After a whirlwind of activity.
It was already past 1 a.m. when Jiang Tao returned to Baigezhuang Residential Complex.
Back home, he went to the bathroom, tossed his clothes into the laundry basket, and took a shower.
After washing himself squeaky clean, he returned to his room, activated [Sleep Mode], and went to bed.
He had to admit, this [Sleep Mode] feature, which came with the daily intelligence system to facilitate Jiang Tao's activities, was quite handy.
After using it a few times, Jiang Tao had grown fond of the refreshed, energized feeling he got after waking up.
If this feature could be commercialized, it would definitely be a game-changer.
In this era of relentless hustle, the rates of depression and insomnia were particularly high.
Insomnia and poor sleep quality had become troubling issues for many people.
In severe cases, it could even affect mental and physical health.
If a hotel could offer premium sleep quality, its competitiveness would absolutely crush the competition!
Jiang Tao had been thinking about this idea lately.
But he had a lot on his plate at the moment.
The food company wasn't fully on track yet, and he didn't have the energy to dive into another venture.
Taking too big a step could lead to a painful misstep, so it was better to take things one step at a time!
The night passed uneventfully.
The next morning, after the family had breakfast together, everyone headed to their respective posts.
His parents went to the food factory to pickle eight-treasure sauce vegetables and oversee operations.
Jiang Tao first drove to Longzeyuan to pick up his third sibling.
He dropped her off at the greenhouse in Cuicun to work nearby.
After dropping her off, Jiang Tao drove to the Panjiayuan Antique Market.
He'd been patrolling the antique market intensely lately, but hadn't triggered a single piece of relevant intelligence.
Deep down, Jiang Tao wondered if the system was "holding back for something big"?
Maybe it would hit him with a major piece of intel, like earning a small fortune with one tip?
He parked his car in the open-air parking lot near the antique street.
Jiang Tao strolled through the antique street, casually taking in the sights.
Finally, he stopped at the entrance of Boya Auction House.
It was early in the morning, and the antique street was just starting to see visitors. Zhang Bo was sitting on a chair, dozing off.
The sound of Jiang Tao's footsteps woke him up.
"Yo! Brother Jiang, you're here!"
Zhang Bo looked up, saw Jiang Tao, and instantly perked up, greeting him with a grin.
"Look at you, half-asleep. Out partying with Li Ming again last night?" Jiang Tao teased, patting Zhang Bo's shoulder with a chuckle.
"Heh heh, just had a couple of drinks, nothing major," Zhang Bo admitted with a sheepish grin.
Young people hitting up nightclubs and having a few drinks wasn't a big deal.
After a long day of work, unwinding with a drink was a form of entertainment.
After the greeting, Zhang Bo smiled and asked, "Brother Jiang, did you score another treasure today?"
"Not exactly a treasure. Just a chain I bought when I was younger. I don't care to wear it anymore."
"With gold prices looking good lately, I'm thinking of selling it. Do you take stuff like that here?"
As he spoke, Jiang Tao pulled a wooden box from his pocket and handed it to Zhang Bo.
He wasn't the flashy type and adhered to the family rule of not flaunting wealth.
No matter how much money he made, he wouldn't wear something like a big gold chain to show off.
To him, cash was king.
"We take it, of course! Gold's always in demand, a hard currency no matter the time," Zhang Bo replied with a grin, taking the wooden box from Jiang Tao. When he opened it and saw the thick gold chain, about the width of a pinky finger, his eyes lit up.
Jiang Tao added, "I don't know where the receipt went."
Zhang Bo smiled, "The price might be a bit lower without it, but it's no big deal. I know a guy who makes gold jewelry, and they don't care about receipts."
"Alright, go test and weigh it then."
"Got it! Hang tight, Brother Jiang!"
With that, Zhang Bo took the gold chain to a transparent glass operation room next to the main hall to verify its purity and weight.
Jiang Tao trusted Zhang Bo completely, knowing he wouldn't cheat him over a bit of gold.
About ten minutes later, Zhang Bo came back from the operation room with the chain.
