Completely Different

The cool blast of air-conditioning washed over Kaelen the moment he stepped through the heavy glass doors of the dealership. The sprawling showroom gleamed under bright LED spotlights, illuminating rows of polished steel, rich leather, and flawless glass. A sharply dressed sales team leader, wearing a tailored black skirt suit and high heels, caught sight of him. Her professional smile was already pinned in place as she began to approach, but her eyes flicked past his shoulder to the giant glass window.

Right outside, leaning on its kickstand beside a pristine luxury sedan, was his rusted, squeaky bicycle.

The team leader paused mid-step. A flicker of disgust flashed across her manicured features. Still, she had been in the high-end car business long enough to hear the rumors. Nowadays, eccentric billionaires and old-money heirs loved to dress down and pedal around on junk just to test people. Looking at Kaelen’s athletic frame, his calm posture, and his sharp jawline, she forced the bright smile back onto her lips. She thought to herself that he might be a rich man pretending to be poor. She adjusted her name tag and marched over to claim the potentially massive commission.

"Welcome to our premium showroom," she greeted, her voice dripping with practiced warmth. "May I know what kind of vehicle you are looking for today, sir?"

"I am just looking around," Kaelen replied casually, his gaze sweeping across the vast floor.

"Right this way," she gestured toward a sleek white car sitting center stage under the brightest lights. "This is our latest 3-Series BMW. It boasts a powerful engine and unmatched class. I guarantee it will turn heads and garner all the attention whenever you cruise down the street."

Kaelen stepped up to the vehicle. He rested a hand on the hood and glanced at the discreet placard resting on the dashboard. Three hundred and fifty thousand dollars.

He frowned slightly. Elena had endured years of public humiliation, unbelievable stress, and financial struggle for his sake. Now that he was back, she deserved nothing but the best in the world. A basic three-hundred-and-fifty-thousand-dollar starter car was an insult to a woman of her caliber.

"No," Kaelen said, shaking his head. "This car is too flashy on the outside, and its interior is too simple. Let me check out the other cars."

He came up with the dismissal smoothly, but the damage to the saleswoman's demeanor was instantaneous. The polite warmth drained from the team leader's face, replaced by a deep scowl. That excuse was the textbook line of a broke window-shopper trying to save face after seeing a price tag they could not afford.

She realized her assumption was wrong. Her jaw tightened. He was just a poor man wasting her time.

"Ugh. What a poor, pretentious brat," she muttered under her breath, turning her back on him. She did not care if he heard her. The fabric of her skirt swished sharply as she stalked away in absolute disgust. If he could not afford a steering wheel, he should have just stayed outside.

Kaelen ignored her retreating figure. He shoved his hands into his pockets and wandered deeper into the glittering showroom.

Over by the reception desk, the senior sales staff watched the interaction with mocking grins. They saw their team leader ditch the guy in the cheap jacket. That told them everything they needed to know. The man was a deadbeat. A nobody who could not even afford the floor mats of the cheapest model on the floor.

"Hey, newbie," a senior saleswoman with heavy makeup sneered, nudging a young girl with a tight ponytail. "Go serve that man."

The young girl, Hannah, blinked her wide eyes and clutched her clipboard. She wore an oversized blazer and looked nervous, fresh out of training.

"Hannah, do not be stupid," another veteran laughed, leaning against the counter and filing her nails. "He is a broke loser. You are just going to waste your breath. Let him wander until he feels embarrassed enough to leave."

Hannah bit her lower lip. She looked over at Kaelen, who was currently examining a pair of high-end Audis. "Sir, he is our customer. Maybe he cannot afford it today, but it does not mean he will not purchase a car in the future. I should serve him."

Ignoring the blatant ridicule and scoffs from the veteran staff, Hannah smoothed her blazer and hurried over to Kaelen.

"Such a silly girl," the veteran mocked, her voice echoing across the tiled floor. "Even the team leader gave up on him. She has no idea how this industry works."

Hannah swallowed her growing nervousness as she approached Kaelen. "Hello, sir. This is the latest Audi RS5." She spoke with a slight tremor in her voice but pressed on earnestly, detailing the horsepower, the advanced safety features, and the custom leather stitching.

Kaelen nodded incessantly as he listened. His eyes drifted over the two identical models parked side by side. One was a stunning metallic blue. The other was a fierce red. He pictured Elena behind the wheel of the red one. It suited her fiery spirit and her refined elegance. The blue one would be a perfect, reliable daily driver for her mother, Miriam. He checked the sticker price. Eight hundred and seventy thousand dollars each. That was much more fitting.

Seeing Kaelen nod, Hannah felt a sudden surge of hope. Her face brightened. She thought she might actually have a real shot at making a sale.

"Let me take a look at the other cars," Kaelen said abruptly, stepping away from the Audis without a backward glance.

He needed vehicles for his father-in-law Gareth and himself. He walked straight past the mid-range displays and headed directly for the sprawling Mercedes-Benz section.

