The owner of the villa Jiang Tao rented was very easy to talk to.
After a brief conversation, Jiang Tao renewed the lease for another year.
The landlord also agreed to let Jiang Tao use the villa as an office space.
Jiang Tao planned to run this MCN company for the long term.
So, he didn't mind the rent costs too much.
Today was Dan Yang's first day at work.
Jiang Tao gave him a brief tour of the villa.
He arranged a room on the first floor for Dan Yang to use as his office going forward.
Then, he sent a list compiled by Dan Yang to Jiang Jiaqi.
He asked her to purchase the various office and filming equipment listed.
Using his [Bole] skill, Jiang Tao had assessed Jiang Jiaqi's talents and career direction.
Jiang Jiaqi's talent was [Meticulous Budgeting], which made her well-suited for handling office supply procurement.
The office supplies and new packaging equipment for the Jiang Food Factory were all procured by Jiang Jiaqi.
Jiang Tao trusted her greatly and gave her significant authority.
He was essentially grooming her as one of his own.
Jiang Tao's trust in Jiang Jiaqi earned him an increase in her favorability toward him.
At this point, Jiang Jiaqi's favorability toward Jiang Tao had risen to 78 points.
Their friendship value had also reached 78 points.
Once it reached 90 points, Jiang Tao would not only receive a cash reward of 1 million but also a "Friendship Boat."
Moreover, it was because of Jiang Jiaqi that Jiang Tao had obtained the [Salary Card].
Jiang Jiaqi had brought him too many surprises and benefits.
This was one of the main reasons he promoted and relied on her so heavily.
"Boss, is there any work for me to do now?"
After touring the villa, Dan Yang proactively asked Jiang Tao to assign him tasks.
Taking a high salary without working made him feel a bit uneasy.
Jiang Tao glanced at the Rolex Submariner on his wrist—it was just past 11 a.m.
"Let's call it a morning. At noon, we'll gather the other company members for a meal to get acquainted."
"We'll discuss specific work arrangements in the afternoon."
As he spoke, Jiang Tao reached into his pocket, pulled out a pack of premium cigarettes, took out two, and handed one to Dan Yang.
"Thanks, Boss~"
Dan Yang grinned, thanked him, and accepted the cigarette with a flattering smile.
At noon, Jiang Tao booked a table at the Wanlong Hotel in Huilongguan.
The founding members of Jiang Entertainment Co., Ltd. gathered for the first time today, treating it as a team-building event.
The group included Jiang Tao, Jiang Bing, Xu Wencheng, Xu Sha, Jiang Jiaqi, and Dan Yang.
Xu Li and her mother-in-law had gone to the postpartum care center to visit Du Ennan, so they didn't join.
"Sit, sit, everyone, take a seat. No outsiders here, so no need to be formal."
After inviting everyone to sit, Jiang Tao introduced them to each other.
He didn't shy away from mentioning his relationships with his sister, father-in-law, and sister-in-law.
In small-scale companies like this, family businesses weren't a bad thing.
Dan Yang had initially thought his classmate connection with the boss gave him a solid standing in the company.
But after hearing Jiang Tao's introductions, he immediately adjusted his attitude.
Good grief, his colleagues were either the boss's sister, father-in-law, sister-in-law, or a niece who, while not blood-related, seemed quite close to the boss.
So, he was the only outsider here!
"Let's work together and make the company bigger and stronger!"
"When that happens, salaries and bonuses will definitely be generous for everyone!"
After the introductions, Jiang Tao painted a rosy picture of the future before raising his glass:
"For the first toast, let's wish the company prosperity and a grand opening!"
"Grand opening!"
"Grand opening!"
Everyone stood, clinked their glasses with Jiang Tao, and downed their drinks or juice.
After the meal, everyone became a bit more familiar with each other.
Xu Sha picked up her glass of juice and turned to Jiang Bing:
"Sister Bingbing, I was immature before and was rude to you and my brother-in-law. Please forgive me."
"Forget it, let bygones be bygones."
Jiang Bing glanced at her second brother, who was giving her a look, clinked glasses with Xu Sha, and chose to let go of past grudges.
