Chapter 162: Boss, It’s So Great to Work with You
That evening, Su Tao and Lin Fangzhi had dinner at Granny Cen’s house.
After eating to their heart’s content, they helped wash the dishes and left. Just as they reached the bottom of Building Three, Gan Hongyu caught up with them.
Gan Hongyu was in high spirits. “Boss Su, the electronic access cards are ready. Let me show you how to use them. It’s very simple—it’ll only take ten minutes.”
As Su Tao handed him her communicator, she said, “You’re really dedicated, doing this so late at night.”
Gan Hongyu beamed. “It’s no problem—I enjoy working on this. Here, tap on ‘Access Control Management,’ and once you’re in, you’ll see the operation page…”
Su Tao listened and found it really simple—and very convenient.
With this, tenants in Building One could only enter their own building. If they wanted to enter another building, they’d need to be accompanied by a tenant from that building.
For the office building, only Taoyang employees could enter freely. Others would need an employee to bring them in.
This made personnel management much more orderly.
The next day, Su Tao handed the access control software to Zhuang Wan.
“For the next few days, have the tenants come to you one by one to collect their electronic access cards. When new tenants or employees move in, issue them their cards on their first day.”
Zhuang Wan quickly learned how to use it and nodded. “Got it. Gan Hongyu really is a talent. It’s a shame he’s only working for us as an external hire.”
Su Tao smiled. “As long as he’s living in Taoyang, it’s not a loss.”
Zhuang Wan thought about it and agreed, then showed Su Tao the new tenant list.
“For this batch of low-rent single rooms, I prioritized our cleaning staff—four of them. Another five will be our new sales hires starting next month. The rest were rented out externally, but I made sure our own people had priority.”
Su Tao nodded. “That’s great.”
“There’s also another matter about low-rent housing. Sheng Yulan asked if we had any one- or two-bedroom units with rental subsidies—she wants to apply for her family.”
Su Tao asked, “Not at the moment. How much can her family afford for rent each month?”
“I asked. Their household income is less than 30,000 a month, and they can only spare about 20,000 for rent.”
Su Tao did a quick mental calculation. “That should work—I’ll see what I can do.”
If they used the most basic system configurations and minimal renovations, she could likely reduce the seasonal rent for a one-bedroom unit to around 45,000 to 50,000.
That meant an average monthly rent of 15,000 to 20,000, which Sheng Yulan’s family could afford.
Zhuang Wan was thrilled. “That’s great! Ziyue told me their current neighborhood is full of shady characters. Every time she goes home from school, I worry about her. If they can move to Taoyang, it’ll be safer. Plus, Fangzhi and my brat can have someone to tutor them.”
Su Tao laughed. “Fangzhi told me that Chen Yang barely listens to lessons. What’s he up to every day?”
Zhuang Wan let out a long sigh. “Always hanging out with Lei Xing… First, he learned to drive, and now he’s learning to shoot. Anything but studying. I can’t control him anymore—he’s hitting his rebellious phase early. Daughters are much better! Look at Chen Xi and Yulan, such sweethearts. If you ever get married, just have a daughter. Sons are nothing but trouble.”
Su Tao waved her off. “It’s too early to talk about this—I’m not listening. Anything else? If not, I’m off to work. When the new employees start next month, the office space won’t be enough again. This time, I’m going to build a big one.”
Zhuang Wan’s eyes sparkled. “Boss, it’s so great to work with you. Keep it up!”
Su Tao worked tirelessly for five to six hours.
She expanded the original Taoli Building to twice its size, covering 600 square meters.
Following Old Mei’s design, the entrance on the first floor led to a spacious reception hall—so grand that it warranted hiring two attractive receptionists in the future.
The wall behind the front desk was covered with a giant mirror, making the entire lobby look even more open and elegant.
The floors were paved with polished marble, gleaming under the lights.
Elder Mei was right—a proper reception area instantly elevated the place.
To the right of the front desk were the men’s and women’s restrooms.
To the left were the security gates and elevators.
The security gates required employees to scan their access cards to enter the office area.
Past the gates, they could either take the elevator to higher floors or turn right into the first workspace.
The open office area had 14 workstations arranged in groups of four in a cross shape, separated by frosted glass partitions—allowing for easy communication while maintaining some privacy.
Further inside, in a corner by the wall, was an open break area with a water dispenser, counter, and sink.
Next to the break area was a door leading to Old Mei’s private office.
Considering his mobility issues, Su Tao even included a restroom inside his office.
After finishing the first floor, Su Tao was utterly exhausted. The details were overwhelming, and by the time she looked up, it was almost dark.
She decided to call it a day, eat, and head home.
As soon as she walked in, she saw Lin Fangzhi munching on the biscuits from Chef Qin.
Su Tao gasped. “Didn’t you already finish your box? Don’t tell me you’re eating mine?”
Lin Fangzhi immediately stopped chewing, looking a little flustered.
“I—I thought you didn’t want them…”
Su Tao waved her hand. “Forget it, just leave me half.”
Lin Fangzhi tilted the box to show her. “There’s not half left…”
Su Tao: “…You owe me a box.”
Lin Fangzhi nodded immediately. “I’ll ask Uncle Qin for one tomorrow.”
Then, he swiftly finished the remaining biscuits, curling up contentedly on the sofa with Xuedao, one on each side.
Su Tao opened her communicator to locate Black Sesame, then turned to Lin Fangzhi.
“Go get Black Sesame and bring it home. It’s downstairs at Building One.”
Lin Fangzhi jumped up right away, ran downstairs, and returned carrying Black Sesame.
Black Sesame meowed loudly in protest, sounding like it was grumbling and unwilling to come home.
Su Tao heartlessly shut the door.
That night, she slept soundly.
At 8 AM, as usual, Su Tao let Black Sesame out. The moment she opened the door, she saw a cleaning lady pacing in front of her unit. It was obvious she had been waiting for Su Tao to come out.
Su Tao recognized her. After Qi Yunlan was transferred, this woman had been promoted to head cleaner. She was the oldest among the cleaning staff—over 50 years old.
After enduring the hardships of the apocalypse, she looked more like she was in her sixties.
But according to Qi Yunlan, she was diligent, hardworking, and reliable.
“Is something wrong, Auntie Kang?”
Seeing Su Tao open the door, Auntie Kang quickly stepped forward, her excitement making her stutter.
“B-Boss Su, I don’t really have any issues… I just—yesterday, Manager Zhuang said I could move into the low-rent housing. I was so happy I couldn’t sleep all night. I don’t have much to offer, so I thought maybe I could help clean your place as a thank-you. I’m really grateful…”
“I—I won’t let it interfere with my work. I can clean after my shift, I…”
Su Tao quickly interrupted, “No need, no need! Your job is already tiring enough, and honestly, there’s nothing here that needs cleaning. But thank you.”
Auntie Kang became a little anxious. “Thank me? No, no, I should be thanking you! Actually… actually, I’ve been sleeping outside for two weeks now. I couldn’t find a place to stay. People see me as old and alone, and no one wants to rent to me, I…”
