Financial freedom starts with smiling at life

The tea master at the estate is a graduate student from Zhejiang University.

Even the staff who raise horses and look after livestock on the estate are all top graduates from the National Agricultural University.

Lei Jun, Zeng Yuqun, and others, besides frowning, didn't know how to express their feelings.

Is Jiangbei City so rich that it has nowhere to spend its money?

The servants at this manor are all top-tier talents, including graduates from internationally renowned universities.

This estate is not only extravagantly luxurious in its "hardware," but its "software" is also astonishing.

This reminded them of Jiang Beicheng's trip to the United States.

They spent a whopping 2 billion to poach seven AI geniuses from Silicon Valley giants.

When it comes to personnel costs, President Jiang can be described as "acting arbitrarily".

They lacked the traditional corporate mindset to consider the return on investment.

None of them knew how to interpret Jiang Beicheng's thinking; was it "ignorance" or "foresight"? They dared not draw any conclusions easily.

We can only evaluate it after seeing the results.

Tea master Yu Yu is going to have a big score today.

Although the wording was somewhat deliberate, it did save face for the boss.

Unwittingly, this allowed the boss to show off in front of his peers, and even billionaires.

Li Shufu, Wei Zhongxian, and other billionaires also live in mansions, but the number and quality of their servants are nowhere near comparable to those in the manor in Jiangbei City.

The overall quality of the employees at this manor in Jiangbei City is comparable to that of talent recruitment in many other regions.

Lei Jun estimates that the average annual salary is 400,000 to 500,000 yuan, without including various bonuses and benefits.

If you include everything, and hire some new employees according to the needs of Jiangbei City, his manor's annual labor costs will exceed 100 million.

Lei Jun was still marveling at Jiangbei City's standards for hiring when Lao Wei, following up on the topic of horse breeding, mentioned the Akhal-Takmas that Jiangbei City had imported from Central Asia.

He was very interested in this.

Jiang Beicheng glanced at the time. "Old Wei, dinner will be a while away."

You can go for a couple of laps at the horse farm, come back and take a shower, then we can easily sit down at the table and have a good drink.

"You're not leaving today, are you?"

Old Wei smiled and waved his hand, saying, "I'm not leaving. Brother Beicheng has given us such a high level of hospitality. It would be impolite of me to just leave after dinner. Let's play cards some more tonight."

He stood up and looked at the people around him: "Let's try out President Jiang's Akhal-Teke horse?"

This is the only horse on this privately owned horse farm in mainland China!

In mainland China, private horse farms only have one Akhal-Teke horse in Jiangbei City; the others were all imported by profit-making organizations.

"President Wei, I'll go with you." Zeng Yuqun put down his teacup, got up, and followed him.

Jiang Beicheng looked at the people around him and said, "Chairman Zhu and President Zhang have been here before, so please make yourselves at home."

If Mr. Lei and Mr. Li have any needs, just tell me directly, and I'll have the housekeeper arrange it.

It's rare for everyone to have some time to relax.

"Treat your visit to me like a vacation."

Mr. Zhang from Seres flattered, "Mr. Jiang is absolutely right. His estate is more functional than many international resorts."

"Mr. Zhang is treating this place like a resort," Jiang Beicheng chuckled, inviting Lei Jun and Li Shufu, "Shall we sit in the coffee shop or the music room? Have a cup of coffee?"

Lei Jun still enjoys drinking coffee, and with a smile, he got up and followed Jiang Beicheng to the coffee shop.

Chairman Zhu and General Manager Zhang went to the artificial lake and cast a few lines.

This isn't good weather for fishing; it's too cold, and the fish aren't biting much.

However, in their eyes, eating fish was a pleasant surprise, mainly a way to relax.

The top executives of various companies are not that idle.

Moreover, this is especially true for the currently most turbulent automotive industry.

Everyone was on edge.

Be ready to enter the knockout stage at any time.

Therefore, I particularly envy the life in Jiangbei City.