Xu Sha used to be quite rude to Jiang Tao, her brother-in-law, and Jiang Bing knew this.
As a result, Jiang Bing hadn't liked Xu Sha much before.
But since Xu Sha came to Beijing with her parents, she'd been polite to Jiang Tao, losing her previous arrogance.
Jiang Bing's impression of her had improved somewhat.
Now, with Xu Sha taking the initiative to apologize and make peace, Jiang Bing, for her brother's sake, decided not to hold a grudge.
"Thank you, Sister Bingbing. We're colleagues now, so please guide me in the future."
Seeing Jiang Bing's softened expression, Xu Sha felt relieved.
She'd heard from her sister that Jiang Bing, her brother-in-law's sister, was the company's finance manager.
All financial matters—expenses, salaries, reimbursements, and operational costs—were under Jiang Bing's control.
If she disliked someone, she could make their life difficult with financial restrictions!
Seeing the once-arrogant Xu Sha now acting so compliant, Jiang Bing felt a secret thrill and the sense of superiority that came with authority.
No wonder everyone wanted to be a boss or a manager—being a leader was indeed awesome!
"Auntie Jiang Bing, here's a toast to you. Please look out for me in the future."
After toasting Jiang Tao, Jiang Jiaqi raised her glass to Jiang Bing, taking the chance to cozy up.
"You're doing great work, Xiaoqi. Keep it up, and your Uncle Tao won't let you down."
Jiang Bing's attitude toward Jiang Jiaqi was noticeably warmer than toward Xu Sha.
"Thank you, Auntie Jiang Bing! Uncle Tao, I'll work hard and live up to both of your expectations!"
Jiang Jiaqi nodded happily, deeply grateful for Jiang Tao's trust and support.
Jiang Tao had been nothing but good to her.
Not only did he give her a high salary, but he also entrusted her with the important task of procurement, giving her significant trust and authority.
Jiang Jiaqi saw Jiang Tao as her "Bole" (a mentor who recognizes talent) in this lifetime.
She was willing to treat this job as a long-term, even lifelong, career.
Afterward, Dan Yang and Xu Wencheng also toasted Jiang Tao and Jiang Bing.
The first gathering of Jiang Entertainment Co., Ltd. ended in a pleasant atmosphere.
After the meal, without Jiang Tao's prompting, Jiang Bing went downstairs to settle the bill.
The meal's expenses could be charged to the Jiang Food Factory's corporate account.
The meal cost over 3,000 yuan—not extravagant, but quite lavish.
Outside, the group piled into Jiang Tao's Mercedes G-Class.
Jiang Tao drove them back to the villa district, giving everyone a tour of their future company.
"Wow! Brother-in-law, are we working in this villa from now on?"
Xu Sha, admiring the villa's luxurious decor, was thrilled.
She couldn't wait to whip out her phone, snap some photos, and post them on social media to make her classmates jealous!
Most of her classmates were working as junior staff in obscure small companies.
During their internships, having their own desk was a luxury, let alone an office.
Working in a high-end villa was something absolutely worth bragging about!
Young people all loved to show off a little!
"Yes, this will be our company's office from now on."
Jiang Tao nodded with a smile, equally satisfied with his new company.
Xu Wencheng looked around the villa.
Though he didn't say much, he was clearly fond of the new workplace.
His old office was in a building over 20 years old, dimly lit, cramped, and shared by five colleagues in less than 20 square meters.
Compared to that, this new company was like paradise!
Jiang Bing also loved the new company's setup!
It was far more upscale than the food factory!
"Second Brother, the rent here isn't cheap, is it?"
Looking at the villa's lavish decor, Jiang Bing knew the rent couldn't be low.
Jiang Tao answered honestly, "It's alright, just over 300,000 a year."
Jiang Bing gasped, "That's way more than alright! A year's rent could cover a down payment for a house back home!"
"…"
Dan Yang, overhearing Jiang Tao's casual "just over 300,000 a year," was speechless.
His old classmate had truly made it big!
The new company's annual rent alone was over 300,000.
