February 10, Lunar New Year's Eve.
Lin Ze's plane had just landed, and he returned to Qianyun Manor, his residence in Tiannan City.
Zhao Wenrou, who helped Lin Ze manage Zhiyuan Trading Company; Shi Hongxue of Delicious Forest Group; and Ji Shuqing's family, who were shareholders, had all gathered at Lin Ze's home.
Tang Guangyun, who handled matters related to Lin Ze's shipping company, hadn't come.
He was swamped, traveling all over the world on business and not even in the country. He was spending the New Year holiday on the road, too. Still, as a senior executive, he could bring his family along and travel together over the holiday, so he didn't have to suffer the pain of being apart.
A few days earlier, Delicious Forest and Zhiyuan Trading had both begun their New Year holidays.
At the time, Lin Ze was still in the Golden Continent. The two companies' executive presidents had helped hand out the New Year gifts and red envelopes, while Lin Ze had sent his own New Year greetings over a video call.
Now, the two executives had come to report on their work—and, naturally, to take some credit.
Lin Ze had promised them generous year-end bonuses, and it was time to make good on that promise.
But before that, they had to put real results on the table and make their boss happy. Only when he understood just how much they had contributed could they receive even bigger year-end bonus envelopes.
Lin Ze savored the beauty of the young woman in his arms and answered absentmindedly.
Money couldn't simply be equated with resources and combat power. But there was a prerequisite: you had to be willing to spend it, and know how to spend it.
After paying 5% in business tax, amounting to 2.19 billion; 12% in surcharges, amounting to 262.8 million; and 20% in corporate income tax, amounting to 4.6 billion, the profits came to a net 15.9472 billion.
Once the Lantern Festival had passed, Lin Ze enjoyed a relatively leisurely spell before getting busy again.
In the quiet bedroom, Ji Shuqing rode him as she asked Lin Ze a question.
"Our purchase price stayed at eight thousand yuan per jin, making the total payment due 17.958 billion. Then we had to pay 5% in import tariffs, 9% in value-added tax, and 12% in surcharges. The total taxes came to 2.780664 billion."
Lin Ze's heart was full of anticipation. He had thought matching Shi Hongxue's year-end bonus would be good enough, but he hadn't expected to get even more. Add in the high salary he drew all year, and he was truly a golden employee.
Lin Ze had paid hundreds of billions in taxes this year, and next year's total would be even higher. He had become one of Qixia Country's major taxpayers, while also providing plenty of jobs and boosting the city's economic development.
Lin Ze opened the file, then began explaining as the figures were projected.
After his excitement had passed, Lin Ze settled down and began to think carefully about what to do next.
With a delighted smile, Zhao Wenrou promised, "Normally, after the three-month honeymoon period for a new store ends, customers lose interest in its novelty and sales fall sharply, until they stabilize within a certain range."
Apart from that, practicing Life Nurturing Fist to build her health had made her look more radiant by the day.
After getting the New Year gifts and red envelopes, Lin Ze had been busy again.
Shi Hongxue opened it at Lin Ze's signal, then was delighted to find three things inside the little bag: a check and two property deeds.
Lin Ze had the heart to call it quits for a while. He spent the Lantern Festival enjoying some relatively relaxing days before getting busy again.
This was a grand mansion their family could never have afforded, even after several lifetimes.
The check was for ten million yuan. One deed was for a detached villa; the other was for a luxury apartment in Tiannan City's inner ring. Together, the year-end bonus was worth over thirty million yuan.
Then came the precious metals. Lin Ze had about 120,000 taels in stock, and over the past little while the Gold Bank had plundered another 230,000 taels of gold from the Other World in exchange for copper coins.
"Thank you, boss! Thank you, boss!"
Shi Hongxue bowed again and again in gratitude.
As the New Year passed, the spring plowing season was next.
The fertilizer factory had already stockpiled a batch of fertilizer. Soon, it would be sold and put to widespread use in Fengping County of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
While they chatted and laughed, Lin Ze's father, Lin Zheng, and his mother, Zhang Xiu, were soon escorted to Qianyun Manor by security personnel.
With a smile, he said, "Uncle, Auntie, we've already spoken over video. You both like me a lot, so there's no need to be nervous."
Some time later, once everyone had talked enough, he took Ji Shuqing away, leaving his parents to bond with Ji Chun and his wife and helping their families get along harmoniously in the future.
