Minivan

The USA is known as a country on wheels, where cars are an indispensable part of urban development. It can be said that buying a car in the United States is not a big deal at all. At the same time, there is fierce competition among car dealers. When Hugo and Joseph walked into the car dealership, they could see five people actively approaching them within their line of sight. Two of them, who were relatively close, even had a slight physical collision. However, in order to maintain a good image in front of the customers, further conflict was avoided.

Hugo saw the rare liveliness in front of him and suppressed a smile at the corner of his mouth. He tilted his head slightly towards Joseph and said, "Is this the car dealership you're familiar with?" After getting in the car earlier, Joseph didn't even ask anything and drove straight to this car dealership. Just from this action, one could tell Joseph's enthusiasm for buying a car, even if it wasn't a sports car but a minivan.

Joseph's mouth twitched slightly, not responding to Hugo's teasing. Instead, he said to the first car dealer who approached him, "I'm here to see Alfonso." As soon as he said that, he could clearly feel a pause in the footsteps of the five people. Two of them turned around decisively and walked in different directions, while the other two hesitated for a moment, then quickly approached with excitement on their faces.

The person who was originally at the forefront stood disappointedly in place and shouted, "Alfonso, someone's here to see you." But then he saw two other people approaching, one from the front and one from behind, and they both exclaimed, "Hugo!" The person at the front paused for a moment, immediately realizing what was happening, and blurted out, "Hugo?"

Now the chances of Hugo being recognized on the street have risen again, especially with "A Few Good Men" currently being released. People always greet him warmly and express their love for Hugo. It was the same at the Motorola store earlier, and now at the car dealership.

Hugo smiled and greeted the three car dealers in front of him, shaking hands, hugging, and chatting casually about Demi Moore. However, their conversation was interrupted by a muscular man of similar age to Joseph who came up. Joseph's face blossomed with a big smile, and he directly hugged the man in front of him. The two of them even pounded each other's backs forcefully, using this violent gesture to express their happiness.

This man who had just walked over was about the same height and build as Joseph. He had a head of fluffy curly hair and a thick beard that exuded a strong Spanish vibe. His eyes, which could speak, were full of charm. Joseph smiled at Hugo and introduced, "Alfonso Lopez, my childhood buddy."

"You can call me Alfonso." Alfonso's face was filled with a warm smile as he gave Hugo a big smile.

However, Hugo looked at Joseph and said with a smile, "I'm not sure, Joseph?"

But before Joseph could answer, Alfonso immediately spoke up, "Joe, you can call him Joe, or Joey." Alfonso patted Joseph's shoulder, his smile carrying a hint of teasing. It was evident that Alfonso and Joseph had completely different personalities. Compared to Joseph's somewhat cautious and careful nature, the enthusiastic Alfonso, who exuded friendliness from the moment they met.

Hugo glanced at Joseph, who stood awkwardly and somewhat restrained beside him. Although they had known each other for almost a year and their interaction had progressed from tension to ease and familiarity, eventually becoming good friends, they still couldn't be considered best friends. On one hand, it was due to Joseph's personality, and on the other hand, it was because Hugo had been cautious since he just crossed over to this world.

"Are you Spanish?" Hugo smiled and didn't pick up Alfonso's previous remark.

Alfonso nodded. "Of Spanish descent."

"How did you guys meet?" Hugo had never noticed any Spanish traits in Joseph, but there were many residents of Spanish or Mexican descent in Joseph's hometown of Houston.

"Don't you know Joe has half Spanish heritage?" Alfonso pointed to Joseph. "We've known each other since we were kids. We lived on the same street. You can ask me about anything related to him; I won't keep any secrets." Hugo didn't know if it was just his imagination, but when he looked at Joseph, he did see a hint of Spanish style, especially in his ice-blue eyes, which were exceptionally deep.

Joseph knew that if he let Alfonso continue talking, he might end up revealing everything. That was precisely why Alfonso could become a car dealer. So he quickly spoke up, "We want to buy an MUV. Do you have any recommendations?"

"Oh, right, buying a car," Alfonso finally realized. It was evident that Joseph didn't bring Hugo to the dealership for introductions as friends. "Do you have any specific models in mind?"

