[Congratulations on completing the special task: Hero Saves the Beauty.]
[Rewards have been issued. Please check and accept.]
The moment Gao Meng turned to leave, two task completion notifications appeared on the virtual task panel in front of Jiang Tao.
That's it? Done?
A few words earned him 190,000 yuan.
If only there were more tasks like this in the future!
"Thank you, Jiang Tao."
After seeing Gao Meng leave, Jiang Yi also gently patted her chest and let out a long sigh of relief.
Recently, she had been relentlessly pestered by Gao Meng, to the point where she was almost developing Gao Meng PTSD.
"No need to thank me."
Jiang Tao smiled and waved his hand dismissively, secretly thinking he should be the one thanking Jiang Yi!
A special task like [Hero Saves the Beauty]—low difficulty, high reward—was simply too perfect!
After the commotion, Jiang Yi and Jiang Tao became the center of attention for the onlookers.
Neither of them was in the mood to continue watching the movie. With a quick exchange of glances, they understood each other's thoughts and got up from their seats to leave.
Once they left the theater, Jiang Yi, looking a bit embarrassed, asked, "Jiang Tao, could I trouble you with one more thing? Can you walk me downstairs?"
She was genuinely worried about running into Gao Meng again and being harassed by him.
"Of course, let's go. I'll play the role of your knight in shining armor today."
Jiang Tao teased her with a smile, and the two headed toward the mall's elevator, taking it down to the ground floor.
They walked all the way to the roadside without encountering Gao Meng, and Jiang Yi's tense heart finally relaxed.
"Thank you so much for tonight, Jiang Tao. I owe you a big one."
"How about I treat you, Xiao Xue, and Xiao Xue's mom to dinner sometime?"
As they stood by the road waiting for a taxi, the evening breeze gently tousled Jiang Yi's hair, her dark locks fluttering in the wind.
Her cheeks, with their full apple-like glow, were slightly flushed from the chilly breeze, looking like two tempting apples.
"We'll see when the time comes."
Jiang Tao joked, "By the way, about the money I lent you, please keep it strictly confidential, Teacher Jiang. Otherwise, I'll be kneeling on a washboard when I get home."
"Uh, okay, don't worry. I won't let you kneel on a washboard. And I'll pay you back as soon as I can."
Jiang Yi, slightly embarrassed, brushed aside a strand of hair tousled by the breeze, her movements exuding a mature and elegant charm.
For a fleeting moment, Jiang Tao was momentarily stunned, but his gaze quickly cleared.
When an empty taxi approached, Jiang Tao waved it down, and the car slowly pulled up in front of them.
"Thanks again for tonight, Jiang Tao. I'll head off now."
Jiang Yi looked at Jiang Tao, expressing her gratitude once more.
"Alright, alright, I've had enough thanks for one night."
Jiang Tao laughed heartily, waving goodbye to Jiang Yi. "Have a safe trip. Text me when you get home."
"Okay, see you."
Jiang Yi smiled and waved back, opened the car door, and slid into the back seat.
The door closed, and the taxi slowly drove off, carrying Jiang Yi into the dazzling neon-lit night of the capital.
Jiang Tao turned away, pulling a cigarette pack from his pocket and lighting one up.
After finishing the cigarette, he returned to the mall and took the elevator back to the sixth floor, where the cinema was located.
He couldn't be bothered to go back into the theater for the second half of the movie.
Instead, he found a seat in the cinema's lounge area, sat down, and with a thought, opened the system panel.
[Would you like to claim your rewards now?]
"Yes!"
With nothing else to do, Jiang Tao decided to claim the task rewards right away.
[Rewards are being issued…]
[Your Charm Attribute +1]
After gaining +1 to his Charm Attribute, Jiang Tao didn't feel any noticeable change.
But to others, his aura had subtly shifted.
[Your Stamina Attribute +1]
When the Stamina boost kicked in, Jiang Tao clearly felt a warm current surge through his body, leaving him feeling warm and incredibly comfortable.
[Jiang Yi's favorability toward you +10. Her current favorability is 71, and she has labeled you as a friend.]
[You have received a cash reward of 188,888 yuan!]
Buzz~
His phone vibrated.
