"Hmm, all done."
As soon as Jiang Tao finished speaking, a bright blue system interface popped up with a swoosh.
Two notification messages appeared on it.
[Congratulations on completing the special mission [A Parent's Heart for Their Child!] ]
[Congratulations on receiving 660,000 yuan in cash, +5 Constitution, +3 Charm!]
At the same time, Jiang Tao's phone buzzed and vibrated in his pocket.
If he wasn't mistaken, it was probably the cash reward being deposited.
Big Bro System was always quick and prompt when it came to settling rewards.
As long as a mission was completed, it would immediately settle the rewards without any delay.
In the evening, he had completed [Protective Brother Maniac] and earned 1 million yuan.
Just now, he had spent only 66 yuan to activate [Deep Sleep Mode] for Du Ennan, and earned another 660,000 yuan!
A return rate of 10,000 times had fattened Jiang Tao's little treasury once again!
Doing system missions was way more lucrative than doing business!
At the same time.
Jiang Tao felt a warm current rising from his abdomen.
This warm current spread to his limbs and bones, giving him a light, floaty sensation.
He was already very familiar with this feeling—it was the tangible manifestation of his Constitution being enhanced!
With the 5 points of Constitution reward he just received, his current Constitution had reached 78 points!
Big Bro System's evaluation of his physical fitness had also upgraded from "Frail" to "Robust"!
"Charm…"
With a thought, a panel displaying his Charm stats appeared before Jiang Tao.
[Jiang Tao: Charm 62 points! (Charming Uncle)]
[Charming Uncle]: Women are more easily attracted to your charm!
"…"
Seeing his current Charm value and its evaluation, Jiang Tao couldn't help but chuckle wryly.
At the same time, he wondered to himself.
If he managed to grind his Charm to 100, would he turn into the legendary incubus?
Jiang Tao's gaze shifted to Xu Li.
[Xu Li: Charm 95 points! (Universally Adored)]
"…"
Seeing Big Bro System's evaluation of Xu Li's Charm, Jiang Tao was left speechless.
He had completed two missions today, increasing his Charm by 13 points to reach 62.
He had thought 62 was pretty high, but compared to Xu Li's 95…
Indeed, hard work was nothing in the face of natural talent!
"What's wrong, honey? Why are you suddenly looking at me like that?"
Xu Li stepped forward, wrapping her arms around Jiang Tao's, and waved a hand in front of his face.
Snapping back to reality, Jiang Tao smiled and said, "Oh, nothing. I just suddenly realized my silly wife is getting prettier every day."
"Really? Hehe~"
Hearing Jiang Tao's words, Xu Li's smile grew even brighter, her heart as sweet as if she'd eaten honey.
Her red lips brushed against Jiang Tao's cheek like a dragonfly skimming water, planting a quick kiss.
"Let's go. It's getting late; we should head home."
Jiang Tao glanced at the green Submariner watch on his wrist.
It was already 11:42 PM, just a dozen minutes shy of midnight.
"Mm-hmm. We ate so much beef tonight; we can't let it go to waste."
Xu Li suddenly leaned close to Jiang Tao's ear, her breath warm and teasing as she whispered.
The warm air tickled his ear like a spark, instantly igniting a flame in his heart.
Jiang Tao reached out, wrapping an arm around Xu Li's slender waist, and whispered back, "How about we don't go home tonight? Let's find a nearby hotel for a romantic night, just the two of us. Tomorrow morning, we can have Mom take Xiao Xue downstairs to catch the school bus."
Xu Li's eyes lit up at his words, then her cheeks flushed as a thought crossed her mind.
"Mm! I'll follow your lead."
Xu Li nodded shyly, agreeing. She, too, felt that living with her in-laws sometimes made things feel restrictive.
The two hit it off instantly and left to have their driver, Old Wu, take them to the nearest five-star hotel from the villa district.
Even though Jiang Tao had earned over a million yuan in a single day, he wasn't extravagant enough to book a presidential suite costing tens of thousands for a night.