He's such a free spirit as an entrepreneur; it's enviable.

Jiang Beicheng chatted with Lei Jun and Li Shufu about classical and folk music in the music room, sipping coffee to pass the time.

Dinner was ready, and Shen Jun came over to inform them.

Tonight's dinner is unique; it's not being held in the dining room, but in the living room.

The living room door was wide open, and a cultural performance was taking place along the central axis leading out to entertain the bosses with drinks.

Old Wei sighed, "When you eat like this for the first time, do you feel like you're attending a grand banquet hosted by royalty in ancient times?"

Li Shufu said, "We are replicating the scene from that time one-to-one."

Lei Jun: "With President Jiang making these arrangements, I don't know how to host your next trip to Beijing."

No one expected it to be such a "peaceful and quiet" dinner.

Jiang Beicheng smiled and raised his glass: "The night is long, let's drink and chat."

Besides being relaxing and leisurely, you might even be able to close a few business deals over dinner today.

Several CEOs raised their glasses to toast Jiangbei City.

On the central axis outside the door, a beam of light follows a beautiful female traditional Chinese performing artist holding a pipa.

Walking to the middle, the performer bows slightly to the side, then sits down on a single stool and plays and sings Suzhou Pingtan.

Li Shufu: "Did President Jiang arrange this program especially for me?"

He was very fond of Suzhou Pingtan, a traditional Chinese storytelling art form.

Jiang Beicheng smiled and said, "To be honest, Mr. Li, I also like the gentleness of women from Jiangnan and the delicate charm of the Wu dialect."

Li Shufu greeted Jiang Beicheng with a smile and said, "Hahaha, we have similar tastes."

The storytelling performances have ended.

The next program is another classic local cultural heritage: excerpts from Sichuan Opera.

They sang classic tunes from Sichuan Opera.

Of course, the Sichuan Opera skills such as face-changing and fire-breathing will also be showcased.

There will also be a Huangmei Opera performance tonight.

Chairman Zhu joked, "Anyone who didn't know better would think we were watching a variety show on TV."

Lei Jun joked, "President Jiang probably kept a low profile because of Chairman Zhu's status."

If this "Emperor of the Chinese Entertainment Industry" really wanted to put on an arts performance at home, it would only take a word.

Do you remember the fashion extravaganza that President Jiang hosted at this manor at the end of last year, which shocked the Asian fashion world?
Top celebrities in the entertainment industry, and even international fashion giants, came to support him.

Jiang Beicheng looked at Lei Jun: "Mr. Lei, you also pay attention to the entertainment industry?"

"Mr. Jiang, the focus isn't on the entertainment industry, but on you as an entrepreneur," Lei Jun said with a smile, clinking glasses with Jiang Beicheng.

These two lines of commercial flattery are very sophisticated.

Jiang Beicheng laughed and downed his drink, then put down his glass and said, "What you just saw were actually performing artists hired from outside."

Next, I'll show you the song and dance troupe I trained myself.

Everyone's eyes turned to Jiangbei City.

The first person that comes to mind is Lao Xu, who also had a song and dance troupe back in the day.

The entrepreneurs, tycoons, and friends who visited him were basically all invited to watch the song and dance troupe's performance.

After Lao Xu's incident, the actors in the song and dance troupe, especially the troupe leader, were ridiculed by netizens.

At the time, he, along with other entrepreneurs such as Jack Ma, became the target of ridicule and mockery from netizens.

Mr. Ma has indeed attended several performances by the song and dance troupe.

It's estimated that his investment in Lao Xu's football team was negotiated during a performance.

Zeng Yuqun said, "President Jiang, you remind me of an entrepreneur, President Xu."

Turning his gaze to Lei Jun beside him, he asked, "Mr. Lei, you and Mr. Xu have some connection, right? Have you seen the dance troupe's performance?"

Lei Jun immediately perked up.

You can't make jokes like that.

"It was just some discussion about the automotive business," Lei Jun said evasively.