To make sales grow again, they would have to open up entirely new markets and attract far more new diners than before.
After Shi Hongxue left, Zhao Wenrou, who had been watching from the side, was greatly encouraged and began eagerly anticipating her own year-end bonus.
Lin Ze had reached his current position in less than nine months. Even making money after being reborn hadn't been this fast.
Lin Ze smiled and saw his guest out with tea.
After seeing off his guest, Lin Ze smiled at Ji Shuqing. "My parents will be here soon. We'll spend the New Year together this year. Nervous?"
Without the flood of new customers, it was only natural for sales to drop to half their peak. It wasn't realistic to expect them to stay at that peak forever.
Zhao Wenrou saw the generous year-end bonus that had made her financially free, and was overjoyed.
Money's here. Next, I need to turn it into real resources and real combat power.
"Besides the portion supplied to Delicious Forest, the rest went to walk-in customers. We sold the Little Yellow Croaker at an average of four thousand yuan per jin, for total sales of 29.93 billion."
After deducting that year-end bonus, Lin Ze and Ji Shuqing's family each had a net income of 7.95 billion over the past three months.
"Here's your year-end bonus."
Shi Hongxue was delighted by the bonus.
The trillion-yuan magnate title was now one Lin Ze truly deserved!
"At the moment, I've got money. What I need to do next is turn it into actual resources and actual combat power."
"On top of that, the money sitting in my hands is nothing but a pile of metal."
Lin Ze had heard Shi Hongxue go over those figures before. He had followed the data over the past few months and read the financial reports, but this was the first time Shi Hongxue had presented everything to him in person.
"We'll keep the purchase price at eight thousand yuan per jin. The total amount due will be 17.958 billion, followed by 5% in import tariffs, 9% in value-added tax, and 12% in surcharges. The taxes will total 2.780664 billion."
"Mr. Lin, Mr. Ji, these are the financial reports for the past three months."
Lin Ze, who had been smiling, handed over a new small bag. It had the same combination of a check, property deed, and new car, worth a little over fifty million yuan in total.
"Keep it up."
"We'll stay at least until after the holiday, right?"
"For now, let's count up the wealth I've got on hand."
After spending the New Year holidays with his family, Lin Ze had to visit several people and keep up relationships. He had to call on the prefect of Tiannan, inspect his companies, and visit some relatives he was close to. Before he knew it, the time had passed.
"Mr. Lin, the last time I reported to you was in early November. Three months have gone by since then. With the year drawing to a close, companies have been making the rounds and sending gifts to maintain relationships. Delicious Forest's use of Little Yellow Croaker hasn't increased much, but sales of it have still continued to rise over these three months."
"That's good. You've worked hard. Here's your year-end bonus."
First came cash. Across his domestic and overseas accounts, setting aside what Lin Ze had spent on supplies for the Other World and investment in Yulin City's development, he still had about 45 billion.
The people who appeared to have the hardest part of the job were actually the ones whose work Lin Ze handled himself. Shi Hongxue knew her own limits. She could help Lin Ze achieve those sales figures, but someone else could do that, too.
The next step was to expand Lin Ze's headquarters in World No. 0. The money he had on hand would be the driving force behind its development.
"And after that, we deduct the company's operating costs. Net profit comes to 9.18 billion."
Their finances weren't much different from how they'd been in the previous few months. Since Delicious Forest had become a popular restaurant known for its delicious food and strict quality control, tourists would visit one of its branches to try it out whenever they went sightseeing.
The two of them were middle-aged, scholarly-looking teachers. Their fair, refined faces showed they'd lived comfortably and hadn't suffered much hardship in life.
On top of that, three months' personnel and food costs came to 20.8 billion, leaving a final profit of 23 billion.
With Lin Ze's blessing, the first thing Zhao Wenrou did was give her report. Smiling, she said:
Lin Ze listened to Shi Hongxue's report with a smile and handed her a small bag shaped like a gift envelope.
They had known for months that their son had made it big. He had even arranged security personnel for them. But they loved their teaching jobs and hadn't accepted Lin Ze's suggestion that they resign and retire. Instead, they had continued working as teachers.
The money in Lin Ze's accounts came to roughly 45 billion.
"You can relax, Mr. Lin. Next year, I'll work hard to bring in customers and keep us in the spotlight. I'll do my best to keep Delicious Forest's sales from falling—and maybe even push them higher."
