Chapter 08

Chapter 08

Thanks to the miserable life under the Benevolent Boss, Chen Jian managed to earn more than 10,000 in two months. Although the work was plentiful and varied, if it had been Qian Yu, the amount of work wouldn’t have been much less, and he would have earned even less.

Worse still, the pay was always delayed.

Similarly, thanks to this miserable life, Sister Zhao also made several thousand in just three days, something that didn’t happen more than once every few years.

To be precise, in his twenty years of life, Chen Jian had never encountered such a situation.

Today was a busy and chaotic day. Probably because lunch was eaten late, it wasn’t until well past dinner time that Shan Yu remembered everyone hadn’t eaten yet. And he was really craving Western food.

At this time, the only food sources still open were barbecue stands. Chen Jian ran all the way from the north end of the town to the south end just to buy two burgers.

"Tell me, is this Chinese food?" Chen Jian said.

"No," Shan Yu replied.

"Then it's Western food," Chen Jian concluded decisively.

Shan Yu didn’t argue. The seriousness with which he ate made Chen Jian think that even if he had just bought two loaves of bread from the nearby convenience store, it would have been fine.

After dinner, except for Zhao Fangfang, the three of them had nothing else to do. Shan Yu looked a bit tired and headed back to his room first. Zhao Fangfang had already cleaned Room 307 and changed the bedding.

Chen Jian was preparing to go back home. Just as he was about to leave with his motorcycle keys, Liu Wu, carrying a box of beer, stopped him. "Chen Jian, are you breaking your promise?"

"I'll be there in a bit," Chen Jian said.

"To get some clothes?" Liu Wu asked.

"Yeah," Chen Jian nodded.

"Half an hour?" Liu Wu pressed.

"Here's what you can do," Chen Jian pointed upstairs, "if you're scared, go find your brother on the third floor for a while. If he kicks you out, go find Sister Zhao. She talks a lot and has a loud voice. Even a ghost wouldn’t find a chance to scare you if you’re with her."

"Isn't that inappropriate?" Liu Wu hesitated, "If you come back too late, she’ll have already left work."

"She won’t leave until the second half of the night tonight," Chen Jian said, "There’s too much work to finish."

"That… hardworking?" Liu Wu was a bit stunned.

"All for the money, kid," Chen Jian walked out.

The sky had already darkened completely. Maybe because it was going to rain the next day, there was no moon or stars in sight. Once he drove out of the town, there were no more streetlights, and the only thing illuminating the road ahead was the motorcycle’s headlight.

Chen Jian was quite used to this kind of darkness. It gave him an odd sense of comfort, like the security of being hidden away.

The lights reappeared as the car approached the village, and Chen Jian slowed down.

He lived in a small courtyard on the outskirts of the village. It was old, a house belonging to Xiao Dou'er’s grandfather. But he hadn’t lied to Shan Yu; he didn’t have to pay rent.

Xiao Dou'er was a real left-behind child. Her parents were working in the city and hadn’t returned for two years. Chen Jian lived here to help take care of the two elderly people and the child.

"Back already?" Xiao Dou'er was sitting at the door, with no lights on in the courtyard.

"Yeah," Chen Jian parked the car and took a plastic bag off the handlebar, handing it to her. "Spicy strips, cheese sticks, and the two packs of sausages at the bottom are for your grandma."

"So much?" Xiao Dou'er took the bag and looked inside in surprise.

"Got paid today," Chen Jian said, "Are your grandparents asleep?"

"Grandma watched some TV and then went to sleep," Xiao Dou'er nodded, "Grandpa went to watch poker games."

"Did your grandma go out to collect trash today?" Chen Jian walked into his room, turned on the light, and started to pack a set of clean clothes.

"No, she just fed the pigs and watched TV," Xiao Dou'er followed him, munching on the spicy strips.

"You should go to sleep too," Chen Jian said, "I’m staying at the haunted house tonight. Lock the door, charge your phone, and call me if anything happens."

"I know, you don’t have to say it every time," Xiao Dou'er nodded.

Chen Jian lightly poked her on the head and walked out of the room.