Jiang Tao glanced at it and, as expected, saw a text notification for a deposit of 188,888 yuan.
[Your ICBC savings account ending in XX89 has received a deposit of 188,888 yuan. Current balance: 4,398,876.88 yuan!]
Seeing the long string of numbers in his bank account, Jiang Tao felt a rush of excitement.
This was just his personal stash.
If he added the funds he had invested in a few projects, plus the over 3 million yuan he had transferred to Xu Li over time, their family's total assets had already surpassed 10 million yuan, reaching a comfortable middle-class level.
From being 80,000 yuan in debt at the start of the year to having a net worth of over 10 million in just about two months!
The system might not be as straightforward and extravagant as those "tycoon systems" in web novels, but it was still incredibly powerful!
This feeling of steadily building wealth, step by step, was grounding and satisfying.
After claiming the rewards, Jiang Tao, with nothing else to do, started scrolling through his WeChat Moments.
For the past half-month, Jiang Tao had been checking Zhang Bo's Moments daily but hadn't found a single piece of useful information about him.
Annoyed, Jiang Tao had even removed Zhang Bo's starred status.
Still, he kept scrolling.
As usual, Zhang Bo posted about the treasures in his shop, occasionally sharing secondhand listings for friends.
Li Ming posted daily about high-quality used cars.
His mother-in-law back in their hometown was either playing mahjong or dancing in the square, living quite a carefree life.
His sister-in-law, at university, mostly posted about eating and drinking, rarely mentioning anything academic.
"Huh, looks like He Jing is moving…"
As he scrolled, Jiang Tao came across a post from He Jing selling some secondhand items.
A treadmill, a sofa, a computer desk, a wardrobe—she had quite a few things listed.
Jiang Tao waited outside for over an hour until Xu Li and the others finished watching the movie.
"Hubby~ When did you come out? Have you been waiting long?"
As soon as Xu Li stepped out, holding a sleepy Jiang Xue, she spotted Jiang Tao waiting in the lounge area.
After nearly two hours of watching the movie, Jiang Xue was exhausted, her eyelids drooping as she fought sleep.
After reuniting and chatting briefly, they took the elevator down and drove off.
Jiang Bing's rented apartment in Longze Garden was close to Wanxiang Hui, so it was on the way.
Jiang Tao first dropped off his third sister at the entrance of Building 26.
Since it was late and Jiang Xue had fallen asleep on Xu Li's lap, Jiang Tao and Xu Li didn't go upstairs and drove straight home.
It was past 11 p.m. when the family of three returned to their apartment in Baigezhuang New Village.
After parking, Jiang Tao opened the back door and gently lifted Jiang Xue into his arms, letting her head rest on his shoulder as she continued sleeping.
They took the elevator upstairs.
At their apartment door, before Xu Li could find her keys, the door swung open from the inside.
"Mom, you're still up?"
Seeing her mother-in-law, dressed in pajamas, opening the door, Xu Li felt a small wave of warmth.
"I sleep late anyway, so I waited for you all to get back."
Tian Xiaomei yawned after speaking, unable to hide her tiredness.
She had been sleepy for a while but was worried about her son and his family.
"Go to bed, Mom. We're about to wash up and sleep too."
"Alright."
After a brief exchange with Xu Li, Tian Xiaomei turned and headed to her room.
Jiang Tao carried Jiang Xue to her room, and Xu Li helped undress her.
Kids, once asleep, stay out cold no matter how you move them—a small miracle.
After settling their little one, the couple tiptoed out of the room.
Jiang Tao activated [Deep Sleep Mode] for his parents and then joined Xu Li in the bathroom to wash up.
Xu Li was on her period, so she only verbally praised Jiang Tao for his efforts.
After their shower, they returned to the bedroom, whispered sweet nothings for a while, and then Jiang Tao activated [Deep Sleep Mode] for Xu Li.
Within a minute, Xu Li was fast asleep, a contented smile on her face.
Who knows what pleasant dreams she was having?
As usual, Jiang Tao waited until midnight for the daily intelligence refresh.
[Daily Intelligence 01]:
While browsing WeChat Moments yesterday, you saw He Jing's post about selling secondhand items, gaining the following intelligence—
The treadmill He Jing listed for sale on Xianyu last night is a special item that can be activated.
