Reaching the age of thirty, my income randomly doubled

Chen Pingsheng contacted the Golden Mountain Bureau of Land and Resources.

He planned to negotiate land acquisition, but upon inquiry, he found out that this year's land prices hadn't gone down compared to last year—instead, they had even risen slightly.

The large-scale construction plans would have to be put on hold for now. Chen Pingsheng decided to wait until Xiao Ya was transferred to Golden Mountain, then use this billion-dollar project as a stepping stone for her.

It would certainly be a monumental achievement, adding an impressive mark to her career credentials.

The second phase of the Tengying High-end Community, with an estimated investment of 15 to 20 billion, would have to be postponed.

For the time being, he would prioritize the villa district.

This section wouldn't require a large plot of land; just 100 acres would be more than sufficient.

After all, the planned number of units wouldn't exceed 200.

If it could meet the residential needs of high-ranking officials in the group, that would already be more than sufficient.

There was no need to go overly large.

From land acquisition to design, construction, and completing a series of plans, it would be impossible to get it done within less than two years.

The total investment for this project was estimated to range from 5 to 7 billion.

The average construction cost for a single villa was approximately 30 million, with land costs accounting for at least one-third.

The remaining portion would cover construction and interior decoration expenses for the villas.

With such excellent residential conditions, the group's executives would undoubtedly be very satisfied.

As for Chang Fu, Yang Qian, and Chu Qiuyan, who each had properties scattered everywhere, it was quite necessary for them to buy a large villa at Golden Mountain.

While Chen Pingsheng went to negotiate the land deal, his secretary Tang Jing headed to the group's Corporate Communications Department and Event Planning Division.

The Corporate Communications Department, as the name implies, handles external promotions. It's different from the Public Relations Department, which is responsible for resolving crises and external relations.

The group's Event Planning Division mainly manages large-scale internal events, including various music festivals, annual meetings, and extravagant galas such as the Splendid Night held at Water Cloud Space.

The entire Planning Division didn't have that many employees—just over 200 people in total.

Besides the annual large-scale events, the group also hosted numerous smaller team-building activities.

Previously, each subsidiary held their own events separately. Though well-executed, they weren't particularly grand.

This time things were different—the big boss may have been considering the unique significance of the occasion. He personally allocated 800 million to organize an ultra-large group-wide team-building event in June.

For the entire Tengying Group, including the Golden Mountain headquarters, this was undoubtedly a major event.

Tang Jing walked downstairs with swift, confident strides, greeting familiar faces with a friendly smile along the way.

Her position was highly unique; as the big boss's top secretary, she was someone everyone wanted to cozy up to.

One of her familiar colleagues from the Planning Division was stationed nearby. Now that Tang Jing had been promoted, that former colleague had naturally risen through the ranks as well.

The two of them had joined the company together as interns.

Once Tang Jing arrived at the exclusive floor for the Planning Division, she didn't notify anyone beforehand and simply slipped in quietly.

"Mr. Tang…"

When the boss wasn't around, the secretary couldn't be addressed as a secretary but was referred to as Mr. Tang.

Smiling brightly, Tang Jing greeted them and went to find her former colleague.

Feng Ying was wearing oversized black-rimmed glasses and working diligently at her desk, drafting documents.

Tang Jing tapped on her desk, prompting Feng Ying to snap back to reality, "What brings you here?"

"Of course, I have something important to discuss with you all."

"You're the top-ranked secretary, busy as ever, couldn't you just call and give us instructions instead?"

"I simply wanted to see you."

"Stop it… I only like men."

"Pfft, who would like your flat little chest?"

Tang Jing didn't continue jesting—after all, the two of them had shared struggles in the past. Once Tang Jing got promoted, she also brought Feng Ying along to the Planning Division.

Among the best departments in the group, the top choice would undoubtedly be the Secretary Office.

Anyone lucky enough to be the big boss's top secretary would achieve financial independence in less than three years.

Just look at Zhang Wanyi—once the boss's former secretary, she was now the president of Teng You Media, which boasted a market value exceeding a trillion.

Who wouldn't envy her?

Then there was Lin Qiunan, who similarly transitioned to Dream Fund as a vice president, overseeing countless potential projects.

If a company under her watch went public, she wouldn't just earn bonuses; she could also easily score a consulting position, receiving an annual salary of over a million.

This role didn't demand her to sit in the office; she would just need to provide insights and advice during key decisions.

The money earned from this arrangement couldn't have been easier.

