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License Plate Hunter
墨書 Inktalez
I played with the car keys in my hand, once again confirming the price.
This red 2020 Porsche Cayman, originally priced at 2.9 million, had been negotiated down to 2.38 million.
As a used car appraiser at a dealership, I knew how rare this price was.
"Lao Wei, I've reviewed the contract for you, and everything looks good," my wife, Xiao Lin, said with a smile as she set the contract down.
"After so many years, my dream is finally coming true."
I nodded and signed the contract.
Twelve years ago, when I was just an apprentice mechanic, I had become infatuated with this brand of cars.
It took me a full twelve years to go from a mechanic to an appraiser.
"Master, do you need me to accompany you for the registration?" Xiao Li, my apprentice and a skilled technician at the shop, asked.
"This car is in excellent condition; the original paint hasn't been touched."
"No need. Just keep an eye on things at the shop. If any similar models come in on the way back, hold off on pricing them."
This is a rule of the industry; a sudden influx of similar cars can affect market expectations.
"Understood." Xiao Li smiled and joked, "Don't worry, Master. I promise to keep an eye on the prices for you."
The Vehicle Registration Office was bustling with people.
I took a number and opened my phone to confirm the materials.
Identification card, vehicle purchase contract, residence permit, inspection report—all complete.
"Mr. Wei, right? Let me see your documents." The staff member took the materials and began to operate on the computer.
Suddenly, her brows furrowed. "I'm sorry, but the system shows that you already have a vehicle registered under your name."
"That can't be possible," I said in surprise. "I've never bought a car."
"Look here, this is the system record." She turned the screen toward me.
"You have a Volkswagen Passat registered under your name, with the license plate A·7X5D2, and it was registered last August."
I stared at the screen, my mind racing in confusion.
The owner field for this Passat clearly displayed my name, but I had no idea what this car was.
"Can I see the detailed information about this vehicle?"
"I'm sorry, but this involves personal privacy. You need to inquire at the Service Hall."
I immediately rushed to the Service Hall and submitted a query request.
Ten minutes later, an A4 sheet was handed to me.
"Lao Wei, what's going on?" Xiao Lin also hurried over. "What did you find out?"
"Take a look for yourself." I handed her the paper.
Xiao Lin quickly scanned the information and suddenly gasped, "This is a taxi!"
"What?" I snatched the document back.
The registration details showed that it was an operational vehicle belonging to the Jincheng Municipal Taxi Company.
"Someone has stolen your vehicle purchase quota," Xiao Lin frowned.
"Quotas in cities with purchase restrictions are very scarce; the black market price is at least 200,000."
I took out my phone and photographed all the information.
Just then, a text message popped up: "Hello, Mr. Wei. I am Manager Zhang from Jincheng Taxi Company. We sincerely apologize for the issue regarding the vehicle under your name. Would it be convenient for us to meet and discuss this in detail?"
I exchanged a glance with Xiaolin.
She whispered, "Be careful, this isn't as simple as it seems."
"Don't worry, I'll meet him first." I typed a message: "Sure, you choose the location."
The Jincheng Taxi Company was located in an old commercial building in the eastern part of the city.
The elevator was out of order, so I climbed five flights of stairs to reach the office.
"Mr. Wei, sorry to keep you waiting," greeted a man in his forties.
"I'm Zhang Ming, the branch manager."
In the office sat a middle-aged man wearing gold-rimmed glasses, dressed in a suit, sipping tea.
Zhang Ming introduced him as the company's legal counsel, Lawyer Liu.
"Mr. Wei, this incident was indeed due to our oversight," Zhang Ming said, offering me a cigarette, which I politely declined.
"Last year, the Transportation Department suddenly increased a batch of operational quotas. The procedures were quite complicated, and there was an error when the staff entered the information," he explained.
"An error?" I scoffed. "You mean just randomly picking someone's identity information and plugging it into the system?"
"Mr. Wei, you're joking," Lawyer Liu said as he set down his teacup.
"We are a legitimate company and would never engage in such activities. There was indeed an issue with the staff during the verification process, and the company has already taken action against those involved."
"So how will this be handled now?"
"We suggest the following," Zhang Ming said as he pulled a document from his drawer.
"First, we will take responsibility for canceling the registration of this vehicle and restoring your eligibility to purchase a car. Second, we will offer you a compensation of 300,000 yuan as an apology for the inconvenience caused. Of course, we would also need you to sign a letter of understanding."
I glanced at the document; it was a standard civil mediation agreement.
Xiao Lin had taught me that once such an agreement is signed, it means giving up the right to pursue further claims.
"I'm sorry, but I need to think it over," I said as I stood up.
"Since this involves the vehicle management department, I want to understand everything clearly first."
"Mr. Wei, I advise you to resolve this privately; it would be better for your job... Making this public won't benefit anyone," Lawyer Liu suddenly interjected.
I was taken aback. Had they even looked into my job?
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