Lin Ze knew Zhao Wenrou was telling the truth. Even if a bowl of Yellow Croaker Noodles was delicious, once the novelty wore off, people would probably eat it only once or twice a year.
Shiqing was calm and poised. The success of her career lately had changed her greatly, filling her with energy and vigor.
"Thank you, boss! Thank you, boss!"
There were still relationships to maintain over the New Year holiday, such as with the prefect of Tiannan. He had companies to inspect, relatives he was close to to visit, and family to spend time with. Before he knew it, the holiday would be over.
After deducting the 5% business tax of 2.19 billion, the 12% surcharges of 2.628 billion, and the 20% corporate income tax of 4.6 billion, net profit came to 15.9472 billion.
Lin Ze's plane had just touched down, and he returned to Qianyun Manor, his home in Tiannan City.
The company had already let everyone off for the New Year a few days ago.
But Lin Ze had still been in the Golden Continent then, so the two executive presidents had handed out the New Year gifts and red envelopes for him. He'd only sent his own New Year greetings over a video call.
This time, the two company heads had come to report on their work and, of course, to claim their credit.
Lin Ze had promised them generous year-end bonuses, and now it was time to deliver.
But first, they had to show their boss their concrete results and make him happy. Only when he understood their contributions could they get even bigger year-end bonuses.
"What do you think? How long will you stay?"
The two families had seen their son's success months ago. He had arranged security personnel for them, but they loved their work as teachers and hadn't agreed to Lin Ze's suggestion that they retire. They had continued teaching.
And the truth was, apart from occasionally getting upset about their students' grades, the couple had little to worry about in their daily lives.
Lin Ze didn't make much of it. He had only made his fortune a few months ago and had already gotten used to the change in his standard of living. He greeted his parents with a smile, then watched Ji Shuqing handle the introductions.
"Good. It's getting late, so hurry back."
They were both teachers, and their scholarly air showed. Their fair, refined faces suggested they'd lived well and had never endured much hardship.
Only now, after seeing this grand estate, did they truly understand just how drastically their son's wealth and social standing had changed.
"Thank you, boss! Thank you, boss!"
After getting over her initial excitement, Zhao Wenrou assured him, "Normally, after a new store's three-month honeymoon period, customers get used to it and sales drop sharply, eventually stabilizing within a certain range."
To raise sales again, they would have to enter entirely new markets and attract far more new customers than before.
Lin Ze knew she was being honest. Even the most delicious Yellow Croaker Noodles would probably only be eaten once or twice a year once the novelty had worn off.
"Besides the regular supply to Delicious Forest, the rest was sold to individual customers at an average of four thousand yuan per jin. That brought total sales to 29.93 billion."
After the three months' personnel and food costs of 20.8 billion were deducted, the final profit was 23 billion.
The business figures for Delicious Forest were much the same as those of the previous few months. It had become a popular restaurant renowned for both its food and its strict quality control. Tourists would visit one of its locations to try it whenever they went sightseeing.
The sales figures for November reached 14.5 billion, a little higher than the previous month. Customer traffic began to fall in December, bringing sales to 14.1 billion. Then, with the New Year approaching, January saw a small boom, with sales reaching 15.2 billion.
Lin Ze had earned the money he'd used to buy the Thermal Power Plant, weapons production line, and raw materials through accounts held by his shell companies.
"Sales in November reached 803 tons of Little Yellow Croaker. They reached 1,070 tons in December, and 1,120 tons in January."
Lin Ze's profits from those sales came to less than ten billion on paper. After paying a 50% personal income tax on any cash he withdrew, he would be left with only a little more than five billion. But in reality, after taxes, he had cleared 26.5 billion.
The precious metals were next. Lin Ze had about 120,000 taels in stock, while the Gold Bank had taken another 230,000 taels of gold from the Other World in exchange for copper coins.
The 250,000 taels of gold he had seized through arms deals with the imperial household came next, along with another 15,000 taels from the gold mines in Yulin City and gold purchased from other sources. A large portion of Lin Ze's cash had been spent on those transactions.
That put his gold holdings at a total of 3 million taels, or 150 tons.
The gold was worth about 67.5 billion. It was a huge profit Lin Ze had gained through trade between the two worlds. Add in the cash on hand, and Lin Ze's total net worth had now reached 112.5 billion—not counting any real estate or other fixed assets.
Though Lin Ze had been using gold to pay for purchases from his home country, he'd replenished all the gold he spent by various means.
