Xu Li's entire family was stunned upon hearing the salary package Jiang Tao offered.
A monthly salary of 30,000 yuan!
Even in the capital city, this was considered a high salary.
Many master's and doctoral degree holders couldn't even earn this much.
Xu Wencheng, in particular, felt both apprehensive and overwhelmed.
At his age, he was already grateful just to avoid being laid off by his company.
And now, his son-in-law was recruiting him and offering a monthly salary of 30,000 yuan?
How could an old man in his fifties like him possibly deserve this?
Xu Li hadn't expected her husband to be so generous either.
It was obvious to anyone with eyes that this salary was far too extravagant!
"Well, Jiang Tao, about this salary…"
Xu Wencheng was about to say that his skills didn't match such a high salary, but before he could finish, Jiang Tao interrupted him.
"Of course, 30,000 is just the base salary."
"Once the account takes off, with the addition of gift shares and e-commerce commissions, it'll only get higher."
Xu Wencheng and his family were dumbfounded again by Jiang Tao's words.
What did he mean?
That the salary would be even *higher* than 30,000 yuan in the future??
"Uh, no, Jiang Tao, that's not what I meant," Xu Wencheng hurriedly explained, thinking Jiang Tao had misunderstood him. "I didn't mean the salary was too low—it's too high. You're offering me too much."
"Yeah, Jiang Tao, your dad's already at this age…" Du Yongmei chimed in. Though she wanted her husband to earn more, the amount Jiang Tao was offering was simply too much.
It was so much that both she and Xu Wencheng felt unworthy of it.
Jiang Tao interrupted with a smile, "We're family, so let's not talk like strangers. The salary is set as I said."
"Dad, just tell me if you're in or not."
"…"
After hearing Jiang Tao's words, Xu Wencheng and Du Yongmei exchanged glances, then looked at their eldest daughter standing nearby.
At that moment, the old couple's emotions were incredibly complex.
Du Yongmei's guilt toward Jiang Tao reached its peak.
She recalled her past disdain, indifference, and contempt toward him.
She wanted to slap herself twice!
Such a great son-in-law, and all she'd done before was focus on his flaws, blind to his strengths.
Now that her son-in-law had made it big, not only did he not hold a grudge against her, but he also invited her family to travel to the capital, treated them to food, fun, and shopping, and arranged high-paying jobs for her daughter and husband.
She'd truly been blind, her heart clouded by foolishness!
Xu Li, beaming with joy, said, "Dad! What's there to hesitate about? Just agree to work with my husband!"
"This way, you, Mom, and Shasha can all stay in the capital."
"Yeah, Dad! Brother-in-law is so sincere in inviting you. Just say yes!" Xu Shasha, standing nearby, also urged her father to accept.
Having grown used to living with her parents, she wasn't comfortable with the idea of staying in the capital alone for work.
"Old man, Xiao Tao's being so kind. You'd better work hard and not let him down," Du Yongmei said, clearly showing her support for Xu Wencheng staying.
"Since Xiao Tao thinks so highly of me, I'll follow you from now on," Xu Wencheng said cheerfully, accepting Jiang Tao's sincere invitation and the family's encouragement.
Fishing every day and earning over 30,000 yuan a month?
For a seasoned fishing enthusiast, this was practically a job fit for a god!
"Then it's settled. Whenever you have time, go to your old workplace to handle the resignation, and then you can join our company," Jiang Tao said with a smile, pleased that his father-in-law had accepted his invitation.
The task of "teaching a man to fish is better than giving him a fish" was completed so effortlessly.
"Alright! I'll call my workplace in a bit. The resignation process there is straightforward," Xu Wencheng said with a smile, nodding and looking forward to his new job.
Jiang Tao added with a grin, "You, Mom, and Shasha can keep living in this house. From now on, this is your new home."
Xu Wencheng and Du Yongmei were deeply moved by Jiang Tao's words.
Though he didn't explicitly say they could stay indefinitely, the implication was clear.
