Wang Xiaoliang turned his coffee cup and spoke unhurriedly. "Is there any way to attend the classes without paying?"
Li Xiude set down his cup. "Yes. Bring in a whole class of people yourself."
"How many people in a class?"
"Twenty for a small class, fifty for a large one."
Wang Xiaoliang chuckled. "Quite an operation. Even a small class brings in two million, and a large one five million. So if I brought in a large class, would I get paid too?"
"Smart!" Li Xiude nodded, his smile deepening.
Wang Xiaoliang didn't pursue that topic.
He abruptly changed tack. "You're spreading this operation too wide. Course revenue takes a long time to come in, and the amount is fixed. After deducting hydrotherapy costs, venue costs, and staffing costs, how much do you actually keep? You also want to build Three-Wash Pavilions and Sanmu Mountains across the country. What happens if your funding can't keep up?"
Li Xiude's smile faded a little, and his fingers tapped lightly on the table. "Some projects aren't fit for public discussion. I haven't gone into those with you."
"What projects?"
"Spirit Bone Pagodas. Do you know what those are?"
Wang Xiaoliang shook his head.
Li Xiude lowered his voice. "Places for storing ashes. Our Spirit Bone Pagodas are all built around Daoist temples. With a Daoist temple there, the pagodas become something different. Masters chant scriptures and offer blessings every day. It benefits both the deceased and their descendants. A niche on the lowest level starts at thirty thousand, and the price doubles with each level up. There are only nine niches on the top level-"
He paused.
"An astronomical price."
Wang Xiaoliang stared at him. "People actually buy them?"
"Xiaoliang, you've been making content for so long. You should understand this." Li Xiude