Daniel had planned to stop, but one shot of espresso martini led the Abel brothers to plead relentlessly.
Regardless, he thought, a few more rounds wouldn't hurt and could even broaden their horizons.
So, Daniel mixed five different cocktails, leaving Abel and Allen reeling, not from drunkenness but from sheer exhilaration.
The three sat at the bar, chatting and sipping their drinks.
When Allen found out that Daniel wanted to buy a car, he generously offered, "I have a Raptor that I've never even driven since I bought it. If you don't mind, you can take it."
Daniel, of course, declined.
Although a Raptor was an entry-level pick-up in Libertopia and not expensive, it still cost tens of thousands of StellaCoins.
If he accepted it for no reason, he might owe a huge favor. Plus, he was not short of money.
Seemingly sensing Daniel's hesitation, Abel chimed in: "Relax. It's just that Allen really doesn't like that car."
"We're offering it to you because we've hit it off and feel that we're going to become good friends."
"Of course, if you really feel uncomfortable, just do us a favor by keeping an eye out for us at the auction tomorrow."
That was something Daniel could easily do.
As he was still considering, Allen already dialed a number: "Hey Mo, take out my Raptor. I'll send you the location later."
After hanging up, he grinned, "It'll be delivered soon."
With the two so eager to gift him a car, Daniel had no more words.
He mixed two more drinks.
While sipping, he asked, "There's another auction tomorrow?"
Abel nodded, "Generally, auctions are held every two to three days. In between, there might be some rush auctions for containers, like yesterday."
"The port will announce it in advance on their TwistTweets account."
"Really?" Daniel took out his phone and opened TwistTweets.
Indeed, on the verified account of the Golden Shores port auction, there was a recent tweet about the next day's auction.
What surprised Daniel was that the picture below was of him.
Confused, Daniel asked, "What's this about?"
Allen, sipping a martini with a new flavor, exclaimed before explaining: "You've been the biggest winner at these recent auctions, so naturally, the port would use your image for promotion."
"Although people don't recognize you yet, once yesterday's recording is aired, you'll probably become the envy of everyone, probably by tonight."
Envy, even jealousy?
Well, what can I do?
Daniel could only laugh helplessly, but it also gave him pause.
The producers of the show would undoubtedly reveal his consistent knack for finding bargains in the auctions, spinning the narrative that anyone with a bit of luck could turn their life around at the container auctions.
While this was undeniably true, it also spelled a great deal of trouble for him.
There might be people who would grow envious to the point of harboring ill thoughts towards him out of pure greed.
After all, Libertopia was the most gun-friendly nation in the world where virtually everyone owned a firearm.
Walking down the street, you could even see people openly carrying automatic rifles.
Anyone could potentially turn into a threatening villain.
Upon this realization, Daniel felt the need to further beef up his own strength.
The sports equipment he ordered should be arriving soon.
By using the system to buyback this equipment, his physical condition could be improved further.
However, no matter how much he improved, he was not invincible to bullets and blades.
It was time he armed himself with a weapon for self-defense.
Lost in his thoughts, Daniel was interrupted by Abel's voice.
"Dan, the car's here. Let's go take a look."
Daniel snapped back to reality, "That was quick?"
Abel responded, "Our place is just about ten kilometers from here. It wouldn't take more than twenty minutes to get here."
"Let's go."
Daniel nodded and followed the brothers out.
Exiting the villa, he saw Allen's pickup truck.
The Ford F-150 Raptor, an entry-level pickup truck, selling for 167,000 StellaCoins in Libertopia.
The vehicle, with its five-and-a-half-meter-long body and two-meter height, looked like a muscular brute.
Equipped with a four-wheel drive, an eight-cylinder 5.4-liter engine with a maximum horsepower of 310, it was indeed a mechanical beast.
This type of 'macho car' was often paired with tough-guy roles in Libertopia's movies.
Daniel couldn't help but exclaim, "Awesome!"
Abel turned to him, completely agreeing, "I think so too, but Allen insists it's ugly."
Allen quickly interjected, "I never said that. I just think this type of vehicle is more for rough-and-tumble guys like you. For a handsome and suave young man like me, I should be driving a two-door supercar. Now, that's cool."
Daniel simply smiled and said nothing.
The boy's claim to be handsome was a complete mismatch.
With a long horse-like face and a skinny frame that looked like skin and bones, although he was tall, his overall look resembled a thin bamboo pole, the thinnest kind.
He looked like someone suffering from malnutrition due to drug addiction.
Daniel responded, "Thank you, I really like it."
Allen hastily replied, "As long as you like it, the car is yours from now on. Now I finally have an excuse to change my car."
Abel said helplessly, "Dan, I'll transfer the truck's info to you directly. You can do whatever you want with it. We've had quite a few drinks today, so it's a good thing Allen's brother Mo can drive us back in my car."
Daniel nodded, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then saw the brothers off.
Once Abel's car disappeared from sight, Daniel turned to look at the Raptor parked at his doorstep.
After all, it was his first car.
Though it was a bit on the cheaper side, he really liked the look of it.
Daniel decided to take it for a spin and opened the door to get in.
But just as he was about to climb in, a voice from the system echoed in his ear.
[Item]: Ford F-150 Raptor (Pickup Truck)
[Age]: Modern [Condition]: Brand New
[Details]: Entry-level pickup truck. Full of horsepower, great for hauling loads!
[Appraisal]: Worth buying!
[Market Price]: 167,000
[Buyback Price]: 100,000
[Would you like to buyback?]
Daniel was slightly taken aback.
Granted, second-hand vehicles depreciate, but not this much.
A brand new car that had barely been driven was reduced by more than 60,000 StellaCoins in an instant.
This system sure knew how to make a profit.
However, the system did reward antique appraisal skills when buying back antiques, and increased physical attributes when buying back fitness equipment.
So, what would buying back a car reward him with?
Daniel was somewhat intrigued.
He didn't have much money to lose anyway.
Worst case scenario, he'd just buy Allen a new car.
With that thought in mind, Daniel chose to buy back the vehicle.
The next second, the giant vehicle that was parked right before his eyes vanished like magic.
Although a new vehicle appeared almost immediately, Daniel still looked around anxiously to make sure no one was watching before letting out a sigh of relief.
If anyone saw this process, it could have caused quite the stir.
Confused, Daniel looked at the new vehicle that had just appeared.
Where did this car come from?
Almost simultaneously, the system's voice echoed in his mind again.
[You've acquired expert-level driving skills!]
[You've acquired the limited edition Brabus pickup truck!]
[You've acquired expert-level car repair skills!]
A triple win!!!
Three rewards, just like that!
This time, luck was on his side once more.
Daniel couldn't contain his excitement.
As always, the three rewards were closely related to the item bought back by the system.
The driving skills and repair skills had instantly transformed Daniel from a car novice to a car expert.
He quickly browsed through the new car-related information in his mind and it wasn't an exaggeration to say that with his current driving and car repair skills, he was among the best not only in Libertopia, but the entire world!
Daniel was very pleased and his gaze fell on the Brabus in front of him.
The Brabus, after a major modification of a Mercedes G63, had turned into a pickup truck.
With its silver-gray body, the car exuded a strong, sturdy, and secure feeling, yet it was also undeniably domineering.
This was one of the 21 limited edition Brabus pickup trucks sold worldwide, each with a whopping price tag of 250 StellaCoins!
Daniel pulled open the door, and the sturdy door felt surprisingly light due to the craftsmanship.
He climbed into the car, started it up, and pushed the pedal to the metal.
The engine roared like a wild beast.
A grin spread across Daniel's face as he couldn't help exclaiming, "Damn, this is cool!"