On the way back to Zhenxi, Chen Jian hesitated but chose the main road instead of the shortcut. As he drove past the intersection, he scanned the area but didn’t see anyone. However, his sixth sense told him that Chen Erhu and his group should be there.

These guys would definitely return to Zhenxi. Whether they were going to apply for security jobs or cause trouble again, that was unclear.

When he drove back to the Zhenxi courtyard, he could see many lights still on from a distance. Some were turned on by Sister Zhao while cleaning. The first floor was brightly lit, and even the atmosphere lights in the small garden were on, probably used by Liu Wu for his ghost-expelling ritual.

Before Chen Jian even entered the front hall, he heard Liu Wu’s voice, "Back already!"

"Are you afraid we’re spending too little on electricity?" Chen Jian entered and casually turned off the lights in the yard at the main switch.

"Now we can’t see outside!" Liu Wu said.

"If there really was something outside, you’d probably freak out on the spot," Chen Jian said, "If you’re scared, just draw the curtains."

Liu Wu picked up the half box of beer and followed him inside, pulling the curtains shut.

"Expelling ghosts?" Chen Jian looked at the beer in his hand, "Why are you carrying that thing around?"

"Just having a drink," Liu Wu put the box on the table, took out a bottle, opened it, and handed it to him.

"Quite the drinker for a college student," Chen Jian took the bottle.

"You wouldn’t understand," Liu Wu opened a bottle for himself, tilted his head, and downed half of it, "A drink helps you sleep better. I didn’t sleep here last night and kept dreaming about murders. It was insane."

"Just don't wet the bed tonight." Chen Jian said.

"You really don't spare anyone once you open your mouth." Liu Wu said with a laugh as he sat down next to the tea table.

"Can't compare to your brother." Chen Jian said.

"That's just how my brother is, don't mind what he says," Liu Wu said with a smile, drinking as he spoke, "You'll get used to it."

If he runs into someone who can't get used to it, that person's legs will be broken, right?

Chen Jian smiled and leaned against the head of the bed, pulling out his phone and scrolling through it.

"He's really a good person..." Liu Wu said, holding the bottle and looking up with a sigh.

Chen Jian lifted his gaze from the phone and looked at Liu Wu. He had previously thought Liu Wu had a good tolerance for alcohol, but now a bottle of beer was making him sentimental.

But just as Chen Jian was waiting for some gossip about Shan Yu, Liu Wu suddenly changed the subject. "Hey Chen Jian, Sister Zhao told me you had a tough childhood."

Caught off guard by the sudden shift to himself, Chen Jian was stunned for a moment. "Are you investigating me now?"

"No," Liu Wu waved his hand, "Don't misunderstand. I was scared earlier, so I went to chat with her. When I mentioned how brave you are, she said that children who have suffered are usually brave. I said that's not necessarily true; my brother didn't suffer much, but he's been brave since he was a child. My mom said he doesn't have any other organs, just a gallbladder. He's a 'gallbladder person!'"

"What nonsense." Chen Jian laughed, originally preparing to think about how to respond if Liu Wu directly asked about his hardships. But Liu Wu suddenly jumped to this.

Although it felt a bit silly, Liu Wu clearly grew up in a happy family, which was quite interesting.

Liu Wu had probably been warned by Shan Yu not to casually reveal his affairs, but since he had drunk some alcohol and Shan Yu likely didn't mention that his own matters shouldn't be discussed, Liu Wu began to ramble about his life from childhood until now.

To Chen Jian, Liu Wu's stories were boring but filled with happiness, and there was quite a bit of information to glean from them. Shan Yu definitely wasn't a law-abiding citizen; he had been held back a grade for fighting, didn't attend college, and had done business with friends...

When it came to the friend he did business with, Liu Wu became very angry. "He's not a good person! He cheated us! If not for him, my brother..."

Chen Jian pricked up his ears and looked over at Liu Wu.

But all he heard was some mumbling, "miamianianiania," and Liu Wu had fallen asleep on the bed.

"Would speaking one more sentence have exhausted you?" Chen Jian kicked him.

