Mysterious Assistant of the Washed-Up Queen-Chapter 473 - 313: Big Shots Gather, The Final Rehearsal

[[The Chapter Name is Wrong]]

Chapter 313: Sneak In, Scout for News

Chu Tian was still unaware that his cheap sister-in-law had started another shenanigan.

He had just finished talking with Xu Qingqiu, and when Li Chunhua came down after being busy upstairs, the three of them gathered to discuss the details of the annual party. It must be said, her studio had been operating for several years, and at least when it came to the annual party, they were considering it earlier and more comprehensively than Chu Tian. He hadn’t even finalized a location, yet they had already assigned tasks. Aside from Xu Qingqiu, who was busy with the Spring Festival Gala preparations, everyone else had their own performances planned: artists would sing on stage, and staff from each department would also have their respective acts.

Upon hearing Chu Tian’s idea of having both companies hold the party together, Xu Qingqiu and Li Chunhua readily agreed. After all, the more, the merrier, and it would save Chu Tian the trouble of running back and forth.

"Sure, why not?" Xu Qingqiu said. "The more people, the better, and besides, I haven’t met anyone from your company yet. It’d be great to get acquainted."

"Right," Chu Tian replied. "You haven’t met Hou yet, have you? I’ll introduce you two at the party."

"However, there is one inconvenience," Li Chunhua chimed in. "You know I rarely go to the company throughout the year, and affairs are handled by just a few people. Because of this, I’ve prepared some gifts for them, planning to distribute them at the annual party. Will it be awkward if we combine the parties?"

"Gifts?" Chu Tian asked. "You mean incentive prizes, right? Are you planning on giving a house to each person?"

"How could that be..." Li Chunhua said. "I don’t have that kind of power."

Chu Tian blushed at Sister Hua’s teasing tone. Houses? Where do you think this is? Capital! He’d have to sell the company to afford a house in Capital!

"I’ve prepared a few cars," Chu Tian explained, "ranging from a few hundred thousand to the most expensive one for President Hou, over a million."

Although not houses, cars worth several hundred thousand each were quite a generous gift—not just a bonus, but a purely extra reward. This item alone, along with various other prizes, would cost almost ten million. Some might think, is a car really that much? For a company earning tens or hundreds of millions a year, does a car worth a little over a million really matter? However, the most expensive part isn’t even the car; it’s the license plate registered under the company’s name. That’s the hardest part to secure.

"Oh? What a coincidence," Xu Qingqiu said. "I also prepared a few cars."

"Huh?" Chu Tian exclaimed.

After Xu Qingqiu’s explanation, Chu Tian suddenly realized they had both thought of the same thing. He wasn’t sure if it was genuine telepathy or if this was just how business owners in Capital thought.

"The profit for the company increased quite a bit this year, and so did our tax bracket considerably," Xu Qingqiu continued, "which is why I went to apply for a few more license plates a while ago. Since Sister Hua has been taking taxis and couldn’t get a number, I thought of getting her a nicer car and putting a company plate on it, which would make running errands easier. We got five plates in total for the studio this time. I figured, just right for five cars: one for Sister Hua, two for other outstanding departments, and the remaining two as company cars."

According to regulations in Capital, a company is eligible for one license plate quota spot if its annual tax payment exceeds fifty thousand. For every additional five hundred thousand in taxes paid, another spot is granted, up to a maximum of twelve. The studio certainly paid enough in taxes, but they didn’t need that many at the moment, so they didn’t apply for the full amount. Unlimited Entertainment also had a substantial tax contribution, allowing them to apply for eight spots in total. The company kept five, and the other three were given out as rewards. In addition to these cars with plates, there were another five cars without plates—bare vehicles. It would be up to the staff to secure their own plates, transport the cars, or sell them; Chu Tian wasn’t concerned with that.

"I see, what a coincidence," Chu Tian said. "Well, then I have nothing to worry about. We can take turns handing out cars at the party; I’m sure the scene will be quite interesting."

Now that they were on the same page, naturally, there was no major disagreement, except that the pre-booked venue for the annual party would probably need changing.

"You don’t worry about the rest," Li Chunhua assured Chu Tian. "I’ll communicate with President Hou later and find a new place."

Although Sister Hua hadn’t met Hou Yichuan, she had his number. If all else failed, she could still contact Wei Liangxiao. Since Chu Tian didn’t need to worry about it anymore, he was glad to take a backseat.

As for worrying about employees taking up the company’s license plate quota after receiving them? That was the easiest problem to solve: simply start another small company, and then they could apply for new ones. Besides, with an annual limit of twelve, they could apply again the next year. What was there to worry about? Otherwise, how do you think those large companies get so many cars?

With the annual party arrangements settled, Chu Tian and Xu Qingqiu then focused all their attention on the Spring Festival Gala. The third grand rehearsal, meticulously prepared by Xu Qingqiu, was completed without a hitch. Additionally, the video shot by the TV station followed the exact same concept as the one Chu Tian had previously outlined, and its continuity and fluidity were even better. After all, one was pieced together through editing, while the other was filmed directly; naturally, they wouldn’t be the same.

「Just like that, the final dress rehearsal arrived.」

"There are so many people today."

"Of course, it’s the final dress rehearsal. It’ll all come down to this; naturally, everyone’s taking it very seriously."

"Could it change now? We’ve had several rehearsals already."

"Why couldn’t it? Don’t even mention this stage; it’s possible that even during the recording of the backup broadcast, a program might get cut."

The group had to slow down as soon as they entered this floor of the building. They had no choice; it was simply impossible to move forward swiftly.