Chapter 47: Yacht? Can afford to buy but cannot afford to maintain
The most common thing I heard before going abroad was: gas is cheaper in foreign countries.
In reality, this is not the case. Gasoline is indeed very cheap in some countries, but that is not the case in Europe, and certainly not in France.
Some time ago, there were riots in France where a group of people took to the streets to loot and smash things. The cause of the protests was the price of oil.
It is said that China's oil prices are high because of high taxes. On average, taxes account for about 44% of domestic oil prices.
But those who say this really need to go to France and see what a 64% gasoline tax and a 59% diesel tax really mean! A liter of gas in France costs about 1.5 euros, or 12 yuan. Filling up 1,500 liters of gas costs an average person a month's salary!
However, oil prices are high in Europe, not just in France. It’s even more expensive in Switzerland, but the people there don’t love to ‘struggle’ as much as the French do. . . .
Xiao Peng said, "If you really want to sail around the world, your best bet is a sailboat. But sailing is too tiring. Although it has an automatic navigation system, the sails must be adjusted constantly based on wind direction and speed, otherwise it's easy to deviate from the course. This means someone must be watching you at all times, which is a huge test of your physical strength."
"We know that," Mrs. Derrida said, "but we are all getting older day by day. Our dreams are getting further and further away from us!"
"Why don't you just sell this boat and buy an ocean-going sailboat?" Xiao Peng asked.
Mrs. Derrida shook her head and said, "If we could have sold it, we would have done so long ago. The economy is so bad right now, and the prices offered by buyers are too low. The money we get from the sale won't be enough to buy us a nice sailboat for our world tour."
Xiao Peng didn't know what to say, so he could only comfort her, "Mrs. Derrida, this is all right. At your age, it's not wise to be tossed about on the sea. How comfortable is your life now?"
Mrs. Derrida shook her head and said, "We have lived a comfortable life. I don't want to die with regrets."
Pascal suddenly spoke up: "Your boat is the yacht moored at berth 4, right?"
Mrs. Derrida was stunned: "Yes, how did you know?"
Pascal pointed to the window and said, "You can see your boat from the window. You want to sell this yacht, right? I might be able to help."
"Really?" Mrs. Derrida was delighted at first, but then her expression turned a little grim. "I don't want to sell it too cheaply."
Pascal said, "There's a Russian collector who's a friend of mine. He's always wanted to buy a small yacht to use during his vacations in Southern Europe. But he only comes here for about half a month every year, so he doesn't want to buy something too expensive."
Mr. Derrida frowned and said unconvincedly, "Our boat is not small. It's 64 feet! How else could it consume so much fuel?"
Their 'Bavarian Wild Boar' has always been their pride, but when it came out of Pascal's mouth it sounded like their ship was a piece of unwanted junk, and he must have felt unconvinced.
And their boat is 64 feet long, almost 20 meters. This is definitely not a small yacht! Even in wealthy Europe, owning such a boat is definitely a prestige. So what does Pascal say? Don't want to buy an expensive boat before considering your own boat?
If my boat was cheaper I would have sold it long ago!
Pascal continued, "The collector has his own yacht. It's a custom-built 146.5-foot-long yacht from the Dutch ship 'Feeder Star.' He often uses it to entertain friends. Driving it from the Black Sea here might give him prestige, but it's inconvenient. Plus, his friends all know it's his, so it's inconvenient for any private events. He's mentioned buying a small yacht here!"
Mr. Derrida was speechless. A 146-foot yacht? Damn Russian oligarchs! Do they have too much money and nowhere to throw it away?
Seeing this, Xiao Peng smiled and explained, "Don't underestimate Xiao Pa. Although he's young, he's quite famous in the collectors' circle. The house we're in now was lent to me by him. Also, the berth where we're moored today is his. The six adjacent berths are all his."
"Why buy so many berths?" Mr. Derrida asked in confusion.
Pascal said, "Investment. Just like real estate investment, I'm optimistic about La Ciotat's development prospects and I live here, so I made relevant investments. You can dock your boat here without paying berthing fees."
After hearing this, Xiao Peng smacked his lips - a man's backbone is indeed wealth and status. Look at Pascal, he speaks so majestically at such a young age.
"Mr. and Mrs. Derrida, you don't have to refuse." Xiao Peng said, "Xiao Pa doesn't care about these things. Didn't you see that his berth is empty? He just thinks that the money is too little and it will cause trouble for himself, so he leaves it there! Mrs. Derrida, don't you want to learn Chinese cooking? Since we live close, I can teach you slowly."
After hearing what Xiao Peng said, Mrs. Derrida said, "Well, my husband and I will think about it, but we'll need your help with the sale of the boat. Our boat is well maintained, and as you can see, it's like a new one. I'm sure your friend will be satisfied."
Pascal nodded and said, "Yes, if it weren't for this, I wouldn't be helping you. You can just stay here until the boat is sold. It will also be convenient for me to let my friend take a video tour."
"Video tour?" Mrs. Derrida asked in confusion.
Pascal nodded and said, "I don't think he would come here specifically to buy this ship. At most, he would send an assistant."
After hearing this, Xiao Peng wanted to curse. This guy is so pretentious!
Well, they have money and can afford to pretend!
"Thank you!" Mrs. Derrida thanked him. "Xiao, what are you going to do next?"
Xiao Peng said, "I want to work in the underwater salvage industry. I don't know anything else except diving."
Mr. Derrida frowned and said, "That's very hard work!"
Xiao Peng smiled and said, "You guys are so old and you're not afraid of hard work for your dreams. Why should I be afraid when I'm young?"
As soon as he finished speaking, his phone rang. He looked at the number and said, "Fabian? Why is he calling me?"
But he still answered the phone: "Fabian, what's going on?"
Fabian said, "I've taken care of what I told you about when we were drinking yesterday! I'll give you a number, you can contact them."
"What did we say when we were drinking yesterday?" Xiao Peng was confused. He had blacked out yesterday. He only remembered that something seemed to happen, but he couldn't remember what it was. "I really blacked out! I forgot everything."
Fabian said, "I told you yesterday that the 'Decisive Mediterranean' salvage company is currently searching for a shipwreck in the Scandola Reserve. The Cousteau Diving Association can send observers to observe!"
Xiao Peng slapped his forehead and said, "Oh, drinking really messes things up!"
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