Chapter 174 - 158: The True Chinese Ultra-Luxury

Chapter 174: Chapter 158: The True Chinese Ultra-Luxury

"A National Gift?"

Gu Heng paused for a moment, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes.

Seeing Gu Heng’s expression, Deng Zhihong knew that Gu Heng was largely unfamiliar with the Red Flag National Gift model he had just mentioned. But it was normal for Gu Heng not to know. The model had only just been announced by Hongqi officials, and through private channels at that.

Only a very small number of people in China had been fortunate enough to be invited by the Hongqi brand for a viewing.

"That’s right."

"The Red Flag National Gift."

"It’s the Hongqi brand’s newest 2024 ultra-luxury flagship sedan. Its design core is the pinnacle of Chinese luxury, deeply integrating Eastern aesthetics with modern craftsmanship through a unique design language. It hasn’t been officially released yet."

"I’ve seen the car in person, and its ultra-luxurious quality is in no way inferior to the Rolls-Royce Phantom. In fact, in my personal opinion, I think many of the car’s details are even more impressive than the Phantom’s. It perfectly showcases our Eastern charm and the profound heritage of a great nation. You could call it a perfect fusion of top-tier Chinese luxury and modern technology."

Deng Zhihong grew inexplicably excited as he talked about the car.

While explaining, he handed the tablet he was holding to Gu Heng. The screen was filled with photos—all of them, as Deng Zhihong had said, were actual shots of the not-yet-released Red Flag National Gift, along with videos of the real car.

Gu Heng took the tablet from Deng Zhihong and began to carefully browse through the files.

Wang Wan Ning, sitting beside Gu Heng, leaned in slightly. It was also her first time hearing about this pinnacle of Chinese luxury, this ultra-luxury flagship sedan that Deng Zhihong had praised so highly, and she was filled with curiosity.

The young woman’s natural fragrance, mixed with a fruity perfume, drifted into Gu Heng’s nose, inexplicably lifting his mood.

"Chairman Gu, the dimensions of this Red Flag National Gift are 5980mm in length, 2090mm in width, and 1710mm in height, with a wheelbase of 3730mm. In terms of size alone, it’s completely comparable to the long-wheelbase version of the Rolls-Royce Phantom. In fact, its length is just shy of requiring a yellow license plate instead of a blue one."

"Besides that, I think the most incredible part of this car is its details. From the outside in, every part is imbued with a romance and sentiment unique to us, the people of China."

At this point, Deng Zhihong quickly swiped his hand across the screen, pulling up close-up shots of the car’s front and rear.

"Look closely..."

"The design language secretly mirrors the axial symmetry of the Forbidden City!"

"The nine-square chrome grille, representing the emperor’s supreme status!"

"The round headlights, symbolizing the roundness of the heavens!"

"The waterfall grille, symbolizing the squareness of the earth!"

"The palace lantern-style taillights, projecting an aura of stability and balance!"

Deng Zhihong continued his rapid-fire introduction while pulling up more photos for Gu Heng.

Watching the photos flash by, Gu Heng felt a ripple of emotion in his heart.

’It’s hard to imagine that this dignified and magnificent ultra-luxury sedan is domestically produced,’ he thought. ’Even more surprising is that its brand, Hongqi, is based in my home province of Ji.’

"The interior of the Red Flag National Gift uses Forbidden City red Gold-Thread Nanmu wood trim, cloud-pattern brocade embroidered headliners, and Fujian lacquerware techniques. The stitching throughout the car has a precision of 0.1mm. Everything you see is purely handcrafted."

"As for modern technology, it’s also at a top global standard. Electric leg rests, a privacy partition, an in-car refrigerator, multi-screen connectivity, 5G networking, Autopilot-assisted driving, a 360-degree panoramic camera... it has everything."

Deng Zhihong’s speech grew faster and faster. Judging by his extremely smooth delivery, he had clearly invested a great deal of attention and passion into this Red Flag National Gift.

"How much is this Red Flag National Gift?"

Gu Heng had watched all the photos and videos from start to finish. He had already made a decision.

Compared to the Rolls-Royce Phantom, the cliché, overused lead car for weddings, this Red Flag National Gift was clearly more to Gu Heng’s liking. Setting aside its truly top-tier quality, on the basis of hometown pride alone, Gu Heng felt he had to support it.

"The official price for the flagship standard edition hasn’t been announced yet, but the price range should be between 7 and 7.5 million yuan. It should be about 1 million yuan cheaper than the base price of a Rolls-Royce Phantom."

"But that’s just the flagship standard edition. If a client has special requirements and wants a lot of optional features, they can contact Hongqi’s advanced customization department. They can provide exclusive bespoke services."

"For example, customizations using intangible cultural heritage crafts like Kesi silk tapestry, cloud-pattern brocade, carved lacquer, Diancui kingfisher feather art, and Suzhou embroidery. Or even a bulletproof version meeting state-guest security standards, with multi-layer composite armor, an explosion-proof fuel tank, and self-sealing tires. Basically, all of that is available."

Deng Zhihong answered Gu Heng’s question truthfully.

"Chairman Gu, don’t be fooled just because the price of the flagship Red Flag National Gift is quite a bit lower than the Rolls-Royce Phantom, as if it’s a step down."

"What’s that saying again?"

"It’s not that China has no luxury goods, it’s that you can’t afford China’s *true* luxury goods!"