"Brother Jiang, your chain is 999 fine gold, 150 grams total. Today's buyback price is 853 per gram. Sound good?"
Zhang Bo looked at Jiang Tao, awaiting his approval.
Jiang Tao grinned, "Sounds good. You've laid it out, so what's there to disagree with? Transfer the money."
"Haha, I love doing business with straightforward guys like you, Brother Jiang. So refreshing. I'll send the money now."
Zhang Bo laughed heartily, pulled out his phone, found Jiang Tao's contact, and promptly transferred 128,000 yuan, rounding it up.
Jiang Tao didn't haggle, accepted the payment, and deposited it into his WeChat wallet.
After the transaction, Jiang Tao chatted with Zhang Bo for another half hour or so.
When a customer arrived, he took his leave.
*Ring ring ring—*
Just as Jiang Tao stepped out of Boya Auction House, his phone rang.
He pulled it out and saw the caller ID: "He Jing."
"Hey, He Jing."
Jiang Tao swiped to answer, greeting her with a smile.
He had a good impression of his fellow townsfolk, He Jing, and after a few interactions, he already considered her a friend.
"Haha, you still remember my Xianyu account."
"No, no, giving it to me for free doesn't make sense. You paid for it too."
"No need for free shipping either. I'll send you the delivery fee on WeChat, consider it treating you to milk tea."
"It's not expensive, and I happen to need a treadmill. Saw you selling one and bought it on a whim."
"How about we cancel the Xianyu transaction, and I'll transfer the money directly to you?"
"Alright, sounds good. Talk later."
After a brief chat, Jiang Tao hung up and sent He Jing 2,200 yuan via WeChat.
He Jing replied with a "Thanks, Brother Jiang" before accepting the payment.
After chatting with He Jing, Jiang Tao drove off from the parking lot.
He swung by a few securities markets in the Financial Street area to increase the chances of triggering relevant intelligence.
By the time he drove back to the blueberry potted plant greenhouse in Cuicun, it was already noon.
"Second Brother, you're finally back! I'm starving!"
Jiang Bing saw her second brother return, rubbing her rumbling stomach with a pitiful look.
"Let's go, let's eat! Order whatever you want."
Having made over 100,000 yuan in the morning, Jiang Tao was in a great mood.
He took Jiang Bing straight to the fanciest farmhouse restaurant in Cuicun.
Jiang Bing didn't hold back with her second brother.
One braised pork ribs, one boiled pork slices, one cumin lamb, and one soft-shell turtle soup.
Three dishes and a soup, with a big bowl of rice each.
"Second Brother, I feel like the search volume for the blueberry potted plants today is a lot higher than yesterday."
"This morning alone, we sold 59 orders, 68 pots. Sales are looking pretty good."
While eating, Jiang Bing reported the blueberry potted plant sales to Jiang Tao.
"This is just the beginning. The real show's yet to come."
Though Jiang Tao didn't know why the blueberry potted plant sales were booming, he had full confidence in the intelligence provided by the system.
"Didn't you say you'd hire some help for me? Where are they?"
"You're such a hands-off boss, disappearing all morning."
"I'm replying to customer inquiries, processing orders, and shipping packages. I'm swamped!"
Jiang Bing looked at her second brother with a resentful expression, feeling like she was doing all the grunt work.
Jiang Tao laughed, "I'll go find people for you this afternoon. How many do you need?"
Jiang Bing said, "At least seven or eight. Ten or more wouldn't be too many."
"Alright, I'll get you 15 for now. If it's not enough, let me know."
Jiang Tao was quick to agree to his third sibling's request.
This was just the warm-up phase; things would get busier in the coming days, and even a dozen people might not be enough.
"By the way, Second Brother, we got another 200,000 yuan payment for the stainless steel paper cups. I'll send your share later."
Talking about money made Jiang Bing's eyes curve into crescents, like a little money-grubber.
With 200,000 yuan, based on their profit split, she'd get 40,000 yuan.
"Give that money to your sister-in-law."
