[Daily Intelligence 03]:
You had contact with Zhuang Xiaofei yesterday and obtained relevant intelligence—
The secret recipe for Zhuang Xiaofei's family's traditional roasted whole lamb can be optimized and upgraded after system analysis.
…
"The secret recipe for roasted whole lamb can be analyzed and optimized?"
Seeing the content displayed in the final piece of intelligence, Jiang Tao's eyes lit up.
This was the third recipe he had come across that could be analyzed and optimized since acquiring the daily intelligence system.
The first two, Eight-Treasure Pickle and Barbecue Sauce, had already entered stable production and were generating profits.
Although the business hadn't fully expanded yet, it was already bringing Jiang Tao around 20,000 yuan in daily revenue.
Once the business reached a mature stage, earning 60,000 to 70,000 yuan a day wouldn't be a problem.
And with the [Monopoly Dice] to double the profits…
All in all, the revenue from these two technologies was quite substantial.
Now, there was an additional secret recipe for roasted whole lamb and roasted whole beef.
Plus, Jiang Tao had always planned to open a barbecue restaurant.
Acquiring this recipe and applying it to the restaurant could serve as a unique selling point to attract customers.
Yesterday, Jiang Tao had tasted the roasted whole lamb prepared by Zhuang Xiaofei's family, and the flavor was indeed fresher, more aromatic, and more authentic than what was served in other barbecue restaurants.
The technology optimized by the system would undoubtedly surpass Zhuang Xiaofei's recipe.
By then, this technology could truly become the "winning secret" that set his barbecue restaurant apart from others.
These days, with so many barbecue restaurants out there, standing out in the fierce competition required something unique.
Wanxiang Plaza's "Black Bull Barbecue" had gained widespread popularity among diners thanks to its distinctive barbecue recipe, and its business was thriving every day.
"As long as I'm willing to spend money, acquiring this technology shouldn't be too difficult. The only concern is if they demand an exorbitant price—that would complicate things."
"Zhuang Xiaofei and Zhi Yuan are classmates. Tomorrow, I'll have Zhi Yuan come with me to make the trip."
While mentally planning the acquisition of the barbecue technology, Jiang Tao turned, walked to the driver's side door, and got into the car.
The drive home was smooth, and he arrived around 1 a.m.
After taking a shower, Jiang Tao returned to his bedroom.
He spent 66 yuan to activate [Deep Sleep Mode] for himself and went to bed!
The night passed uneventfully.
The next morning, after having breakfast at his parents' house with his family of three, Jiang Tao drove out in his Mercedes G-Class.
A luxury car worth over 2 million yuan turning heads in a rural area like this was a given!
At 8:30 a.m., Jiang Tao drove to Liujiazhuang and parked outside the alley leading to Liu Zhi Yuan's house.
"Brother Jiang!"
Liu Zhi Yuan, who had been waiting at the alley entrance, hurried forward with a smile upon seeing Jiang Tao get out of the car.
"I see your love star is shining bright these days. Did something good happen?"
Jiang Tao patted Liu Zhi Yuan's shoulder with a smile, teasing him.
"Brother Jiang, you're amazing!"
Liu Zhi Yuan was astonished by Jiang Tao's words.
Two days ago, after Liu Yuan rear-ended his car, the two had unexpectedly met again at the Magnolia Hotel.
With Jiang Tao being a mutual friend, they had added each other as contacts.
After some casual chatting, they found they got along surprisingly well.
Over the past two days, Liu Zhi Yuan and Liu Yuan had been chatting enthusiastically and growing closer.
Liu Zhi Yuan was quite satisfied with Liu Yuan in every aspect and was considering taking things further.
"Hahaha, then you'd better put in some effort and aim to invite us to your wedding this year."
Jiang Tao laughed, patting Liu Zhi Yuan's shoulder encouragingly.
He opened the trunk of the G-Class and pulled out a case of Lulu almond milk and a box of protein powder.
Seeing this, Liu Zhi Yuan was a bit overwhelmed. "Brother Jiang, you didn't have to bring so much stuff just for a visit!"
"Quit the nonsense, it's not for you."
Jiang Tao chuckled, handing the case of almond milk to Liu Zhi Yuan.
"You're too polite. My parents are definitely going to scold you for this."
Liu Zhi Yuan grinned, carrying the items and leading Jiang Tao toward his house.
The alley entrance was less than 100 meters from Liu Zhi Yuan's home.
When they entered, Liu's mother was sweeping the courtyard with a broom, while Liu's father was boiling water in the living room.
"Jiang Tao's here! Oh, why did you bring so much stuff? You're too polite."
