My minimum living allowance is credited to my account every day with 1000 million yuan

"Ziqian, go check if Zhien has woken up. We need to prepare lunch soon."

Zhang Ziqian hummed in agreement and walked towards the back lounge.

Ji-eun? Could it be Lee Ji-eun? He naturally knows about the glorious thing President Chen did in South Korea last time, which made headlines in all the entertainment sections.

But rumors are rumors, and sometimes they may not be true.

And now Lee Ji-eun is in Mr. Chen's lounge. It seems that this international superstar has successfully entered Mr. Chen's harem.

"Mr. Chen, when do you have time? I'd like to take you somewhere fun."

Chen Xiao raised her eyebrows almost imperceptibly. "What fun things are there in Jiangzhou that I don't know about?"

Cha Lan leaned forward and pushed the titanium-inlaid yacht key to the other end of the coffee table. "Mr. Chen, this is a small token of my appreciation."

Chen Xiao was taken aback, then ran his fingertips along the “Valkyrie” lettering etched on the key—this superyacht, designed to rival Zuckerberg’s “Launchpad,” was currently moored in a bay a dozen kilometers outside the suburbs, its streamlined hull gleaming with a cold metallic sheen.

His gaze slid from the keys to the inspection report, and suddenly he let out a short laugh. "Is Mr. Cha bribing me?"

Cha Lan was shocked and hurriedly said nervously, "Mr. Chen, I had no such intention. I just felt that you had taken such good care of me and I had no way to repay you. I just happened to hear about the sale of this yacht in Dubai last time, so I bought it."

"Okay, okay, just kidding!"

Chen Xiao naturally knew his intentions, but the pressure of his palm on Cha Lan's shoulder revealed a rare hint of emotion: "I had considered buying a yacht for fun before, but I never did it. You understand me, knowing that I wouldn't be interested in ordinary yachts." The glass curtain wall reflected the smile that finally relaxed on his lips.

"But you don't need to pay for this, okay?"

Cha Lan's smile froze, and her knuckles unconsciously tapped the sandalwood tabletop.

He wanted to do his part, but if he didn't have to pay for it himself, wouldn't he still be spending billions of President Chen's money?

Chen Xiao understood his thoughts and patted him on the shoulder, "I don't lack this money, but you are different; you still owe the bank a loan."

Before Cha Lan could speak further, he suddenly chuckled, pressed two fingers against the key, and slid it back in front of Cha Lan. "If you don't agree, then you don't consider me a brother. Please take this key back."

Gazing at Chen Xiao, whose eyes were as clear as the water in Egret Lake, Cha Lan suddenly realized that he had made a mistake: how could President Chen, with his wealth, accept a gift that would require him to owe someone a favor?
"Alright, Old Cha, I've always considered you one of my own. We don't need all that formality between us. If I need your help, I'll just say so."

Cha Lan then put on a smile again, "Mr. Chen, I'm flying all over the world now. I'll report to you whenever I find anything new or interesting. If you like it, I'll get it for you."

Chen Xiao suddenly had an idea. "Old Cha, there's something I need you to keep an eye out for."

Cha Lan immediately perked up. In his mind, being able to be ordered around by General Manager Chen was a blessing; otherwise, he would be a useless person.

"I plan to buy an island and build a resort for the group on it. In the future, we may also put the group's command center there."

I haven't decided on a suitable place yet. Someone recommended Johor, Malaysia, which is close to Singapore, but we are Chinese and would prefer to stay in China.

"Mr. Chen, how much are you planning to invest in this island?"

After pondering for a while with his chin in his hand, he realized that this project was not like buying a house, where you could simply change it if you didn't like it. Once this was built, it wasn't something you could easily switch to. It wasn't just a matter of money; the construction period also required time.

"Over 2000 billion, with no upper limit!"

His pupils contracted sharply, and his Adam's apple bobbed three times before he finally spoke: "You mean several times the total investment of Evergrande Ocean Flower Island?"

