Chapter 7: Caviar

Chapter 7 Caviar

Zhu Zhiqian is the son of the old butler Wen Cheng, and he takes his mother's surname.

Although his family has been working for the Wen family since his great-grandfather's generation, to the Wen family, he has always been an outsider.

There is no employment relationship—he is merely the son of a butler.

If members of the Wen family encounter him, they might extend polite courtesy, but nothing more.

Ambitious by nature, he is naturally unsatisfied with this. If he merely wanted a stable life, his best option would be to take over the manual from his father and continue serving as a butler in the Wen family.

But Zhu Zhiqian did not choose that path; he is now a minor singer, not yet famous.

His purpose in actively approaching Yun Fan is clear: since his father is unwilling to help him make connections, he can use others to get close to the Wen family.

The Wen family has vast wealth and businesses spanning numerous industries; a snap of their fingers could provide him with more than enough.

However, he originally thought the new little butler would be as rigid and proper as his father, never expecting him to be so strikingly handsome.

With just one glance, he almost couldn’t turn his head away.

His father’s voice brought him back to his senses: “Xiao Qian, what are you doing here?”

“Just passing by. I bought some pastries for you.” Zhu Zhiqian smiled at the old butler.

Yun Fan was somewhat wary of Zhu Zhiqian’s every move, but he didn’t show it, not wanting to embarrass the old butler.

He offered a polite smile, and Wen Zhaofu’s voice from the second floor came to his rescue.

Seeing Yun Fan leave, Zhu Zhiqian also bid farewell to the old butler. This sudden arrival and departure left the old butler quite puzzled.

After leaving Wen Yanlan’s estate, Zhu Zhiqian got into a black car in the nighttime. The young man in the driver’s seat wore a mask, making it hard to make out his shape in the darkness.

Once inside the car, Zhu Zhiqian leaned over and kissed the corner of the other’s forehead: “I saw him. He’s young, but he seems just like my dad—a robot butler.”

“He’s not bad-looking, but appearance isn’t important. Inside, he’s just a relatively new wind-up toy.”

As the car drove off, the driver removed his mask, revealing fine features. He was Zhuo Yan, a small-time celebrity who debuted in Hong Kong this year, and also Zhu Zhiqian’s clandestine lover.

Both were struggling at the bottom of the entertainment industry, which fostered a mutual understanding and affection between them.

“To be brought home by the old master, this person must have significant connections,” Zhuo Yan analyzed. “Brother Qian, the Wen family is now one of the most powerful families. If we have an opportunity, we can’t let it go. Wen Zhaofu will take over the family business in the future—he’s the most crucial. Liu Erxing, the adopted grandson of Wen Tingwang, the head of Wen Entertainment, is also a key figure.”

“Alright, I understand,” Zhu Zhiqian waved his hand. “For your sake, I’ll make sure to interact with them more.”

“He’s just a little butler—I can handle him.”

*

The next morning, Yun Fan went to Wen Zhaofu’s room as usual to get him up. When he entered, Wen Zhaofu was picking out a suit from his wardrobe.

In the walk-in closet, there were rows of dark-colored suits. Exquisitely tailored and clearly expensive, the predominantly dark tones felt somewhat drab.

“Which one? Let me get it for you, sir,” Yun Fan walked over.

Wen Zhaofu pointed, and Yun Fan carefully took down the suit, removing the hanger gently.

“Do you prefer dark blue and black, sir?” Yun Fan asked.

Wen Zhaofu shook his head. He had initially intended to choose a black tie but changed direction, pointing instead: “Get that light blue one.”

“Who wouldn’t prefer a splash of color?” Wen Zhaofu looked at Yun Fan with a faint smile.

Though he had just woken up, Wen Zhaofu already seemed alert. His features were deep-set, his gaze calm. Yun Fan had never met anyone like him; whenever their eyes met, he found it hard to look away.

“I see—life’s pressures,” Yun Fan chuckled. “Even our omnipotent Mr. Wen has moments of helplessness.”

Wen Zhaofu smiled, allowing Yun Fan to usher him out of the closet. “Out of 24 hours a day, I feel helpless for about 16 hours.”

“As long as my eyes are open, there are countless decisions that must be made with rationality.”

Perhaps an employer shouldn’t share such thoughts with a butler, but looking at Yun Fan, Wen Zhaofu felt compelled to speak his mind.

“Sir, you’re too tense,” Yun Fan patted Wen Zhaofu’s shoulder. “But with so many responsibilities, it’s natural to feel trapped.”

Wen Zhaofu looked up at Yun Fan in the morning light. Yun Fan tilted his head and smiled, checking the time: “Hurry and get dressed, sir. The old butler will be prodding us soon.”

“Him…” Wen Zhaofu shook his head helplessly.

Before leaving Wen Zhaofu’s bedroom, Yun Fan quietly asked, “Sir, could you tell me about any issues between Young Master Cheng and Young Master Liu? I’d like to be mindful in the future.”

Wen Zhaofu smiled: “I can tell you.”

When they were young, Liu Erxing had a dog. It wasn’t very big, but to a child, it was still somewhat frightening.

