Song Yao saw the two of them bowing their heads in apology and quickly urged, "I'll handle it. Once the preliminary work for the company is done, we'll hire someone to manage it." Song Yao also caught the implication: there were too many skills required for this, placing a very high demand on her. Moreover, she was already swamped with her own affairs. Rather than worry that the wellness center wouldn't be set up properly, it was better to find a manager from the start, which would give her more peace of mind. If she had to manage every little detail herself, Song Yao worried she might actually die young, which would defeat the purpose.

"Agreed." Zhu Lina had no objections. In her view, hiring someone to manage things was perfectly normal; they were all busy people, who had time to constantly monitor one location?

"I second that." Wang Qiqi raised her hand in agreement, and Shi Man echoed the sentiment. For her, as long as she wasn't the one managing, she was fine with anything.

"I have no objection either." Li Qian certainly had even less reason to object. She hadn't just stayed put in Lijiang for a few years just for her first hotel; it was because she wanted to genuinely enjoy life there for a good stretch. Otherwise, she wouldn't have stayed guarding the shop for so many years. How could someone already semi-retired be eager to jump back into the workforce? Especially for Li Qian, no amount of money could compare to having a good state of mind. "When we have time, Song Yao and I will pop over to check things out. We'll leave the day-to-day to them."

If the boss never showed up, it would give the staff room to cut corners. Making occasional visits and having the auditing company check things over would suffice. That way, they’d be relaxed, and the workload would be lighter. "Yao Yao, you should probably go more often." Li Qian already had too much on her plate: managing inns in various locations, nurturing friendships, traveling, and more. Even if she were in the capital, her schedule wouldn't be light.

"No problem," Song Yao readily agreed. She knew that even when Li Qian was in the capital, she was mostly focused on networking with the wealthy wives she was close to. While Song Yao also knew some rich ladies, her influence was a little less than Li Qian’s—not in terms of money, but regarding their beauty treatments. They were willing to undergo external procedures, but having their pulse taken and drinking traditional Chinese medicine? Li Qian knew that was impossible for them. It wasn't that they begrudged the expense; they just felt it was unnecessary.

In the car, Song Yao asked Zhu Lina where she should be dropped off. "Sister, take me straight home. The three of us are having a late-night talk tonight." Wang Qiqi spoke up before Zhu Lina could, remembering that although Zhu Lina was busy during university, they could at least see each other periodically. Since graduation, their meetings had become agonizingly infrequent. Wang Qiqi recalled their last time together was when they rushed to the US to discuss investment, but between jet lag, signing contracts, and their short stay, they hardly managed a proper conversation.

"Then drop me at the hotel first, I need to grab a change of clothes." Zhu Lina didn't want to go back to her empty place alone. It was better to chat with Qiqi and the others. Zhu Lina couldn't even recall the last time the three of them had stayed up late talking. As everyone got older and their businesses grew larger, opportunities like this would only become rarer.

"Then grab a few changes, since you have nothing else planned these few days. Why don't we just find a place for a short vacation?" Shi Man said excitedly. They couldn't go far, but there were plenty of scenic spots nearby. Going to the seaside in this weather might be a bit chilly, but the seafood would be great.

"Yes, yes! I haven't had any fun this summer vacation," Wang Qiqi instantly agreed with both hands up at the mention of fun. "Manman, you at least got to take a graduation trip. As for me, as soon as the studio work was done, I went to the US, and once I got there, I started working immediately. Sigh." Just thinking about it felt miserable.

Song Yao, in the driver’s seat, heard the three of them immediately pivot the conversation to going out for fun. She tapped the steering wheel. "Hey, you three, rein it in a bit! Don't you see I'm still working like a beast of burden?" She had hoped the three of them coming over would help lighten her load, but instead, it seemed they were planning to dump their responsibilities. That wouldn't do.

"Sister," Wang Qiqi immediately looked pleadingly at Song Yao. She knew that if Song Yao didn't object, the three of them could absolutely go have fun. "Sister, I haven't had a proper vacation since graduation."

Song Yao wanted to hold her ground firmly, but in the end, she couldn't resist. "Give me a box of the tea you got from Uncle Ye." Song Yao knew that the tea Mr. Ye provided would certainly be much better than the high-priced tea she usually purchased. It would be perfect for entertaining some important clients.

What? Give a box to Song Yao? Wang Qiqi shot Song Yao a look as if she were a villain. Shi Man and Zhu Lina, sitting in the back, burst out laughing. They knew how much Qiqi had negotiated with Uncle Ye for those two boxes of tea earlier. Now, Song Yao asking for half felt like cutting Qiqi’s flesh.

"If you don't give it to me, I won't agree," Song Yao declared matter-of-factly. After all, Qiqi was the one begging her now, so why not ask for the moon? Even if Qiqi sought revenge later, a bird in the hand was worth two in the bush.

Seeing Song Yao looking completely unwilling to negotiate, what choice did Wang Qiqi have but to reluctantly agree to hand over a box of tea?

"You all go have fun in Shanghai," Song Yao said, after Wang Qiqi agreed to give up a box of tea, adding another condition.