After acquiring ownership of the treadmill, you can activate it and unlock random attributes.
…
"A treadmill, another special item!"
Seeing the first piece of intelligence for the day, Jiang Tao's heart leaped with excitement.
He already had quite a few special items in his possession: [River Stone], [Delicious Pickle Jar], [Wealth-Beckoning Toad], [Salary Card], and [Beiqi EU5]!
Each special item's unique attributes were extraordinary.
So, this treadmill He Jing was selling was likely to be just as impressive.
Jiang Tao had previously bought a Longines watch from He Jing on Xianyu, so he knew her account.
He picked up his phone from the nightstand and opened the Xianyu app.
Following their transaction history, he quickly found the Huawei treadmill He Jing was selling.
It was 90% new, used only a few times by a female college student before becoming a clothes rack.
Priced at 1,988 yuan, shipping not included, or available for local pickup. No haggling.
Jiang Tao noticed dozens of people had already expressed interest, but he didn't hesitate and bought it outright!
Spending 1,988 yuan for a "golden finger" like those in web novels was an absolute steal!
"What kind of attributes will this one have? I'm actually looking forward to it!"
With a thought, Jiang Tao continued to the next piece of intelligence.
[Daily Intelligence 02]:
You had contact with Jiang Yi yesterday, gaining the following intelligence—
Jiang Yi is currently looking for a part-time tutoring job online.
Hiring Jiang Yi to tutor Jiang Xue will significantly improve Jiang Xue's academic performance!
…
"So that's how you plan to repay the money quickly…"
Seeing the second piece of intelligence, Jiang Tao's mind flashed back to last night at Wanxiang Hui, when Jiang Yi gently brushed her hair in the evening breeze.
Objectively speaking, from a man's perspective, Jiang Yi's looks and temperament were top-tier.
With her appearance, if she didn't want to work hard, she could easily find a wealthy man to marry, but she hadn't.
Among countless ways to make money, she chose to earn through her own labor.
That was something truly admirable.
"It's too late now. I'll ask her about it tomorrow."
With a thought, Jiang Tao moved on to the final piece of intelligence for the day.
[Daily Intelligence 03]:
You had contact with Gao Meng at Wanda Cinema yesterday, gaining the following intelligence—
The 150-gram gold chain Gao Meng was wearing around his neck fell off during the movie and was swept away by the cleaning staff as trash.
[Note:] There are 4 hours and 42 minutes left before the gold chain is taken away by the garbage truck!
"This…"
Seeing the last piece of intelligence, Jiang Tao's eyes lit up, though he couldn't help but chuckle.
It was absurd enough that someone didn't notice losing a 150-gram gold chain.
Even more ridiculous was that the cinema's cleaning staff mistook it for trash and threw it out!
"Who's Gao Meng…?"
With a thought, Jiang Tao focused on the name mentioned in the intelligence.
Instantly, an image of a chubby, bald man appeared in his mind.
"So it's you."
Recognizing Gao Meng, Jiang Tao couldn't help but marvel at the whims of fate.
They had just met yesterday, and today, he triggered intelligence related to him. Talk about a strange connection.
As for Jiang Tao's impression of Gao Meng, it was far from positive.
"Since your chain is about to be hauled off to the dump, I'll just take it."
Jiang Tao quietly got out of bed, put on his pajamas, and went to the living room.
He also activated [Deep Sleep Mode] for his parents and Jiang Xue.
In the bathroom, he retrieved the dirty clothes he had worn last night and put them on again.
Once dressed, he grabbed his car keys and slipped out quietly.
As he took the elevator downstairs, he caught his reflection in the shiny stainless steel door.
Jiang Tao shook his head in exasperation.
He was wearing a casual Fancl outfit Xu Li had bought him.
It wasn't expensive—just over 1,000 yuan for the set, not even 2,000.
But the thought of wearing it to dig through a dumpster…
Old Jiang really needed a little helper for dirty jobs like this!
A 150-gram gold chain, at the current gold price of over 900 yuan per gram, was worth over 130,000 yuan.
There was no way Jiang Tao would let it be carted off by a garbage truck.