For example, over the past few months, he'd used the Gates to Heavens to put Yellow Croaker from the Other World aboard fishing vessels owned by his own shipping company, pretending they'd caught it overseas and bringing it back to cover the gaps in the story.
In any case, he was the guest of honor for the local authorities wherever he went. Zhao Wenrou could pursue her ambitions without much resistance. And if she ran into any obstacles, she could ask the local authorities to handle them directly.
After spending the New Year holiday with his family, Lin Ze had to maintain a number of relationships. He needed to visit the prefect of Tiannan, inspect his companies, visit relatives he was close to, and spend time with his family. Before he knew it, the holiday would be over.
For the time being, Lin Ze wasn't focusing on World No. 0. The first batch of employees for his Gates to Heavens Mall were still in training.
They first had to learn to read, then learn how to work with cement. After that, they would help Lin Ze build a power plant and a production line for guns and ammunition.
The weapons factory plan would officially begin only once their training was complete.
In the Other World, though, a major event that would affect Lin Ze's efforts to gather fortune was about to begin.
On February 26,
"We'll stay at least until after the holiday, right?"
Lin Ze smiled as he saw his guest out with tea.
After seeing off his guest, Lin Ze smiled at Ji Shuqing. "My parents will be here soon. We'll spend the New Year together this year. Nervous?"
"Uncle and Auntie have already spoken with me over video. They both like me, so why should I be nervous?"
A while later, when everyone had finished chatting, Lin Ze took Ji Shuqing away, leaving his parents to talk with Ji Chun and his wife and build a good relationship between the two families.
Lin Zheng and Zhang Xiu were escorted to Qianyun Manor by security personnel, and both were amazed when they saw it.
It was a grand mansion the couple could never have afforded, even in several lifetimes.
When they finally saw the estate, the couple truly understood the dramatic change in their son's wealth and social standing.
Lin Ze smiled as he greeted his parents, then watched Ji Shuqing handle the introductions with his family.
The increase in income hadn't caused much change in the couple's daily lives. Apart from their principal suddenly treating them warmly and promising them promotions and leadership positions at school, things were much as they had been.
And that was the truth. Apart from sometimes getting frustrated with their students' grades, the two teachers didn't have much to worry about in life.
Though Lin Ze had been paying for domestic purchases with gold, he had found ways to replenish what he'd spent.
For one thing, in recent months he had used the Gates to Heavens to place Yellow Croaker from the Other World aboard fishing boats belonging to his shipping company, disguising it as an overseas catch and covering up the holes in his story.
In the end, wherever she went, Zhao Wenrou was welcomed by the local authorities. She could pursue her ambitions without any real obstacles, and if she did encounter a problem, she could simply ask the local authorities to take care of it.
Lin Ze had reached his present position in less than nine months. Even making money after being reborn hadn't been this fast.
On top of that, practicing Life Nurturing Fist to improve her health had made her more radiant by the day.
The two company heads had come to report to Lin Ze and, naturally, to claim some credit.
He had promised them generous year-end bonuses, and now it was time to make good on that promise.
But first, they had to show their boss real results and make him happy. Only then, once he understood their contributions, could they receive even bigger year-end bonuses.
In the quiet bedroom, Ji Shuqing rode him as she asked Lin Ze a question.
Lin Ze savored the beauty of the young woman in his arms and answered absentmindedly.
Money couldn't simply be equated with resources and combat power. But there was a prerequisite: you had to be willing to spend it, and know how to spend it.
After paying all the taxes, the final net profit was 15.9472 billion.
The profits from their two companies left Lin Ze and Ji Shuqing's family with a net income of 7.95 billion each over the past three months.
Lin Ze listened to Shi Hongxue's report, smiling. He had followed the figures over the past few months and read the financial reports himself, but this was the first time she had reported them to him in person.
"Thank you, boss! Thank you, boss!"
The year-end bonus had made Zhao Wenrou financially free, and she was overjoyed.
Lin Ze smiled and handed over another small bag. Like the first, it contained a check, a property deed, and a new car. Together, they were worth a little over fifty million yuan.
The check was for ten million yuan. One deed was for a detached villa, and the other was for a luxury apartment in the inner ring of Tiannan City. The total value of the year-end bonus exceeded thirty million yuan.
The two families had known for months that their son had made it big. He had even arranged for security personnel, but they loved their work as teachers, so they had turned down his suggestion that they quit and retire.