"Evergrande Ocean Flower Island? Right, they spent 1600 billion yuan on that one. We're going to invest trillions of yuan to build this one, and we're going to make it the world's number one."

Building a city is no easy task. After careful review and consideration, the following suggestions are made:

"Mr. Chen, according to your requirements, I think the best option is to choose the South China Sea for land reclamation and island building. This aligns with the national maritime strategy and we can apply for policy subsidies."

Moreover, our Chinese workers are the most hardworking and efficient, which can meet your time requirements.

He didn't mention saving money. As the person who knows Chen Xiao best, he has no concept of money and is very generous to his subordinates, especially those at the bottom.

Chen Xiao nodded in agreement, his gaze gradually becoming more profound.

"My core vision for this island is: technology + health and wellness + ecology."

We need to think long-term; we need to support fully automated underground rail transit, deep-water ports, and airports.

He may have many private jets in the future, so small airports won't be enough.

The reason for mentioning ecology is mainly to consider the future construction of vertical green building complexes and artificial mangrove wetlands to offset the ecological impact of land reclamation.

The sunlight outside the glass curtain wall divided Cha Lan's stiff profile into light and shadow. This man, who had never lost his composure in business negotiations, was now trembling slightly at the hem of his shirt, as if he had been hit head-on by a Pacific hurricane.

"Mr. Chen, are you planning to build a private residence?"

Or perhaps "private palace" would be a more fitting description. When he heard President Chen's plans for the future, he thought, "This isn't just building an island; it's creating another country!"

“You’re right. My current idea is just a rough draft. You can hire a specialist to be in charge of the overall planning and design according to my vision. All designs should have redundancy. This project may take more than ten years to complete, so we need to get started as soon as possible.”

"Oh, right, I had Ziqian do some research before. I'll give it to you for reference, and you can add to it. Then we can discuss it together."

"Ziqian, come here for a second!"

He shouted inside.

"boss!"

"Go and take the records we recently compiled about our island-building project to Director Cha so he can refer to them."

I took Zhang Ziqian's notes on President Chen's ideas about building the island. These were a collection of random inspirations I had gathered over time.

It seems like things are scattered and disjointed, with many parts not connected.

However, the review still revealed key information, such as the main components of the investment costs, which are listed below: land reclamation + smart city system + security and military industry + ecological restoration, etc.

The following are the construction teams involved:

Land reclamation engineering teams: must be capable of operating large-scale land reclamation equipment and have the ability to treat coral reef foundations;
The cross-sea infrastructure construction team twitched at the sight of this; he was actually planning to build a cross-sea bridge and an undersea tunnel.

The smart city system is a relatively simple project. The Guo Group and Dr. Feng Robotics Technology Group are working together on this project, and Zhifei Aerospace is also involved.

Then there's the ecological restoration team, mainly responsible for planting artificial mangroves and seawater desalination systems.

I remember seeing that it was a military-grade security project, mainly because of geographical considerations, to guard against some geographical risks.

He knew about the Blue Star Guardians; there might be a large number of elite Blue Star Guardians on this island.

"Mr. Chen, I'll take the information back and study it, and then I'll give you a detailed report when I have time."

"Okay, Lao Cha, I won't keep you for lunch. It's not convenient today."

Cha Lan immediately expressed his trepidation. With President Chen's female relatives present, it was certainly inappropriate for him, a man, to participate. The fact that Chen Xiao could say this to him made him feel that President Chen was kind to him.

Lee Ji-eun can only stay in Jiangzhou for one day this time, and she has to return early tomorrow morning. Her work is too busy. Being a celebrity is really not something ordinary people can do.

He thought of Xiao Yuting again. This girl has been very busy lately. Every time she comes to Jiangzhou, it seems that he is busy and doesn't have time to show her around. He feels a little sorry for the girl's feelings.