That kind of money could feed and entertain the whole family for a year.
Having only recently started living the good life, Jiang Tao hadn't yet shed his ingrained frugality.
The couple booked a business suite with a king-sized bed for 1,888 yuan a night—more than enough space for them to enjoy.
They swiped the key card and entered the room.
As soon as they stepped inside, Xu Li's arms wrapped around Jiang Tao's neck, her red lips eagerly meeting his.
The two moved from the doorway to the bed, their clothes scattering along the way.
In no time, the room's temperature soared, and a springtime glow filled the air.
From 12:15 AM to 1:00 AM, it finally ended with Xu Li pleading for mercy.
In just one day, Jiang Tao's Constitution had surged by 15 points, and the effects of his enhanced physique were quite noticeable.
Leaning against the headboard, Jiang Tao activated [Deep Sleep Mode] for Xu Li, who was nestled in his arms. Once she was asleep, he gently placed her head on the pillow.
Then, he took a cigarette from the pack on the nightstand, lit it, and took a drag.
His gaze inadvertently fell on his abdomen.
Lately, he had only been running on the [Fitness Treadmill] without doing specific abdominal exercises.
But as his Constitution increased, his muscles had been sculpted all over.
His biceps, triceps, and abdominal muscles now had clearly defined contours.
"78 points is already this strong. If I grind to 100, could I surpass professional athletes?"
Jiang Tao chuckled lightly, feeling that he might have great potential if he pursued sports in the future.
For example, he had been running daily recently, gradually building a habit and falling in love with the sport.
For ordinary people, running might just be a low-barrier activity or hobby.
To play badminton or table tennis, you at least need to buy a racket and a ball.
But running? Even if you don't spend a dime, you can still participate.
Its barrier to entry is undoubtedly the lowest among all sports.
As the saying goes, every trade has its champion.
If he could excel at running, pushing it to the extreme, he could become a standout sports star.
There were plenty of running influencers and streamers online with millions of followers.
If he could achieve something in running, winning city marathons would just be pocket change.
Starting a channel, selling sports products, collaborating with brands, and signing endorsement deals—top running streamers could easily make millions or even tens of millions a year.
Moreover, Jiang Tao knew that the "National Speed Challenge" incentive program, co-sponsored by the Chinese Athletics Association and Xtep, offered substantial bonuses.
Breaking the national marathon record in an official race would earn a direct 1 million yuan cash prize, plus an additional 10,000 yuan for every second faster than the record.
In other words, surpassing the current marathon record by 10 seconds would net 1.1 million yuan.
Additionally, some sports brands had their own "Running God Reward Mechanisms."
For instance, 361° had announced its reward program in 2023.
Non-registered Chinese runners wearing full 361° gear, competing in China Athletics Association-certified races, could earn 1 million yuan if they ran a full marathon in under 2 hours and 10 minutes.
For now, Jiang Tao was still far from being a true running god.
But with his Constitution continuing to grow, reaching that level was not out of the question.
Moreover, in this E-era where the internet permeates everyone's lives, becoming a top sports streamer through running would bring numerous benefits to his future endeavors.
[Ding! Congratulations on triggering the special mission [Path to Sports Star] series!]
[Mission Name]: Path to Sports Star (Beginner)
[Mission Objective]: Start a livestream and gain 10,000 real followers through sports-related content.
[Mission Rewards]: +10 Constitution, +10 Charm, +1 million yuan cash reward!
"Path to Sports Star, Beginner Tier…"
Seeing the system panel suddenly appear with the special mission details, Jiang Tao's eyes lit up!
Talk about perfect timing!
He had just been debating whether to pursue a path as a sports star, and now Big Bro System was guiding him in that direction!
Moreover, it seemed like [Path to Sports Star] was a staged series.
If the Beginner Tier already offered such generous rewards, how lavish would the Intermediate or Advanced Tiers be?
"Accept the mission!"
Thinking of the potential future rewards in this series, Jiang Tao accepted the mission with excitement.
Gaining 10,000 real followers wasn't exactly easy, but it wasn't impossibly hard either.
