"What? 80,000? Why don't you just go rob a bank?" The middle-aged car owner screamed, his voice shrill enough to tear through the atmosphere, causing the people around him to cringe in pain. "This is ridiculous! It's just a broken 'Passat,' the front bumper's dented, and they want 80,000 from me?"
"Actually, their request isn't that unreasonable," the young traffic officer couldn't hold back any longer. He furrowed his brows and said in a stern tone, "Take a proper look at the rear of their car, specifically the letters, the ones that start with 'P'."
"Also, don't you find it strange? Is there any Passat with a body this long?"
"Look at the interior too. Does a regular Passat come with such luxurious features?" The officer couldn't help but ask, though his tone had a trace of frustration, like he couldn't believe the man still didn't understand. "Take another look at the front, it's not just a simple dent. There's water on the ground, so the radiator is definitely broken. We don't even know if there's more damage yet."
"If the engine's been damaged too, even if you sold your Mercedes E300, it might not be enough to cover the costs," the officer added, exaggerating a little, though the E300 was still a luxury car worth around 400,000 to 500,000 even as a second-hand model.
The middle-aged driver's face alternated between white and red.
"What's wrong?" the officer snapped, giving the man a stern look. He couldn't help but feel a bit of sympathy for him, after all, the situation was pretty "tragic," but he still tried to explain more calmly, "This isn't a Passat. It's a rare Phaeton. If I'm not mistaken, this is the latest model, just released last year."
"This is the top-of-the-line version, with a base price of 1.42 million. After all the fees, it'll cost you nearly 1.6 million. One of these cars costs enough for you to buy two E300s. And here you are, talking about your 'Benz'?" The officer finally revealed the truth.
"I-I… This is a Phaeton?" The middle-aged driver stammered.
"2010 top-of-the-line extended Phaeton!" Xu Duo had been quietly watching this spectacle, but now she finally spoke up, her voice gentle yet firm, "The front's crushed, the radiator's broken, and we don't know the rest of the damage yet. Given all that, is asking for 80,000 unreasonable?"
"Go through insurance and see what they'll compensate," the officer reminded kindly.
"This..." The middle-aged driver's face immediately fell, and after hesitating for a moment, he murmured, "I... I didn't buy third-party insurance!"
"..."
Xu Duo froze, her eyes wide in disbelief.
"..."
The officer was equally stunned, unsure of how to react to this sudden twist.
Thinking about it, though, it wasn't that surprising. After all, it was a luxury car. Most other cars would avoid it on the road, and given how rare luxury cars were, accidents involving them were relatively rare. Not having third-party insurance might not be completely unreasonable.
"Let's talk this through," the middle-aged driver finally admitted defeat, his tone softening with a hint of pleading. "Can we lower the amount? Everyone's trying to make a living, right?"
"Officer, I've decided to go through the official process and take the car to a professional inspection center. Whatever they say the compensation is, that's what we'll go with," Xu Duo's anger flared again, remembering the terrifying moment when the two cars collided. The unease was still fresh, and she couldn't hold back anymore. "Didn't you say your car was worth several hundred thousand? I have all the time in the world, so we can take it slow."
"Cut me some slack," the officer sighed helplessly, still trying to mediate and side with the middle-aged driver. "Let's just settle for 100,000. I'll make that decision. If we go through the official process, it'll waste time and require multiple trips. Isn't that too much trouble?"
"100... 100,000?" The middle-aged driver gasped.
"I'll tell you this," the officer explained patiently, "just towing the car back and forth for inspection will cost a few thousand. The whole process could easily cost 10,000 to 20,000. And if major issues are found, you'll have to compensate for everything."
"You're fully responsible, so all the costs are on you, understood?" the officer asked, his tone now mixed with a sense of helplessness. He had tried to help, but the man seemed unappreciative.
"Fine!" The middle-aged driver, not a fool, finally realized the officer was trying to help him, so he gritted his teeth and agreed.
"…What do you think?" The officer turned to Xu Duo.
"Fine!" Xu Duo took a deep breath, suppressing her anger, and nodded lightly. "100,000."
"Hurry up and get the money over here, whether you borrow it or find another way, just make it quick!" The officer, relieved the situation was finally settled, let out a long sigh.
The dispute was finally over. While Xu Duo still felt some discomfort, she chose to compromise for the officer's sake. Otherwise, she really wanted to teach this arrogant luxury car driver a lesson.
As for the car damage, Xu Duo barely cared. Because the moment the two cars collided, the renovation system had already given her a prompt. If there was a prompt, it meant the car met the requirements for renovation, making everything much easier.
After the matter was resolved, Xu Duo tried starting the car and found it was still drivable. She drove it a little further before pulling over to check the renovation system's information.
Upon seeing the details, Xu Duo nearly had her eyes pop out in shock.
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。