"Bang!"
A dull thud echoed, and the front of the car jolted sharply.
"Ah..." Xu Duo let out a soft exclamation, a wave of frustration swelling in her chest. She usually drove calmly, but for some reason, she had encountered this mishap today. She quickly shifted gears to park and pulled up the handbrake, steadying the car, and stepped out.
"Do you even know how to drive?!" came a loud yell, followed by the sight of a middle-aged man emerging from the other car. He first glanced at Xu Duo's car and then scowled, his disgust more apparent. "Tch... a broken Passat. I must have been cursed today."
Xu Duo didn't respond immediately; she just stood quietly, her gaze growing colder as she watched the middle-aged man perform his little show.
"Well, what are you going to do about this?" The middle-aged man looked furious, his voice brimming with aggression. "Take a good look. This is a Benz with the Three-Pointed Star. Do you recognize it?"
"Yes, it's a Benz. Who doesn't know about it?" Xu Duo replied, her voice a mix of amusement and irritation.
"Good. Now, quickly, how are you going to resolve this?" The middle-aged man sneered, his eyes scanning her car with disdain. "This car of mine cost over a million. I just bought it a few days ago, and you crashed into it. My time is valuable, so I won't ask much. Just give me 8,000, and I'll take care of it myself. This is just bad luck."
"This is a Benz E300, right? The fashion model? If I'm not mistaken, the official guide price is 675,000," Xu Duo said, glancing at the car and peeking inside. She was sure of her observation. "With insurance and taxes, it would be around 800,000 after all is said and done."
"You..." The middle-aged man was caught off guard, his face flushing with embarrassment, but he quickly composed himself. "Fine, let's say it's 800,000. It's still a luxury car. Look at my car. The front end is crushed, and a large chunk of paint came off. Asking for 8,000 is reasonable, don't you think?"
"Did you buy your driver's license?" Xu Duo suddenly changed the subject.
"You... mind your own business," the man shot back, furious. "The car's been crashed, we need to sort it out. I don't have time to waste."
"Regardless of where your license came from, the traffic rules are clear. When turning, you need to yield to oncoming traffic. This is not a special traffic area, so the vehicle going straight has priority." Xu Duo couldn't help but find the situation ridiculous and almost felt no patience left. "And then you want me to pay? Take a look at the front of my car. The same thing happened—my front is also dented, and the paint came off. This is clearly your fault."
"Your broken Passat is worthless!" the middle-aged man insisted, still sticking to the illogical argument that luxury cars were always right.
"If you're going to keep saying that, there's nothing more to discuss," Xu Duo said, no longer interested in arguing. "Let's call the traffic management and let them handle it. Whoever's at fault will pay, and then we can decide if we'll go through insurance or settle privately." She began to pull out her phone to call the police.
Just then, by coincidence, a police officer on a motorcycle arrived. Not far from the intersection, there were officers on duty, and clearly, they had noticed the situation. Xu Duo saw the officer and put her phone back.
"Officer, you've arrived just in time. This Passat crashed into my Benz. Could you help us sort it out?" the middle-aged man said, rushing to speak first.
The officer didn't respond immediately. He parked his motorcycle and carefully walked around both cars, inspecting the damage. After a few moments, he seemed to have already made his judgment.
"Officer, this guy asked me for 8,000 right away. I was hoping we could settle this privately, but he insists on being difficult. I was just about to call the police," Xu Duo explained clearly, her tone respectful but firm. "Now, please help us handle it."
"I think you both should try to negotiate privately," the officer replied, his expression somewhat complicated as he glanced between Xu Duo and the middle-aged man, seemingly resigned to the situation. "What do you think?"
"No way!" The middle-aged man was having none of it, still clinging to the ridiculous idea that his luxury car had the right of way. "I'm driving a Benz! His junky Passat isn't worth anything!"
"You're sure you don't want to resolve this privately?"
"Absolutely not!" The middle-aged man was adamant.
"Fine then," the officer said with a sigh, already giving the man a chance to resolve it amicably. Now that he refused, the officer moved to handle the situation officially. "According to traffic law, in non-special traffic areas, the turning vehicle must yield to oncoming traffic."
"Owner of the Benz, you were turning. The brake marks show you didn't yield. You are fully responsible. Call your insurance company." The officer's last words were almost a personal reminder.
"This... this can't be happening!" The middle-aged man's face fell. Deep down, he knew it was his fault. He'd been rushing and speeding a little. His car was already clearly in violation of the rules. "But I didn't see the car when I was turning!"
"Look at the front of her car. If she had hit you, it would have been on the door, not the front. The evidence is clear. Just call your insurance." The officer, clearly growing frustrated, patiently explained the situation.
"Fine, fine... I don't have time for this. Let's just settle it privately!" The middle-aged man finally relented, his attitude shifting from defiance to defeat.
"Are you sure you want to settle privately?" The officer couldn't help but feel sorry for the middle-aged man. He checked again, and upon receiving confirmation, turned to Xu Duo. "What do you think is a fair amount?"
"I don't want much. Just 80,000 would be fine," Xu Duo said calmly.
"80,000? Are you trying to rob me?" The middle-aged man's voice became shrill.
...
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]