Since Lee Ji-eun partnered with Junxiao Shopping Center, she has never properly visited any of the Junxiao shopping malls. For a celebrity, shopping is a luxury, as time does not allow it, and once discovered, it is easy to be surrounded by fans and unable to escape.

After lunch, she suddenly had a whim and wanted Chen Xiao to accompany her to see Junxiao Square. Chen Xiao naturally wouldn't spoil her fun.

A black convoy of Rolls-Royce Phantoms slowly entered the main entrance of Junxiao City, the deep roar of their engines still clearly audible in the bustling city center. The golden equestrian logos on the hoods gleamed in the sunlight, and the starry sky roofs would shine like the Milky Way at nightfall, but at this moment, they simply reflected the flowing light of the LED screen outside the mall.

The well-trained bodyguards quickly got out of the car, their black suits and headsets forming an invisible cordon. The door of the lead Phantom was gently pulled open, and Chen Xiao's tall figure stepped out, his gleaming leather shoes landing on the red carpet, the platinum cufflinks on his sleeves gleaming coldly under the lights.

Following closely behind, Lee Ji-eun got out of the car from the other side. Today, she was wearing a white haute couture gown with a skirt that flowed like snow waves, and Jimmy Choo crystal high heels on her slender ankles.

She lowered her head slightly, her long hair cascading down like a waterfall, but the moment she looked up, the tears in her eyes shone brightly against the crystal chandelier of the mall, causing passersby to hold their breath.

The crowd at the mall entrance instantly stirred, with all their phone cameras pointed at the couple.

Someone exclaimed in a low voice, "So handsome! That woman has such a great presence!" But most eyes were on Chen Xiao—he had one hand in his pocket and the other hand resting lightly on Li Zhi'en's waist, his posture calm yet unapproachable, as if Jun Xiaocheng was just another meeting room for him.

Lee Ji-eun has put on a mask to avoid being recognized in the crowd and causing a disturbance.

The two of them didn't go shopping at these luxury stores. After all, Jiangzhou isn't an international metropolis, and the number of high-end luxury goods SKUs here is much smaller compared to the top commercial districts in places like Shanghai or Seoul.

Lee Ji-eun naturally had no shortage of these things; she came to find out what her man's career was like.
Junxing Auto was on display here, and she circled around it with great interest. This generation of Junxing M7 has a stunning appearance, and looks are probably the first factor many people consider when buying a car. This car has a very appealing look, but unfortunately, it's too popular. There were always customers test-driving inside, and she regretted not being able to get in. It wouldn't be right to have her bodyguards stop customers from getting in just to experience it; that would be too arrogant, something neither she nor Chen Xiao would do.

When she learned that the Junxing M7 had received over 8 orders in less than a month since its launch, Lee Ji-eun's almond-shaped eyes widened slightly, and she let out a soft exclamation: "Oh my god?" (Korean for "Oh my god")
Looking at Chen Xiao, she felt a surge of pride. Perhaps it wouldn't be long before his automotive business surpassed that of "Honda" Motors. This 25-year-old man was truly remarkable—in every aspect.

As I came out of Junxing Auto's experience store, I saw a middle-aged man, slightly out of breath, jogging towards me in the distance. He was wearing the mall's uniform.

Chen Xiao stopped and said to Li Zhi'en, "This is the general manager of Junxiao City. I'll have him introduce the situation of this shopping mall."

This is a message he just sent to Huang Guangyuan.

The general manager was in a meeting when he received a call from General Manager Huang saying that the big boss had arrived. He was so scared he almost peed his pants.

He'd never seen what the big boss looked like before, and thought he'd come undercover to investigate something, which scared him.

Huang Guangyuan described Chen Xiao's appearance to him: he was about 178cm tall, with a refined and handsome appearance, and next to him was the big star Li Zhien.

I also told him that I was at the Junxing Auto Showroom, so he recognized me from a distance.

He quickly ran a few steps in front of Chen Xiao, "President Chen!"

