Financial freedom starts with smiling at life

The Thai princess, a member of the royal family with a deep understanding of Chinese architectural art, was pleasantly surprised to be visiting the private estate in Jiangbei City today.

Here, her visual appreciation of architectural elements from various dynasties was satisfied.

The design is ingenious and the craftsmanship is superb.

The princess believed that this manor in Jiangbei City must have cost a fortune.

However, it is in line with his status as the richest man in Jiangnan City.

She couldn't help but flatter him, praising the private estate in Jiangbei City as comparable to the Grand Palace in Thailand.

The royal palace is a symbol of faith and identity for the members of the royal family, so it must be given top priority.

But deep down, the princess preferred the pavilions and towers of her private estate in Jiangbei City to the magnificent imperial palace.

During breaks in the visit to the estate, I couldn't help but compare it to the Grand Palace.

The layout of the outer courtyard, central courtyard, and inner courtyard is very similar. The difference is that the Grand Palace has an additional Wat Pho, which is the most important and sacred place in the Grand Palace, where the Emerald Buddha, Thailand's national treasure, is enshrined.

After taking a stroll at the private estate in Jiangbei City, the Thai princess was once again amazed by the tycoon's wealth and power.

The estate covers an area not much smaller than the Grand Palace, estimated to be two-thirds the size of the Grand Palace.

However, the Grand Palace has multiple functions, serving not only as the residence of the royal family but also as government offices, royal temples, and other places.

Mr. Jiang's manor was intended solely for his personal or family residence.

"Mr. Jiang, how many servants are there in the manor?" After walking for half an hour, the Thai princess suggested turning back, as it would take three or four hours to walk around the entire manor.

The princess is getting old and her physical strength is not keeping up.

On her way back to the inner courtyard, she saw the busy servants in the manor and asked them a question out of curiosity.

The royal family places great importance on status and hierarchy, and members of the royal family are always the most distinguished.

The staff who serve members of the royal family are all called "servants".

Therefore, the servants in Jiangbei City are also referred to as "servants".

Jiang Beicheng respected royal etiquette and didn't care about such literal meanings, truthfully replying, "About a hundred people."

When the Thai princess heard the number, she wasn't too surprised; she just thought Mr. Jiang's standard of living was too high.

But when she learned about the annual expenses of Mr. Jiang's manor, she was instantly stunned.

"Mr. Jiang, are you telling the truth? Nearly one hundred million? Not Thai baht, right?" The Thai princess was incredulous.

It's worth noting that the total annual salary of all the royal family's servants is only around one billion Thai baht, which is close to two hundred million RMB.

It appears to be half again as much as the servants' wages at the Jiangbei City Manor.

However, the royal family's servants are not just those responsible for household services and professional technicians.

There are also palace officials, royal guards, and employees of the palace's exclusive agencies.

All servants are under the management of the "Royal Household Bureau".

The Royal Household Bureau's budget comes from the national treasury and amounts to one billion baht annually.

In the past two years, prices have risen significantly.

However, the Royal Household Bureau manages a staff of up to a thousand people.

The princess hadn't paid attention to the specific figures; she mainly worked in diplomacy and tourism, and rarely interfered in matters of the Ministry of the Interior.

However, based on my own life experience, the royal family certainly has no fewer than two thousand servants, and may even have three thousand.

The annual salary of 3,000 people is only 200 million.

The salaries of the more than 100 people in this manor in Jiangbei City amounted to over 100 million.

After comparing the two figures in her mind, the Thai princess felt that Mr. Jiang was even wealthier than the royal family.

She was very curious as to why Jiangbei City would pay its servants such high wages.

After learning more, I was shocked once again.

It's no exaggeration to say that, apart from cleaning, logistics, and other staff, the other technical staff, in terms of their educational background, are fully capable of holding positions in important departments of the royal palace.

For example, positions such as clerks and accountants within the palace administration, as well as those managing royal property and charitable organizations.

Even His Majesty the King would probably admit defeat if he knew.

It's not an exaggeration.

While the servants of Jiangbei City may not be comparable to the employees of important departments of the royal family in terms of work experience and background, their educational level is certainly far superior to that of most royal servants.

Even the descendants of royalty are not as well-educated as some of Mr. Jiang's servants.

After all, Thailand's higher education is only considered to be of average quality in Asia.

The strongest university in the world only ranks 211th, which is outside the top ten in China.

The Thai university, which ranks second in overall strength, is ranked around 400th globally, similar to Gangnam University. In China, it is just an ordinary 985 university.

The servants at Jiangbei City Manor include not only top students from prestigious universities like Tsinghua and Peking University, but also top students from internationally renowned universities.

These individuals are all considered special talents under Thailand's national talent recruitment program.

However, in the manor in Jiangbei City, their status was merely that of "servants".

Perhaps because the royal family's status is too prestigious in Thailand, the definition of "servant" differs from that of Jiangbei City.

