Super Rich: It all started when I met a young woman in a sleeper car.

Chen Xun woke up just as dawn was breaking.

He spent the night planning his route on the computer, going over the chapter outlines in his mind to make sure he had brought everything he needed.

The first thing to do is go to the underground parking garage.

The seven-seater SUV sat there quietly, black and imposing, like a silent behemoth. Chen Xun walked around the car, touched the tires, checked the headlights, and then opened the door to check the fuel gauge.

Full.

The trunk space is large and empty.

He closed the car door with satisfaction, then turned and went upstairs.

There was already some commotion inside the apartment.

Yang Xiaotao's room door was open, and she was squatting in front of a huge pink suitcase, stuffing things into it.

Chen Xun walked over and took a look.

Good guy.

Potato chips, spicy strips, chocolate, self-heating hot pot, instant noodles, and several bottles of brightly colored drinks. The cosmetics were packed in a small makeup bag and tucked away in a corner, but the snacks were at least ten times the size of the makeup bag.

"Xiao Tao," Chen Xun leaned against the door frame, "we're going on a road trip, not a wilderness survival adventure. There are service areas along the way and restaurants when we arrive."

Yang Xiaotao looked up, her face serious: "Big brother, you don't understand. What's the soul of a journey? It's snacks! It's the joy that you can pull out anytime! What if there's a traffic jam on the road? What if the hotel delivery service isn't working? I call this being prepared, giving me maximum peace of mind, okay?"

Chen Xun laughed: "Okay, whatever makes you happy. Just don't stuff it too full."

He turned and went to Lin Xinyue's room.

Lin Xinyue's luggage was much more organized. A gray suitcase sat beside a first-aid kit, neatly filled with cold medicine, stomach medicine, band-aids, and disinfectant swabs. She also held a notebook filled with writing.

"Sister Xinyue, what is this again?" Chen asked.

"Itinerary." Lin Xinyue handed over the notebook. "I've looked up the places we'll be passing through, the weather, road conditions, any potholes to watch out for, and which restaurants have good reviews. There's also a daily expense budget, down to the per capita cost for each meal."

Chen Xun flipped through it; it was densely packed, but clearly organized.

"Cow." That was the only word he could say.

"I'm used to it." Lin Xinyue took the notebook and stuffed it into the side pocket of her suitcase. "After managing accounts for so long, I get anxious when I see things that aren't planned."

Finally, we have Li Qian's room.

Li Qian had the least luggage. A dark blue travel bag, not full. She was putting a few books into it, and a simple tea set—a small teapot and two cups—into it, packed in a cloth bag.

"Bring books?" Chen asked.

"We'll see it along the way," Li Qian said calmly. "Tea sets...if your accommodation has a balcony, you can brew tea and enjoy the scenery."

Chen Xun nodded.

Three people, three styles.

Yang Xiaotao's joyful hoarding, Lin Xinyue's meticulousness, and Li Qian's quiet self-sufficiency.

"Once everything is packed, we'll go downstairs and load the truck," Chen Xun said. "We'll leave promptly at eight o'clock."

When it came time to load the truck, a problem arose.

With Yang Xiaotao's huge pink suitcase, Lin Xinyue's suitcase and first-aid kit, Li Qian's travel bag, and Chen Xun's own backpack, the trunk was actually a bit cramped.

"Xiao Tao," Lin Xinyue sighed, looking at the box of snacks, "aren't you... doing a bit too much? It's taking up too much space."

"Not much, not much!" Yang Xiaotao tried to push the box further in. "Let's squeeze in, there'll always be some room!"

The box is stuck.

Chen Xun walked over, dragged out Yang Xiaotao's suitcase, and opened it.

He took out two-thirds of the snacks and put them aside.

"Ah! My happiness!" Yang Xiaotao screamed.

"These," Chen Xun pointed to the pile on the ground, "are placed under the feet of the back seat. Streamline the contents of the suitcase, mainly clothes and necessities. Eat snacks on the road, and the suitcase will be empty when we get back. We can then pack local specialties."

Yang Xiaotao blinked: "That's right! Big brother, your IQ is on point!"

After rearranging, all the luggage fit inside, and there was still room in the trunk.

Chen Xun got into the driver's seat, and the three women got into the car one by one.

Yang Xiaotao took the passenger seat without hesitation, while Lin Xinyue and Li Qian sat in the second row.

The car started and drove out of the garage.

The morning sunlight was a bit dazzling, so Chen Xun put on sunglasses.

Yang Xiaotao connected to the car's Bluetooth and played an upbeat song.

"Let's go!" She raised her phone and took a picture out the window.

As the car entered the highway, the scenery outside the window began to recede.

The atmosphere was great at first. Yang Xiaotao chattered on and on, Lin Xinyue occasionally chimed in, and Li Qian quietly looked out the window.

Chen Xun gripped the steering wheel, occasionally glancing at the rearview mirror.

After driving for more than two hours, we stopped for a rest at a service area.

Chen Xun went to a convenience store to buy water and also used the restroom.

On his way back, he deliberately slowed down and looked at the car from a distance.

Yang Xiaotao was taking photos with Lin Xinyue in front of the service area sign, striking various poses. Li Qian didn't participate; she leaned against the car, looking down at her phone, her fingers swiping across the screen, probably looking up something.

Chen Xun walked over and handed them the water.

"Thank you, big brother!" Yang Xiaotao took the water and gulped down a few mouthfuls. "How much longer until we arrive?"

"The navigation says we should arrive at the first stop around 4 PM," Chen Xun said. "Tired?"

"Not tired at all! I'm excited!"