Probably so, since Liu Wu had driven all the way here and had been through a lot of stress without sleeping well. He slept straight through until ten o'clock the next morning.

And he hadn't wet the bed.

When Chen Jian pushed open the door, Liu Wu was checking the bedsheet.

"Checking if you wet the bed?" Chen Jian asked, "Just feel your pants. Were you going to take off your pants and wet the bedsheet?"

"I'm looking for my beads!" Liu Wu shook his wrist.

"You took them off and put them on the tea table last night while making your impassioned speech," Chen Jian said, "Shan Yu asked you to go have breakfast and leave quickly. It's going to rain again if you're late; it pours in the mountains."

"Oh," Liu Wu pulled open the curtains and looked outside, "It's cloudy again."

The breakfast wasn't bought; it was made by Sister Zhao.

To leave a good impression on the Benevolent Boss, when Chen Jian went to buy breakfast in the morning, Zhao Fangfang asked him to buy vegetables and noodles directly from the market. She made a pot of beef noodle soup, which tasted great.

Chen Jian remembered that Zhao Fangfang used to sell boxed meals at a construction site. Although it was just boxed meals, judging from her noodle-making skills, she should be a good cook. So when she took over lunch and dinner, making sure Chen Jian didn't need to go out, Shan Yu didn't object.

After breakfast, Shan Yu urged Liu Wu to leave. As Liu Wu got into the car, he stuck his head out of the window again. "If I take this car away, you won't have a car to use, right?"

"I don't need one." Shan Yu said.

"But it would be inconvenient for you to go anywhere." Liu Wu said.

"I'll use a wheelchair." Shan Yu said.

"But..." Liu Wu frowned.

"Then get out," Shan Yu opened the door, "Leave the car here, and you walk back. Hurry, if you start now, you might make it back to school next week."

Chen Jian laughed out loud from behind on the motorcycle.

"No, no, no," Liu Wu closed the door again, "What I meant was, maybe you should buy a car?"

"...Get lost," Shan Yu looked at him, stepped back, and waved, "Quick."

Liu Wu was the kind of person who could relieve boredom. When he was around, it felt annoying, but once he left, the entire building seemed to fall silent.

Chen Jian went to arrange for someone to clean the curtains and bedsheets. Zhao Fangfang was still busily tidying up. You could hear the noise, but the emptiness around only seemed more pronounced because of it.

The doctor had Shan Yu move his legs every day to aid in recovery. He took the elevator from the first floor to the fourth floor and eventually entered Qian Yu's former office and bedroom.

Sister Zhao hadn't cleaned here yet, saying she was waiting for Shan Yu to check for any valuable items before she came in to clean.

There weren't any valuable items. The most expensive thing might have been the desk and chair set. Shan Yu knocked on it, but it might just have a redwood veneer. There were plenty of bottles and jars, quite artistic and seemingly valuable, but when Shan Yu picked up two of them, the price tags were still on them.

One was 320, the other 175.

There wasn't much in the bedroom, and there was even a small walk-in closet, which was empty.

How boring this guy is.

Just as Shan Yu was about to go downstairs, he heard a loud crash of breaking glass from outside the window.

Then he heard Zhao Fangfang's shout, and her panicked voice came through the intercom on the fourth-floor corridor, but Shan Yu couldn't make out what she was saying.

But judging by the strong voice, the person was okay.

That's good enough.

By the time he hobbled slowly to the corridor with a cane, Zhao Fangfang had already rushed up. "Boss! boss Shan—"

"Yes, yes, yes," Shan Yu quickly responded.

"The second-floor window was smashed!" Zhao Fangfang said, pointing outside. "It was smashed from this side!"

"Did you see the person?" Shan Yu walked towards the corridor window.

Zhao Fangfang was in a hurry, and seeing his slow pace probably made her even more anxious. She came over, took his arm with one hand, and poked his side with the other, practically dragging him to the window.

"So urgent..." Shan Yu was somewhat helpless as he was pulled to the window.

"The glass was smashed!" Zhao Fangfang said.

"Can we see the broken glass from here?" Shan Yu asked.

"No," Zhao Fangfang leaned in and peered down.

