Everyone knew perfectly well that the real purpose of this private event was to showcase China's first new energy vehicle, which was secondary.

Most importantly, this is an opportunity for the guests to meet Zhao Ruilong, the heir of Handong.

If we could become acquainted with Young Master Zhao, or overhear a business opportunity...

Then the trip will truly have been worthwhile.

and so……

The success of the private event largely depends on whether Zhao Ruilong can attend; the new car is just icing on the cake.

That's why Xiao Jinhua and Zhong Xiaoai were extremely nervous when they heard that Zhao Ruilong's flight was delayed due to weather and was at risk of being canceled.

If it weren't for the bad weather, Xiao Jinhua would have used his connections to apply for air rights and send his private plane to Jingzhou to pick up Zhao Ruilong and bring him to Yanjing.

Although the plane was delayed by several hours, it finally landed safely.

I waited anxiously for several minutes.

at last.

Zhao Ruilong has been released.

Although she was wearing a hat and a mask, Zhong Xiaoai recognized her at a glance.

He immediately stood on tiptoe, excitedly waving to signal.

The look of joy on her face was as if she had seen her long-lost lover.

She didn't realize that her 'excessive enthusiasm' was amiss.

But everyone around her just assumed she was there to pick up her boyfriend.

Otherwise, how could she have such a spring-like look in her eyes and such a beautiful smile?

"Auspicious Dragon!"

A warm and affectionate greeting, barely concealing its excitement.

Zhong Xiaoai blurted it out without thinking at all.

Zhao Ruilong, who strolled over, had slept well on the plane and was now wide awake.

Having lived two lives, he clearly felt that Zhong Xiaoai no longer treated him like a superior or subordinate.

It's hard for someone to hide their feelings for another person.

Whether it's their speech, mannerisms, eyes, or smile.

It will always be revealed unintentionally.

"Thank you for picking me up so late at night."

"It's not hard work at all, it's what I should do."

Zhong Xiaoai smiled and pointed towards the parking lot.

"Come this way, Mr. Xiao is still waiting for you at the hotel for a late-night snack!"

"Sure, I'm a little hungry."

"The flight was delayed by several hours. Didn't the airline provide any meals?"

"They gave us bread and bottled water."

"Seriously? That's stingy! You're in business class, aren't you? Are they just going to give you bread and bottled water too?"

"Yes, but compared to economy class, business class passengers can ask for more food if they don't have enough."

"Damn, that's stingy! If I had known it would turn out like this, I should have had Mr. Xiao send a private jet to pick you up."

……

Because of their work, the two not only spent a lot of time together, but also kept in touch frequently.

So, without realizing it, Zhong Xiaoai also learned some of Zhao Ruilong's 'catchphrases'.

She was already used to it and was very casual in front of Zhao Ruilong, their relationship more like that of friends than boss and employee.

We chatted casually as we walked into the parking lot.

As soon as Zhao Ruilong took off his mask, Zhong Xiaoai, who was standing next to him, quickly took out a cigarette and offered it to him.

She knew that Zhao Ruilong had a smoking habit, and since he worked in public relations, he inevitably had to deal with people, so he naturally always carried cigarettes with him.

only……

Seeing Zhong Xiaoai gently offering him a cigarette with a smile, even the filter facing him.

Zhao Ruilong was somewhat taken aback.

Is this woman acting?

Or has she truly fallen in love with herself?

"What? Not smoking?"

Zhong Xiaoai asked with a smile.

"Yes, I haven't smoked for hours, I'm dying to breathe!"

Zhao Ruilong took the cigarette and just put it in his mouth.

A crisp, metallic clang.

Zhong Xiaoai turned the roller and lit the ignition, bringing it closer.

"you……"

"It's okay."

Zhao Ruilong quickly leaned forward slightly and protected the fire with both hands.

After lighting the cigarette, he gently patted Zhong Xiaoai's hand to express his gratitude.

"I knew you'd been holding it in for hours, so I prepared this especially for you! Here, take the lighter!"

"You have your own cigarettes, but you have to hand in your lighter as soon as you enter the airport. How are you going to light your cigarettes if you don't keep them?"

As she spoke, Zhong Xiaoai closed the lid of the expensive Zippo lighter in her hand and handed it to Zhao Ruilong.

Zhao Ruilong took the metal casing and held the heavy Zippo lighter in his hand.

"Then I'll keep it for two days and return it to you later."

"Just keep it, it's just a lighter."

Of course, Zhong Xiaoai wouldn't say that this was a New Year's gift she had carefully prepared for Zhao Ruilong.

"I can't keep it even if I want to. When I have to fly back to Jingzhou, can I even take it on the plane?"

After saying that, Zhao Ruilong repeatedly opened and closed the lid of the Zippo lighter.

The crisp metallic sound is particularly relaxing and pleasant to the ear.

