NOVEL WEB Thirty: Little personal bodyguard
Chapter Thirty: Little personal bodyguard
Sure enough, it was the family of the little chubby kid Ji XiaoYu saved yesterday.
The photographer from □□ next to him took photos with a short bursts of camera flashes, shooting wildly at the scene.
A female reporter with a logo on her chest approached with a microphone and asked, “Are you Mister Ji XiaoYu? Please share what you’re thinking right now.”
Ji XiaoYu shrank back a little, “I, I’m a little dizzy…”
The crowd of onlookers burst into laughter.
“I didn’t expect Mister Ji XiaoYu to be such a young, handsome guy. Looks like he’s very shy.” The female reporter also smiled playfully, “I want to ask this little handsome guy, when you found out yesterday that Xiao Bao was abducted by traffickers, what were your thoughts? What prompted you to step forward and, regardless of your own safety, chase after the traffickers’ van?”
Ji XiaoYu scratched his head and said, “I thought, it wasn’t easy for his parents to raise him to be so fair and fat, it must have cost a lot of money, so if they lost him, they’d be very sad.”
The crowd laughed again. Yang YiPeng facepalmed, the female reporter’s lips quirked. Without losing her polite tone, she continued with a smile, “The little handsome guy is really funny. Yes, every child is raised by parents who spend countless amounts of energy, effort, and money. They are all the treasures of their parents, so the actions of traffickers are particularly distasteful.”
“Mister Ji XiaoYu, it’s been said that there were a total of six traffickers, all of whom are extremely vicious. There were two fugitives among them who were wanted all over the country. How did you deal with them? Were you not afraid at the time? Looking at how thin and delicate you are, it’s hard to imagine the scene at that time.”
“Don’t see me as thin, I’m covered in muscle!” Ji XiaoYu puffed out his chest and raised his arm, posing like a bodybuilder on TV. Not without smugness, he said, “I used to fight a lot. The six people looked pretty fierce, but their skills weren’t that good, so I didn’t feel scared at the time. I beat them all to the ground in a minute.”
Female reporter: “……”
With black lines on his face, Yang YiPeng quickly interrupted with an explanation, “Xiao Yu is just joking saying that. The fights he’s talking about are actually spars with his colleagues in our security department. We, the HongSheng security guards, exercise and train every morning to maintain physical fitness, so that we can respond to critical situations at any time.”
“No wonder. The HongSheng Group has made great contributions to the economic development and prosperity of the city. The security guards that have been cultivated are all capable of doing the same thing!” The female reporter immediately smiled and praised, “Oh, yes, Mister Ji XiaoYu, I heard that there was someone else who helped you to subdue the criminals? Who is this person?”
Ji XiaoYu recalled what Yang YiPeng had just told him and vaguely answered, “At that time, someone helped me, that is, our company’s Wang Qiang Ge, who happened to meet me while driving and then drove me to chase the traffickers. And then, together, we subdued the traffickers.”
“Oh, so that’s it!” The female reporter looked around while saying, “Is this Mister Wang Qiang here? Can you come over and give an interview?”
“Here!” someone in the crowd responded loudly, then he emerged from the crowd. It was Wang Qiang.
The female reporter took a look. This man was tall and burly with well-developed muscles. He was obviously more convincing than Ji XiaoYu. Her eyes instantly lit up and she exclaimed, “Wow, this Mister Wang Qiang is so powerful! Can you describe to us the specific process of tracking down the traffickers and later fighting them?”
“Of course.” Wang Qiang’s expression was awe-inspiring and impassioned. “The situation at the time was like this…..”
The photographers immediately shifted their targets and directed their equipment at Wang Qiang. The view of one of them was blocked by Ji XiaoYu and he urged him, “Young man, can you let me in? I don’t have a good shot with you standing there.”
“Mhm.”
Ji XiaoYu moved away from his position and squeezed out of the encirclement.
When Yang YiPeng saw Wang Qiang on the scene, he let out an obvious sigh of relief, and then he turned to him and said angrily, “Didn’t I just instruct you? How could you say such nonsense? You almost screwed up.”
Ji XiaoYu replied blankly, “I told the truth and I didn’t expose Cheng Zong, what’s wrong?”