Cheng Yu, having been coddled since childhood, wasn’t afraid of cats but was terrified of dogs. Every time he met Liu Erxing, he would end up crying.

Cheng Yu told his grandfather about it. At the time, the Wen family was going through internal strife, and his grandfather used the incident to criticize the third faction.

As a result, Liu Erxing’s dog was sent away.

“Tsk, the dog was innocent,” Yun Fan said sympathetically. “Your family is so convoluted.”

Wen Zhaofu opened his mouth but ultimately said nothing—neither defending nor agreeing.

*

At three in the afternoon, Wen Haochen waited at the gate in his gaudy red convertible. As soon as Liu Erxing arrived, he pointed at the car and said, “This car might be cool for picking up girls, but we’re here on business! The back seat is so narrow—who’s going to fit? Should I run behind the car, or should Butler Yun?”

Liu Erxing spoke so quickly that Wen Haochen couldn’t quite follow, only catching the tail end: “You run.”

“Run my ass!” Liu Erxing turned and hurried toward the Carp Pavilion. His car was still being repaired, so he had to ask his god-grandfather for a car.

Once in the car, Yun Fan looked up at the sky with concern: “Your car really has no roof? The weather doesn’t look great.”

“We’ll make it quick! Butler Yun, it’s up to you,” Wen Haochen said eagerly.

They met Liu Erxing at the gate of Wen Yanlan’s estate. Liu Erxing shot Wen Haochen a glare. Yun Fan laughed and asked, “Did you light a firecracker or something?”

“What? Grandpa doesn’t allow fireworks,” Wen Haochen asked, confused.

Right, communication barrier. Yun Fan simply shut his mouth, figuring out his approach when they met the other party.

Yun Fan had seen plenty of con artists in his day, but this was his first encounter with one dressed in a suit, sitting in an office building.

When they arrived, Yun Fan had Wen Haochen stand behind him. They were about the same height, and Wen Haochen’s breath tickled his ear, so he took a step aside.

Liu Erxing, who had been silent until then, reached out and pulled Wen Haochen back by the collar, raising his chin.

“Buddy, you call this stuff caviar? Go home and taste your hair gel—it’s the same flavor!” Yun Fan slammed a jar of caviar on the man’s desk and started chewing him out. “No, wait—it’s like the marbles we played with as kids! Put one in your mouth, and it’s just like this!”

“I’ve never played with marbles,” the other person said blankly, actually following Yun Fan’s lead.

No one expected that when Wen Haochen said he wanted to talk, he would bring along someone like this. Without so much as a word, he started cursing—caviar buyers never act like this!

Wealthy families usually couldn't care less about the money they lost to scams, often treating it like a flea bite. Exploiting this loophole, these fraudsters have been operating worldwide.

But they just arrived in Hong Kong and already bit off more than they could chew. Earlier, it was said that Wen Haochen had already fought with the classmate who recommended the purchase, and now he brought along a verbal stand-in.

Now that's talent!

"Twelve-year-old carp? Why not say it’s your granddaddy’s reincarnated release from a past life? It’s clearly an industrial accident fished out of a sewage ditch."

"Your granddaddy isn’t here today to ask for your money—we don’t care about that chump change." Yun Fan paused; truthfully, he still felt a bit sore about it. "Consider it a crowdfunded donation for your urn."

"But I suggest you spend it wisely. With this shoddy operation of yours, it won’t last more than five weeks tops."

Liu Erxing listened to Yun Fan’s booming voice, his smile growing wider. He had initially thought that if Yun Fan, with his slender frame, couldn’t hold his own in an argument, he could step in to help.

Who knew this guy packed such a verbal punch?

As for Wen Haochen, he had never witnessed such a spectacle before. Even growing up, he had never heard anyone curse so fluently.

If Yun Fan hadn't still been going, he would have started applauding.

Yun Fan turned around, flipped his hand dismissively, then looked back and delivered the final blow to the stunned man: "Mr. Xue, may you have the runs every day from now on—just like this caviar, dull gray and perfectly separated, every last grain!"

"Let’s go!"

The caviar boss and his lackeys were all frozen in place, staring dumbfounded as the three came like a whirlwind and left like a blaze, without even a chance to retort.

Damn, they probably wouldn’t be able to look at caviar the same way again. After all, you can only choose one: the runs or caviar.

In the elevator, Wen Haochen, still not fully recovered, stifled a laugh. Liu Erxing rubbed the back of his neck, took a deep breath, and patted Yun Fan’s shoulder sincerely. "Impressive! You’ve got some of my moves."

"You flatter me!" Yun Fan quickly clasped his hands in salute.

Liu Erxing thought for a moment, then smacked Wen Haochen on the back of the head. "Wen Jr., treat us to beef offal tonight. Skip the fancy restaurants—find a street stall. The aroma’s better."

"No problem!" Wen Haochen, still riding the high of victory, agreed to everything.

Downstairs, Wen Haochen completely let loose, high-fiving Yun Fan and circling around him. This right-hand man had truly impressed him.

Just as he was about to hug Yun Fan, Wen Zhaofu’s car appeared at the building’s entrance. The window rolled down, revealing Wen Zhaofu’s stern face.

"It’s raining. I came to pick you up."