Deng Zhihong smiled. "The real luxury of the Red Flag National Gift lies in its incredibly high ceiling for customization. A truly top-of-the-line, fully specced-out Red Flag National Gift will definitely far exceed the total price of a top-of-the-line, fully specced-out Rolls-Royce Phantom."

"Just you wait and see."

"The day the Red Flag National Gift is truly unveiled to the public, it will definitely stun the entire world. I’m very confident about that."

Deng Zhihong spoke with absolute conviction, looking full of confidence.

"So..."

"Can this car be ordered now?"

"Brother Hong, do you have a connection?"

After Deng Zhihong finished, Gu Heng hit him with the two most important questions.

"It can be ordered, and I do have a connection."

Deng Zhihong cleared his throat twice. "However, Chairman Gu, I still suggest you go to the Hongqi Headquarters and see the car in person before you decide whether to order. And if you want advanced customizations, you’ll need the official Hongqi staff to explain the complex options to you in detail."

"Hongqi Headquarters?"

"In Beichun?"

Gu Heng’s brow twitched, his expression a little strange.

"That’s right."

"In Beichun."

Deng Zhihong added, "Give me your personal information and contact details later. I’ll forward them to the officials at Hongqi Headquarters, and they’ll contact you directly."

Gu Heng nodded to show he understood, then asked, "Brother Hong, if I decide to order the Red Flag National Gift, about how long will it take to be delivered?"

"The second half of next year at the earliest."

Deng Zhihong replied, "If you’re not in a hurry for a new car, Chairman Gu, I think the Red Flag National Gift is worth the wait."

"Hmm..."

"Then let’s tentatively decide on the Red Flag National Gift."

"I’ll go to the Hongqi Headquarters to see the car in person, and I’ll deal with them directly then."

Without much more thought, Gu Heng tentatively settled on the Red Flag National Gift. He then moved on to discussing his choices for a business vehicle and a personal SUV with Deng Zhihong.

Following Deng Zhihong’s recommendations, Gu Heng ordered two business vehicles on the spot.

One was a six-seater 2023 Brabus V260L Sport Edition. Its exterior had a blacked-out treatment and a full range of sporty body kits. The four rear seats were all standard independent captain’s chairs, perfectly blending luxury and sportiness.

The other was a 2024 Lorentz VS600 MX Bay Stream. If the Brabus was a balance of luxury and sport, then this Lorentz was the epitome of opulence—a mobile palace on wheels.

The entire vehicle had only four seats. The space originally for the third row was completely freed up, and the second-row seats were replaced with zero-gravity seats that could recline a full 180 degrees.

Electric welcoming steps, a built-in humidor for cigars, an 8L in-car refrigerator, a 49-point acoustic soundproofing package, a 50-inch transparent giant screen, an in-car fresh air system, military-grade privacy film, rear passenger vital sign monitoring...

According to Deng Zhihong, for long-distance travel, even the ride experience of a Rolls-Royce Phantom couldn’t compare to this Lorentz’s. Whether for entertainment, rest, or work, it could perfectly adapt to any scenario.

The two business vehicles each had their own strengths.

Their final prices were nearly identical, both around two million yuan.

So Gu Heng ordered both of them right there from Deng Zhihong. After buying them, he would just leave them with the Zhen Cui Group. Business vehicles were meant to be driven by chauffeurs anyway; Gu Heng would just have to enjoy them from now on.

As for a personal SUV, since he already had a black Maybach GLS 600, Gu Heng ultimately chose a white Rolls-Royce Cullinan.

It was the latest 2024 Black Badge edition. After maxing out nearly all the optional features, the final on-the-road price was close to 11 million yuan.

Rolls-Royce, the pinnacle of global luxury.

Although Gu Heng hadn’t chosen the Rolls-Royce Phantom earlier, it didn’t mean he didn’t want to own a Rolls-Royce. So, he chose the Rolls-Royce Cullinan.

As the top club in Asia, the SSTP Super Car Club had a Brand Pavilion among its 12 exhibition halls, which housed showrooms for nearly every top automotive brand in the world. Although Rolls-Royce doesn’t make supercars, given its supreme status in the global high-end automotive field, it also had a brand showroom there.

While touring earlier, Gu Heng had seen a Rolls-Royce Cullinan in person.

The overwhelming aura of dominance and luxury it exuded instantly crushed every other SUV Gu Heng had ever seen. Even a Range Rover SVAutobiography couldn’t compare.

There’s a saying: "A successful young man in a Mercedes has no arguments in love."

So what about a successful young man in a Rolls-Royce?

Love?

Who the fuck needs that shit?!

Not even a little bit!

This Rolls-Royce Cullinan Black Badge edition was also ordered through Deng Zhihong. Compared to ordering it himself at a Rolls-Royce dealership, ordering through Deng Zhihong not only got him a discount but also allowed him to jump the queue with his order.

In as little as a month, or two months at the longest.

He would be able to drive his beloved Rolls-Royce Cullinan and roam freely around Beichun.

Sedan: the Red Flag National Gift.

MPVs: the Brabus V260L and the Lorentz Bay Stream.

SUVs: the Rolls-Royce Cullinan and the Maybach GLS 600.

The first three cars would all require chauffeurs and could just be parked at the company, without taking up garage space at Gu Heng’s mountaintop villa.

Currently, two of the four parking spaces were already occupied.

As for the last two spots, Gu Heng turned his gaze toward the vehicle he was anticipating most... the supercar.