Add in office furniture, computers, printers, and other miscellaneous supplies, and the company hadn't even opened yet, but 500,000–600,000 was already spent!
With employee salaries, the company's annual expenses would likely hit seven or eight figures.
"With capable people like you, this rent is nothing. It won't take long to earn it back."
Jiang Tao smiled confidently, optimistic about the company's prospects.
With his [Bole] title for identifying and nurturing talent, and the cheat-like [Monopoly Dice] for boosting income, if he still lost money, he might as well go back home and raise pigs.
After some casual chat, Jiang Tao gave everyone another tour of the villa and assigned offices to Jiang Bing and the others.
In the afternoon, a batch of office equipment procured by Jiang Jiaqi arrived.
The group directed the movers to set up the desks, chairs, and equipment.
The afternoon passed quickly in the busy work.
That evening, Jiang Tao treated everyone to barbecue.
After eating and drinking their fill, the group dispersed to their respective homes.
Jiang Tao got home after 9 p.m.
His parents had just returned from dancing.
Xu Li had also picked up Jiang Xue from Jiang Yi's place.
The family took turns washing up.
While waiting in the living room, Jiang Tao checked his earnings for the day.
[Your earnings today are 42,288.22 yuan. Would you like to use the Monopoly Dice to multiply them?]
"Over 40,000 today, a bit better than yesterday."
Jiang Tao opened his phone to check his fund holdings, worth over 2.3 million.
Yesterday, it showed a loss of over 3,000, but today, it gained over 13,000.
Though funds were a relatively safe investment, the fluctuations were still significant.
With a thought, a blue screen appeared in the air before Jiang Tao.
It displayed the inventory slots he'd unlocked with money.
Jiang Tao reached into one of the slots and pulled out the Monopoly Dice.
According to the system, the dice's outcome was completely random, unaffected by any technique.
Jiang Tao's dream of mastering the dice to always roll a 6 was dashed.
*Clatter, clatter, clatter…*
Jiang Tao tossed the dice onto the table, and it spun rapidly.
After about five seconds, it stopped, showing a "1" face-up.
[Congratulations, you rolled a 1. Your daily earnings are multiplied by 1!]
"…"
Seeing the lowest possible roll, Jiang Tao's face darkened.
His luck was pretty bad today!
What was there to congratulate about?
*Buzz~*
His phone vibrated in his pocket.
Checking it, he saw a bank notification.
[Your ICBC savings account ending in XX89 received a transfer of 42,288.22 from account XX. Your current balance is 1,386,755.88 yuan!]
"A 1 versus a 6 makes a difference of over 200,000 in daily earnings. That's way too intense."
Though exasperated, Jiang Tao quickly accepted reality.
Earning over 40,000 for free in a day would thrill most people.
One should be content with what they have.
After multiplying his daily earnings, Jiang Tao returned the Monopoly Dice to the system's inventory.
"Honey, we're done. Your turn."
Jiang Tao looked up to see Xu Li and Jiang Xue, fresh from the shower, with Xu Li in silk pajamas and her hair still damp.
Her flushed, delicate face looked particularly alluring post-shower.
"Alright."
Jiang Tao smiled, grabbed a towel, and headed to the bathroom.
Brushing his teeth, washing his face, and showering took about ten minutes.
Freshly cleaned, Jiang Tao returned to the bedroom, scrolling through his phone while waiting for Xu Li.
About half an hour later, Xu Li tiptoed in, locking the door with a *click*.
"Honey, kept you waiting?"
Xu Li grinned at Jiang Tao on the bed, striking a provocative pose against the doorframe.
Her sultry "honey" sent a shiver through Jiang Tao, like an electric current.
Though they'd been married for over seven years, their passion hadn't faded.
Jiang Tao's body jolted, and he leaped off the bed with a carp-like flip.
In a few strides, he reached the door, scooped Xu Li up in a princess carry, and held her effortlessly with his 88-point physique.
From just past 11 p.m. to after midnight, Jiang Tao came out on top.
After some intimate pillow talk, an exhausted Xu Li fell asleep.
Jiang Tao then opened the intelligence system panel to check the day's newly refreshed information.