Recruitment for the Secretary Office was extraordinarily strict—it wasn't the kind of role you could land without years of consistent effort.

As for the top secretary, that was entirely handpicked by the boss; no one else had a say.

Well… Zhang Wanyi was selected by Bai Xin.

Beyond the Secretary Office, the next best department was undoubtedly the Venture Capital Division.

The bonuses in this department were absurdly high—the baseline annual salary exceeded 2 million.

Moreover, employees weren't required to stay long hours in the office and could travel the globe freely.

With high salaries came high expectations—having a domestic degree wasn't sufficient; candidates needed academic credentials from elite overseas institutions and experience working for major investment funds or investment banks.

Those working in this department were the top-tier among top-tier scholars.

A conservative estimate of their annual earnings wouldn't fall below 3–4 million.

For those who truly excelled academically, this was the way to rise to the top.

Feng Ying had luck on her side—being transferred to the Planning Division ensured steady income, even if the bonuses weren't as astronomical.

"So what's the real reason for your visit today?"

"Of course, it's good news for you all."

Tang Jing explained, "The big boss just issued directives to hold a massive group-wide team-building event in mid-June. Do you know what the budget for this event is?"

"How much? Same as before—or less, right? That'd make sense, given how tough things are for the company right now," Feng Ying sighed, rattling off complaints.

Tang Jing rolled her eyes. "Who told you the company was in trouble? Don't be misled by appearances. Let me tell you, the boss has allocated 800 million himself just to ensure everyone has fun and enjoys three blissful days."

"What?"

An 800-million team-building budget—Feng Ying couldn't quite fathom it. What kind of scale would that even entail?

Soon after, she hurried to notify the head of the Planning Division because this was no small matter.

Of course, the workload would be massive, given the group's sheer number of employees. Coordinating everyone would be incredibly challenging.

Even if arranged in separate groups, they'd still need to consider financial allocations and event scale.

The Planning Division, including Feng Ying, promptly convened an emergency meeting to ensure the grand event's success.

Initially, they considered bringing everyone together for a single activity but quickly realized that the crowd was simply too large to gather in one place.

Within the country, no venue could accommodate five to six thousand people enjoying themselves simultaneously.

After extensive discussions, they opted to organize the activities by department instead.

With a generous budget at hand, they naturally began considering some extremely high-cost, high-profile events.

For instance, chartering the erstwhile world's largest cruise ship, the Queen Mary 2.

An oceanic three-day, two-night retreat—it was bound to be a hit with the younger crowd.

The "Queen Mary 2" matched the luxury of the Titanic in every aspect.

The ship featured a total of fourteen distinctively styled bars and clubs, six ornately decorated and dazzling luxury restaurants.

It also boasted five spacious swimming pools, a theater, disco halls, and entertainment venues.

A trip aboard a top-tier cruise like this would cost at least several thousand USD.

In addition to the luxury cruise option, they were considering reserving the entire Sun Island in Magic City.

Sun Island, cherished by urbanites for its back-to-nature vibe, was a paradise of relaxation and refined enjoyment—the perfect spot for training, conferences, vacations, and leisure.

While undoubtedly fun, it came with steep expenses.

Natural hot springs and spa treatments, go-karting, horseback riding, yachting, beachside activities, fresh produce farms, themed karaoke lounges—over 30 vibrant leisure and wellness options.

Expensive, yet flawless in every other way.

Feng Ying and the Planning Division selected eighteen high-end destinations like these.

They subsequently uploaded these options to the group's internal network, allowing departments to register and decide which activity to participate in.

If one wanted a maritime adventure, they could sign up for the Queen Mary 2.

If someone preferred city-integrated resorts featuring horseback riding, barbecuing, and beach fun, they could register for Sun Island.

With employee numbers so vast, each venue had a limited capacity to accept attendees.

Thus, meticulous coordination was required on their part.

Feng Ying also learned from the big boss that there was essentially no budget cap for this event.

According to him, even though he allocated 800 million, if spending exceeded that amount while ensuring employees' full happiness, he wouldn't object.

Combined with contributions from the group's subsidiaries, the total budget now surpassed 1.2 billion.

This undoubtedly made it the most expensive group-wide team-building event in China for 2020.

It also served as a display of corporate strength.

While others struggled financially, their company was evidently so rich that they could afford frivolous spending.

Originally, Chen Pingsheng hadn't intended such extravagance. But wasn't Tesla's stock surging too much?

In just half a year, it had already rewarded him with over $20 billion in gains.

He simply couldn't spend it all.