However, the Thai princess deeply felt just how valuable the estate, with its annual expenses approaching one hundred million, truly was.

The last time we hosted Lei Jun and his team, the manor's expenses were only between 50 and 70 million yuan.

However, after the newly recruited employees started working, the company had already reached a value of 100 million.

One hundred million was not Jiang Beicheng's final budget.

As the family grows and the industry develops, the number of employees on the estate will increase, naturally leading to higher expenses.

If we follow the comparison method used with the Thai princess, we can include the "family servants" who serve the Jiang family's businesses.

This expenditure will be no less than the annual budget of the Royal Bureau of State Affairs of the Thai Royal Family.

From the central courtyard to the inner courtyard, the Thai princess spoke noticeably less.

Although she sensed Mr. Jiang's respect for the royal family and his high level of etiquette in his presence.

However, the wealth of Mr. Jiang's family made her somewhat less confident as a member of the royal family.

This is not Thailand, not Bangkok.

It's Jiangnan City, and it's at the home of the richest man in Jiangnan City.

The humility shown by the Thai princess in the past was mostly just politeness, but now it is genuine humility.

Even when they were at the dinner table, they didn't think much of themselves.

The praise and compliments he gave to Jiang Beicheng's first wife, Haitangxi, actually made her a little slow to react.

Am I having dinner with a Thai princess?

I don't feel any distance anymore.

Even Haitangxi herself couldn't quite believe the scene before her eyes.

Logically, she should have been the one to humbly receive and welcome the princess, since the princess was a political figure of the country, while she was at most a talented social celebrity.

The difference in their social status is still quite significant.

Now, when it comes to traditional Chinese architecture, the princess adopts a more humble attitude.

Haitangxi guessed that this member of the royal family was probably shocked by her man, Jiang Beicheng, once again.

A wife's wealth follows her husband's!

A man's face is her face. She subconsciously raised her own status and prestige, letting the princess see her talent and strength.

If given the opportunity, I could take on some architectural design projects for the Thai royal family.

Royal architecture is not limited to Southeast Asian style and Buddhist elements; for example, the Grand Palace is also filled with a strong European architectural style.

Haitangxi has a profound understanding of both Eastern and Western architecture.

“Ms. Haitangxi, it is an honor to meet such an outstanding architect as you through Mr. Jiang. I believe our connection will not end with this meal, and we will certainly have more exchanges.” The Thai princess smiled and raised her glass, adding, “I have benefited greatly from exchanging ideas with you about traditional Chinese architecture today.”

My understanding is only superficial. Chinese culture is profound and extensive, and it is not only reflected in architectural art. I hope that I can gain a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of Chinese culture in my lifetime.

Mr. Jiang, thank you for your warm hospitality. I can proudly tell the other members of the royal family that I know a remarkable Chinese entrepreneur, Mr. Jiang Beicheng.

I look forward to your next visit to the Grand Palace.

Jiang Beicheng and Haitangxi raised their glasses to greet him, smiling and clinking glasses.

After the meal, Jiangbei City also arranged for a government helicopter to take the princess and her delegation to the municipal reception hotel.

After seeing off the members of the Thai princess's delegation, Haitangxi took a walk arm in arm with Jiangbeicheng.

"Baby, before I met the Thai princess, my impression of the royal family was based on television and the internet. People in their country would bow deeply to them."

I never expected the princess to be such a humble and cultured member of the royal family. I feel like I put on a show in front of her today.

Haitangxi couldn't help but laugh when she recalled how she had been giving orders about architecture with the princess at the dinner table.

That's a bit too pretentious.

Jiang Beicheng smiled and said, "Perhaps you haven't seen another side of her. The princess is not a humble person."

"What do you mean?" Haitangxi asked, looking surprised.

Jiang Beicheng said, "In a powerful country, facing a businessman with unfathomable strength, if you were a member of the royal family, wouldn't you be more humble?"

Haitangxi laughed loudly.

Of course I can understand what Jiang Beicheng is saying.

However, every time I see him showing off, I feel a sense of admiration.

Often, what your man says is the truth.

After laughing, Haitangxi continued, "It's not just a princess. Even if I were His Majesty the King, I would have to lower my posture when I meet Mr. Jiang."

“Sister Xi understands my emotional value.” Jiang Beichen smiled and kissed Haitang Xi’s lips, then glanced at the time. “I think this is a good time to start a baby.”

"We are of one mind!" Haitangxi expressed her current desire openly, wrapped her arms around Jiang Beicheng's neck, and let him carry her back to the room in a princess carry.

……

Beicheng Hotel Shanghai Branch.

"Is this Director Wang's first time dining here?" The chairman of Shanghai Film Group is hosting a dinner at the Beicheng Hotel Shanghai branch today.

Celebrating the approval of a new film project.

Wong Kar-wai smiled and nodded, “Mr. Wong, this is my first time visiting this restaurant, but I’ve heard that its owner is Jiang Beicheng.”