Mr. Xu's foray into car manufacturing was around the same time as his entry into the industry. Both were relatively late.

However, Mr. Xu never intended to focus on building cars properly.

Lei Jun said that this was the only area where they intersected, which makes sense.

Putting aside whether they've seen the dance troupe's performance, who would dare to stand up and say they had any dealings with Lao Xu before?
Even Jack Ma doesn't dare admit that Mr. Xu was once his friend.

After answering Zeng Yuqun's question, Lei Jun looked at Jiang Beicheng and said, "President Jiang, it's already a great pleasure to be able to sit down and chat with everyone and have some tea."

You don't need to make such a big deal out of it.

Otherwise, I really wouldn't be able to treat you to a meal.

After saying that, he looked at Chairman Zhu and said, "Chairman Zhu probably also prefers a more straightforward dining culture, right?"

Jiang Beicheng certainly understood what Lei Jun meant.

They fear that their enjoyment today will be known to others.

The words "song and dance troupe" are particularly sensitive.

Lei Jun was also afraid that he was too insignificant to refuse Zhu Dong's enthusiasm, so he brought Zhu Dong into the discussion.

Chairman Zhu has an administrative rank, so he is definitely quite sensitive about this.

It's speculated that he would take into account Chairman Zhu's status.

Jiang Beicheng smiled and said, "President Lei, everyone says you are low-key and approachable. But now I think that the persona you've created is because you're too cautious."

Just think of it as watching a cultural performance.

The dance troupe I trained is quite different from Mr. Xu's.

"Don't laugh, but I personally participated in the choreography."

Chairman Zhu, however, was not disappointed and added, "President Lei, we need to learn to look at problems from an artistic perspective."

We are all car enthusiasts; isn't building cars an art form in itself?
Modern new energy vehicles, whether in exterior or interior design, cannot lack artistry.

Experiencing the aesthetic sensibilities of young entrepreneurs like Mr. Jiang might offer some inspiration for our thinking.

Lei Jun gave an awkward laugh.

Before the group could finish discussing the song and dance troupe, the dancers came into view.

Her makeup was exquisite, and her clothes were beautiful.

Jiangbei City: "The program 'Only This Greenery' on the Spring Festival Gala stage."

The actors were all recruited from major art colleges and well-known domestic song and dance troupes.

Solid basic skills.

The performance was full of emotion.

"I misunderstood President Jiang. It should indeed be appreciated with an artistic eye," Zeng Yuqun said with admiration.

Jiang Beicheng raised his glass with a smile and joked, "So, President Zeng likes to look at people with prejudice."

Zeng Yuqun: "Didn't we get a lesson from President Jiang today?"

"You need to seriously reflect on this."

The two laughed and drank it.

"It felt even better than the performance on the Spring Festival Gala. The dancers were more energetic, and there was something else I couldn't quite put my finger on," Lao Wei commented thoughtfully.

Li Shufu chimed in, "The setting adds to the appeal."

Old Wei immediately realized, "Yes, that's the scene."

This dance performance was staged on the central axis of the Jiang Zemin's Song Family Villa, giving it a stronger classical flavor.

It's just tough on these young girls; we're all wearing suit jackets, and they're dressed so lightly.

Jiang Beicheng said, "Old Wei, you can also see it as them being very dedicated."

After all, the annual salary is so high.

Old Wei laughed and said, "Hahaha, that's exactly what I was thinking. Now it seems that President Jiang's tens of millions a year is indeed not wasted."

Chairman Zhu asked curiously, "I'm really looking forward to the choreography that President Jiang is involved in."

Jiang Beicheng smiled and said, "The next program is the Warring States period dance, 'Misty Cloud Terrace'."

Several beautiful dancers, dressed in Warring States period robes, strolled along the central axis passage, gracefully performing this dance.

While eating and drinking, Jiang Beicheng introduced the inspiration behind his choreography, saying, "Sometimes you have to admire the aesthetic sense of our ancestors."