Given the generous mission rewards, it was definitely worth a try!
As for which sport to focus on…
Although Jiang Tao had mastered system-level freestyle fighting skills, he couldn't exactly go around challenging dojos like in TV dramas, right?
After some thought, he felt running was a solid choice.
He had been running daily and following a few running influencers, learning a lot about the sport.
Plus, with his recent rapid Constitution growth, his running ability had improved significantly.
He had gone from a complete newbie to a beginner runner.
"Let's give it a try! If running doesn't work out, I can switch to another track."
After some consideration, Jiang Tao glanced at his phone on the nightstand.
Unknowingly, it was already 1:18 AM.
He was starting to feel a bit sleepy.
But out of habit, he opened the intelligence interface to check the first piece of information refreshed for the day.
[Daily Intelligence 01]:
You had contact with Wang Tianheng yesterday, obtaining related intelligence—
Wang Tianheng and his aunt-in-law Han Mei are engaged in an illicit relationship, and his car was fully purchased and gifted by Han Mei.
…
"Wang Tianheng… Han Mei… illicit relationship? The car was a gift from Han Mei?"
Seeing the first piece of intelligence for the day, Jiang Tao's expression was quite colorful.
"This Han Mei… it couldn't be the Han Mei who targeted Jiang Yi, could it?"
With a thought, Jiang Tao focused on the name "Han Mei."
Soon, an image of a middle-aged woman with rose-red glasses and permed, curly hair appeared in his mind.
"It's really her!"
Jiang Tao's impression of Han Mei wasn't deep, but he vaguely remembered her appearance.
Now, comparing it to the portrait provided by Big Bro System, he confirmed it was indeed her!
"Big Bro System, is this gossip… legit?"
If the intelligence provided by the daily report was true, it was equivalent to handing Han Mei's "biggest secret" to Jiang Tao!
With this information in hand, wouldn't Han Mei be at his mercy?
[Would you like to spend 18,888 yuan to download evidence of Wang Tianheng and Han Mei's illicit relationship?]
"Why is it so expensive this time? Big Bro System, you're really money-hungry! Why don't you just rob someone!"
Seeing the cost to download the evidence, Jiang Tao couldn't help but grumble internally.
However, without solid evidence, mere words wouldn't be enough to hold leverage over Han Mei.
Fine!
He'd treat the 18,888 yuan as an investment to boost Jiang Yi's favorability!
If he could raise her favorability to 90, he'd not only earn a 1 million yuan cash reward but also gain a Friendship Boat.
Ten Friendship Boats could be fused into a real yacht.
In terms of value, a Friendship Boat was worth more than 1 million yuan in cash.
The 18,888 yuan for the evidence was negligible compared to such rewards.
"Yes!"
Jiang Tao didn't hesitate for long and chose to spend the money to download the evidence.
Soon, a 323MB video was downloaded to his phone.
Opening the video, it was indeed what he had imagined.
Jiang Tao was no moral saint.
He had no interest in meddling in Wang Tianheng and Han Mei's affairs.
Nor would he be so righteous as to expose it to Han Mei's husband.
That would bring him no benefits.
He was just an ordinary guy, only interested in using this to do something beneficial for himself and Jiang Yi.
That's all.
With a thought, he continued to refresh the second piece of intelligence for the day.
[Daily Intelligence 02]:
While dining yesterday, you consumed beef rolls purchased by Xu Li from fitness streamer Li Dagang's livestream, obtaining related intelligence—
The beef rolls sold in Li Dagang's livestream are not original cuts but synthetic beef rolls!
Tomorrow morning at 10 AM, place another order in the livestream to receive a tenfold compensation for fake products!
[Note]: The maximum purchase amount is 20,000 yuan, and this information cannot be shared or disclosed to others.
…
"Synthetic beef rolls?"
Seeing the second piece of intelligence, Jiang Tao was slightly surprised.
Though he didn't follow that streamer, Xu Li had mentioned that he was a big influencer with millions of followers.
