Chapter 667: Skimming from the Rich
When Padi Tu heard the Heavenly Lord had arrived, his swaggering "great hero" demeanor reined in just a touch. He stepped in cautiously, saying, "Greetings, Heavenly Lord."
Li Daoxuan smiled. "I just heard you talking about wanting to get your hands on the Prince of Qin's heir's money?"
"Exactly!" Padi Tu bristled, his voice tinged with annoyance. "That Prince of Qin's heir is truly swimming in money. What's more, after partnering with us, he’s taken a forty percent cut of the profits, all thanks to our advanced technology. He's even richer than before!"
Li Daoxuan asked, "Seeing his wealth displeases you?"
"Yes! Extremely displeased," Padi Tu grumbled. "If he earned his money honestly, I wouldn't say a thing. But he did absolutely nothing, just lay back and watched the profits roll in. Our advanced technology wasn't meant to line the pockets of such idle rich."
Li Daoxuan chuckled. "You want to rob him?"
"I do!" Padi Tu declared, snapping his ancestral sword from its sheath. "This rabbit has roamed the jianghu for over two decades, specializing in robbing the rich to aid the poor. Fellows like the Prince of Qin's heir? They're my favorite targets."
Li Daoxuan smiled and shook his head.
Padi Tu wasn't the only one tempted; Li Daoxuan secretly harbored similar thoughts. However, divvying up the property of the wealthy could only be done once a solid political and popular base was established.
"Hmm? Wait!"
A mischievous idea suddenly sparked in Li Daoxuan's mind.
There was another way to extract money from the hands of the rich.
"Padi Tu, quickly go fetch Wang Tang back. My plan has shifted slightly."
Padi Tu exclaimed, "Huh? Alright!"
He bolted out the door. A rabbit's full-throttle sprint was no laughing matter; with a blur of motion, he caught up to Wang Tang, who had only just walked half a street away, and pulled him back.
Wang Tang asked, "What further instructions does the Heavenly Lord have?"
Li Daoxuan chuckled. "Before, I only intended to simply set up the hot springs. But now I've changed my mind. I plan to completely transform Huaqing Palace, turning it into a massive entertainment complex, which I'll name the 'Huaqing Palace Hot Spring Resort'."
"Huh?" Padi Tu looked utterly bewildered. "What in the world is that?"
Wang Tang, however, narrowed his eyes, already catching a hint of what was coming.
Li Daoxuan explained, "It would take too long for the mortal laborers to build a luxurious hot spring resort. I can't wait that long. So this time, I will directly bestow a lavish hot spring resort from the heavens. We'll use it to skim a little off the rich, making them loosen their purse strings a bit more."
Padi Tu still hadn't understood.
But Wang Tang had essentially grasped it. "Then, I, your subordinate, should begin advertising in advance. This is primarily aimed at the wealthy, right?"
"Precisely!" Li Daoxuan gave a sly chuckle. "The poor are already struggling to survive; how would they have the time to travel dozens of miles outside the city just for a hot spring soak? So this resort will primarily target the wealthy. The most luxurious suite, we'll call it the Imperial Suite—*cough*—I mean, Royal Suite. It will cost one hundred taels of silver per night. The next tier will be the Deluxe Executive Suites, priced at fifty taels of silver. Then we'll arrange various grades of family suites, single rooms, standard rooms... all starting at ten taels of silver and going up from there."
Padi Tu gasped, "What? So expensive? Would the rich really pay that much for just one night? They may be wealthy, but they're not fools."
Li Daoxuan merely smiled, offering no reply.
Wang Tang, however, let out a knowing chuckle. "Master Padi Tu, don't try to understand the rich with a poor man's mindset. For luxurious places like this, the more expensive they are, the more they attract the wealthy. If it were cheap, they wouldn't even bother."
Padi Tu just stared blankly.
He truly didn't quite understand.
"Are rich people idiots?"
Wang Tang shook his head. "No, they're not foolish. They simply don't want to live in the same houses or use the same goods as the poor. If an item is too cheap, and even the poor can afford it, then buying it won't distinguish the rich, and they lose interest. But for things that clearly exceed their intrinsic value, items with inflated prices that the poor would never dream of paying a premium for—those are what the rich will happily buy to showcase their unique status."
At this point, Wang Tang sighed softly. "These goods don't offer proportional utility, but they embody 'social distinction.' The rich pay for this 'social distinction,' and they feel it's money well spent."
Padi Tu declared, "I don't get it. Not at all."
Wang Tang smiled. "Not understanding is good, it means Master Padi Tu is still pure-hearted and hasn't sought to separate himself from the poor. There aren't many like you, Master Padi Tu. Most people criticize the wealthy class while secretly hoping to join it. Those who curse the rich the loudest, once they get money themselves, will spend on luxuries faster than any born rich, eager to achieve class ascension. They just want to deck themselves in gold and silver, fill their homes with coral and jade, as quickly as possible, to tell everyone, 'I am of the wealthy class, and I only associate with the rich.'"
He gave a shy smile. "I almost fell into that trap myself. It was Master Padi Tu who pulled me back."
Padi Tu looked confused. "Huh, huh, huh? When did I ever pull you back?"
Wang Tang replied, "Just a little while ago."
Padi Tu scoffed, "Nonsense! I don't even know what you're talking about. I didn't pull you back from anything! You just spout a bunch of convoluted nonsense."
Wang Tang said, "Master Padi Tu is my guiding light."
Padi Tu shuddered. "Ugh, you're giving me goosebumps! Get away from me, don't you dare come closer."
Li Daoxuan listened quietly as Wang Tang finished speaking.
While he didn't entirely agree, Li Daoxuan secretly gave Wang Tang a thumbs up. The fact that he could think this way showed how truly exceptional he was.
After praising Master Padi Tu, Wang Tang returned to the main topic. "Xi'an Prefecture is overflowing with rich people. We won't exploit the poor; we'll specifically target the wealthy. This method will allow us to extract a considerable amount of money from them, preventing them from simply burying it in their backyards. Money that doesn't circulate offers no benefit to the economy."
Li Daoxuan commented, "Oh, little Tang, your economics are quite good."
Elated by Li Daoxuan's praise, Wang Tang was suddenly bursting with energy. "Heavenly Lord, I'm flooded with inspiration! I'll go write advertising copy right away. Coincidentally, tonight our 'Stars Performing Arts Agency' is hosting a major concert. Almost all the wealthy families of Xi'an Prefecture will be attending. We can announce the hot spring resort during the concert, giving them a proper preview and building anticipation."
Li Daoxuan waved his hand. "Good, get it done as quickly as possible!"
Ba Ge piped up, "How can we 'get it done' if it's not 'hard'?"
Everyone: "..."
Wang Tang retorted, "I've always wanted to turn him into a roasted little bird."
Padi Tu mused, "Sounds quite delicious."
Li Daoxuan added, "Spicy bird wings should be good too."
Ba Ge: "..."
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