"Can we see the person who smashed the glass?" Shan Yu asked again.

"They would have run away by now," Zhao Fangfang said. "When I heard the noise and went to check, there was no one outside!"

"Then why did you drag me over to see this?" Shan Yu sighed.

Zhao Fangfang looked at him, seemingly unable to find an answer for a moment. Finally, she waved her hand, and as she ran downstairs, she said, "I'll call Chen Jian back."

In room 203, there was a fist-sized stone that had smashed the window facing the courtyard wall.

Using stones to break glass is a common choice, and stones can be found outside the courtyard. But this stone was a little different.

It had a smell.

Chen Jian sniffed it, and Shan Yu, standing next to him, clicked his tongue.

Chen Jian turned to look at Shan Yu. "What?"

"If you're hungry, ask Sister Zhao to cook you a bowl of noodles," Shan Yu said.

"It's Chen Erhu and the others," Chen Jian said.

"I didn't need to smell it to know," Shan Yu said. "What's the point of your sniff?"

"Confirmation," Chen Jian said. "There's not just one Chen Erhu in this town. There might be others who don't like you or this guesthouse."

After all, your mouth gets you into more trouble than you do.

"How to confirm?" Shan Yu became a little interested.

"This stone is from the pigsty," Chen Jian said. "It smells like pig manure."

"Does Chen Erhu live in the pigsty?" Shan Yu frowned.

"Not necessarily. They like to hang out there. Few people take that path," Chen Jian tossed the stone back out through the broken window. "They'll probably come again."

Shan Yu looked at the hole in the glass. "That's quite the aim."

"What should we do?" Chen Jian asked for the boss's opinion.

"Open all the windows," Shan Yu said.

"What?" Chen Jian was stunned.

"If the windows are open, they can't smash the glass. We'll save on glass costs," Shan Yu said. "There's nothing in the room they can damage. If they have the strength to smash through the walls, I'll go ask them to sign a contract."

"A security contract?" Chen Jian said.

"A performance contract," Shan Yu said.

But Shan Yu was a cautious person. After opening the windows, he had Chen Jian try throwing a stone into the courtyard from outside.

The stone smashed onto the corridor.

"Retaliation?" Shan Yu stood at the window, looking down at Chen Jian.

"I didn't even use force," Chen Jian said.

"As a precaution," Shan Yu pulled the curtain. "Use the curtain to catch it. It hasn't been washed yet anyway."

So all the windows were opened, but all the curtains were drawn.

It was uncertain if Chen Erhu and the others would come again or when they might come.

But after dinner, Shan Yu sat patiently in the dining room, as if waiting or just zoning out.

It was after work hours, and technically Chen Jian could leave, but he was still working part-time as an "assistant," so he planned to wait until Shan Yu rested before leaving.

There wasn't much to do, so he opened the side door, planning to check the yard.

"Where are you going?" Shan Yu called out to him.

"Just a walk outside," Chen Jian said. "To watch for suspicious people, be cautious."

"Don't go. If they see you, they won't come," Shan Yu said.

"Are you expecting them to come?" Chen Jian couldn't understand.

"This matter needs to be resolved," Shan Yu said.

"How to resolve?" Chen Jian became alert. Even if Shan Yu was quite capable in a fight, together they were still just one and a half people with three legs. Chen Erhu and his group had more legs to stand on.

"Let them smash it," Shan Yu said.

Chen Jian waited for a moment, making sure that Shan Yu had nothing more to say, before asking, "Then what? After it's done, should I send them a thank-you note?"

"Then you call Chen Erhu and tell him that the paralyzed boss feels that this place is indeed dangerous and wants to meet with them to discuss security matters," Shan Yu said.

Chen Jian didn't say anything, having a hard time understanding the plan for a moment. "Are you sure they'll come?"

"Just try," Shan Yu said, "There's no other way. Even if we want to beat them into submission, it'll have to wait until two months later when I can remove the brace."

"No, no, no," Chen Jian quickly interjected, "Don't fight them. If they don't come tonight, I'll go out and smash stones myself, then call them tomorrow."