“Forget it, I can’t communicate with you.” Yang YiPeng didn’t say anything else, then he took an envelope from his pocket and tapped it against his palm. “This is the reward that the company has given you, take it.”
Ji XiaoYu took the envelope and examined it. There was a thick stack of pink bills inside, so he cried out, suddenly overjoyed, “Wow, so much money. Thank you, Captain!”
Yang YiPeng was so amused by his greedy reaction to the money that he couldn’t help but smile. He waved his hand and said, “Alright, alright, this isn’t your business. Go do your work.”
“Yes, Captain!”
Ji XiaoYu saluted and then ran away happily with the envelope.
When he reached an isolated place, he snuck out the bills and counted them. Altogether, it was 10,000 yuan.
Ji XiaoYu was so happy that he leaped for joy a meter in the air!
Is this the “good news” that Cheng YuTang mentioned this morning? Sure enough, it was good. Cheng Zong, you are the god of wealth!
(Originally posted at tailor31415.wordpress.com, please read there)
……
His spirit was cheerful and refreshed and the corners of Ji XiaoYu’s mouth didn’t dip all afternoon. The morning’s depression over the deduction of wages and the loss of the attendance award was swept away and he couldn’t help but sing a song. Fang DaXing rolled his eyes and assigned him a lot of messy tasks. Ji XiaoYu was in a good mood and accepted them without complaint.
Around 6pm, after eating dinner, he headed back to the dorm. The first thing he did was to take a shower. Although he had bathed at Cheng YuTang’s home last night, he hadn’t changed his clothes. Today, he had worked out again and sweated, so his clothes were sticking uncomfortably to his body.
Putting the little white egg in a little nest at the head of the bed, Ji XiaoYu closed his door and then went into the bathroom with a change of clothes, humming a song.
Over the splashing of the water, there was the sound of a muffled voice and footsteps outside, but he didn’t let it distract him. It was just 7pm now, still early, so there shouldn’t be anything going on. It was probably Liang ShaoGang or Liu WeiRen.
After he washed needlessly for more than 10 more minutes, Ji XiaoYu heard the bang of a cooking spoon in the kitchen. He took a peek, Liu WeiRen stood in front of the stove, pouring oil from an oil pot into a saucepan. It looked like he was intending to cook dinner for himself.
When Liu WeiRen heard the door open, he turned his head and glanced over, then turned back indifferently.
Since the last time when Ji XiaoYu had showed his hand, Liu WeiRen’s attitude had changed. He no longer made any noise at night and no longer swore at Ji XiaoYu. He only remained wary of him and kept him at arm’s length. For nearly two months, the two had remained in this mode of minding their own business.
Ji XiaoYu was very satisfied with this. He just kept the peace and didn’t force him to do anything else.
He was about to enter his room when Liu WeiRen seemed to think of something. While picking up a round thing and banging it on the edge of the pan, he said, “Hey, Ji XiaoYu, there wasn’t anything to eat in the kitchen. Just now, there was a surprise housekeeping inspection and I saw that you had a little egg on your bed, so I wanted to eat a poached egg. I’ll pay you back double tomorrow…… Hey, what’s going on with this little egg, why is the shell so hard? I can’t break it, is it a fake……?”
“Ah, ah, ah, ah, stop it! You give me back my egg!”
Ji XiaoYu was so scared that his soul almost flew away. He rushed over with a scream, grabbing the little white egg from Liu WeiRen’s hand and looking it over with trepidation. Fortunately, the little white egg hadn’t broken, but there was a very shallow dent on the eggshell.
Nevertheless, he still felt totally distressed and he raised his head and said angrily, “This is too much. How can you just take my stuff without my permission?!”
Liu WeiRen was a bit overwhelmed by the barrage of his fierce reactions. He was stunned for a moment before saying, “Isn’t it just a stupid chicken egg? It’s probably a man-made fake egg, what are you so worked up about? I said that I would pay you back double tomorrow, still so arrogant, I’ve never seen anyone with such a small temper as you!”
Ji XiaoYu was so angry that he wanted to spit up blood. “What stupid egg? This is mine, my…… Anyway, if you break my egg, you couldn’t afford it with 110 million yuan!”