"That's true. You can't bring lighters on a plane, not even in checked baggage."

"However, after the private event, the support convoy sent by Handong Automobile Group will be returning to Jingzhou. I'll have them give you a ride back on their way!"

Zhong Xiaoai quickly came up with a solution.

A gift given away can never be taken back.

"Alright, let's get going!"

The three cars quickly drove out of the parking lot.

Zhong Xiaoai, who was sitting next to Zhao Ruilong, quickly gave a report on the preparations for the private meeting.

This includes Dou Jiansheng, the deputy general manager of Yanjing Automobile Company, who came to test drive the car for nearly an hour without being invited, and gave it a good review before leaving.

"Whether his evaluation of our new car is good or bad is not important. As a senior executive of Yanjing Automobile Company, even if the cars of our competitors are terrible or ugly, he will definitely say polite things to our face."

"In contrast, our new car hasn't even been officially launched yet, and we haven't even started the private preview event, but he actually showed up uninvited and test drove it for quite a while, which surprised me quite a bit."

Zhong Xiaoai laughed and said, "His eagerness only proves that our car has indeed caused a stir in the automotive industry and attracted great attention from our peers."

"Moreover, I think he genuinely likes our new car, because I saw his surprise, amazement, and enjoyment during his test drive."

Zhao Ruilong smiled without saying a word.

It's only 2002!

Many people haven't even used an old-fashioned 2G keypad phone yet.

The streets and alleys are filled with gasoline-powered cars, and most of them are manual transmission.

Against this backdrop.

Take the essence of several hybrid SUV models from another world that have achieved high sales in the fierce market competition, and combine them into one car in this world.

Its exterior and interior alone are enough to amaze people today. In addition, it has many more technological features than today's mainstream cars, making it even more technologically advanced and stylish.

It's like taking any cheapest smartphone to a world where even wealthy people are still using keypad phones; it would definitely surprise people, making them feel that it's too advanced and too futuristic.

Just like a motorcycle that is nothing special in a big city, if you bring it to a poor, backward, and inconvenient state like the Philippines, the locals will definitely think it is very advanced and powerful, and they will especially want to own one.

therefore.

They took several best-selling car models from another world, modified them, and then built them in this world.

For the people of this world, nature is like a 'dimensional reduction attack'.

Even though Dou Jiansheng is from a powerful family and works in the automotive industry.

It would be strange if he weren't amazed and impressed by technological products that are ahead of our time.

"By the way, should we officially announce the prices for our private event tomorrow?"

"Our car is advanced and stylish. Our guests will definitely be eager to know when our Land Rover M9 will be available for purchase and how much it will cost."

Zhong Xiaoai stared at Zhao Ruilong with a curious expression.

She was also very curious to know how much Zhao Ruilong would sell this first hybrid car in China, which had cost a lot of manpower, material resources, and financial resources, for.

Zhao Ruilong did not rush to answer.

I took a deep drag on my cigarette and looked out the car window at the city lights.

Do you think our car can be considered a luxury car?

"Of course you can!"

Zhong Xiaoai replied without hesitation:

"Putting everything else aside, our luxurious, grand, and stylish appearance is already better looking than many imported luxury cars that cost millions."

"Moreover, in order to build this car well, we received help from so many scientific research institutions and military enterprises, which brought together a lot of advanced technologies and used the best materials and processes."

"To ensure safety and reliability, we have conducted countless tests, both large and small, and scrapped dozens of test vehicles. We are more sincere and dedicated than those so-called century-old car companies."

"So our car has a beautiful appearance, a high level of configuration, top-notch safety, and excellent reliability. Just because it is made in China, does that mean it can't be called a luxury car?"

"On the contrary, I think that those imported cars that cost hundreds of thousands or even millions of yuan are actually not that great in terms of appearance, interior, performance, configuration, workmanship and materials. They have an extremely high premium simply because of the brand power."

Zhao Ruilong glanced sideways and reached out to stub out his cigarette.

"For luxury cars, once they reach the million-yuan level, talking about the exterior, interior, performance, features, workmanship, and materials is not very meaningful. What consumers want more is emotional value!"

"Like luxury cars, watches, and handbags, luxury cars exhibit a clear Veblen effect, meaning that the more expensive a product is, the more consumers like it."

"High prices, while giving goods a sense of scarcity, can greatly satisfy people's conspicuous consumption mentality. Just like driving a big Mercedes back to your hometown and riding a motorcycle, the feeling is definitely very different."

"Moreover, humans are social animals. After basic survival needs are met, psychological needs will inevitably arise. Most people, influenced by their family environment and life experiences, will crave a sense of satisfaction and superiority."

"How can one demonstrate their status, position, and wealth? How can one arouse envy and jealousy in others and gain recognition from certain circles? Buying luxury goods is the simplest, most direct, and highly effective way!"

"Yes!"

Zhong Xiaoai smiled and said: