Although Jiang Tao didn't know the exact price of the jade Guanyin pendant that Kang Huijun had given him, he knew it was extremely valuable!
Incredibly valuable!
This was an item recognized by the System Bro as a special artifact!
Whether it was the [Wealth-Recruiting Golden Toad], the [Salary Card], or the [Body-Strengthening Treadmill], every item identified by the System Bro as a special artifact had extraordinarily powerful attributes once activated.
Their value could no longer be measured in mere money!
If any of these items were given to an ordinary person, they might not guarantee a complete life turnaround, but they would certainly ensure a life of comfort and security.
However…
These special items identified by the system weren't something Jiang Tao could easily explain to Xu Li in detail.
"Honey, go take a shower first. This morning, let's have some quality time together, just the two of us. At noon, I'll take you out for something delicious."
Jiang Tao playfully patted Xu Li's perky backside, smiling as he gestured for her to go shower.
A joyous event like earning a million a day naturally called for a proper celebration.
They'd celebrate at noon, and in the evening, they'd bring his parents and Third Brother along for another round of festivities.
"Mhm, I'll go first then~"
Xu Li gave Jiang Tao a quick peck on the cheek before getting up from the bed.
After getting out of bed, she casually slipped into a blue silk nightgown, threw Jiang Tao a flirtatious glance, and then turned to leave the room.
Once Xu Li was sent off to shower, Jiang Tao initiated the binding process to link the jade Guanyin pendant to the system.
[Jade Guanyin binding successful. Would you like to activate it now?]
Seeing the system prompt on the interface, Jiang Tao followed the same method he'd used to activate other special items like the [Wealth-Recruiting Golden Toad]. He attempted to activate the jade Guanyin.
Using the SIM card ejector pin from his phone case, he pricked the pad of his left thumb lightly.
He squeezed out a drop of blood and let it fall onto the jade Guanyin.
The moment the blood droplet landed, it transformed into a faint, hazy red mist, enveloping the jade Guanyin entirely.
[Jade Guanyin activation successful. New attribute acquired!]
Seeing the system interface's notification, Jiang Tao focused his thoughts and opened the details page for the jade Guanyin.
[Item Name]: Auspicious Guanyin Statue
[Attribute]: Turn Danger into Fortune (Can protect the wearer from three fatal threats.)
…
Seeing the activated attribute of the jade Guanyin statue, Jiang Tao's eyes lit up.
Protecting against three fatal injuries…
This item seemed precious, but at the same time, it didn't seem all that useful.
Jiang Tao had lived for over thirty years without encountering any life-threatening disasters.
But to say it was useless? At critical moments, it could save your life—and not just once, but three times!
"Not bad, I suppose."
"Lily and I have the River Stone, so I'll let Little Snow wear this Guanyin as a protective charm."
After reviewing the attributes of the Auspicious Guanyin Statue, Jiang Tao's first thought was of his precious daughter.
As parents, it's only natural to think of their children first when they come across something valuable—no fault in that.
After checking the description of the Auspicious Guanyin Statue's attributes, Jiang Tao carefully placed it back into its box.
Then he got out of bed, walked to the bathroom door, and slid open the frosted glass door with a whoosh.
What should have been a ten-minute shower turned into over half an hour when the two of them showered together.
After his physical stats increased to 60 points, Jiang Tao's already impressive stamina had become even more formidable.
Xu Li was starting to find it a bit overwhelming.
*Ding-a-ling-ling—*
Just as Jiang Tao and Xu Li finished showering and got dressed, the phone Jiang Tao had left on the living room coffee table started ringing.
He walked out of the bedroom to the coffee table and saw the caller ID on the phone screen: "Director An."
Jiang Tao slapped his forehead with a *smack*.
Oh no! He'd been so caught up celebrating today's windfall with Xu Li that he completely forgot about Director An!
Yesterday, he and An Menglin had agreed over the phone to meet at 10 a.m. today. It was already 9:58 a.m.
*Ding-a-ling-ling, ding-a-ling-ling—*
Looking at the persistently ringing phone, Jiang Tao quickly composed himself and slid his finger to answer the call.
"Hello, Director An, have you arrived at Cui Village?"
"I'll be there in about 20 minutes. My car had a flat tire on the way, which caused a slight delay. Please bear with me."
"You can head to our greenhouse first. Our company's Vice President Jiang Bing will be there to receive you."
"I'm really sorry. I'll have Vice President Jiang Bing show you around first."
"Alright, thank you for your understanding. See you soon."
After a brief white lie to An Menglin over the phone, Jiang Tao hurriedly walked to the bedroom door.
"Honey, plans have changed. We need to head out quickly."
"I made an appointment with a client to meet at the greenhouse at 10, and I completely forgot about it."
"Mhm, I'm almost ready. Give me three more minutes~"
Xu Li didn't usually wear much makeup—just a bit of moisturizer and some light lipstick was enough.
In less than three minutes, Xu Li had finished her makeup and swiftly changed into her outfit for going out.
She wore light gray shark pants that hugged her slender, long legs, making them look even more elegant and elongated.
On her feet, she had a pair of checkered leather ankle boots paired with high-calf white striped cotton socks, adding a stylish touch.
Her top was a white Canada Goose parka that Jiang Tao had bought for her just a few days ago.
Since her hair was still damp, she wore a black knit beanie on her head.
Her outfit was youthful, vibrant, and exuded charm.
Even Jiang Tao, who saw her every day, felt his heart skip a beat at her look, tempted to "spar" with her again.
"Do I look okay? I won't embarrass my husband, will I?"
Xu Li playfully spun around in front of Jiang Tao with a smile.
Jiang Tao's heated gaze was the best compliment she could receive.
"My wife looks stunning in anything. Perfect~"
Jiang Tao gave her a hearty thumbs-up, genuinely praising her.
The saying "people rely on clothes, horses rely on saddles" couldn't be more true for Xu Li.
Compared to the past, when her entire outfit wouldn't cost more than 1,000 yuan, the Canada Goose parka she was wearing now alone cost over 15,000 yuan.
The seemingly simple shark pants were also a product from the well-known brand Lululemon, priced at over 2,000 yuan.
The checkered leather ankle boots were a new Burberry design, costing over 8,000 yuan.
In the past, although Xu Li was beautiful, she lacked confidence and her outfits often gave off a cheap vibe.
Now, dressed head-to-toe in designer brands, Xu Li exuded an air of elegance and carried herself with far more confidence and charm than before.
"Hehe~ As long as I don't embarrass my husband."
Xu Li giggled goofily, stepped forward, and linked arms with Jiang Tao. The two chatted and laughed as they left the room and took the elevator downstairs.
At 10:19 a.m., Jiang Tao's Mercedes GLS pulled up outside the leased greenhouse.
After getting out of the car, Jiang Tao noticed that, besides Du Jun's van used for transporting workers and a Zhongtong delivery truck, there was also a rose-red Nissan Qashqai with a Beijing license plate.
That car likely belonged to Director An.
Xu Li nimbly hopped out of the passenger seat, walked around the front of the car, and linked arms with Jiang Tao.
"Let's go. I'll show you our blueberry base."
Jiang Tao said with a smile, leading Xu Li into the greenhouse.
"Good morning, Mr. Jiang! Is this your wife? She's so beautiful, like she stepped out of a painting!"
"Good morning, Mr. Jiang…"
"Good morning, Mr. Jiang."
The workers packing inside the greenhouse greeted Jiang Tao and Xu Li warmly as they entered.
"Good morning."
"Good morning, everyone."
Jiang Tao and Xu Li responded to the greetings without any airs.
"Mr. Jiang, Lily! What brings you here today?"
Spotting Xu Li from afar, Du Jun put down his work, quickly walked over, and greeted Jiang Tao and Xu Li with a cheerful smile.
Du Jun and Xu Li were actually related, within the fifth degree of kinship, making them proper relatives.
"Brother Jun, I've heard from my husband that you've been working here."
"We had some free time at home today, so I came along to check it out. You should come over to our place sometime and get to know the family."
Xu Li greeted Du Jun with a warm smile.
"Sounds good, sounds good! Thanks to your husband, we've got such a great work environment here."
"Working for your husband, we're sheltered from the wind and cold, and the pay comes on time. Dealing with him is just so smooth."
While chatting with Xu Li, Du Jun didn't forget to throw in a compliment for Jiang Tao.
After all, Jiang Tao was the boss here, the one putting food on his table.
"Brother Jun, you're too kind. It's not really about taking care of you all—it's just a normal employer-employee relationship."
"The smooth progress of the work lately is all thanks to you and the team."
"Once this project is wrapped up, I'll treat everyone to a big meal."
Du Jun laughed, "Great! It's a deal then. Once the team hears this, they'll definitely work even harder."
After chatting with Du Jun for a bit, Jiang Tao led Xu Li away. They arrived at the office door and knocked.
"Come in."
Hearing the voice from inside, Jiang Tao and Xu Li entered one after the other.
"Third Bro."
Xu Li greeted Jiang Bing with a smile as they walked in.
Her sharp eyes quickly landed on the elegant woman who had just stood up from the floor.
This woman was likely the Director An her husband had mentioned.
"Second Brother, Second Sister-in-Law, you're here!"
Seeing his second brother and sister-in-law, Jiang Bing got up from her seat with a cheerful grin and greeted them excitedly.
"Director An, sorry to keep you waiting. We arrived a bit late."
Jiang Tao offered an apologetic smile as he greeted An Menglin.
"No worries, I only got here about ten minutes ago. Miss Jiang Bing has already shown me the four blueberry plants."
An Menglin stood to greet Jiang Tao and Xu Li, smiling as she spoke.
"Director An, you've already seen the four genetically mutated blueberry plants? Is your institute interested?"
Jiang Tao got straight to the point, his gaze fixed on An Menglin as he awaited her response.
"Those four blueberry plants, as you said, have indeed undergone genetic mutations."
"And it's a rare mutation in the fruit's color."
"Our Agricultural Research Institute is very interested in these genetically mutated plants."
"As for the price… how much are you selling them for, Mr. Jiang? Per plant."
An Menglin's gaze met Jiang Tao's as she asked about the price, her main concern.
"200,000 yuan per plant."
Jiang Tao didn't beat around the bush and directly quoted the price the System Bro had set for him.
"200,000… per plant!"
Xu Li and Jiang Bing, standing nearby, were startled by Jiang Tao's quote!
Though they had known Jiang Tao had discovered four genetically mutated blueberry plants, they never imagined they'd be worth so much!
Spending 200,000 yuan on a single blueberry plant seemed absolutely "insane" to them!
That was 200,000 yuan!
Back when Jiang Tao was driving a delivery truck, it would've taken him over three years of scrimping and saving to earn that much!
An Menglin, hearing Jiang Tao's quote, was also surprised as she looked at him.
The price of 200,000 yuan was clearly much higher than she'd expected—way higher.
"200,000… is there any room to negotiate on that price?"
An Menglin looked at Jiang Tao, genuinely interested in buying the four mutated blueberry plants.
"Sorry, Director An, this is already the lowest price I can offer."
"The Agricultural Research Institute back in my hometown in northern Hebei is also very interested in these mutated blueberry plants."
"I quoted them the same price."
"These four mutated blueberry plants were carefully selected from 100,000 plants. You can understand how rare they are."
"This price is already very fair."
To create a sense of urgency for An Menglin, Jiang Tao fabricated another buyer that didn't exist.
"Mr. Jiang, this price exceeds my budget."
"I'll need to report back to our leadership and apply for special funding."
Faced with the high price of the blueberry plants, An Menglin didn't give a definitive answer on the spot.
It wasn't that she wanted to string Jiang Tao along.
She genuinely needed to go back to the institute to request sufficient funding.
"Of course, I'll wait for your good news."
Jiang Tao nodded with a smile, understanding An Menglin's position and willing to give her time to consider.
He wasn't in a rush to sell these four genetically mutated special blueberry plants.
He'd hold onto them and wait for the right buyer with the right price.
After all, he had no plans to stay in the cultivation business long-term.
This was just a one-off opportunity triggered by some intel, so he was here to make a quick profit.
Once he cashed in, he planned to step back.
After discussing business, Jiang Tao took An Menglin to see the four mutated blueberry plants again.
An Menglin took plenty of photos from various angles with her phone to use as documentation for the funding application.
Jiang Tao glanced at the new green Submariner watch on his wrist.
It was already around 11:30 a.m.
So he invited her, "Director An, it's almost noon. Why don't we grab lunch together somewhere?"
"Thank you for your kind offer, Mr. Jiang, but I'll just eat at our institute's cafeteria."
An Menglin smiled at Jiang Tao, politely declining his invitation for lunch, and said her goodbyes:
"It's getting late, and I've got the photos I need. I won't disturb your work any longer. I'll head back to the institute now."
"Let me walk you out, Director An."
Jiang Tao didn't press her and escorted her to the greenhouse entrance, watching her drive off in the red Qashqai before returning inside.
"Second Brother, are those four blueberry plants really worth that much?"
Seeing Jiang Tao return after sending An Menglin off, Jiang Bing approached him curiously.
Before today, Jiang Tao had only told her to take good care of the four genetically mutated blueberry plants, saying they were precious but never mentioning their value.
Hearing him quote 200,000 yuan per plant to An Menglin today left Jiang Bing in disbelief!
If one plant sold for 200,000, then four would be 800,000.
That would cover the cost of the 100,000 blueberry plants outright!
Everything else would be pure profit!
How much money would that be?
At a profit of 20 yuan per blueberry plant, 100,000 plants would yield 2 million yuan!
Even after deducting the greenhouse rental fees and workers' wages, the net profit would conservatively be around 1.9 million yuan!
With their 80-20 split, she'd get 380,000 yuan!
Earning 380,000 in less than a month!
Thinking about her share, Jiang Bing could almost see stacks of cash flying toward her!
Between the earlier profits from selling stainless steel tumblers and now the blueberry plants, Jiang Bing's income for the past month was about to break 400,000 yuan!
Add in the money from selling Flying Pig popcorn buckets during the New Year, and her total income this year had already surpassed a million yuan!
A million yuan a year!!
Something she never dared to dream of before had now become reality!
Following her second brother, her rise to success was just around the corner!!
"The rarer something is, the more valuable it is. Our rainbow-colored blueberries are probably one-of-a-kind globally—only four of them."
"200,000 per plant is already a fair price."
"I bet Director An and her team will end up buying them."
Jiang Tao wasn't the least bit worried about the four mutated blueberry plants not selling, his face brimming with confidence.
After some casual chat, it was time for lunch. Jiang Tao waved to Xu Li, who was crouched down studying the blueberry plants.
"Honey, let's take a couple of these home to grow. They're pretty and practical."
Xu Li walked over to Jiang Tao, affectionately hugging his arm, her smile so sweet it made Jiang Bing, standing nearby, feel her blood sugar spiking.
"Tch, tch, tch…"
Seeing her second brother and sister-in-law being so lovey-dovey, Jiang Bing clicked her tongue.
With that level of affection, they didn't seem like a couple married for six or seven years!
Anyone who didn't know better would think they were newlyweds in the honeymoon phase!
"Sure, take as many as you want. They're all ours."
Jiang Tao's doting expression made Jiang Bing insanely jealous, and she protested from the side:
"Hey, you two, are we still eating lunch or not? I'm already full from all this dog food!"
Jiang Tao laughed, "Heh, who told you to be single? If you're not eating dog food, what else are you gonna eat?"
"Sister-in-Law! Look at my second brother! He called me a single dog! What kind of brother says that about his sister?"
Jiang Bing pouted and hugged Xu Li's arm, playfully whining:
"My fragile little heart has been deeply wounded. Only a big meal at lunch can fix it."
"Alright, alright! We'll treat you to a big meal. You pick the place, wherever you want to go."
Xu Li smiled and patted her sister-in-law's head, her eyes full of affection.
The phrase "an elder sister-in-law is like a mother" perfectly described Xu Li and Jiang Bing's relationship.
Compared to her relationship with her eldest sister-in-law, Zhang Xiaoyan, Jiang Bing clearly felt more at ease with Xu Li.
With Xu Li, she could act spoiled, joke around, and be herself without worrying about her image.
Xu Li was not only her sister-in-law but also her best friend and confidante.
She could share anything with Xu Li, with no secrets between them.
"Then let's go to Black Bull BBQ at Vientiane Mall! I need to eat lots of meat to heal my wounded heart~"
Jiang Bing didn't hold back and quickly decided on the lunch spot.
Black Bull BBQ was on the fifth floor of Vientiane Mall's food court, a wildly popular spot known as the "queue king" of the mall.
Both the food and service were excellent, with an average cost of about 300 yuan per person, catering to a slightly upscale crowd.
"Sounds good. Black Bull BBQ it is. I'm craving meat too."
Xu Li glanced at Jiang Tao, giving him a "you handle it" look.
Jiang Tao shrugged nonchalantly, "Alright, wherever you two want to go, I'm fine with it."
Jiang Bing cheered, "Let's go now! I didn't even have breakfast this morning, and my stomach's already flattened from hunger."
"Let's go."
Jiang Tao checked his watch—it was already 11:40 a.m.
By the time they drove to Vientiane Mall, it'd likely be past noon, perfect for lunchtime.
The trio chatted and laughed as they left. Jiang Tao drove them to Vientiane Mall, parking in the B3 garage.
They took the elevator straight to the fifth-floor food court.
From a distance, they could see a huge crowd lined up outside Black Bull BBQ.
"This place is insanely popular! 300 yuan per person—how much do they make in a day?"
Seeing the bustling scene at Black Bull BBQ, Jiang Bing marveled, her face full of envy.
Jiang Tao chuckled, "Why do you care how much they make? Are they giving you a cut?"
"Second Brother, I prefer you when you're quietly swiping your card like a boss."
Jiang Bing rolled her eyes, throwing out a playful jab.
Xu Li burst into giggles at the siblings' banter, drawing the attention of passersby.
With her great figure, stunning looks, and bright smile, her charm was off the charts.
Seeing the long line of people waiting to eat, Jiang Bing's eyes lit up with an idea:
"Second Brother, how about you line up here, and Sister-in-Law and I go shop for clothes this afternoon?"
"No need to line up. Watch your second brother."
Jiang Tao smirked confidently and strode toward the Black Bull BBQ service counter.
"Hello, sir. Welcome to Black Bull BBQ."
"The restaurant is currently full, and you'll need to wait in line. We apologize for the inconvenience."
"Would you like me to get you a queue number?"
The receptionist, a woman in a maroon suit skirt, was polite and professional.
"Hello, beautiful. Can you arrange a table for us as soon as possible?"
As he spoke, Jiang Tao handed over the Vientiane Mall Supreme VIP card that Du Taiming had given him earlier.
This Vientiane Mall Supreme VIP card was valid at all stores in the mall.