If he had been anyone else, Liu WeiRen wouldn’t have been afraid to hit him, but he was still a little afraid of Ji XiaoYu, so while walking quickly to the door, he whispered, “Ay, 110 million yuan, you’re extorting me, wouldn’t it be faster for you to just rob a bank?”
Ji XiaoYu couldn’t form words, he was so angry.
When he got back to his room, he rubbed the little white egg and asked with an aching heart, “My child, are you okay? Did you get hurt just now?”
The little white egg didn’t respond, lying quietly in the palm of his hand.
Ji XiaoYu was worried that he couldn’t bear it, so he went on to say, “My child, if you hear Daddy’s words, just flash, okay? Last night, you glowed for Cheng Zong. I’d never seen you do that for Daddy before.”
After a while, the little white egg finally flashed slowly, a soft glow appearing.
Ji XiaoYu’s worry turned into joy. He gave the little white egg a big kiss, praising, “Baby is awesome, Baby is really obedient! Daddy loves you the most!”
Then he put the little white egg in his pocket and went to watch TV in the living room. Compared to the big TV of Cheng Zong’s household, the picture quality of the old small TV could barely be looked at, so he could only watch it casually.
After he had watched for a while, the doorbell rang. Was that Liu WeiRen is back?
Ji XiaoYu stepped forward and opened the door. Outside was a uniformed courier, holding a box in his hand. He asked, “Excuse me, are you Mr. Ji XiaoYu?”
Ji XiaoYu replied, “Yes.”
The courier raised the box towards him, saying, “This is your same-city express delivery, we need to check your ID.”
Ji XiaoYu was confused. He hadn’t bought anything online and he had no relatives or friends in Ning City, who would send him something by courier?
The courier urged, “Could you hurry up? I still have other houses to rush to for deliveries.”
“Okay, just wait.” Ji XiaoYu had to go back to his room to get the ID card, then the courier checked it for errors and asked him to sign, and then he gave him the box.
Ji XiaoYu returned to the living room and, sitting cross-legged on the couch, unpacked the box in curiosity. It was actually a new mobile phone with golden skin, with the emblem of a rotten fruit with a bite taken out of it on the back.
Whoa, no way, did someone send this to the wrong person?
But just now the courier had clearly said that he was the recipient, so there should be no mistake.
Liu WeiRen also had a smartphone of this brand, always showing it off in front of him, either intentionally or unintentionally. He had said that he had difficulty buying it the previous year and lamented over how expensive it was, plus he went on and on about how easy it was to use; just listening to him had almost blistered his ears. This new one he received just now was obviously more beautiful and more advanced, especially the color of this skin, golden, especially appealing to his appetite.
Ji XiaoYu had never used a smartphone, but he saw others using them every day. So he probably could understand the basic operation. He turned it over and over and looked at it for a while. Then, in the spur of the moment, he pressed the power button.
Soon after, the screen lit up. A number of small icons were arranged on the screen. He was just trying to open one to see what it was when the phone suddenly sounded out a childlike happy ringtone, the theme song of “Chicken Run.” The screen showed a phone call coming in, with the caller: YuTang.
Ji XiaoYu was startled. He almost dropped the floor to the ground, stunned by the letters “YuTang”. It was as if he had seen a ghost.
The cheerful ringtone continued to play, particularly loud in the quiet living room. Ji XiaoYu hesitated for a long time and finally answered the call.
“Do you like this phone?”
It really was the honorable President Cheng. The warm voice usually heard on weekdays was transmitted across the soundwaves, sounding a little different from usual. It seemed to be a little deeper, as if he were whispering from a close distance, so that Ji XiaoYu’s ears felt slightly heated.
“Y-yes, Cheng Zong, were you the one who sent me this phone? W-why did you?”
Ji XiaoYu didn’t know why, but he was both nervous and a little expectant and his words were a bit awkward. He couldn’t figure out what he was nervous about though or what he was expecting.
“It’s too inconvenient that you didn’t have a phone. No one could find you quickly. You performed very well yesterday, so this phone is a reward. In addition, I’ve already charged your phone with 520 yuan, which should be enough for you to use it for a while. After it runs out, I’ll recharge it for you again, so please make calls and don’t just save it. Make sure to make use of it.”
Wow, so this is also a reward! Sending me a phone and also charging up its funds, Cheng Zong’s really considerate!
