Seeing Liu Yuan and He Jing, and then looking at the battle-damaged BMW X3 they were driving.
And the way Liu Zhiyuan and his two buddies were looking at Liu Yuan and He Jing.
It all clicked—everything made sense!
"You know Brother Jiang and Sister-in-law?"
Liu Zhiyuan stepped out from the side, looking at Liu Yuan and He Jing with a surprised expression.
"Huh? Oh! It's you! Why are you here too?"
Liu Yuan, seeing the "victim" she had just rear-ended, also showed a bit of surprise on her face.
"Brother Jiang, you all know each other?"
He Jing's gaze swept over Jiang Tao and Liu Zhiyuan's group, her face showing a sudden realization.
"So, the ones who rear-ended Liu Zhiyuan and his crew were you guys? Haha, what a mess."
Jiang Tao laughed heartily twice and said,
"As long as no one's hurt, it's all good. We all have insurance, so let the insurance companies handle the claims. No need to ruin the vibe."
"Zhiyuan, let me introduce you. This is Liu Yuan and He Jing, friends I met in the capital."
"This is Liu Zhiyuan, Shan Yifei, and Hao Zhiming—my buddies, my friends."
"Today, we're all meeting under these unexpected circumstances."
"Things are a bit hectic today, but I'll organize a proper get-together another time. We can sit down, laugh it off, and move on, alright?"
"No worries, Brother Jiang. What bad blood? It's a small thing, just a small thing."
"Ahem, sorry about that, guys. I'm not familiar with the roads around Ping County, so…"
After hearing Jiang Tao's words, Liu Zhiyuan and Liu Yuan immediately chose to forgive each other.
Jiang Tao's gaze lingered on the two of them, thinking to himself that they were indeed a "match made in heaven" with a 96% compatibility score.
He had previously come across some intel about Liu Yuan, saying she had a high compatibility with Liu Zhiyuan.
Jiang Tao had been planning to introduce them after Liu Yuan's divorce from her husband, Xu Xinlei.
He was still in the planning phase and hadn't taken action yet, but the two had already met, and the gears of fate had begun to turn.
After some introductions and a bit of small talk, the group entered the Magnolia Hotel together and parted ways in the lobby.
Jiang Tao and Xu Li led Liu Zhiyuan and his two buddies to a pre-booked private room.
Liu Yuan and He Jing were also there to attend a banquet at the invitation of an elder.
When Jiang Tao's group entered the private room, the people inside were chatting and catching up, creating a lively atmosphere.
"Uncle Jiang, Uncle Xu, Aunt Tian, Aunt Du, good evening, everyone."
"Uncle Tian, good evening."
"Xiaobing, good evening."
"Big Brother, Sister-in-law, good evening…"
After Liu Zhiyuan and his two buddies entered, they politely greeted the elders, Jiang He and his wife, and Jiang Bing.
"Little Liu, Little Shan, you're here. Oh, and who's this?"
"Sit, sit, everyone, take a seat. No need to be formal; we're all family here."
"Let me formally introduce our new friend, Hao Zhiming, a future sports star."
"Brother Jiang, you're too kind. Uncles, Aunts, Big Brother, Sister-in-law, Sisters, good evening. I'm Hao Zhiming. I look forward to your guidance in the future."
Though Hao Zhiming was somewhat introverted, he was very polite. After introducing himself, he respectfully bowed to everyone.
"Welcome, Little Hao, to our big family!"
"Welcome, Little Hao."
"Nice young man, very polite."
After hearing Hao Zhiming's introduction, everyone nodded in approval.
"Sit, sit, everyone, take a seat."
Jiang Tao called out, and everyone took their places.
The private room today was the largest in the Magnolia Hotel, with a big round table in the center that could comfortably seat 20 people.
The guests tonight, young and old, totaled exactly 19, perfectly filling the table.
Once everyone was seated, Jiang Tao signaled the waitstaff to start serving the food.
In less than ten minutes, seven or eight waiters pushed in carts, bringing out all the dishes Jiang Tao had ordered.
The table tonight featured over 40 dishes.
All of the Magnolia Hotel's signature dishes were included, making it an incredibly lavish spread.
The drinks included Moutai, various freshly squeezed juices, and both cold and hot beverages.
Everyone present, including Jiang Tao himself, was experiencing such a grand feast for the first time.
After all the dishes were served, Jiang Bing, Xu Sha, Jiang Shijie, and Jiang Shaojie, the younger ones, took photos first as a tribute.
