My American magical life
Chapter 949 - 949 78 Swallowing a Whale Whole 1_2

949: Chapter 78: Swallowing a Whale Whole 1_2 949: Chapter 78: Swallowing a Whale Whole 1_2 If the project succeeds, their shares could convert into equity in a publicly listed private prison company, which would mean even more profits—easily several times what they earn now.

Domo, ah.

At the end of the conversation, the old father let out a deep sigh.

—————–

It’s afternoon in America; in Hua Country, it’s just morning.

Cao Yueyue was woken up by her mom.

No matter how much of a “President Cao” she might be at work, at home she’s just Xiao Cao.

Sleeping in even a little makes her fair game for criticism.

“Get up, it’s already almost eight o’clock!

If you don’t get up now, be careful your boss fires you!”

Her mom flipped on the bedroom light as Xiao Cao shifted under the covers, pulling the blanket over her head and muttering her explanation.

“Mom, relax.

If he fires someone, it’s not gonna be me.

I don’t need to go in early today; I’m on the late shift.”

Since Cheng Daqi was in America, due to the time difference, the management team in Shanhaiguan implemented a rotating early and late-shift schedule to accommodate Cheng’s cross-time-zone work.

Xiao Cao didn’t have to go to the office in the morning, but she’d be working until 1:30 a.m.

tonight—perfect timing to wrap up her day by attending Cheng’s online morning briefing.

That “morning” refers to morning in San Rodolfo, given that Cheng is the boss.

“I already made you breakfast.

Get up and eat, then go back to sleep if you need to.”

What could Xiao Cao say?

She struggled out from the enticing demon-like warmth of her blanket and began her day.

Eating her mom’s cooking while enduring her mom’s endless nagging.

“Private companies are all the same.

No matter how nice the boss sounds, they won’t hesitate to fire you if it comes to it.

Sigh, if only you had a better degree, you could’ve gone into civil service.”

“Stop.

I’m already in the company’s leadership, Mom.

I make over forty thousand a month!

And you still want me to take the civil service exam?

I earn more in a year than most government workers!” (This salary setup is fine, okay.)

“Then how do you plan on getting married?

Working non-stop like this…

Honestly, you should find someone—”

“I’m done eating.

There’s work at the office; I’ve gotta go!”

“Huh?

You’ve only had two bites!

This child…”

Living with parents is like this—you get to enjoy the warmth of family, but sometimes, the mental torment is unavoidable.

Fleeing from home, Xiao Cao didn’t head to the office.

Instead, she went straight to the “Farm Away” filming site.

Although she wasn’t specifically in charge of “Farm Away,” as Cheng’s confidant, she had to show her face and inquire about everything within the company’s scope.

In a way, her role was like cracking the whip over the cattle.

This is exactly why she felt secure—so long as she didn’t create drama or mess things up, Cheng Daqi would never fire her.

Many people think that factionalism and inner circles only exist in feudal dynasties or government institutions, but the corporate world is no different.

At least, Xiao Cao never believed she got her assistant president role solely through merit.

In truth, she hadn’t realized yet that being able to acknowledge her own position and attitude already demonstrated her talent.

Being modest enough to recognize her role, pushing projects forward with effort, and aligning herself closely with her boss’s goals—such subordinates are truly valuable.

Upon hearing that Cao Yueyue was coming to the site, Zhao Ying rushed over in a whirlwind.

As soon as she saw Cao, she started pouring out her grievances.

“Cao-jie, the collaboration between Shanhaiguan and Family Good Items has already impacted the reputation of ‘Farm Away.’ On Weibo, there are many snarky comments in our trending topics.”

Many assume that being a leader means lying back, doing nothing, collecting a paycheck, while passing tasks to subordinates and claiming credit for their work.

Such perceptions are far off the mark.

At least, when faced with Zhao Ying’s complaints, Xiao Cao still felt caught in the drama.

The reputation of “Farm Away” being tarnished by Family Good Items wasn’t something she could resolve on her own—but she still needed to offer Zhao Ying encouragement and support.

After deliberating for a moment, President Cao gave her instructions.

“Family Good Items is more complex than you think.

After this mess, Dong-zecheng has already been let go.

The company has plans for dealing with the next steps internally, so don’t focus too much on short-term public opinion.”

“By the way, the farmers’ livestream initiative tied to ‘Farm Away’ is very socially valuable.