Cheng YuTang went on to say, “In addition, I’ll inform you in advance: given your good performance since you joined the company and your outstanding contribution of yesterday’s courage, starting tomorrow, the company will break its policy and promote you as my personal bodyguard and exclusive driver. You’ll still count as a position in the security department, but your only direct supervisor will be me. Tomorrow morning, after going to the company, go directly to Yang YiPeng. He’ll sign the formal employment contract with you.”
This news was pretty stunning, so Ji XiaoYu was a bit slow to respond. “This, this, this, is this okay? Isn’t Wang Qiang your exclusive driver? If I replace him, what will he do?”
“Another more suitable job will be assigned to him, you don’t have to worry about that. You can just serve me exclusively in the future.”
In his excitement, Ji XiaoYu said, “Since it’s a promotion, then……”
“The monthly salary will be 25,000 yuan and you’ll be given a car. The daily usage and maintenance costs can be fully reimbursed.”
Ji XiaoYu could hardly believe his ears, golden light flashed in front of his eyes, Dear heavens, 25,000 a month! How many times more than 4500 is it? How many cans of milk could I buy? Oh papa, I don’t know!
“Ji XiaoYu? Hey? Are you still listening?”
“Still here, still here!” Ji XiaoYu was so excited, he blurted out, “Cheng Zong, thank you, I love you so much!”
There was a coughing sound from other end of the line, Cheng Zong seemed to be choking. After a while, he asked in a deep voice, “So how are you going to thank me?”
Ji XiaoYu didn’t hesitate to let his good will come to the surface, “I’ll work like a horse for you, and for you, I’ll dive under a mound of knives or jump into a deep fryer without hesitation!”
The other man seemed to be a little bit dumbfounded. “There’s no need for that, you just have to be on call and follow my instructions. You don’t have to discount yourself to do anything, seriously. Otherwise, I will also cut your salary.
Cheng Zong, you’re also very, very cunning, but, this little master won’t be intimidated! Ji XiaoYu huffed and then struck his chest with a slap and assured him strongly, “The original agreement we signed wasn’t written like this. Cheng Zong, rest assured, I’ll work hard and won’t fail to meet your expectations!”
Cheng YuTang chuckled lowly and said, “Good, then I’ll wait and see.”
After hanging up the phone, Ji XiaoYu ran around the room in a circle while holding the little white egg, cheering: “My child, Cheng Zong is such a good person, Daddy’s suffering has finally come to the end. This time, I’ve really advanced! Now I can really buy you the best milk powder and diapers! Are you happy?!”
The little white egg seems to feel his joy and it gave a little flash on its surface.
The good news of this day had come one after another, which made Ji XiaoYu overwhelmed and he dreamed all night, waking up laughing a few times.
But the last time, he dreamed of Cheng Zong, asking that question on the phone again, “So how are you going to thank me?”
He answered as generously as before, but Cheng Zong shook his head in an inscrutable manner. “I don’t need any of that.” Then he got instantly hard, as a big hand accurately pressed against his vital place, no, it was a rough pinch, and then he chuckled lowly in his ear, “It’s better for you to give yourself to me.”
Ji XiaoYu both ached and felt good, shivering all over, and then he woke up.
He found that there was something cool and slippery beneath his butt and that there was a wet spot on the bed too.
At first he thought he had wet the bed and his face flushed with shame. But after a moment of reaction, what had happened came back to him and his whole body went red as if he were a boiled prawn.
Ah, ah, ah, ah, how could I have such an unsightly dream? Just too shameful! Obviously the call was very serious and decent!
Luckily, I wasn’t sleeping in a bed at Cheng Zong’s household, or I would have lost all face!
After a long moment, Ji XiaoYu madly grabbed up the bedspread, then he got up in tears and washed the sheets, secretly wiping away all traces of the crime.
After washing the sheets, he took another shower and the heat on his face finally subsided. Seeing that it was almost time, he went to HongSheng with the little white egg in his pocket.
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Footnotes:
1. Rotten fruit: slang name for Apple in China
2. work like a horse (做牛做马): also can mean, to lower your dignity and do everything and anything for someone (the meaning CYT takes here)
3. under a mountain of knives, jump into a deep fryer (上刀山，下油锅): popular saying to express deep friendship or love between people
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aw, our little pheasant has reached puberty….. lol