With over 4 million yuan in his personal stash, Jiang Tao didn't care much about a hundred or two hundred thousand.
Jiang Bing teased with a grin, "Ooh, what a good man, Second Brother! Not keeping a little private stash for yourself?"
"Private stash? Am I that kind of guy?"
Jiang Tao put on a righteous expression, as if the 4 million in his bank account didn't exist.
"So, I'm really giving it to Sister-in-Law?"
Jiang Bing confirmed with her second brother one last time.
Jiang Tao nodded decisively, "Give it."
"Alright! A man who loves his wife is a real man!"
"When I find a husband, I'll look for someone like you, Second Brother."
Jiang Bing gave her second brother a thumbs-up with a cheeky smile.
Jiang Tao laughed, "That'll be tough. There are plenty of guys better than me, but not many as handsome as your Second Brother."
"Ugh!"
"Second Brother, your narcissism is probably incurable in this lifetime."
Jiang Bing rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue, pretending to gag.
But…
While she teased, Jiang Bing shoveled rice into her mouth and carefully studied her second brother sitting across from her.
She realized her second brother seemed to have gotten a tiny bit more handsome?
In the past, though he was good-looking, the burdens of life had weighed him down.
He used to speak with a lack of confidence.
Running around all day to make ends meet, there was always a lingering worry in his expression.
Now, her second brother was full of energy, exuding a commanding presence.
Whether speaking or handling matters, he gave off an air of confidence and grandeur.
Confidence, though intangible, significantly enhanced a man's charisma.
A successful career was the best "makeup" for a man.
"Third, you eat slowly. I'm going outside for a smoke."
Jiang Tao finished eating first, put down his chopsticks, and headed for the door.
"Oh."
At first, Jiang Bing didn't think much of it and kept eating.
But…
As she ate, something felt off.
"That jerk Second Brother wouldn't…"
Realizing the possibility, Jiang Bing quickly stuffed the last piece of cumin lamb into her mouth, pulled out her phone, and dialed Jiang Tao's number.
"The number you dialed is temporarily unavailable…"
"The number you dialed is currently busy…"
"Aaahhh!!!"
"Jiang Tao, you jerk, you tricked me again!!"
After two failed attempts to reach Jiang Tao, Jiang Bing belatedly realized she'd been played by her second brother again!
Wiping her mouth with a tissue, she stormed to the counter.
"Boss, how much?"
Jiang Bing angrily pulled out her phone to scan the payment code.
"Hello, miss, your table has already been paid for."
"Hahaha…"
As soon as the boss spoke, Jiang Tao's shameless laughter rang out from outside.
Jiang Bing whipped around toward the sound and saw Jiang Tao laughing so hard he was wiping tears from his eyes.
"You jerk Second Brother! I'll strangle you~~"
Jiang Bing let out a battle cry and charged at Jiang Tao, unleashing a flurry of playful scratches.
The siblings had bickered and fought since childhood, but their bond was the deepest.
Their eldest brother, Jiang He, never bullied his little sister, but Jiang Bing never felt as comfortable with him as she did with her second brother.
After some playful banter, they returned to the leased greenhouse.
Jiang Bing went back to the office to handle inquiries and orders on various platforms, her fingers flying across the keyboard so fast it nearly sparked.
Jiang Tao observed the four pots of genetically mutated blueberry plants he'd set aside but couldn't figure out what was mutated about them.
Still, if the system said they were mutated, they must be.
"Third, make sure you keep a close eye on these pots. Take good care of them, don't let them die, and don't ship them out as regular plants."
Unable to discern anything special, Jiang Tao stood up, giving Jiang Bing one last serious reminder before leaving.
"I know, you've said it 800 times a day. My ears are calloused."
Jiang Bing responded without looking up, her fingers still hammering the keyboard, but she didn't forget to add, "Hurry up and get me some help. The courier's coming at 3 p.m. to pick up the shipments."
"Alright, Vice President Jiang, I'm off to recruit your team~"
Jiang Tao teased his third sibling with a grin, heading toward the greenhouse exit.
Hearing herself called "Vice President Jiang," Jiang Bing's lips curled into a smile, secretly thrilled, and she typed even more vigorously!
After leaving the greenhouse, Jiang Tao followed his memory to the office of He Jing's cousin, Liu Yuan, and knocked on the door.
"Come in."
Hearing Liu Yuan's voice, Jiang Tao pushed the door open.
"Jiang… Jiang Tao, it's you! Welcome, welcome."
Liu Yuan, who was working, looked up, saw Jiang Tao, and stood up with a smile to greet him.
Her address had shifted from the formal "Mr. Jiang" to just "Jiang Tao."
Calling someone by their name was definitely more familiar than "Mr." or "Miss."
"Busy, Liu Yuan? Hope I'm not interrupting," Jiang Tao said.
He couldn't tell Liu Yuan's age but figured they were around the same age, so he called her by name instead of "sister" right away.
It'd be awkward if she turned out to be younger than him.
"No, no, how could a VIP's visit be an interruption? I wish you'd come by more often."
"Sit, Jiang Tao, make yourself at home."
As she spoke, Liu Yuan stepped out from behind her desk to pour Jiang Tao a cup of water from the dispenser.
"Is Mr. Xu not around?" Jiang Tao asked casually as he sat down.
"Him? He's off attending meetings and industry salons at the Academy of Agricultural Sciences every day. Looks busy, but it's all pointless hustle," Liu Yuan said, placing two disposable cups on the coffee table in front of Jiang Tao before sitting on a nearby single sofa.
Jiang Tao smiled, "Networking with peers and making connections isn't a bad thing."
"Pfft, just pointless hustle. As long as he does a bit better than a regular job in a year, it's fine."
Liu Yuan's smile was warm and approachable, her tone humble, giving off a friendly vibe.
"Liu Yuan, I came today to ask for a favor."
After some small talk, Jiang Tao got to the point of his visit.
"Go ahead," Liu Yuan said, neither promising nor declining, handling things smoothly.
Jiang Tao didn't beat around the bush. "Do you have any channels for hiring workers? I need 15 temps for some odd jobs."
"That's it? Easy. I've got two temp worker groups on my phone. It's just a matter of a word."
Liu Yuan laughed when she heard Jiang Tao's request.
Their greenhouse usually only had about a dozen regular employees.
When the fruits ripened in large batches and harvesting began, they'd hire temps too.
The worker groups had hundreds of people ready to work daily.
As long as you paid, they could round up as many people as you needed.
Jiang Tao asked, "What's the daily wage for temps around here?"
Liu Yuan replied, "We usually pay 260 a day, settled daily, no meals provided."
"Alright, let's go with that. Help me get 15 people who can start this afternoon to get familiar with the work."
"I'll send you the WeChat of a crew leader. He's also from our hometown. Add him, tell him how many people you need, and he'll bring them over."
As she spoke, Liu Yuan pulled out her phone and sent Jiang Tao the WeChat contact of someone named "Brick-Moving Crew Leader Du."
Jiang Tao added Crew Leader Du on WeChat and confirmed the workers' wages, number, and work location with him.
Du was straightforward and promised to arrive within an hour.
After arranging for the temps, Jiang Tao thanked Liu Yuan and left to return to his leased greenhouse.
At 3:15 p.m.
A van pulled up outside Jiang Tao's leased greenhouse.
The back door opened, and like magic, over a dozen people piled out.
The group consisted of men and women, ranging in age from about 30 to 50.
The driver's door opened.
Du Jun stepped out, called Jiang Tao via voice chat, and told him he'd arrived with the workers.
Less than a minute after hanging up, Jiang Tao came out of the greenhouse to greet them.
"You're… Jiang Tao?" Du Jun asked, looking surprised, as if he thought he'd gotten the wrong person.
"Brother Jun, it's you!"
Jiang Tao, recognizing Du Jun, was equally shocked.
Du Jun was a cousin from Xu Li's mother's side, Du Yongmei's family, about a decade older than Xu Li and Jiang Tao.