"Probably not knowingly selling fakes, right? Otherwise, there wouldn't be a tenfold compensation policy."
"Was he scammed by the supplier?"
Regardless of the situation, Jiang Tao wasn't about to miss this opportunity to cash in.
Spending 20,000 yuan to trigger the tenfold compensation would net him 200,000 yuan.
That's enough to cover Xiao Xue's tuition for a year!
"Tomorrow morning, I'll max out the 20,000 yuan purchase!"
With a plan in mind, Jiang Tao checked the final piece of intelligence for the day.
[Daily Intelligence 03]:
You had contact with Lü Qian yesterday, obtaining related intelligence—
In a puddle that Lü Qian passes by daily while walking his bird, there is a meteorite from the asteroid belt between Jupiter and Mars, approximately 329 million kilometers from Earth.
This meteorite has extremely high scientific value, estimated at 888,000 yuan!
…
"A meteorite worth 880,000 yuan? Meteorites landing in cities are rare."
"Lü Bro is really my lucky star!"
"Last time he gave me a pickle jar, and now he's brought me 880,000 yuan in fortune."
Seeing the third piece of intelligence, Jiang Tao's spirits lifted again.
However…
It was too late today, and he couldn't be bothered to deal with it now.
That meteorite had probably been sitting in the puddle for a while.
Who would go digging in a puddle for a rock?
"Sleep, sleep. I'll check it out tomorrow."
With a thought, Jiang Tao closed the system interface, activated [Deep Sleep Mode] for himself, and went to sleep!
In Deep Sleep Mode, he was out like a light in less than a minute.
…
7:00 AM.
Ding-a-ling, ding-a-ling—
A Hello Kitty alarm clock on Du Ennan's nightstand went off right on time.
On the bed, Du Ennan, still in a dream, slowly opened her eyes at the sound of the alarm.
Unlike the usual groggy, foggy-headed feeling upon waking, her eyes weren't sore like they usually were.
Even her mood today wasn't as heavy as usual—it felt incredibly joyful.
Her mind was clear, her mood calm and pleasant, and she felt refreshed!
"This feeling, this feeling is amazing!"
Du Ennan sat up from the bed with a delighted expression, slowly swinging her legs over the side.
She shuffled to the window and yanked the curtains open with a swoosh.
Through the large floor-to-ceiling window, she looked out at the lush, towering spruces in the community.
Du Ennan felt the world suddenly became much clearer.
It was like jumping from standard definition to Blu-ray quality.
The tree branches, bathed in the morning sun, shimmered with specks of light.
A few birds chirped and flitted playfully on the branches.
Everything was so vibrant, so full of life!
Life felt so beautiful!
As if sensing Du Ennan's joyful mood, the baby in her belly wiggled a few times, like it was stretching after waking up.
"Baby~ Did you sleep well last night too?"
"Looks like your godfather is pretty impressive. He's got some real skills."
Having personally experienced Jiang Tao's miraculous "sleep aid technique," Du Ennan was already hooked on the feeling of waking up full of energy!
And most importantly—
As Jiang Tao had said, his "sleep aid technique" had no adverse effects on health.
It didn't rely on any devices or medications, so there were no worries!
Thinking of this, Du Ennan turned back to the bed, grabbed her phone, and dialed Xu Li.
Beep, beep, beep—
After a few rings, Xu Li's voice came through.
"Lili! Your Old Jiang is amazing. I slept straight through till now."
"This feeling of being well-rested is so good!"
"Mm-hmm, I feel full of energy. I'll need to trouble Old Jiang again tonight."
"Haha, treating you to a meal is no big deal. I'll treat you both to breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day if you want."
"I was going crazy from insomnia. Your Old Jiang is practically my savior."
"Lili, are you feeling okay? Your voice sounds a bit off."
"Nothing much, the weather's been hot and cold lately. Be careful not to catch a cold."
"…"
Du Ennan chatted with Xu Li for about ten minutes before hanging up.
Their relationship was as close as sisters, and even daily calls never ran out of things to talk about.
