The Wong Way

It had come to a point that Judy, Solicitor Wong’s wife of 14 years, refused to be driven in the white Rolls-Royce by the Filipino driver. Efren had yet to have an accident since he entered into the service of Solicitor Wong, but, after 8 months in Hongkong, he, still, did not know how to find his way round town. Judy was terribly frustrated whenever she sat in the back seat of the white Rolls-Royce as Efren, invariably, took the wrong turning and ended up in places that Judy never even knew had existed. Having endured some months of the ignorance of Efren, Judy told Solicitor Wong that she wanted a new motor car, for herself, a smallish Japanese one, if you please, and that, henceforth, she would drive herself where-ever and whenever she so desired. 

At the Lexus showroom in Wanchai, Judy was smitten by the very large, shining blue of a Lexus Hybrid. She sat in the ‘cockpit’ of this luxury Toyota-manufactured, motor car and, almost immediately, fell in love with it. It could hardly be considered ‘a smallish Japanese motor car’, but, after all, ladies are entitled to change their minds, are they not? The salesman spent the best part of an hour, explaining the various functions of the motor car. Solicitor Wong was not in the least bit interested in the Japanese engineering of the 4-door coupe. But he was shocked at its price. For the 2009 motor car, the price came in at $HK1.70 million. That price included a Hongkong Government tax incentive for consumers to purchase a hybrid vehicle. The incentive amounted to $HK50,000. But, even with this incentive, the price was, still, too close to $HK2 million, as far as Solicitor Wong was concerned. 

Then, came the first shock: There was no Hongkong stock of the motor car to which Judy had taken such a shine. ‘When can it be delivered to Hongkong?’ Solicitor Wong overheard his wife asking the salesman. The answer was in March 2010, at the earliest. Then, came the second shock: ‘OK-la’, Judy told the salesman, ‘Then, I’ll take it. How much did you say it would cost?’ Solicitor Wong had only paid $HK50,000 for his second-hand, white Rolls-Royce, and here was Judy, agreeing to purchase a spanking new, Japanese motor car, certain to cost nearly $HK2 million at the end of the day. ‘How could a Japanese motor car cost more than a Rolls-Royce?’ the balding, Hongkong solicitor heard himself susurrate. 

Then, came the third shock. But this one was very much in Solicitor Wong’s favour: The Lexus salesman could not give a price for a new, 2010 Lexus LS600hL because Japan had not released the prices of the new 2010 vehicles due to the uncertainty as to the translation value of the yen vis-à-vis the Hongkong dollar. Up jumped Solicitor Wong as though to defend his grief-stricken wife: ‘Look! My wife wants this motor car!’ he barked at the Lexus salesman. ‘Give it to her!.’ It sounded good, Solicitor Wong thought to himself, but he was almost praying that his stentorian outburst would result in the salesman, asking him to leave the premises – which he would be only too pleased so to do. The salesman was calm, however, and said that he would telephone Crown Motors Ltd, the Hongkong agent for Lexus, in order to ask the Main Office to obtain an indication of the 2010 prices. The salesman promised to telephone Solicitor Wong with the information within one week. Solicitor Wong, then, consoled Judy with platitudinous overtures, telling her that she would have her new toy, very soon. He, then, took the salesman to one side and gave him his telephone number, containing only 7 digits instead of the necessary 8 digits. And, with that, the duo exited the Wanchai, Lexus showroom and got into the back of Solicitor Wong’s 8 year-old, second-hand, white Rolls-Royce that only cost $HK50,000. Solicitor Wong had been saved! 

Then, came the third shock. But this one was very much in Solicitor Wong’s favour: The Lexus salesman could not give a price for a new, 2010 Lexus LS600hL because Japan had not released the prices of the new 2010 vehicles due to the uncertainty as to the translation value of the yen vis-à-vis the Hongkong dollar. Up jumped Solicitor Wong as though to defend his grief-stricken wife: ‘Look! My wife wants this motor car!’ he barked at the Lexus salesman. ‘Give it to her!.’ It sounded good, Solicitor Wong thought to himself, but he was almost praying that his stentorian outburst would result in the salesman, asking him to leave the premises – which he would be only too pleased so to do. The salesman was calm, however, and said that he would telephone Crown Motors Ltd, the Hongkong agent for Lexus, in order to ask the Main Office to obtain an indication of the 2010 prices. The salesman promised to telephone Solicitor Wong with the information within one week. Solicitor Wong, then, consoled Judy with platitudinous overtures, telling her that she would have her new toy, very soon. He, then, took the salesman to one side and gave him his telephone number, containing only 7 digits instead of the necessary 8 digits. And, with that, the duo exited the Wanchai, Lexus showroom and got into the back of Solicitor Wong’s 8 year-old, second-hand, white Rolls-Royce that only cost $HK50,000. Solicitor Wong had been saved!