Arranging jobs *and* housing?
How could they have failed to cherish such a wonderful son-in-law before?
"Thank you, Jiang Tao. After how I treated you before, you still…" Du Yongmei's eyes reddened, and she looked at Jiang Tao with deep regret.
Jiang Tao laughed generously, "The past is the past. We're family, so let's not dwell on it."
"Exactly, what's done is done. We've got plenty of good days ahead. A harmonious family brings prosperity, so let's all be happy and cheerful!" Xu Li said, wrapping her arm around Jiang Tao's, her gaze softening with even deeper love for him.
After discussing the job change, Xu Li, her mother, and her younger sister went off to chat. Jiang Tao and his father-in-law, Xu Wencheng, talked about work plans and arrangements for over half an hour.
When the topic of fishing came up, Xu Wencheng's enthusiasm burst forth.
He had plenty of experience and insights to share, rattling off fishing proverbs with ease:
"Fish shallow when the water rises, fish deep when it recedes; fish shallow in murky water, fish deep in clear water."
"Choose narrow spots in wide waters, wide spots in narrow waters, and the center in moderate waters."
"Summer fish hide in cool, deep waters; spring and autumn, fish near the edges; winter, seek grassy patches."
"Fish gather at river mouths during rising water, hide in deep pools during falling water; fish both ends during a southwest wind, and look for surprises in grassy or shaded areas."
With decades of dedication, Xu Wencheng had honed his fishing skills to a high level.
In fishing, he wouldn't even bow to national-level or competitive fishing masters.
After discussing techniques for a while, Jiang Tao tactfully shifted the conversation to equipment.
When it came to fishing gear, Xu Wencheng led Jiang Tao to the balcony, where he proudly showed off his collection, explaining in detail.
Which rods were best for which fish, which bait worked for what, the intricacies were endless.
Jiang Tao, a complete novice, listened in awe, barely understanding.
"Dad, can you give me this fishhook to play with?" Jiang Tao asked, quickly zeroing in on a hook with a faint golden glow as Xu Wencheng showed off his gear.
"This set of fishing gear was bought by you. If you want a hook, just take it," Xu Wencheng said casually, not thinking much of it or asking why Jiang Tao wanted it.
"Great, once you join the company, just let me know what gear you need, and I'll get you a few more sets," Jiang Tao said, taking the hook while making big promises.
Xu Wencheng waved it off, "No need for that. We're going back to Ping County for Qingming Festival, right? I'll bring my old rods then. I'm used to them, and they feel right."
Jiang Tao smiled, "Alright, just tell me if you need anything. I'll take care of it and fully support your work."
"Oh, by the way, Dad, this is a lucky stone my master blessed for me before he passed away," Jiang Tao said, taking a river stone from his wrist and handing it to Xu Wencheng. "If you have time today, take it fishing and see if it brings you some good luck."
"Lucky stone? Alright, I'll give it a try," Xu Wencheng said skeptically, accepting the stone.
Though fishing was a skill-based activity, luck played a big part too.
With the fishhook in hand and the lucky stone given away, the two chatted a bit more.
Soon, it was 10 a.m.
Xu Li drove her mother and sister to Wanxiang Mall to shop.
Xu Wencheng took his gear to test the lucky stone's effects.
Jiang Tao, back home alone, pulled the fishhook from his pocket.
With a practiced motion, he pricked his finger to bind and activate the hook with a drop of blood.
**[Item Name]: Jiang Taigong's Fishhook!**
**[Attribute]: Willing Fish Take the Bait!**
**[Effect]: No bait needed; every 10 minutes, a fish will bite the hook guaranteed.**
**[Note 1]: This item only works when used by the host.**
"No bait needed, and a fish bites every 10 minutes?"
"What a 'willing fish take the bait'!"
Jiang Tao's eyes lit up at the hook's activated attributes and effects.
The only downside was that the hook could only be used by him, not others.
And he had little interest in fishing.
This item was practically wasted on him!