On the road again.

The car quieted down a bit. Yang Xiaotao finished taking photos and started editing them. Lin Xinyue took out her travel guide notebook and compared it with the road signs outside the window. Li Qian took a book out of her travel bag and quietly flipped through it.

After a while, Li Qian suddenly spoke up.

"Regarding the theme renovation for the new store," she said, her voice not loud but clear in the quiet carriage, "I thought about the alternative plans again last night."

Yang Xiaotao and Lin Xinyue both looked up.

"If Zhou Wenbin ultimately disagrees with the profit-sharing arrangement," Li Qian continued, "we can first create a 'themed experience area' instead of completely renovating the store. For example, we can only renovate one-third of the space to create a model school classroom. The cost will be much lower, and we can also test the market response."

Lin Xinyue immediately pulled out her phone calculator: "If we only renovate one-third, the budget can be kept under 20,000. The construction period can also be shortened, maybe only three or four days, so the impact on business will be minimal."

Yang Xiaotao thought for a moment: "Won't the effect of taking photos and checking in be compromised if it's just in one corner?"

"Traffic acquisition might not be as effective as a complete store renovation," Li Qian admitted, "but the risk is also lower. If it works well, we can gradually expand, or we'll have data to support our plans when discussing a second round of renovations with Zhou Wenbin."

Chen Xun didn't interrupt, he just listened.

He noticed that Lin Xinyue was calculating costs, Yang Xiaotao was considering user experience, and Li Qian was controlling the pace and risks.

The three of them have already begun to think about their respective areas of responsibility.

"I think it's worth it." Lin Xinyue finished the calculations. "Twenty thousand yuan, even if we lose it, it won't be a major blow. It's worth it to get a real market response."

"I think it's a good idea too," Yang Xiaotao said. "But the design of that 'themed experience area' needs to be more elaborate. It should be small but complete, with desks, a blackboard, school uniforms, and photo spots. Otherwise, it won't attract people."

Li Qian nodded: "The specific design can be refined on the way."

All three of them looked at Chen Xun.

Chen Xun then spoke up: "Then it's settled. If we can't reach an agreement with Zhou Wenbin after we get back from the trip, we'll start this 'themed experience zone' project. Xin Yue will be in charge of the budget and procurement, Xiao Tao will be in charge of the set design, and Li Qian will be in charge of the process and interactive setup."

"Understood!" the three women replied in unison.

Chen Xun's lips curled up slightly.

That's exactly the effect he wanted—for them to analyze, discuss, and draw their own conclusions. He was just there to make the final decision.

As evening approached, the car exited the highway and entered the streets of a small town.

Following Yang Xiaotao's travel guide, they booked a guesthouse with good reviews.

The guesthouse was a three-story building with a small courtyard. The landlady was very welcoming and showed them the rooms.

"We have standard rooms and family suites," the landlady said. "A family suite consists of a double room and a side bedroom with two single beds, sharing a living room and bathroom. The four of you..."

There was a subtle pause in the atmosphere.

Chen Xun said, "I just need a standard room."

The proprietress looked at him, then at the three girls behind him: "And these three young ladies?"

"We're staying in a family suite," Lin Xinyue said casually. "Perfect."

"Alright!" the proprietress said with a smile, leading the way.

When the rooms were being assigned, Chen Xun could sense something indescribable moving in the air. But no one said anything.

Yang Xiaotao dragged her suitcase into the family suite, muttering, "I want to sleep in a single bed!" Lin Xinyue and Li Qian followed her in.

Chen Xun took the room key and entered his standard room.

The room wasn't big, but it was clean. The window faced the yard.

He put down his luggage and washed his face.

In the evening, the four of them ate at a local restaurant that Lin Xinyue had found in her travel guide.

The food was good, and the portions were generous.

As we ate, the conversation circled back to the shop.

"Chen Xun," Lin Xinyue picked up a piece of food with her chopsticks, "you said before that you were going to promote us to management positions and recruit a new store manager. So... how will the three of us divide the work and cooperate? Won't there be any overlap or disputes?"

Yang Xiaotao also looked up: "That's right, brother. Xinyue and I have both managed the shop, but we've never really managed anyone. Li Qian is meticulous, but she doesn't talk much."

Li Qian slowly took a sip of soup, said nothing, but looked at Chen Xun.

Chen Xun put down his chopsticks.

"We'll discuss the specific division of labor when we get back," he said. "But the principles are clear. Xinyue, you're meticulous and good at managing money and materials; you'll be in charge of the supply chain and finance. Xiaotao, you're full of ideas and adept at dealing with customers; marketing and customer experience are your responsibility. Liqian, you're calm and insightful; you'll be in charge of operations and human resources."

He paused for a moment: "The three of you will be the core management team for 'Seeking Flavors Instant Noodles' from now on. If anything happens, discuss it yourselves first. If you can't reach an agreement, then come to me. I'm not your superior; I'm... the last resort."

The three women listened without saying a word.

Yang Xiaotao's eyes were bright, Lin Xinyue seemed thoughtful, and Li Qian nodded gently.

Chen Xun took out his phone and opened the notes app: "I've noted down everything we just said. We'll land as soon as we get back."

After dinner, we took a walk back to the guesthouse.

The town was quiet at night, with the streetlights casting a dim yellow glow.

The four people walked side by side, their shadows stretching long on the ground.

Back at the guesthouse, everyone went to their rooms.

Chen Xun closed the door, leaned against it, and listened to the footsteps fading away in the corridor and the sound of the door of the next suite opening and closing.

He walked to the window and looked at the shadow of the old tree in the yard.