Though they were technically relatives, they didn't interact much, and neither had the other's contact info.
"Not bad, Jiang Tao. Quietly becoming a boss in the capital. Impressive, impressive."
Du Jun's expression was complex as he looked at Jiang Tao.
He remembered Jiang Tao was still driving a delivery truck in the capital last year.
How did he transform into a boss this year?
It was hard to stomach the feeling of someone you thought was beneath you suddenly outshining you by miles.
"What kind of boss am I? Just a one-man show, dabbling in small business, nothing worth mentioning."
"But your team looks solid, Brother Jun. Quite a crew."
Jiang Tao returned the compliment with a smile.
Du Jun gave a wry smile, "Just a bunch of work buddies sticking together. Thanks for giving us this gig."
"No need for that, Brother Jun. Here, have a smoke."
Jiang Tao teased with a grin, pulling out a cigarette pack and offering one to Du Jun.
Du Jun accepted the cigarette with both hands, smiling, "This ain't flattery, it's the truth. If you've got more work in the future, give me a call. I'm on standby."
Du Jun, who'd been leading work crews for years, was savvy in social dealings.
Flattering Jiang Tao a bit could secure a long-term employer.
"We're legit relatives, so it's all good. Come on, I'll take you in to get familiar with the work."
Jiang Tao didn't waste more words, gave a friendly nod, and led the group into the greenhouse.
As the group entered and saw the dense rows of blueberry potted plants, they were quietly awed.
Someone smiled and asked Jiang Tao, "Boss, can we take pictures here? This setup's too pretty not to share on Moments."
Jiang Tao laughed, "Sure, snap away. If you can help spread the word, even better."
"Absolutely, we'll promote it! How much per pot?"
"24."
"That's a steal for such big plants, some even flowering and fruiting."
"Cheap, cheap! I kinda want to buy one for home."
The group chattered excitedly, pulling out their phones to snap photos.
"Let's have some discipline, folks. We're here to work, not sightsee. Take photos after hours."
Du Jun barked an order, and the group quickly put their phones away.
Clearly, he commanded respect as the crew leader.
Jiang Tao nodded approvingly to himself.
At that moment, the courier Jiang Bing had arranged arrived and was packing and labeling the ordered blueberry pots.
He couldn't keep up alone.
Jiang Tao introduced Du Jun and the others to Jiang Bing, who assigned them tasks.
Jiang Bing briefly explained the job, and the group got to work.
Packing and shipping wasn't hard; even kindergarteners could learn it with enough practice.
Du Jun and his 14 temps worked together.
In less than an hour, they'd packed all the day's ordered blueberry pots.
After finishing, they looked at each other, a bit dumbfounded.
In their minds, they wondered: *All this for just this little work?*
"Today was just to get you familiar with the job. Wages will be paid for half a day."
"Starting tomorrow, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., paid immediately after work."
"There's nothing else for today, so you can head out early."
Hearing Jiang Tao's words, the group broke into happy smiles.
They'd worked barely an hour and were getting half a day's pay.
A boss this good was rare!
Jiang Tao pulled out his phone and transferred 1,950 yuan to Du Jun.
While transferring, he noticed he could use the balance in his [Payroll Card] to settle the temps' wages.
This would save him a decent chunk of money.
*Ring ring ring—*
Just as Jiang Tao finished settling the wages, he got a video call request from Xu Li.
The screen flashed, showing Xu Li directing two delivery guys moving something.
"Honey, when did you buy a treadmill?"
"Put it over there, guys, watch the corner."
"Saw it on Xianyu last night and bought it on a whim. Wanted to start running for exercise."
"Have the guys put it in the living room for now."
Seeing it was the treadmill flagged by the system as a special item, Jiang Tao's heart raced, eager to get home.
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Dear readers,
If you happen to notice any errors, typos, or inconsistencies in the text, please don't hesitate to leave a comment. Your feedback is greatly appreciated and will help me improve the story. Together, we can make it as polished and enjoyable as possible!
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