I’ll arrange for some media resources to promote it, as a countermeasure against unfavorable public opinion.”

Zhao Ying immediately broke into a smile.

Why complain to Xiao Cao?

Because Xiao Cao had the resources to solve problems, of course.

In the Shanhaiguan hierarchy, after Dong Zecheng’s departure, the power structure now revolved around a dual-core system with Yang Yuan and Xiao Cao.

Yang Yuan handled broader business development and operations, while Xiao Cao focused on executing Cheng’s specific projects—one played the external game, the other handled internal matters.

It’s hard to say whose influence carried more weight, but Zhao Ying, being one of Cheng’s people, naturally leaned toward seeking Xiao Cao’s assistance.

“The farming livestreams have indeed been effective.

We’ve only done two sessions and already helped villagers sell over four hundred thousand yuan worth of agricultural products!

If we keep this up, profits from just this initiative could cover production costs entirely.”

Xiao Cao chuckled, staring at the distant director’s team filming onsite, and spoke to Zhao Ying.

“Cheng has strong opinions on the livestreaming model…

Hmm, for now, keep doing it.”

Being Cheng’s confidant, she understood Dong Zecheng had been reassigned elsewhere and also grasped Cheng’s long-term plans for Shanhaiguan.

But honestly, there was no need to share everything too transparently with Zhao Ying.

“I’ve been reflecting recently.

With summer arriving, rural landscapes look stunning.

I’d like to organize a fan event, inviting some people to experience the countryside.”

“When the show was designed, we chose this setting specifically for its potential to develop into a tourism and vacation project.

Starting with inviting fans for trial experiences, we can progressively refine our understanding of customer needs, laying the groundwork to operate the location better in the future.

Do you think this activity is viable?”

Everyone is striving in their own way.

Cheng built his personal empire of capital—he’s a leader, though some of his actions might not align with ethics.

But from the perspective of making a difference in the world, his influence carries undeniable weight.

Zhao Ying was initially just a young woman hoping to trade her youth for opportunities.

But now, thanks to Shanhaiguan’s momentum, she’d grown into a truly independent professional with her own career.

Capital isn’t necessarily always malevolent.

When it drives social development and production advancement, its positive impact can’t be denied.

Of course, if someone wants to scrutinize the ambiguous dynamics between Cheng and Zhao Ying, that’s another discussion entirely.

In truth, opportunities have always been there.

Cheng needed reliable people at the time, and Zhao Ying was willing to bet on him.

The key here lies in the fact that any dreams of absolute fairness and justice descending easily upon the world appear naively romantic.

“It’s doable; go ahead and plan it.

By the way, have we finalized the guest list for the next episode?”

Distracted by messages on her phone, Xiao Cao responded absentmindedly.

From across the ocean, Cheng sent new task assignments that left Xiao Cao deeply shaken.

Zhao Ying misunderstood Cao’s meaning, hurrying to affirm her stance.

“It’s hard to decide.

All the candidates are excellent—it ultimately depends on you and Cheng’s preferences.”

The process for selecting program guests is officially transparent, but Zhao Ying’s statement revealed her support for Cao Yueyue’s decisions: No matter who you want, I’ll make it happen.

Xiao Cao looked up with mild exasperation and said.

“Wang Xiaoxiao will be coming.

Get ready—there’ll probably be a flood of traffic.”

Zhao Ying looked at her in disbelief.

“Wang Xiaoxiao?

Family Good Items’ Wang Xiaoxiao?”

Cao replied somewhat resignedly.

“Yes, Cheng spent twenty million acquiring Family Good Items from Wang Xiaoxiao.

Now, the mess left by Family Good Items needs us to clean it up bit by bit.”

As Cheng’s assistant, she felt somewhat despairing inwardly; Cheng’s strategies were truly abstract.

The boss’s pace was too fast.

Xiao Cao was doing her best to keep up but still felt a sense of helplessness, like she couldn’t catch up.

If the entanglement between Family Good Items and Shanhaiguan was seen as a grand marketing strategy, then Cheng practically paid tens of millions to buy an entire online headline while acquiring an established e-commerce team and a tech team in one go.

It seemed both extravagant and worthwhile.

At the very least, Xiao Cao couldn’t wrap her head around such a playstyle.

It was innovative, highly creative.