Before Skye applied, Mike's management style relied on two main approaches.
The first approach: outsourcing.
Housekeeping and cleaning outsourced, maintenance outsourced... He had no choice but to outsource; as the sole boss and employee, he would be exhausted trying to do all the work himself.
He did handle the finances himself, but the books he kept would drive PwC accountants insane.
The result was persistently high operating costs, with revenue mostly going to cover them. Fortunately, these properties were unexpected gains, so it was enough for them to generate revenue and sustain their own operations.
The second approach: only solving problems when they arose, assuming they didn't exist beforehand, with no established procedures.
This saved trouble in the short term, but led to a huge number of tenant complaints and grievances.
Over time, accumulated problems were bound to erupt.
Lack of experience was compensated by technology. Skye's arrival resolved Mike's immediate concerns, even better than he had imagined.
It had been half a month since Skye started, and she had gradually moved from awkwardness to getting into the swing of things.
Mike briefly checked the ledger; expenditures had decreased by one-third.
Skye was proficient in network technology, especially hacking, but she wasn't a tech-hermit. On the contrary, Skye was good at communicating with different people, enthusiastic and sunny, practically a super goddess of the hacker street.
Mike and Skye were comfortable with each other and quickly became familiar, to the point of being able to make crude jokes. Of course, aside from some verbal teasing, Mike always behaved properly towards Skye.
It must be clarified here—being a playboy is physically demanding, about lust, not love. After getting dressed, they part ways, each going their own way.
Not eating the grass near one's burrow is a basic quality every playboy should possess. Everyone works and lives in the same place, constantly seeing each other, and exchanging experiences is normal.
"I truly am a pure stream among playboys."
Mike mumbled as he slipped his arms into his shirt.
"What are you saying?"
A blonde woman hugged Mike from behind.
"Nothing, just work stuff. Aren't you going to sleep a bit longer? It's a rare weekend."
"No, I've got plans with my sister. I need to go home first, take a shower, and change clothes. If she finds out I didn't come home last night, I'll be in for an earful." Trish complained with a hint of fondness, "Ever since she became a private investigator, I feel like I can't hide anything from her. It's a headache."
A private investigator... is she a competitor?
Trish moved to face Mike, buttoning his shirt one by one.
"You look so sexy in a White shirt."
"How sexy?"
Trish didn't answer, just looked at Mike with moist, affectionate eyes.
Mike stiffened slightly in respect.
"Didn't you say you were going home to shower and change?"
"I'm going to wash them anyway, so why not get some more exercise?"
Half an hour later, Mike changed into a T-shirt; a few buttons on his shirt had been torn off by the impatient Trish.
"I'll see you out."
"Thanks."
...
"Scum."
Seeing Mike escort Trish to a taxi, Skye slammed the Enter key.
In just half a month, at least five different women had entered and exited Mike's bedroom.
Skye glared at Mike, who rubbed his nose, feigning innocence.
Mike ruffled Chloe's head and asked, "What are you spacing out for? Have you finished your homework?"
Chloe was a little unaccustomed to such intimate gestures; she recoiled slightly, her voice barely a whisper: "Finished."
Skye grumbled, "Don't bully Chloe!"
Mike pleaded, "How am I bullying her? I just asked about her homework. That's caring, caring, understand?"
Skye complained, "Chloe has too much homework."
"Too much?" Mike's mouth twitched.
You probably have some misunderstanding about "too much." Students in China, besides ten times the amount of homework, also have to attend tutoring, learn musical instruments...
"Isn't it too much?" Skye shot Mike a sidelong glance.
"Alright, you're pretty, so you're right, okay?" Mike raised both hands in surrender.
Skye narrowed her eyes, emitting a dangerous glint: "Compared to that person just now..."
"Trish Walker."
"Prettier than Trish?"
"How could that be? She's nowhere near as... ugly as you!"
Splat!
Mike had anticipated it and dodged Skye's instant noodle throwing attack by sidestepping.
Chloe pitifully said, "Boss, Sister Skye... can you two please not fight?"
"So cute!" Mike couldn't help but pinch Chloe's left cheek, "Oh~ she's got some meat on her, feels better to pinch now."
"Really?" Skye's eyes lit up, and she gently pinched Chloe's right cheek: "It's true, the texture is better."
Chloe: (??ω??).
After bickering with Skye for a while, Mike half-reclined on his exclusive beach chair.
As soon as he lay down, Mike suddenly sat up, using too much force, causing the beach chair to tip over, making a sound that startled Chloe.
"Sorry, sorry." Mike quickly soothed Chloe, staring intently at the TV screen.
"According to unnamed Military sources, a convoy of our country's Military was attacked by unknown armed individuals in Kourna Province, Afghanistan, resulting in the sacrifice of multiple soldiers. According to reliable sources, Tony Stark, Chairman of the famous Stark Industries, was among the convoy and is suspected to have been kidnapped."
Reporters held microphones, practically wanting to shove them down Colonel James Rhodey's throat. The latter looked tired, his eyes dim, as he pushed away the microphones and dodged reporters with "Military secret, no comment."
Mike remembered that Tony Stark was attacked approximately thirty-six hours after attending the annual "Apex Award" ceremony, upon his return to Bagram Air Base in Parwan Province.
The Ten Rings Gang attacked the U.S. Military convoy, unaware that Tony Stark was among them. After discovering the injured Tony Stark, they kidnapped him and treated his injuries.
The leader, Raza, felt deceived and was furious, demanding more money to appease his anger. During negotiations with the employer, Obadiah, Raza suddenly thought: "No, my people cannot be supported for free."
So he forced Tony Stark to build the Jericho missile.
The result—
Tony Stark, in a crude cave, used a pile of scrap materials to build the Mark I, sending a bunch of Terrorists running for their lives.
An absolute badass!
This was the original origin of Iron Man, but it's unknown whether it would undergo drastic changes due to Mike's butterfly effect.
For example, Stark wasn't attacked, or he died directly in the attack.
Who knows, anything is possible.
After the Apex Award ceremony, Mike decided to take a gamble. He put in one hundred twenty thousand U.S. dollars, shorting Stark Industries with ten times leverage.
Take a gamble, and a bicycle turns into a motorcycle.
He won the bet!
As soon as Tony Stark went missing, the group's stock plummeted by 5.23%.
A small profit of tens of thousands of U.S. dollars, and crucially, no system commission!
"Gah gah gah..." Mike burst out laughing.
As for warning Tony Stark in advance... Mike hadn't considered it. Not to mention whether he could even see Stark, even if he did, what would he say?
Skye blinked: "Do you have a grudge against Tony Stark?"
"No," Mike denied.
"He's been kidnapped, and you're this happy?" Skye didn't believe him.
"Am I happy?"
"You're laughing like a goose. If you don't believe me, ask Old Earl and Chloe."
"Mhm!" × 2.
The old and the young nodded in unison.
Mike said righteously, "Oh, Tony Stark—a wicked capitalist, an arms dealer who profits from war. He deserves whatever he gets, let alone being kidnapped."
Skye rolled her eyes and sneered, "Heh~ Just a friendly reminder, you're a capitalist too."
"Not really."
Mike denied, a faint sadness in his heart: "Ninety percent of those properties belong to the system; I'm just a poor worker."