“Yes, Mr. Jiang’s restaurant has now become a popular spot for Shanghai’s elites to take photos. Although Mr. Jiang doesn’t care about the revenue generated by this restaurant, we have to admit that it is currently the most profitable restaurant in Shanghai,” Chairman Wang said, raising his glass.

“When it first opened, many celebrities from the Chinese entertainment industry came to support it. I even dared to come back from the film set in the middle of the night to celebrate. At that time, I really never thought that Mr. Jiang would later invest in the entertainment industry,” Yang Mi said.

When talking about Beicheng Hotel and Jiangbei City, she, a "friend of Jiangbei City," was very proud.

It was precisely because he operated under Jiang Beicheng's name within the industry that he had the opportunity to come into contact with bigwigs like the chairman of Shanghai Film Group.

Her delight with director Wong Kar-wai in Thailand led to her landing a role.

Although she was playing a supporting role to Zhang Ziyi, this level of film industry production team is already an incredibly impressive resource for a female artist in the film and television industry.

Wong Kar-wai has a close working relationship with Shanghai Film Group.

"The Grandmaster" and "Blossoms"... were both invested in by Shanghai Film Group.

Chairman Wang of Shanghai Film Group also admires his cinematic aesthetics, and this time, he approached him again to collaborate on a project in Thailand.

I'm inviting the main cast and crew over for dinner tonight.

"Yang Mi is an actress that President Jiang greatly admires. Her recent works have been very successful. She has always wanted to try challenging roles, so I recommended her to Director Wang this time," Chairman Wang introduced.

Zhang Ziyi, sitting at the same table, looked embarrassed and forced a smile.

Her smile was stiff.

Despite being the female lead and having a close relationship with Director Wang, she should logically be the female celebrity who has the most screen time at this dinner table.

But tonight, all the big shots were talking about was Yang Mi.

Female celebrities are actually very petty.

The environment of this circle has shaped their sycophantic, competitive, and vain personality.

I do feel uncomfortable, but I don't dare to show it.

It would be very impolite to be in front of big shots like Chairman Wang and Director Wang.

Most importantly, Yang Mi also had Jiang Beicheng as a friend.

Zhang Ziyi felt very regretful when she thought back to the scene of her eagerness to show off when she first met Jiang Beicheng.

Who would have thought that President Jiang would be able to dominate the Chinese entertainment industry?
Even more unexpectedly, President Jiang has become a figure recognized by the nation as a pinnacle of the era.

If Yang Mi had been more humble back then, hadn't been so eager to find a moment in the spotlight, or had tried to curry favor with President Jiang, there wouldn't be any reason for her to be showing off here today.

Wong Kar-wai smiled and nodded, turning his glass towards Yang Mi. "Yang Mi is also an actress I'd love to work with. Thank you, Mr. Wong, for bringing us together. I hope we can create something special."

"Thank you for your guidance, Director Wang. Thank you for your recognition, Chairman Wang." Yang Mi downed a glass.

"When are you planning to come in? If there's anything you need me to do, just let me know. We've known each other for so many years and collaborated several times. You know I have a lot of trust in you and your team," Chairman Wang said to Wong Kar-wai.

Wong Kar-wai has always respected Chairman Wong, and Shanghai Film Group has never been ambiguous in its support of him.

For the TV series "Blossoms," Shanghai Film Studio listened to his advice and invested hundreds of millions of yuan to recreate Shanghai at that time, in order to film on real locations.

It was a very pleasant experience working with this partner.

In addition, given Shanghai Film Group's prominent position in the film industry, which is said to dominate half of the domestic film market, Chairman Wang's words can indeed resolve many issues.

Wong Kar-wai reported truthfully: "The team has already gone there and is communicating with the relevant departments in Thailand."

I really like the Grand Palace as a filming location this time, but I don't know if we can reach an agreement.
after all……

You know, Mr. Wang, that's where the royal family lives.

Chairman Wang nodded: "This is a bit tricky. I'll report it to my superiors or try to communicate and negotiate with the embassy."

However, Director Wang should be prepared that I am of low status and my influence may not be enough to close the deal.

It's not feigned modesty.

That's genuine humility.

If it's a project of China Film Group, with Chairman Fu involved, he can definitely mobilize a lot of resources and easily resolve the matter.

However, he was only a department-level cadre, and a department-level cadre of a local state-owned enterprise at that, so it was indeed difficult for him to carry out work involving foreign affairs.

Wong Kar-wai nodded: "Mr. Wong, I understand. I hope it won't put you in a difficult position."

Yang Mi suddenly said, "Yizhi Culture Media is also one of the investors. I wonder if President Jiang has any connections with them?"

She was closely monitoring the situation in Jiangbei City and knew that Jiangbei City had hosted a Thai delegation visiting China.

Moreover, the artist who went missing in Thailand last time was also brought back from the park by President Jiang through his connections.

She casually mentioned it to the two bigwigs. (End of Chapter)