I don't know what everyone's opinion is, but in my eyes, the Warring States period robe is definitely the one that best embodies a woman's charm.

The inspiration for this dance comes from Wen Zhong, a strategist of King Goujian of Yue. He proposed nine strategies to destroy the state of Wu, one of which was called "send beautiful women to confuse King Fuchai of Wu."

The Yue Kingdom found two exceptionally beautiful women, Xi Shi and Zheng Dan, trained them, and sent them to the Wu Kingdom. The King of Wu, however, indulged in wine and women, neglecting state affairs, which led to the Wu Kingdom's downfall.

Chairman Zhu said, "President Jiang said he personally participated in the choreography. If we interpret it according to this story, you won't be thinking of yourself as the King of Wu, will you?"

"Hahaha, now that Chairman Zhu mentioned it, I realize it too. President Jiang is playing a sophisticated game," President Zhang added with a laugh.

Jiang Beicheng did not deny it, saying, "What you saw today was a censored version of 'Yan Yu Yun Tai,' which only included dance art and historical stories."

“Actually, we really want to see the full version,” Zeng Yuqun joked.

Several of my entrepreneur friends know that Jiang Beicheng choreographed this dance purely to satisfy his personal quirks.

See through, don’t say through.

However, it cannot be denied that Jiang Beicheng, this young man, is indeed talented.

The same thing, but when a talented person like President Jiang does it, it feels much more sophisticated.

Imagine him playing the role of King Fuchai of Wu when performing this dance.

All I can say is that it's enviable.

"President Zeng, you're judging people with prejudice again," Jiang Beicheng said with a smile.

Everyone raised their glasses and clinked them with his.

After finishing his drink, Lei Jun said, "President Jiang is truly a genius; this dance is exceptionally well-choreographed."

It has a high artistic element.

Jiang Beicheng joked, "President Lei, there's a difference between your dance troupe and President Xu's, isn't there?"

Lei Jun smiled but did not answer.

The biggest difference between this private dance troupe and Mr. Xu's dance troupe is that this troupe only showcases art and skills to the outside world.

As for domestic affairs, there's no need to elaborate.

That's President Jiang's private hobby.

After the performance of "The Misty Rain Pavilion", there will be performances using traditional musical instruments such as the guzheng.

If we satisfy the visual sense, we should also take care of the auditory sense.

Of course, the most important thing about tonight's meal is the taste; the food should be delicious, and the drinks should be enjoyed to the fullest.

The second half was basically an exchange of opinions within the industry.

The discussion revolved around two topics: the domestic automobile industry and the export of new energy vehicles.

The Great Wall has a good reputation abroad.

Not to mention Geely's global footprint.

Zeng Yuqun's position as the "Battery King" in the industry remains unshakable for the time being.

Chang'an Group is a century-old enterprise, and the people at the table are still a bit short of seniority.

Therefore, during the second half of the dinner, Lei Jun and Mr. Zhang from Seres acted as students, humbly seeking advice and exchanging ideas with each other.

They also discussed the issue of in-depth cooperation and co-creating an ecosystem.

Jiangbei City warmly welcomes everyone to co-create a smart ecosystem.

Wanli Technology, which he invested in, has been seeking a standard to integrate with major automakers and build a convenient smart ecosystem for customers.

"Old Wei, when will your factory in Thailand start production?" Chairman Zhu asked with concern.

Chang'an also has significant strategic plans in Thailand.

Old Wei said, "The factory has been renovated a long time ago, but it may take some time to start production. The review process and standards there are still being negotiated with the relevant departments."

Jiang Beicheng looked at Lao Wei and said, "Lao Wei, if you encounter any difficulties, just tell me. I have some connections over there and can ask around for you."

By the way, the Thai princess will be visiting my company during her visit to China. I'll try to talk to her about you when I have some free time.

After all, I'm also a shareholder of Great Wall Motors. (End of Chapter)