The living room was brightly lit, with a yellow jade coffee table laden with eight fruit platters filled with strange, imported alien fruits.
Jiang Ye sat down and began to eat. He had never seen these fruits before, and eating them was like opening a blind box; he didn't know their taste until they were in his mouth.
Tian Rao lay on the sofa opposite him, wearing a white silk pajama with a bare midriff, her fair, smooth legs exposed. She was quite a sight, treating Jiang Ye as one of her own.
She was frowning, engrossed in her phone. Several mobile phones were scattered on the coffee table, and she kept picking one up and putting another down, her small hands tapping incessantly.
"Busy with business?" Jiang Ye asked.
"Saying goodnight to some other guys. I'll be done in a moment," Tian Rao pouted, looking annoyed.
Jiang Ye's expression was one of bewilderment. "What are you talking about?"
"I'm casting a wide net, chatting with many men simultaneously every day," Tian Rao sighed, her bright eyes fixed on the phone screen. "You're almost a grandfather, and I don't even have a husband. I'm in a hurry!"
"What do you mean I'm almost a grandfather!" Jiang Ye looked speechless. "Don't talk nonsense! It makes me sound like an old man!"
"Jiang Senlin is a fine young man, tall and handsome. He's old enough to find a wife and have children! You'll be a grandfather soon, won't you?" Tian Rao shook her head and sighed again. "Time flies, time flies!"
"What are you talking about! Jiang Senlin is still in high school; he's a long way from becoming a father!" Jiang Ye was a bit exasperated. "I'm still young, okay? I'm in my prime!"
Tian Rao pouted fiercely, expressing disdain. "Young people don't usually say they're still young!"
"Are you casting your wide net solely through phone chats?" Jiang Ye asked. "How's it going?"
"I chat first to see if we click, then meet and date offline. My time is precious, so I just 'kill' men I can't even talk to," Tian Rao kept shaking her head and sighing. "The progress is dismal! I'm surrounded by enemies! I've seen it all these past few days. There are only three types of good men in this world."
"What three types?" Jiang Ye was confused.
"The first type is already dead. The second type is yet to be born." Tian Rao extended a fair, tender hand to count, her eyes shifting from the phone screen to glance at Jiang Ye before returning to the phone. "The third type has already been snatched away by another woman. In short, there are really few good men left for me! I've chatted with so many lately, and the more I chat, the more boring it gets."
Jiang Ye's expression was blank. "What kind of crazy theory is that? Are you the female Cao Mengde?"
"Cao Mengde? What's that?" Tian Rao was taken aback.
"Nothing. You carry on."
"Alright, I've finished dealing with those guys. I've said goodnight to them one by one, and they shouldn't bother me tonight," Tian Rao dropped her phone with a clatter, let out a long sigh, and smiled at Jiang Ye. "What did you need me for?"
"I'm a bit worried about your mental state," Jiang Ye said with a complex expression. "I've never seen anyone juggle multiple phones just to chat with people... Have you experienced some emotional trauma recently?"
"No," Tian Rao chuckled. "It's just chatting, I'm bored. It's just the simple daily leisure of a rich woman."
"I came to see you about Wheeler Star," Jiang Ye said.
"I've noticed. Wheeler Star has changed a lot recently. Many warlords are gone, and it seems like peace is returning," Tian Rao became animated. "I heard you're going to start an economic war?"
"Yes, I plan to make my controlled territory rich quickly, thereby putting pressure on the impoverished territories of other warlords, and ultimately causing their collapse," Jiang Ye nodded. "Are you still the head of the Rich Men's Club?"
"Yes, I hold this position very firmly," Tian Rao said proudly. "Many of the young talents I was just chatting with are new members of the club. There are second-generation heirs from wealthy alien families coming to Jiang Ye Star to make a fortune, as well as local young men who rose from scratch. They come and understand the rules, paying their respects and willingly becoming my subordinates."
"Subordinates..." Jiang Ye was stunned.
"Exaggeration, exaggeration. 'Lackeys' or 'henchmen' would be more fitting. In short, my words carry weight; a single spit is a promise," Tian Rao raised her pretty chin arrogantly.
"Then it will be easier," Jiang Ye said. "Given my identity, it's not appropriate, nor do I have the time, to directly contact the wealthy individuals. I need you to convey some matters on my behalf."
Tian Rao saluted. "As you command!"
"I've now taken over 40% of Wheeler Star's territory and plan to undertake major construction. You know the situation on Wheeler Star; it's still quite primitive," Jiang Ye said. "Whichever enterprises can establish a foothold in the early stages will undoubtedly reap long-term profits."
Tian Rao nodded seriously. She understood this principle, of course.
"As you just mentioned, the Rich Men's Club includes local entrepreneurs and wealthy second-generation heirs from other planets," Jiang Ye said. "You need to assess each person's loyalty and determine who is 'one of us.' Local individuals should definitely be prioritized over outsiders."
"Naturally, we're all countrymen," Tian Rao smiled.
"My intelligence system is currently compiling data, and the results should be out in the next day or two," Jiang Ye said. "I will give you a map detailing which areas on Wheeler Star are suitable for developing which industries. I will also provide you with some insider information regarding different commercial policies in various regions, as well as firsthand intelligence on foreign enterprises entering the market."
Tian Rao's eyes lit up visibly, like a flame fanned by oxygen.
"However, I have a few conditions," Jiang Ye changed the subject.
"Go ahead, tell me."
"First, you must maintain strict confidentiality. This information cannot be revealed as if I intentionally gave it to you for distribution. You should claim you secretly found it out, or even glimpsed it from documents in my office. This way, if any variables arise, both of us will have an explanation, and your wealthy contacts will trust you more, believing you have a unique channel to upper-level intelligence, which will solidify your position."
"I understand that," Tian Rao nodded seriously.
"Second, as I just said, we should prioritize our own people. Let the commercial forces of our planet seize the commercial territories on Wheeler Star, thereby indirectly controlling the economic lifeline of Wheeler Star. As for who 'our own people' are, you decide and then provide me with a list so I can get an impression of who they are."
"Okay. Actually, I already have the list," Tian Rao tapped her forehead. "It's all in here."
"Third, you should unite the strength of our people as much as possible. Once they go to Wheeler Star, they should not engage in infighting. They should help each other, suppress the local enterprises of Wheeler Star, and suppress enterprises from other planets entering Wheeler Star, ensuring that companies from our planet occupy the dominant position," Jiang Ye said. "Tell them to be magnanimous and not to quibble over small matters. There will be many more opportunities like this in the future. As long as they listen carefully, they can prosper steadily."
"That's a given. I've established a set of rules for them," Tian Rao made a gesture of clasping her hands together and charging forward. "We expand outwards as a group. We share the spoils, and internal competition is limited to healthy, minor friction."