Lin Ze didn't make much of the change. He had made his fortune only a few months ago, and was already used to his new standard of living. He greeted his parents with a smile, then watched Ji Shuqing respond to his family.
"Thanks for your hard work. This is your year-end bonus."
After her excitement passed, Zhao Wenrou assured him, "Normally, once a new store's three-month honeymoon period ends, customers get used to it and sales drop sharply, eventually stabilizing within a certain range."
Zhao Wenrou was greatly encouraged by Shi Hongxue's bonus, and began looking forward to her own.
Lin Ze smiled and saw his guest out with tea.
After seeing off his guest, he smiled at Ji Shuqing. "My parents will be here soon. We'll spend the New Year together this year. Nervous?"
"Uncle and Auntie have spoken with me over video. They both like me, so why should I be nervous?"
"Good. It's getting late, so hurry back."
"Keep it up."
"Thank you, boss! Thank you, boss!"
On February 26,
Lin Ze spent the days after the Lantern Festival in relative leisure before getting busy again.
With the New Year over, the spring plowing season was coming.
The fertilizer factory had already stocked up on fertilizer. Soon, it would be sold and widely used in Fengping County of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
Lin Ze's first batch of Gates to Heavens Mall employees were still in training, so he wasn't focusing on World No. 0 for now.
They had to learn to read, then how to work with cement, and then help Lin Ze build a power plant and a production line for guns and ammunition.
Only after their training was finished would the weapons factory plan formally begin.
Over in the Other World, though, an important event connected to Lin Ze's efforts to gather fortune was about to begin.
Tonight was Lunar New Year's Eve.
Lin Ze's plane had just landed, and he returned to Qianyun Manor, his residence in Tiannan City.
Zhao Wenrou, who helped manage Zhiyuan Trading Company, Shi Hongxue of Delicious Forest Group, and Ji Shuqing's family, who were shareholders, had all gathered at Lin Ze's home.
Tang Guangyun, who handled matters related to Lin Ze's shipping company, hadn't come.
He was busy traveling around the world on business and wasn't even in the country. He was spending the New Year on the road, too. But as a senior executive, he could bring his family along and travel with them, so he didn't have to suffer the pain of separation.
Delicious Forest and Zhiyuan Trading had both begun their New Year holidays a few days earlier.
At the time, Lin Ze had still been in the Golden Continent. The two company executives had handed out the New Year gifts and red envelopes on his behalf, while he'd sent his greetings through a video call.
The executives came to report on their work and, naturally, to claim some credit.
Lin Ze had promised them generous bonuses, and now it was time to deliver.
But first, they had to put real results on the table and make their boss happy. Only after he understood their contributions could they receive even more generous bonuses.
The executives were both in high spirits, eager to tell Lin Ze about their results.
Their reports showed that the companies were doing well, and their contributions were impressive.
Lin Ze was pleased. After all, the businesses had brought in substantial profits, and the executives had earned their rewards.
He thanked them for their hard work and gave each of them a generous year-end bonus.
The two executives were delighted and thanked him again and again.
Lin Ze smiled and saw his guests out.
Afterward, he turned to Ji Shuqing with a smile. "My parents will be here soon. We'll spend the New Year together this year. Are you nervous?"
She smiled calmly. "I've already spoken with Uncle and Auntie over video. They like me, so there's nothing to be nervous about."
Their families soon met at Qianyun Manor and spent the New Year together.
Lin Ze's parents had known for months that their son had made a fortune, but seeing his grand estate finally made them understand just how much his wealth and social status had changed.
They had both been teachers all their lives and loved their work, so they had refused Lin Ze's suggestion that they retire.
Their days remained much the same as before. The only difference was that the school principal now treated them warmly and promised to promote them to leadership positions.
In truth, aside from occasionally getting frustrated with their students' grades, they had little to worry about.
Lin Ze had already gotten used to his new way of life. He greeted his parents with a smile, then watched Ji Shuqing get along with them.
After everyone had finished chatting, Lin Ze took Ji Shuqing away and left his parents to spend time with Ji Chun and his wife. He hoped the two families would get along well in the future.
After the New Year holiday, there were still relationships to maintain and companies to inspect. Lin Ze needed to visit the prefect of Tiannan, call on relatives he was close to, and spend time with his family. Before he knew it, the holiday was over.
February 26.
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