"Maybe it'll come in handy someday. I'll keep it for now," Jiang Tao mused, storing the hook in a small box and locking it in the safe by his bed.
*Ding-a-ling—*
Just as he stored the hook, his phone rang.
He pulled it out and saw the caller ID: "Goat."
"Hey, Goat."
"You're downstairs? Alright, hang on, I'll be right down."
"Cool, bye."
After a brief call, Jiang Tao hung up, grabbed two packs of premium cigarettes from a drawer, and headed out.
Taking the elevator downstairs, he spotted Shan Yang waiting at the entrance.
"Morning, boss!" Shan Yang greeted with a smile.
Seeing his old classmate turned boss, Shan Yang felt a wave of envy.
Back in school, who would've thought the poor kid from the countryside would rise to this level?
"You rascal," Jiang Tao said, chuckling and patting Shan Yang's shoulder without correcting his address.
Though they were classmates, work required some distance to maintain effective company rules.
Mixing personal feelings into work made things messy.
Public was public, private was private—clear boundaries made for good work.
"Let's go. I'll drive you to our company's office for a look," Jiang Tao said, leading Shan Yang toward the parking spot. "Make a procurement list today for any equipment we need. I'll have someone handle it."
"I made a list last night. I'll show it to you later," Shan Yang said, keeping pace with Jiang Tao.
They chatted as they walked to a Mercedes-Benz G-Class.
When Jiang Tao pulled out the keys and unlocked the car, Shan Yang's expression was priceless.
What the heck!
This G-Class was Jiang Tao's too??
His old classmate was just too impressive!
"Come on, hop in, Goat," Jiang Tao said with a smile, sliding into the driver's seat.
Shan Yang took a deep breath to calm his shock before climbing into the back.
Seeing his classmate's success made him feel more confident—he'd backed the right horse.
In about twenty minutes, Jiang Tao drove Shan Yang to the entrance of Walden Lake Villa District.
Since the G-Class's license plate wasn't registered in the villa district's system, they were stopped at the gate.
Security captain Tian Gang jogged over after spotting the Mercedes.
When the driver's window rolled down to reveal Jiang Tao's familiar face, Tian Gang was stunned.
He clearly remembered Jiang Tao driving a Mercedes GLS when he rented a place here.
Tian Gang had even helped register that car's plate!
Now, in less than a month, he'd switched to a G-Class??
"Morning, Mr. Jiang! Welcome home!" Tian Gang said, snapping out of his surprise and flashing a smile.
"Captain Tian, could you open the gate and register this car in the system too?" Jiang Tao asked politely, pulling out a pack of premium cigarettes and 500 yuan, handing them over. "For the guys to have some smokes and milk tea."
"Thank you, Mr. Jiang! I'll contact the management to register it right away!" Tian Gang said, gratefully accepting the cigarettes and cash before quickly opening the gate.
"Thanks," Jiang Tao said, waving through the window before driving into the district.
Shan Yang gazed out at the villas surrounded by greenery and flowers, feeling a pang of envy for the residents.
Though a Beijing native, he rarely had the chance to enter such a high-end villa district.
After about three minutes on the internal roads, the G-Class stopped outside Villa 128.
"Here we are, Goat. Let's go," Jiang Tao said, parking and beckoning Shan Yang to get out.
After entering the password to unlock the gate, they walked through the courtyard to the main entrance, where Jiang Tao entered another code to get inside.
"This villa has three floors above ground, one below, with a total area of 688 square meters, eight bedrooms, three living rooms, and six bathrooms," Jiang Tao explained. "This will be our company's office from now on. What do you think?"
The newly established MCN company needed an office.
Since the villa was sitting unused, Jiang Tao decided to make it the company's base.
According to Liu Yue, who'd helped him rent the place, many companies operated out of this villa district—he wasn't the first.
"Satisfied—beyond satisfied!" Shan Yang said, looking around in awe, unable to find a single fault with the place.
His confidence in his boss's capabilities grew even stronger!