Running too fast and being nervous, it took him a while to shout it out. Chen Xiao nodded, "Don't be nervous!"

If people knew that this absolute bigwig in Jiangzhou's business circle was now so nervous that his legs were trembling, it would probably shock everyone.

"Let me introduce this store."

The general manager knew that General Manager Chen would definitely want him to introduce her to Teacher Zhi'en, because he knew that Li Zhi'en had a partnership with Junxiao Business Management.

He began by introducing the store's historical significance and market positioning.

This is the only luxury shopping mall in Jiangzhou, with a business area of ​​35 square meters, positioned as "young, vibrant, and fashionable".

Among the more than 50 brands in the beauty area on the first floor, nearly 50% are first stores in cities or above, with both international brands and local trendy brands being equally important, such as the North American designer brand JAC.

Last year, the project's annual sales reached 45 billion yuan. Since its acquisition by Junxiao Commercial Management this year, monthly customer traffic has increased by 15% year-on-year, and sales have increased by 20% year-on-year.

He introduced the two of them while walking around the venue.

"Let's go down to the basement level and take a look."

He used to only visit the first floor and above when he came to Junxiao City. The last time he came to the basement was last year when he invited Xu Wu here for coffee.

At that time, I had just met Xu Wu, and I even asked her to be my model. I also bought several Descente suits for Zhao Xiangjun. Half a year has passed, but I still remember some of her voices and appearances.

The basement level has a few tea brands and some trendy brands, with a supermarket as the main store.

The supermarket/hypermarket category is now in decline. As the group walked into the store, there were only a few scattered people.

He said to Lee Ji-eun, "Your Lotte Group from South Korea used to do quite well in China, but later, due to some special factors, they all closed down."

Lee Ji-eun is no stranger to the Lotte Group, which is now a conglomerate in South Korea.

"Pity!"

Chen Xiao's gaze swept across the empty aisle. The once bustling fresh produce section now only had a few elderly people picking through the produce. The light from the freezer illuminated his sharply defined profile, outlining a subtle hint of seriousness.

Her fingertips lightly traced the slightly worn price tags on the shelf, her eyelids lowered, and a barely audible sigh escaped her lips: "Before, you couldn't even squeeze into the queue here."

How big is this supermarket?

The general manager quickly replied, "This is a premium supermarket, only 4000 square meters."

Chen Xiao nodded slightly. Ten years ago, supermarkets and hypermarkets were often more than 10,000 square meters, but now, because business is not as good as before, the area has been repeatedly reduced.

"It looks like they're going to go out of business."

"Yes, they are operating at a loss, but because we are Junxiaocheng, they still hope to keep this store open, after all, this is the premier commercial district along the Han River."

He scoffed, "You're still going to persist even if you're losing money? This model can't last. You should start thinking about alternatives."

"Yes Yes!"

Sweat immediately dripped down the general manager's forehead.

He had never considered alternatives to supermarkets, since having a supermarket in a shopping mall is standard practice.

If we replace this supermarket with a different brand, it will still be the same terrible place. What's the point of changing it? But now that the big boss has brought it up, he doesn't dare to object.

These supermarkets and hypermarkets used to attract customers by selling daily necessities like fresh produce.

Its fresh produce is both plentiful and inexpensive, attracting a large number of customers and boosting sales of various daily necessities.

It can be said that fresh produce is almost unprofitable or even results in losses; profits are mainly made from various daily necessities.

The market landscape has changed. Almost every neighborhood now has its own fresh food supermarket, with products that are even better quality and cheaper than those in large supermarkets. After so many years, consumers have gradually lost their initial enthusiasm for large supermarkets, and few are willing to travel that far to buy fresh food. Buying fresh food at the supermarket near their homes is much more convenient.

As the fresh food market share was divided up, the snack market, another major product of large supermarkets, was then taken over by various snack resellers.

With such a large shopping mall missing its most attractive features, there's naturally no customer traffic. For such a large mall, supporting so many people and covering the expensive rent makes survival a major problem.

