He even asked about the availability of specific replacement components.
Emily looked at him with growing curiosity.
"Sir, have you owned this type of vehicle before?"
Thomas smiled faintly.
"Not this exact model."
"But you seem very familiar with the engineering."
"I've spent most of my life around automobiles."
Emily nodded.
"That's wonderful."
Thomas looked toward the showroom floor.
"When I was younger, I used to repair engines in a small workshop. There were days when I worked fourteen hours and still couldn't afford to replace my own tools."
Emily listened carefully.
"What happened to the workshop?"
Thomas paused.
"Life happened."
He looked down at his hands.
"Sometimes people build something wonderful, and then circumstances force them to walk away from it."
Emily sensed that there was a much longer story behind those words.
But she did not ask.
Instead, she returned to the vehicle brochure.
"Would you like me to arrange a closer inspection?"
Thomas nodded.
"Yes, please."
Across the showroom, Richard was watching them.
He could not understand why Emily was spending so much time with someone he considered an unqualified visitor.
He approached again.
"Emily, I need you in my office."
She looked up.
"Can it wait a moment?"
"No."
Thomas gently closed the brochure.
"Please don't let me interrupt your work."
Emily shook her head.
"You're not interrupting anything, sir."
Richard sighed.
"Emily, now."
She stood reluctantly.
"I'll be right back."
Thomas nodded.
"Take your time."
CHAPTER 4: THE CUSTOMER WHO KNEW TOO MUCH
Emily entered Richard's office.
He closed the door behind her.
"What's going on out there?"
"I'm assisting a customer."
Richard shook his head.
"That is not a customer. That's someone who wandered in from the street."
"You don't know that."
Richard stared at her.
"Have you looked at him?"
"Yes, I have."
"And?"
"And he asked intelligent questions about the vehicle."
Richard laughed.
"Anyone can read a brochure."
Emily folded her arms.
"Then why not let him see the car?"
"Because we have actual customers arriving today."
Emily looked toward the office window.
"Shouldn't we treat everyone who enters here with respect?"
Richard leaned against his desk.
"Listen carefully. This is a business. We have targets. We have commissions. We have responsibilities. We cannot afford to waste our resources."
Emily answered firmly.
"Helping someone for ten minutes isn't wasting resources."
Richard pointed toward the door.
"Get back to work. But don't spend the entire afternoon entertaining him."
Emily returned to the showroom.
Meanwhile, Thomas had moved closer to the black sedan.
He was examining the exterior finish.
He looked at the wheel design, then at the vehicle's front suspension.
A younger sales representative named Jason approached.
"Can I help you with something?"
Thomas nodded.
"I was hoping to learn more about the engineering behind this model."
Jason looked at him.
"Are you purchasing today?"
"I may be."
Jason smiled politely.
"Well, if you're serious, we can discuss financing options."
Thomas shook his head.
"I don't require financing."
Jason looked surprised.
"All right."
Thomas continued examining the vehicle.
"Who supplies the braking system?"
Jason hesitated.
"I'm not sure."
"And the battery configuration?"
"That depends on the model."
Thomas nodded.
"Understood."
Jason quickly glanced toward Richard.
The manager was standing near the reception counter, watching them.
Jason lowered his voice.
"Sir, if you don't mind, perhaps I can arrange a meeting with one of our technical specialists."
Thomas smiled.
"That would be helpful."
At that moment, Richard approached.
"Jason, what are you doing?"
"Just helping the gentleman with his questions."
Richard looked at Thomas.
"Sir, I believe we've already explained our position."
Thomas remained calm.
"I haven't asked you for anything unreasonable."
Richard stepped closer.
"You're asking questions that our sales team doesn't need to answer unless you're prepared to make a purchase."
Thomas looked directly at him.
"Then perhaps your sales team needs better training."
Jason looked down.
Emily, who had just returned, heard the final sentence.
Richard's face turned red.
"Excuse me?"