Once downstairs, in an open area of the complex, Jiang Tao opened the system's 5D map.
The 5D map unfolded in the air before him, displaying two blinking dots—one green, one red.
The green dot represented Jiang Tao and his current location.
The red blinking dot marked the 150-gram gold chain that had been thrown into the trash by the cleaning staff.
Jiang Tao zoomed in on the red dot's location.
Sure enough, it was in the garbage disposal area behind Wanxiang Hui Plaza.
"Let's get to work!"
Jiang Tao lit a cigarette to clear his head, then strode confidently toward his parked car.
He opened the door, got in, and drove straight to Wanxiang Hui Plaza.
In 17 minutes, his Mercedes GLS arrived at the garbage disposal area behind the mall.
The area had over a dozen colorful trash bins.
Thankfully, the system marked the bin containing the target item.
Otherwise, Jiang Tao would've been digging through trash all night!
He parked, put on a mask and a pair of cotton gloves, and got out of the car, eyeing the bins.
The seventh green bin from the right glowed with a faint golden light in Jiang Tao's vision.
"That's the one!"
Locking onto his target, Jiang Tao marched toward the bin.
He was, after all, a man with a net worth approaching 10 million, so digging through trash felt a bit beneath him.
"Let's do this!"
Standing by the target bin, Jiang Tao took a deep breath and started rummaging through the trash for the gold chain.
"Ugh!"
"Damn, what do people throw in here?!"
During the search, Jiang Tao gagged several times but powered through the discomfort.
He thought back to his days as a truck driver, slaving away for a living.
Even without spending a dime, it would've taken backbreaking work to earn 130,000 yuan!
Now, digging through a dumpster could net him that amount. Was it really that bad?
With that thought, Jiang Tao's mindset shifted, and he felt at ease.
"Found it!"
After digging to the bottom of the bin, Jiang Tao finally found the 150-gram gold chain mentioned in the intelligence.
Under the streetlight, the chain gleamed brightly, and a smile spread across Jiang Tao's face.
In less than an hour, he'd made another 130,000 yuan!
Opportunities like this didn't come to just anyone!
After his moment of glee, Jiang Tao pulled a black plastic bag from his pocket and placed the chain inside.
He then tossed his dirty gloves into the bin and walked away.
Back at his car, Jiang Tao opened the trunk, grabbed a few bottles of mineral water, and thoroughly cleaned the gold chain.
After washing it, he wiped it down with alcohol wipes for disinfection.
Finally, he placed it in a delicate wooden box.
With the gold chain taken care of, Jiang Tao got back in the car, started it, and drove off.
*Once I dreamed of wandering the world with a sword~*
*To see the splendor of the world*
*A young heart always a bit reckless*
*Now you roam the four seas, calling them home…*
At midnight, even in a bustling metropolis like the capital, the streets were nearly empty.
The car stereo played "Once You," a song Jiang Tao loved.
It reminded him of his past self.
The self who hustled day in and day out at the secondhand wholesale market.
Those tough days were gone for good.
He had finally left the hard times behind!
Early that morning, he'd earned 20,000 yuan from [Wealth-Beckoning Toad] and [Beiqi EU5].
That evening, watching a movie netted him 188,888 yuan.
A daily income of 200,000 yuan!
One day's earnings matched what he used to make in years!
In just over two months, he'd amassed over 10 million yuan.
At this rate, he'd easily hit 30 to 50 million in a year!
When he reached his goal of 100 million yuan in net worth, would he still bother digging through dumpsters for items like tonight?
As he drove, listening to the music, Jiang Tao pondered a question he'd face in the future.
Nearing Baigezhuang, a slogan on the streetlight poles caught his attention:
[Buy used cars at Guazi, no middleman markup!]
"Middleman markup?"
As he drove, Jiang Tao mulled over the slogan.
"Middleman… markup…"
The more he thought, the clearer it became.
Could he find a way to sell off less important, easily liquidated intelligence he obtained?
Like tonight's gold chain intelligence, worth over 130,000 yuan.
He could sell it for, say, 120,000 yuan, letting someone else dig through the trash.
Wouldn't it be nice to lie in bed and comfortably profit from the markup?
The more Jiang Tao thought about it, the more viable the idea seemed.