Chapter 369: Charge, Charge, Charge
To upgrade to Level 7, Su Tao needed to meet two conditions: have 1,000 tenants and spend 12 million Federal Coins.
Money wasn’t an issue. With the old commander’s full support, even after deducting the costs of building protective shields for the entire West District Three, she still had over 150 million in assets.
Her estimates showed that completing the entire West District Three construction wouldn’t exceed 60 million Federal Coins.
That left her with more than enough for the upgrade—she was swimming in wealth.
She planned to save the rest for private military development and to support Shen Wencheng’s research team.
Having money really made a difference. A year ago, she couldn’t have imagined having a net worth exceeding 100 million.
As she was daydreaming, District Chief Xie cautiously asked:
“Boss Su, after the West District Three construction is finished, who will I be working with? Should I start getting familiar with them in advance?”
At first, Su Tao didn’t understand his concern. But seeing his nervous and hesitant expression, it clicked—he was worried she would appoint someone else to take over managing West District Three.
With a serious tone, Su Tao reassured him:
“District Chief Xie, you’ll still be in charge of West District Three. As for the newly built housing, whether you allocate it to the original residents, rent it out, or leave it vacant—that’s your decision. Tao Yang only has two requirements:
- If you rent it out, the price cannot be lower than Tao Yang’s rental rates.
- Every month, West District Three must hand over 50% of its fiscal revenue to Tao Yang—including crystal cores.”
District Chief Xie was stunned. “You mean… we’ll still manage West District Three ourselves?”
“Exactly. Unless you want more colleagues?” Su Tao smiled playfully.
He quickly shook his head. “I just didn’t expect such a great deal. It’s like getting a brand-new district for only half of our revenue, fast-forwarding our infrastructure by thirty years…”
He had assumed Su Tao would take over the management directly.
It wasn’t paranoia—most people in her position would seize the opportunity to centralize power and funnel all the profits from West District Three into Tao Yang’s coffers.
But Su Tao simply said:
“District Chief Xie, the newly rebuilt West District Three is still your district—the land you’ve dedicated years of service to. Going forward, it still needs your leadership. No one is better suited for the job.
And personally, I believe that centralizing power stifles growth—only delegation fosters development.”
Her words echoed in his mind as he walked Su Tao to the gates of Tao Yang. On his way back, he kept repeating her philosophy:
“Centralizing power stifles growth—only delegation fosters development.”
Back at West District Three, he immediately called for a staff meeting, giving an energized speech and assigning ambitious development plans.
Several junior leaders were shocked—tasks that were once beyond their authority were now entrusted to them. For the first time, they felt valued and essential.
“District Chief trusts us!” they thought. “If we don’t work hard now, we’d be letting him down!”
Let’s go all in—charge ahead!
*
Not long after Su Tao returned to Tao Yang, Xiao Wenyu invited her to an all-night party.
“We’re throwing a water party tonight,” Xiao Wenyu said. “I even invited a few of my best girlfriends—it’s going to be wild!”
Su Tao shook her head firmly. “Nope. I can’t handle all-nighters anymore—I’m barely getting enough sleep as it is. You guys go have fun. And don’t bother inviting me in the future—I’m maintaining my spirit of hard work and perseverance.”
Xiao Wenyu pouted. “That’s a shame—I like playing with smart people like you. It’s more fun.”
Su Tao smirked. “Flattering me won’t change my mind.”
“I’m serious,” Xiao Wenyu insisted. “I’ve never seen anyone learn a board game after one explanation and then go on to win. And I heard you’re preparing to take over East District—you’re not even nineteen yet. Honestly, you’d fit right in as part of the Xiao family—you’d probably snag the largest share of the inheritance.”
Su Tao shuddered. “You can keep that last part to yourself.”
Xiao Wenyu laughed. With Su Tao’s capabilities, she didn’t need to fight for family wealth—she could build her own empire.
“Oh, by the way,” she added, “I want to optimize a few areas in my villa—can you help?”
Su Tao agreed easily. It only took her five minutes to make the changes.
Just as she finished, Qian Rongrong rushed into her office.
“Boss Su,” she said, “Xiao Wenyu just transferred 40 million into our public account!”
Su Tao blinked in surprise and immediately called Xiao Wenyu.
Shrugging, Xiao Wenyu explained, “I only bought the land—I’m paying you for the construction. If I had hired a regular team, they’d charge me at least 80 million. Giving you 40 million is still a bargain—if you refuse it, you’re a fool.”
Well, with her argument laid out so bluntly, Su Tao had no choice but to accept the payment.
Satisfied, Xiao Wenyu asked, “Are you still selling land?”
Su Tao shook her head. “Not for now.”
Because—let’s be honest—she didn’t need the money anymore, especially with Lin Fangzhi providing a steady supply of crystal cores.
“That’s a shame,” Xiao Wenyu sighed. “Manman wanted to buy the lot next to mine—now Luo Yan is in for a rough time. When she’s mad, she takes it out on her husband.”
Sure enough, Wen Man and Luo Yan came by that afternoon to inquire about buying land.
True to form, Luo Yan was as generous as ever:
“I heard Xiao Wenyu paid 60 million for her lot—I’ll pay 80 million, plus 20 crystal cores and the latest model of a Qian’an base vehicle.”
Wen Man looked at Su Tao with puppy-dog eyes, silently pleading with her.
Faced with that gaze, Su Tao struggled to refuse.
“I’ll… think about it,” she said, then added curiously, “By the way, how much does a Qian’an base vehicle cost if I wanted to buy one outright?”
Before Luo Yan could boast, Wen Man blurted out the lowest price:
“10 million—but if you want one, I’ll give you a discount!”
Luo Yan: “…”
He was exhausted—completely defeated by his wife’s generosity.