After posting the lavish spread on their social media, they received a flood of comments and likes.
In Ping County, banquets of this scale were rare.
Once the photos were taken, the banquet officially began.
"Jiang Tao, say a few words to everyone!"
"Yeah, Little Tao, say something. We're all gathered here tonight because of you."
Xu Wencheng and Jiang Wen, the in-laws, looked at their son-in-law and son with proud smiles.
"Say a few words, Little Tao."
"Come on, Little Tao, give us a little speech—add some ceremony to it."
Yang Wenyan and Du Yongmei, one a mother and the other a mother-in-law, looked at their son and son-in-law with gratification.
"Honey, say something!"
"Second Brother, don't be shy! Say a few words to everyone!"
"Brother Jiang, give us a speech!"
"Alright, alright, since everyone's so enthusiastic, I'll keep it short and say a few words."
Seeing everyone's enthusiasm, Jiang Tao stood up from his seat with a smile, his gaze sweeping over the crowd.
Everyone's eyes focused on him.
Their looks carried comfort, admiration, affection, and many expectations.
After a pause of about ten seconds, Jiang Tao spoke:
"I'm sure everyone can see it."
"Those sitting here tonight are either my closest family…"
"…or my best brothers."
"You are the people I cherish most in this life, the most important to me, and the ones I trust the most."
"As you've all seen, our business is just getting started, and there will be many opportunities for us to work together in the future."
"As long as we all work together, we'll surely create a bright future!"
"Alright, no more long-winded or sentimental talk."
"Tonight, let's eat well, drink well, and not go home until we're drunk!"
"For the first toast, let's all raise our glasses—our bond is in the wine!"
After Jiang Tao's speech, he raised the glass in front of him and looked at everyone.
Clink, clink, clatter—
Everyone stood up from their seats, those drinking alcohol raising their glasses, and those drinking beverages holding up their drinks.
Jiang Xue also raised her AD calcium milk to join the toast.
"Cheers!"
"Cheers!"
Everyone raised their cups, clinking them with Jiang Tao's, surrounding his glass.
It was as if, in this moment, everyone revolved around him.
After the toast, everyone downed their drinks or beverages in one gulp.
Then, the free chatting mode began.
Xu Li, her mother-in-law, her mom, her sister-in-law, and her aunt-in-law were laughing and chatting together.
Jiang Bing and Xu Sha, one a little aunt and the other a little sister-in-law, were happily chatting with Jiang Xue.
Jiang Tao, his father-in-law, his dad, his uncle, his big brother, and Liu Zhiyuan's trio were toasting and talking.
The atmosphere in the private room was warm and harmonious.
After three rounds of drinks and five dishes, Jiang Tao finally brought up the topic everyone cared about most: "dividing the money."
When he had invested in the Tianjiazhuang cattle farm project, Jiang Tao had triggered a system task called [Shared Blessings].
He needed to recruit five partners to invest together, and he would receive a bonus five times his own profits!
So, Jiang Tao had brought in his father-in-law, his big brother Jiang He, his little sister Jiang Bing, and Liu Zhiyuan and Shan Yifei to invest in the project.
Jiang Tao had put in 1.4 million, taking a 60% share.
His father-in-law and the other four each invested 200,000, each taking an 8% share.
After the Tianjiazhuang cattle farm project ended perfectly, after all expenses, there was a net profit of 2.1 million.
Based on the share distribution, Jiang Tao would receive 1.26 million in profits.
His father-in-law and the other four would each receive 168,000 in profits!
Investing 200,000 and earning 168,000 in just over a month!
This was faster than usury!
All six shareholders were present today, and they reviewed the accounts together.
After confirming the profits and distribution ratios were correct, Jiang Bing transferred the money from the public account she managed to each person.
When Jiang Tao received the 1.26 million transfer, a blue system interface popped up, displaying a notification:
[Congratulations on successfully completing the [Shared Blessings] task!]
[Your additional 6.3 million cash reward has been transferred. Please check your account!]
Buzz~
As the system interface appeared, Jiang Tao's phone vibrated in his pocket.
He didn't need to look to know it was the system's payment arriving!
The 1.26 million plus the system's 6.3 million reward.
Jiang Tao's total profit from the Tianjiazhuang cattle farm project reached 7.56 million!
This was the largest bonus he had earned since binding to the Daily Intelligence System!
Although this task took over a month and involved so many people, it was all worth it!