"Old man, come out quick, Jiang Tao's here."
Liu Zhi Yuan's mother, Zhou Xiaocui, stopped sweeping when she saw Jiang Tao following her son. She tossed the broom aside and warmly greeted him.
"Jiang Tao's here! Come inside and sit. Knowing you were coming, I got out the good tea Zhi Yuan bought for the New Year."
Liu Zhi Yuan's father, Liu Mingshan, also came out with a warm smile, inviting Jiang Tao inside.
From the start of the year until now, in just a few months, Liu Zhi Yuan had earned nearly 300,000 yuan working with Jiang Tao.
Liu Zhi Yuan hadn't hidden this from his parents and had told them everything.
300,000 yuan was an enormous sum for their family.
Previously, Liu Zhi Yuan sold fruit in the capital.
After covering rent, food, and other living expenses, he could bring home at most 50,000 to 60,000 yuan a year.
In just over three months, he had earned 300,000 yuan with Jiang Tao—equivalent to five or six years of his previous income!
Liu's parents were ordinary farmers in the village, working the fields during the busy season.
In the off-season, they took on short-term jobs.
In a good year, the couple could save about 30,000 yuan.
300,000 yuan would take them a decade to save!
At this moment, Liu's parents practically saw Jiang Tao as their family's god of wealth.
They had repeatedly told Liu Zhi Yuan to maintain a good relationship with Jiang Tao and hold tight to this golden opportunity.
If Jiang Tao ate meat, they could at least sip some soup, and who knows, they might even rise to great heights in the future.
Amid the family's warm hospitality, Jiang Tao entered the living room.
Liu's father brewed tea, Liu's mother went to wash fruit, and Liu Zhi Yuan offered Jiang Tao a cigarette.
Jiang Tao was treated like royalty at Liu Zhi Yuan's house.
He could naturally sense that their enthusiasm carried a degree of flattery and ingratiation.
But he wasn't bothered by it.
Putting himself in their shoes, if he didn't have the daily intelligence system and was still that struggling truck driver, and Liu Zhi Yuan had suddenly struck it rich, bringing him along to earn hundreds of thousands…
Would he try to curry favor with Liu Zhi Yuan?
The answer was a resounding yes!
When you're young, you might care a lot about face.
But as an adult, how much is face worth?
The money you earn is what's real.
Flattery or not, Jiang Tao could feel the sincerity in Liu Zhi Yuan's family.
They weren't just treating him as a stepping stone for climbing up; they were genuinely sincere toward him.
After sitting down and chatting for a bit, Liu's parents exchanged several glances, looking at Jiang Tao and then at their son, seeming to want to say something but hesitating.
Jiang Tao noticed they had something on their minds but were too shy to speak up. He smiled and asked, "Uncle Liu, Aunt Zhou, is there something you want to talk about?"
"Ahem, well, Jiang Tao, there hasn't been much work in the fields lately."
"I was wondering if your food factory is hiring short-term temporary workers. Your aunt and I are just idle at home."
"If you're short on hands, we could work a few days for you."
"If not, no worries, we can find some work here in the village."
Liu Mingshan respectfully offered Jiang Tao a Huazi cigarette while asking with a flattering smile.
[Ding! Congratulations, you've triggered the special task [Plan Ahead]!]
[Task Name]: Plan Ahead.
[Task Description]: Recruit 10 workers with a loyalty score of 75 or higher as reserve talent for future needs.
[Task Rewards]: 880,000 yuan in cash, monthly salary card limit increased by 100,000 yuan!
As soon as Liu Mingshan finished speaking, a bright blue system panel popped up in front of Jiang Tao.
Seeing the task details displayed on the panel, Jiang Tao's eyes lit up.
"Plan Ahead? Recruit 10 workers to complete the task and claim the rewards?"
"The challenge probably lies in the loyalty requirement!"
"Loyalty needs to be 75 or higher."
While taking the cigarette from Liu Mingshan, Jiang Tao glanced at Liu Zhi Yuan's family.
[Name]: Liu Zhi Yuan (Loyalty 89).
[Name]: Liu Mingshan (Loyalty 79).
[Name]: Zhou Xiaocui (Loyalty 77).
Seeing that all three family members had loyalty scores above 75, Jiang Tao felt quite pleased.
Noticing Jiang Tao suddenly fall silent, Liu Zhi Yuan's family grew nervous.
Liu Zhi Yuan gave an awkward smile. "Uh, Brother Jiang, if it's too much trouble, forget it. My parents can find work here in the village."