Go have fun in Shanghai? Wang Qiqi’s mind immediately started racing, trying to figure out what was fun there. It seemed to be nothing but skyscrapers, the kind they had already seen plenty of in the US. "I’d rather stay in the capital and look at the Siheyuan courtyards." Wang Qiqi’s expression turned wistful when she mentioned the Siheyuan. The property prices there had been skyrocketing. Unfortunately, she didn't have much capital. Back when she first started university in the capital, even a decent three-courtyard Siheyuan she liked was worth more than her entire net worth, not to mention the immense cost of renovation afterward—expenses she simply couldn't handle. However, Wang Qiqi only allowed herself that moment of regret. She knew that even with the drastic rise in property values, many of her plans were impossible to execute, and she wondered if she would ever have the chance to buy a Siheyuan in the future.

Song Yao genuinely couldn't understand what was so appealing about those old structures. She said irritably, "Go to Shanghai to have fun, and while you're there, check out some commercial properties. I'm swamped here and can't get away." Song Yao had originally planned to make a trip before the New Year, but since Qiqi and the others planned an outing, they could take care of looking at properties in Shanghai on the way. They could put down a deposit then, and all they'd need afterward would be to find a renovation company.

Wang Qiqi was speechless. Song Yao was truly adept at delegating tasks. "Sister, you have some nerve asking for the tea and assigning us work."

"After you check them out, you won't have to fly back next time," Song Yao said, phrasing it as if it were for their benefit.

"Sister, we have to come back in October for the opening ceremony," Wang Qiqi replied testily. Whether she would have time to check out properties in Shanghai by then was a concern for the future.

Song Yao knew exactly what Wang Qiqi was thinking. "October has its own schedule. Right now, Shanghai property prices aren't changing daily, but they’re certainly increasing significantly month by month." This was especially true for good storefronts; too many people were trying to snap them up. "I also need to find commercial spaces here in the capital. As you know, for a health and wellness club, the location can’t be small, and I'm not sure if I can find anything suitable." Song Yao was increasingly feeling that money was never enough. She had hoped that since the Gong Peixing processing plant required no investment, her household savings would be higher, but unexpectedly, they needed to stir up a new industry again. After years of being busy, looking at her bank balance at the end of the year, the increase was negligible. If it weren't for the growing number of assets under her name, Song Yao would feel like she’d worked a year for nothing. "Qiqi, your sister is also very busy. You wouldn't want me to work myself sick, would you?"

Wang Qiqi could handle a nagging Song Yao to some extent, but when she resorted to playing the victim, Wang Qiqi knew she couldn't oppose her forcefully. However, she couldn't make this decision alone; she had to wait for Zhu Lina and Shi Man. Once she saw them both agree, she conceded, "Fine, Shanghai it is. Oh, and since this trip is an official errand, you don't need to cover our airfare. Consider the tea an off-set payment." None of them felt comfortable expensing this small amount, nor were they the type to dwell on such minor sums anyway.

Shi Man and Zhu Lina were stunned. They knew Qiqi would definitely find a way to get back at Song Yao for the tea imposition, but they hadn't expected it to happen so quickly. They covered their mouths, stifling their laughter, knowing that Song Yao was next in line to jump up and down in frustration.

Song Yao was truly taken aback. "You, you all..." Song Yao realized her calculation was flawed. She knew Wang Qiqi wouldn't lift a finger without gaining an advantage, so why had she been possessed to think Qiqi would take on the task? "Qiqi, how about I go look at the properties, and you stay in the capital to oversee the renovations?"

"No way, Sister. Your round-trip airfare and lodging to Shanghai are expensive. Manman and I will fly directly from Shanghai to the US afterward." For them, flying from the capital or Shanghai made little difference. "Besides, I need to check on the apartment I bought in Shanghai last time." Although she had fully entrusted it to a real estate agent, any damage inside the unit was handled by them, saving her a lot of trouble. But Wang Qiqi felt the rent she was receiving wasn't much. She wondered if the agent was playing tricks, but she had no idea about the current rental market in Shanghai. Before, she was too preoccupied, but now that she had this opportunity, she might as well take care of it.

Upon hearing Qiqi was going to check on her rental property, Song Yao immediately asked Qiqi to look into the houses under her name as well. "The rent hasn't increased in a year. They really must think we're fools." Song Yao had also grown dissatisfied with that agent, but being busy with work, she couldn't possibly make a special trip to Shanghai just for those small properties. She suspected that was precisely why the agent dared to act improperly.

Wang Qiqi readily agreed. She deeply felt that the internet age was superior. By then, even if she were in the US, as long as she could get online, she could know the general rental situation, preventing her from being deceived by agents. "If it really comes down to it, I'll just lease the entire unit to the agent. How much they rent it out for afterward is their business, and internal repairs won't be our concern anymore." This way, it wouldn't be management at all. As for the rent, she would be opening a shop in Shanghai next year anyway, and by then Song Yao could visit Shanghai and gauge the market rates, seeing exactly how the agent had been skimming profits.