Hannah took a deep breath. She told herself not to give up. She jogged slightly to catch up with his long strides, maintaining her patience.

"Sir," Hannah gestured to a commanding vehicle. "This is the AMG C-Class Mercedes-Benz. It was one of our best sellers last year. It is fully imported. The price is six hundred and thirty thousand dollars. The motor power and the sophisticated interior design make it an incredible investment."

Her explanation was fluent, showing the countless hours she had spent memorizing the catalog.

"Okay. That is enough," Kaelen cut her off abruptly, raising his hand.

Hannah’s hopeful expression shattered. Her shoulders slumped, and she hung her head low in disappointment. She assumed she had pushed her luck and lost the sale. He was annoyed. The senior staff watching from the corner exchanged victorious, mocking grins. They loved watching the new blood fail.

Kaelen turned to face her, his expression calm and smooth. "I want a white version and a black version of this Mercedes-Benz. And I want one each of the blue and red Audi."

Hannah froze. The showroom ambiance seemed to fade into white noise.

"Send all four cars directly to this address after completing the full registration tomorrow," Kaelen continued smoothly, pulling a slip of paper and a gleaming bank card from his pocket. He held them out to her. "I would like to make the full payment right now."

Hannah stared at the bank card. Her jaw hung open. Four top-tier luxury vehicles. Millions of dollars. All in one breath.

"S-Sir?" Hannah stammered, thinking the stress of the job was finally making her lose her mind. "W-What did you say?"

"You heard me," Kaelen said, handing over his bank card. "I want all four of them. Let us process the payment."

"Okay! Yes, sir! I will proceed with the formalities right away!"

Hannah shuddered in pure excitement. Her fingers trembled as she took the bank card. She clutched it to her chest like a lifeline and dashed across the showroom floor toward the glass-walled manager's office where the arrogant team leader was sitting.

The team leader looked up from her phone, her brow furrowing in irritation as Hannah practically slammed the clipboard onto her desk.

"Hannah, what is wrong with you?" the manager scolded, crossing her arms. "I told you to be smarter. You have to distinguish between real buyers and broke window-shoppers. They just come in to take pictures for their social media. While you were wasting time on that poor guy, Rachel over there sold an eighty-thousand-dollar pickup. You need to learn from her."

Hannah shook her head rapidly, her face flushed red with adrenaline. "Ma'am... that guy wants to buy two C-Class AMG Mercedes-Benz models worth six hundred and thirty thousand each. He also wants the two Audi RS5s worth eight hundred and seventy thousand each. I need the official purchase agreements."

The team leader froze. Her lungs stopped working. "What? Two Mercedes and two Audis?"

Hannah nodded, sliding the sleek bank card onto the desk. "He is paying in full. Right now."

Jaw-dropping disbelief shattered the manager's arrogant composure. A cold sweat broke out across her neck. Four luxury cars. Three million dollars. The commission on that single transaction would be tens of thousands of dollars. It was a life-changing sum. And she had squandered it because she did not like his jacket and his bicycle.

Crushing regret washed over her. She wanted the polished tiled floor to open up and swallow her whole.

The news spread like wildfire. The senior staff at the reception desk overheard the frantic typing and the massive numbers being processed. Their eyes widened to the size of saucers. Their previous hostility vanished, replaced by a rabid jealousy. They had shoved the golden goose into the lap of the clueless newbie as a cruel joke.

Within seconds, the tension in the showroom morphed into a desperate circus. The once-dismissive salesgirls hastily swarmed Kaelen like desperate bees to honey.

"Sir, please have a seat! The paperwork will take just a moment!"

A tall saleswoman rushed over with a tray of premium coffee and delicate snacks. "Handsome, please try this. It is freshly brewed."

"Sir, this is my personal business card," another bold salesgirl purred seductively, eager to slip a gold-embossed card into his hand. "Please contact me directly if you want to buy a car next time. If you ever can't sleep at night, you can also definitely talk to me to kill your boredom."

They desperately tried to butter him up, practically elbowing each other out of the way to get closer to his wealth. Even the humiliated team leader shamelessly joined the fawning crowd. She scurried out of her office, her attitude a pathetic reversal from her earlier disgust.

"Sir, I apologize for my earlier distraction! Let me personally oversee your registration process to ensure everything is flawless!" she fawned, offering a sycophantic smile.

Kaelen took a sip of the coffee, his expression unreadable. He ignored the business cards piling up next to his cup and the sweet perfume suffocating the air around him. He only gave his attention to Hannah, who rushed back with the finalized contracts. He signed his name with a few quick strokes, collected his card, and stood up.

He checked his watch, noting the time. He needed to get moving. Without sparing a single glance at the desperate crowd, Kaelen walked out the glass doors. He mounted his rusted, squeaky bicycle, kicked up the stand, and began the slow pedal back toward his family, leaving a showroom full of shattered egos in his wake.