"What nonsense are you spouting? I was just thinking about something, but there's no trouble at all."
Jiang Tao snapped out of his thoughts from the task panel, smiled, and looked at Liu Mingshan. "Uncle Liu, Aunt Zhou, how about coming to work at our food factory long-term?"
"What? Long-term?"
Liu Mingshan and Zhou Xiaocui exchanged a glance, their eyes flashing with delight.
There were about a dozen workers from Jiangjiazhuang at Jiang's Food Factory, and the salary and benefits were no secret.
On top of social insurance and housing funds, the minimum take-home pay was 4,000 to 5,000 yuan, with meals and accommodation provided.
The factory's pay and benefits were far better than short-term village jobs!
Originally, Liu Mingshan and Zhou Xiaocui had only been thinking of doing some temporary work to earn a bit of pocket money.
That way, they wouldn't need social insurance contributions, saving Jiang Tao some costs.
Liu Mingshan hadn't expected Jiang Tao to so readily offer him and his wife permanent jobs at the factory.
"Right, I have other investment plans this year, and there'll be plenty of need for workers."
"When it comes to hiring, I naturally prioritize our own people—those we can trust."
Jiang Tao's smile was genuine, and calling them "our own people" instantly brought them closer.
"Dad, Mom, what's there to hesitate about? Working with Brother Jiang is way better than farming at home!"
"With our few acres of land, after plowing, watering, fertilizing, and buying seeds, it's hard to say if we'd even make 3,000 yuan a year."
"At our factory, half a month's salary would outearn farming."
Seeing Jiang Tao extend an olive branch to his parents, Liu Zhi Yuan was grateful and thrilled for them.
The work at Jiang's Food Factory was clean, easy, and well-paid.
It was a dream job for many.
Without connections, you couldn't even get in!
For Liu's parents, this was a rare opportunity.
"I can't promise too much, but I can guarantee Uncle Liu and Aunt Zhou a minimum of 5,000 yuan a month after social insurance contributions."
Jiang Tao's words made Liu Mingshan and Zhou Xiaocui's hearts race.
"Thank you, Jiang Tao! Thank you for giving us such a great job opportunity!"
"Thank you so much, Little Jiang. We'll work hard from now on!"
Liu's parents joyfully accepted Jiang Tao's offer.
The thought of paying into the capital's social security system and receiving a pension in the future made them feel their lives were filled with hope.
"No need to be so polite, Uncle Liu, Aunt Zhou. Let's settle it then."
"After the Qingming Festival, you can join Zhi Yuan and complete the onboarding process at the factory."
Jiang Tao looked at Liu Zhi Yuan's family, very satisfied with all three.
Liu Zhi Yuan had a knack for marketing, and Jiang Tao planned to put him in charge of sales for the Eight-Treasure Pickle and Barbecue Sauce.
He offered him a base salary of 10,000 yuan plus a 5% sales commission.
Liu Zhi Yuan naturally wouldn't turn down such a great job.
The base salary alone was better than what he earned selling fruit at markets in the capital!
The 5% commission might seem small, but given the quality and popularity of the Eight-Treasure Pickle and Barbecue Sauce, the commission was almost guaranteed to exceed his base salary.
[Task Name]: Plan Ahead (Completion: 30%)!
After Liu Mingshan and his wife confirmed their joining of Jiang's Food Factory, a notification flashed across Jiang Tao's retina.
"Huh? 30%?"
Seeing the task progress jump to 30%, Jiang Tao was a bit surprised.
With a thought, he checked the progress and realized it included Liu Zhi Yuan's contribution.
He and Liu Zhi Yuan had only verbally agreed earlier, and formal onboarding hadn't been completed.
Counting his progress toward the [Plan Ahead] task made sense.
After discussing work, Jiang Tao chatted a bit more with Liu Zhi Yuan's family before leaving with Liu Zhi Yuan.
Visiting Liu Zhi Yuan's home had triggered a special task that offered both money and manpower.
At this moment, Jiang Tao's mood was even brighter than the clear, sunny weather outside!
9:43 a.m.
The Mercedes G-Class pulled into a small courtyard near the North Second Ring Road in Ping County.
This was the headquarters of Zhuang Xiaofei's company.
"Zhi Yuan, Brother Jiang! You're here! Sorry for not coming out to greet you sooner."
Seeing Jiang Tao's Mercedes G-Class, Zhuang Xiaofei's estimation of him rose even higher.
A luxury car like the G-Class was common in big cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, or Shenzhen, where you'd see them everywhere.
But in a small county like Ping County, they were rare—less than 10 in total.
No one who could afford such a car was ordinary.