He picked up a reading pen, which turned out to be made by Zhifei Aerospace, and immediately became interested. He looked around and was surprised to find that there wasn't even a salesperson.

He sighed. Many years ago, when he was in junior high school, he went shopping with his parents at a large supermarket in the county town. There were promoters for almost every category, doing sales and introducing products to customers.

It's so sad that you can hardly find any sales promoters in such a big supermarket these days.

The general manager quickly said, "I'll go get someone."

A short while later, a fat man came over with the general manager, strutting around. The fat man was the store manager of this supermarket, the highest-ranking person in this small area, but compared to Jun Xiaocheng's general manager, he was nothing.

Seeing the general manager speak to the young man with utmost respect, even trembling slightly with nervousness, he immediately realized that this young man was definitely an important figure beyond his wildest imagination.

It's unbelievable that there's someone in Jiangzhou who can make Junxiaocheng's general manager so afraid.

Just then, a person dressed in a salesperson's uniform was walking slowly towards them. The fat store manager immediately shouted, "Come here right now! What have I been telling you all? You need to be quick, smile and serve customers, and be observant. Can't you see customers asking about products?"

Chen Xiao frowned, feeling a little uncomfortable.

The general manager glared at the fat store manager and said, "When can't you scold your employees? Do you have to do it in front of our big boss? Are you an idiot?"
No wonder the supermarket has turned out like this; it's a bunch of idiots.

The boss is truly brilliant; such outdated products should be eliminated.

The fat shopkeeper realized his mistake and quickly apologized: "Leaders, I'm really sorry. I usually have high expectations for them, and I always criticize them immediately when I see any shortcomings in their work. It's become a habit, and I've lost my composure a bit. Please forgive me."

Chen Xiao ignored him and instead asked the salesperson in a friendly tone, "Hello, could you please tell me about this reading pen?"

The salesperson hesitated for a moment, thought for a long time, and said, "Are you asking about the price? That's all I know."

The fat store manager's face immediately fell, and even the general manager felt embarrassed.

What kind of salesperson are you? If the customer is just asking about the price, you can do that yourself. What the customer needs is for you to explain the product.

The general manager glanced at the chubby store manager, whose legs immediately trembled. The contract renewal was approaching, and if the general manager was dissatisfied with the store, it could cause many unforeseen problems. Enraged, the manager yelled at the sales staff, "How have I always demanded of you?"

Chen Xiao suddenly interrupted him and asked the saleswoman, "Ma'am, how much do you earn a month now?"

The saleswoman hesitated for a moment, then looked up. The fine lines at the corners of her eyes were particularly clear under the cold white lights of the supermarket, and a hint of unease flashed in her pupils, as if an account book had been suddenly turned upside down.

Her gaze first instinctively averted, then she forced herself to meet it, forcing a helpless smile: "I got 2000 yuan, enough to eat."

2000 yuan?
"Unnie." The Korean greeting slipped out unconsciously, and my fingertips gripped the shopping bag tighter than usual. The lines I'd memorized on set suddenly echoed in my ears: "The poor use their time to earn a living." Only now did I truly understand the weight of those words.

The general manager was also taken aback. 2000 yuan—that amount wasn't even enough for one maintenance service for his watch. His brow furrowed almost imperceptibly, and a cold scrutiny surfaced in his eyes, as if he were assessing a fatal flaw in a business project.

Chen Xiao turned around and asked the fat shop manager with a cold smile, "Shop manager, if you earn 2000 yuan a month, can you maintain a smiling service? Can you work quickly? Are you motivated to remember the characteristics of each product?"

The chubby shopkeeper, sweating profusely, glanced at the general manager, unsure how to respond. After all, he couldn't set the salaries of the people below him.

The group has standardized pay; business has been slow in recent years, resulting in fewer bonuses and no increase in base salary, which is why their wages are so low. (End of Chapter)