Joseph glanced at Hugo and received a negative answer. "No, you can make the recommendations."

Alfonso nodded and walked ahead, leading the way. He turned back and asked, "Do you have a price range in mind?" Then he pointed to a row of minivans not far away. "The demand for minivans has been continuously increasing, and the price difference isn't significant. With a budget of $15,000 to $30,000, you can get a very good vehicle."

$15,000 to $30,000, if buying a car in China, the price would increase by at least 20 percent, or even double. However, in a foreign country, especially in the United States, the prices were much more affordable.

"Recommend a few models to us," Joseph didn't say much, and it was clear that he trusted Alfonso.

Alfonso wasn't one to hesitate. He enthusiastically introduced three or four models to Joseph. One of them, the Renault Espace, impressed Hugo. With a front-engine front-wheel-drive and monocoque body, it was less prone to oversteering and offered better stability and flexible space arrangement. It also had a broad field of vision and many unique features, making it the best-selling model in Europe.

"Do you want to take a test drive?" After Joseph finished driving two laps and returned, Alfonso turned his head to Hugo, who was sitting in the second row, and asked.

Hugo was still marveling at the comfort and coziness of the MUV when he heard Alfonso's question. He hesitated for a moment and said, "Uh, no, I don't want to." But he felt that his response seemed inappropriate, so he continued, "I don't think it's necessary. If we go out in this car, the driver won't be me."

Joseph, sitting in the driver's seat, suddenly remembered an important point. "Hugo, have you stopped driving since the accident?"

Hugo hesitated and mumbled a somewhat ambiguous reply. Joseph and Alfonso also realized that there was no need to continue with this topic, so there was a moment of silence in the car.

Hugo had been in a car accident last year, injuring his left knee. After that, he developed a psychological barrier and couldn't overcome it when he attempted to sit in the driver's seat. His left knee would continue to ache, so he had to give up driving. Before his transmigration, Hugo himself had also been in a car accident. Although it didn't cause serious injuries, it was a precarious situation hanging on the edge of a cliff. Afterward, every time Hugo drove, he felt breathless and his hands would sweat profusely. Over time, he simply stopped driving.

Joseph glanced at Hugo through the rearview mirror and saw that Hugo's gaze was somewhat restless. He knew that his guess was correct; Hugo still had psychological pressure from the car accident, which prevented him from sitting in the driver's seat again. This made Joseph breathe a sigh of relief and dampened his excitement about buying a new car.

As an excellent car dealership broker, Alfonso had keen observational skills. He withdrew his gaze from the rearview mirror and cheerfully asked, "Joe, are you planning to go home for Christmas?"

"No, I don't want to go back this year." Joseph shook his head and then looked deeply at Alfonso as if conveying a message.

Alfonso, who grew up with Joseph and knew him well, instantly understood what was going on. It seemed that the matter from Thanksgiving was still unresolved. Although Joseph hadn't discussed it with him, the family was well aware of the situation. Alfonso casually said, "I plan to go back for a visit. Do you want me to pass on any message for you?"

"Give them his mobile phone number," Hugo replied after coming back to his senses. After all, he wasn't sitting in the driver's seat, so the fear of those memories wasn't as profound. He spoke in a relaxed tone.

Indeed, with Hugo's interjection, the atmosphere became lively again. Alfonso exclaimed in surprise, "Did you buy that brick?"

"It's not a brick anymore. It's less than six ounces now." Hugo enthusiastically discussed it with Alfonso. Meanwhile, Joseph focused on discussing insurance matters with Alfonso. Hugo was completely unaware of those things and walked to the entrance of the dealership, looking at the colorful cars neatly lined up in the parking lot. The morning sunlight was scorching, warming up the chilly winter.

Looking to the right along the avenue, Hugo saw a group of people lingering in front of a graffiti wall. They were dressed casually, some simple, some extravagant, and some flamboyant. However, they all had one thing in common—the musical instruments in their hands. As far as Hugo's eyes could see, there were four guitars, two bass guitars, and two sets of drums arranged in a packed formation. They stood there chatting, their faces filled with excitement, as if waiting for someone.