[Your friendship value with Liu Zhiyuan has increased by 3 points. Your current friendship value is 75 points. (Close Friend)]
[Your friendship value with Shan Yifei has increased by 3 points. Your current friendship value is 73 points. (Close Friend)]
[Your friendship value with Hao Zhiming has increased by 2 points. Your current friendship value is 62 points. (Friend)]
As everyone received their dividends, Jiang Tao also harvested a wave of friendship points.
This wave of friendship points was a double surprise.
When his friendship value with his friends reaches 90 points, achieving [Best Friend] status, he would receive a one-time cash reward of 999,999 and a [Friendship Boat] as a reward.
Collecting 10 [Friendship Boats] could be exchanged for a real yacht.
Even if Jiang Tao didn't use the yacht, selling it would still be worth a lot.
So, in a way, these "friendship points" held some value.
After dividing the money, everyone's enthusiasm surged, and the atmosphere became even livelier.
People toasted and chatted with each other.
Having participated in a successful project together, they went from strangers to familiar faces, growing closer.
Liu Zhiyuan and Shan Yifei were smooth talkers, calling everyone "Uncle" and "Aunt," making Jiang's dad, Xu's dad, and the other elders beam with joy.
Jiang's mom and Xu's mom even said they'd start looking for potential matches for Liu Zhiyuan and his buddies.
The meal lasted until past 10 p.m., when the restaurant was about to close, before it finally ended.
Everyone ate and drank well tonight.
When Jiang Tao paid the bill, it came to over 30,000.
For the current Jiang Tao, that amount was no big deal.
With the 7.56 million that arrived today, Jiang Tao's personal savings had surpassed 20 million!
He was one step closer to a small goal.
After settling the bill, everyone left the hotel together.
In the hotel's parking lot, they said their goodbyes and went their separate ways.
When Jiang Tao, Xu Li, and Jiang Xue returned to their home, it was already past 11 p.m.
Jiang Xue had played all day and was exhausted, so Xu Li took her to bathe.
While the mother and daughter were bathing, Jiang Tao opened his social media to briefly browse the day's updates.
As expected, Jiang Bing, Xu Sha, Liu Zhiyuan, his nephew, and his little nephew had all posted about the Magnolia Hotel gathering.
Some posted a nine-photo grid, others a single picture.
Though everyone's captions were different, they all received a ton of likes and comments.
The scale of tonight's banquet was top-tier in their respective social circles.
Ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong—
Before Jiang Tao could finish browsing, his phone started chiming with message notifications.
Checking the main interface, he saw it was the new "big family" group chat created in the Magnolia Hotel private room, with people sending messages.
[Xu Sha: Driver Little Xu has safely escorted Mom and Dad home! (Cute)]
[Liu Zhiyuan: Safely home +1]
[Shan Yifei: Safely home +1]
[Jiang Bing: Lying in bed, so full from tonight! (Dizzy)]
[Du Yongmei: @Jiang Tao, Little Tao, have you guys gotten home?]
[Xu Sha: Mom, isn't that obvious? Brother-in-law and Sister are with Bing-jie! (Sweating)]
[Jiang Tao: @Du Yongmei We're home, Mom. Lili and LittleXue are bathing.]
[Du Yongmei: Good, I'm relieved you're home. (Rose)]
[Jiang Bing: @Jiang Tao, Group Leader, new group created—how about some red envelopes to celebrate?]
[Xu Sha: Want red envelopes +1! (Naughty)]
[Liu Zhiyuan: Want red envelopes +1 (Naughty)]
[Jiang Tao: Damn you, Liu Zhiyuan, what kind of grown man acts cute!]
Seeing how lively the new group was and feeling in an excellent mood, Jiang Tao was thrilled.
That morning, he had spent 3,000 to buy a mutated walnut tree.
He also got his hands on a Bitcoin USB drive worth over 1.5 million.
In the evening, he received 1.26 million from the split, plus a 6.3 million system reward.
In one day, Jiang Tao's earnings reached over 9 million!
Sending some red envelopes in the new group to share the joy with everyone didn't seem like a big deal.
While Xu Li and Jiang Xue were bathing, Jiang Tao sent over 30 red envelopes of 200 yuan each in the group, letting everyone have a blast grabbing them.
After Jiang Tao's red envelope rain, Jiang Bing and the others each sent a dozen more.
From just past 11 p.m. to midnight, the red envelopes in the group never stopped.
After Xu Li finished bathing, she claimed over a hundred red envelopes at once.
Plus, with the [River Stone] she wore boosting her luck, she managed to recoup quite a bit for Jiang Tao.