…
In a room at the Hilton Hotel in Chaoyang District, on a large bed.
After hanging up with Du Ennan, Xu Li playfully glared at Old Jiang, who was smirking as he put on his pants.
This guy's appetite had been growing lately, and she was starting to feel overwhelmed.
In about ten minutes, the two got dressed and went downstairs to the hotel's buffet restaurant.
The 1,888 yuan room rate included breakfast for two.
Xu Li got a bowl of shredded chicken porridge, while Jiang Tao, who preferred noodles, got a bowl of beef noodles.
They paired it with some ham, bacon, cheese, and various flavored bread rolls.
The hotel's buffet restaurant was clean and hygienic, with a wide variety of breakfast options.
The staff promptly refilled empty trays, and the service was excellent.
As breakfast was wrapping up, Xu Li's phone rang.
She pulled it out and saw it was Du Ennan calling again.
"Hey, Nannan."
"Cough, cough, my husband and I are having breakfast at the Hilton."
"It was too late last night, so we didn't go home."
"We're an old married couple; what's romantic about it?"
"Are you coming over? Have you eaten breakfast?"
"Would it be too much trouble for you?"
"Okay, come over then. We're almost done eating. We'll wait for you outside the hotel."
"Mm-hmm, drive safely. Bye."
After hanging up with Du Ennan, Xu Li turned to Jiang Tao, who was eating a sandwich, and smiled. "Nannan says she's driving over to take us home."
"Is that so? This in-law is pretty reliable."
Jiang Tao laughed at Xu Li's words. Du Ennan was a considerate in-law.
"By the way, honey, is your sleep aid technique really that amazing?"
"Nannan was raving about it when she called this morning. You've been hiding it well."
"You can't just let Nannan try it. I want to try it tonight too!"
"…"
Jiang Tao couldn't help but laugh wryly at Xu Li's words.
How was he supposed to explain this?
His silly wife had been experiencing [Deep Sleep Mode] every day and had gotten used to it without realizing.
"Fine, fine, we'll let you try it tonight."
Jiang Tao smiled, ruffling Xu Li's hair, finding his silly wife quite adorable.
After some casual chat, the two finished their meal.
Jiang Tao checked out at the front desk, and Xu Li held his arm as they laughed and walked out.
They'd been together since high school, almost a decade now.
Their clingy affection hadn't faded much from their honeymoon phase.
Their friends often got an eyeful of their PDA.
They waited outside for less than five minutes before a boxy Mercedes G-Class pulled up beside them.
Du Ennan got out, grinning as she teased, "You two are so romantic, sneaking off for a private night without my daughter."
"What do you mean sneaking? We're a legally married couple. A little private time is perfectly legit."
Jiang Tao's thick skin wasn't fazed by Du Ennan's teasing.
As he spoke, he wrapped an arm around Xu Li's waist, asserting his claim.
"Alright, alright, get in the car. Feeding me dog food first thing in the morning—have you no shame?"
Du Ennan rolled her eyes at Jiang Tao and went to open the back door.
Jiang Tao laughed. "Hold on, Driver Xiao Du, why are you sitting in the back? Does this car have autopilot?"
"Less chatter, drive the car. I'm going to chat with Lili in the back."
"Driver Xiao Jiang, take me home first, then drop Nannan off at work."
Xu Li giggled as she helped Du Ennan into the car and shut the door with a thud.
Jiang Tao looked at the massive vehicle, a wave of emotion washing over him.
This thing's base price was around 1.9 million yuan, and with taxes, it'd easily cost over 2 million.
Whether it was a Mercedes GLS or this G-Class, they used to be out of his reach.
Now, he could buy one outright with ease.
In just a couple of months, his life had undergone earth-shattering changes.
Besides making a few wealthy friends, he had earned dozens of times what he had in his first 30 years.
If life was a curve, looking from the past to now, this was definitely a peak.
But he believed that, looking from the future, he was only just getting started!
The G-Class would be his, a standalone villa would be his, a yacht would be his, and a thriving career would be his too!