article_snippet.sent: Shanghai, China (CNN)With a well-paid job in finance and his own apartment, Li Lifei is living the Chinese dream.
article_snippet.sent: But there's one missing ingredient -- Li Lifei own car.
article_snippet.sent: To register for a license plate auction, prospective car buyers like Li Lifei must put down a deposit in exchange for disc containing software prospective car buyers like Li can use to bid online.
article_snippet.sent: I've been trying for six months with no success," Li Lifei told CNN.
article_snippet.sent: To boost Li Lifei chances, Li Lifei upgraded the speed of Li Lifei Internet connection from 10 to 50 mbps but to no avail.
article_snippet.sent: At the most recent auction on Saturday, Li Lifei said the final price was 80,600 yuan ($13,000) -- around three times the price of a cheap Chinese car and a third of what Li Lifei plans to spend on Li Lifei SUV.
article_snippet.sent: It's possible to get a temporary license, but that has to be renewed every month, and Li Lifei says Li Lifei doesn't want to use a huangniu, or middleman, some of whom employ hundreds of bidders to obtain the coveted registration.
article_snippet.sent: I know people who've been trying for more than a year," Li Lifei said.