Chapter 4 Reporting to the Villa

Chapter 4: Reporting for Duty at the Villa

The weather wasn't very good today, with dark clouds looming overhead. The leaves outside the window swayed in the wind, swirling as they fell before drifting down.

Cheng Feng woke up at five in the morning.

He had had a little to drink the night before, not too much, so he was clear-headed. He had already packed most of his luggage during the night, leaving only his bedding and toiletries to take care of this morning.

He folded the bedding and stuffed it into a burlap sack.

His toiletries were all tossed into a red plastic bucket.

After he finished packing,

he picked up a rag and wiped down the inside and outside of his room.

Then, he took a short video of the tidy room and sent it to his former boss, as a final handover.

He sent the message but got no reply, likely because the boss hadn't woken up at this hour.

It was now 7:30 in the morning.

It was still early; he wasn't supposed to report to Butler Liu until later.

He was so nervous that his palms were sweating.

Looking at his belongings packed in a burlap sack and a slightly worn black suitcase, he couldn't help but feel shabby no matter how he looked at it.

He took a deep breath.

There was no need to feel inferior; it was what it was.

At his age, he was still thin-skinned. Whenever he encountered people from well-off families or those dressed smartly in daily life, he would instinctively compare himself, feeling both envy and inferiority, as if he were always a step behind.

Especially since he had dropped out of school early to work.

He had no education or background,

and he often felt useless and had to repeatedly cheer himself up.

Cheng Feng went out and bought two steamed buns.

He had a bowl of soy milk.

Afterward, he rode his motorcycle to the hospital to visit his mother.

His mother was still in that dazed, vacant state. His eyes slightly reddened as he held her hand.

"Mom, don't worry."

His voice was very soft, and he was on the verge of tears.

"I've found a really good job, with a monthly salary of thirty thousand. The butler said there would be bonuses later. With that much money, your illness will definitely be cured."

The woman slowly turned her head, her empty gaze falling on his face.

Still lacking any spark, like a puppet that had lost its soul.

Cheng Feng held back his tears, picked up the warm porridge, and fed it to his mother spoonful by spoonful.

After finishing breakfast, he wiped the corner of her mouth and tucked in the blanket before reluctantly leaving the ward.

Returning to the dormitory and looking at the pile of luggage on the floor,

Cheng Feng decided to splurge today.

He would take a taxi to the Shang family villa.

With so many things, it would be too troublesome and unsafe to load them onto his motorcycle.

At eight o'clock sharp,

Cheng Feng called the butler, his tone respectful:

"Hello, Butler Liu, I've packed all my things. Can I come over to move them now?"

The butler's slightly hoarse voice came from the other end of the line, carrying a hint of surprise:

"So early?"

After a pause, he said, "Come around ten in the morning."

Cheng Feng could hear the sleepiness in his voice and realized he might have disturbed his rest. He quickly replied, "Okay," and hung up.

He sat on the cold bunk bed, staring at the luggage on the floor, waiting for nearly two hours.

At 9:50,

he picked up his luggage, locked the door, hailed a taxi on the roadside, and stuffed the burlap sack, suitcase, and plastic bucket into the trunk.

He left the old motorcycle behind;

he planned to come back and ride it in the afternoon after settling in.

Half an hour later,

the taxi arrived at the main gate of the Shang family villa.

He carried all his luggage out.

Standing at the main gate, he looked around.

Not far away,

four young people were standing together chatting.

They were all around twenty years old.

Two young men stood tall and straight.

Two girls had delicate features, dressed in brand-name clothing that was well-tailored and of high quality. It was clear they came from good families, exuding an air of privilege.

Beside them were four suitcases.

All were well-known brands with exquisite designs.

Cheng Feng recognized them. He'd looked them up online before when he wanted to replace his own suitcase. The cheapest of that style cost several hundred yuan, and just by looking at the design of one of the young men's suitcases, he could tell it would cost over a thousand.

By comparison,

his own red plastic bucket, burlap sack, and worn-out suitcase stood out like a sore thumb.

Cheng Feng pressed his lips together and tightened his grip on the suitcase handle.

He slowly wheeled his luggage toward the group of four.

The four of them soon noticed him.

Their chatter abruptly stopped.

Their eyes all turned to him, showing surprise.

Cheng Feng studied their expressions.

Fortunately, he didn't see any contempt or disdain in their eyes, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

A short while later,

a black Porsche slowly pulled up and stopped in front of them.

The car door opened.

Butler Liu stepped out, dressed in a sharp suit, his hair slicked back perfectly, his expression stern.

The four who had been standing casually moments before

immediately straightened up.

Their casual expressions vanished as they quickly stepped forward, beaming at Butler Liu, their attitude was extremely respectful.

Butler Liu gave a slight nod, his gaze sweeping over the four before finally landing on Cheng Feng. After pausing for two seconds, he said,

"Let's go, get in the car."

Cheng Feng didn't dare to delay. He picked up his luggage and hurried to follow, the plastic bucket bumping against the burlap sack, making soft noises.

In the silence, the sounds seemed particularly jarring. His face instantly flushed, and he quickened his pace.

The butler led them to a van and gestured for them to put their suitcases in the trunk.

He glanced at the luggage in Cheng Feng's hands.

"Xiao Feng, put your things in the trunk of the other car."

Cheng Feng quickly nodded, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

His belongings were a lot of messy items.

They really did take up space.

The trunk of this van probably wouldn't fit them all.

He hurried to the other van, carefully placed the burlap sack, suitcase, and plastic bucket into the trunk, arranging them neatly, afraid of dirtying the car.

After finishing, he gently closed the trunk door and climbed into the back seat.

This was Cheng Feng's first time being in such a luxurious car.

Previously, the nicest car he'd ever been in was his former boss's BMW.

But this van had an exquisite interior, soft seats, and was even more comfortable than the BMW.

He sat bolt upright the entire time, hands on his knees, staring straight ahead without blinking, not daring to look around, afraid his actions would seem unsophisticated.

The butler sat in the passenger seat.

He glanced at the five young men in the back through the rearview mirror.

The other four were less restrained.

They were huddled together, whispering among themselves.

Only Cheng Feng sat stiffly upright, his expression serious and tense, even his eyes showing a hint of caution.

The butler sighed softly, a flicker of pity passing through his eyes.

Still just a kid.

So young and already out working, it's not easy.

After driving for about ten minutes, the car finally stopped in front of an imposing villa.

The villa was pure white, with a European style. The yard was filled with valuable plants, meticulously maintained.

Everyone filed out.

Cheng Feng followed, standing to the side, waiting for the other car to arrive. Then he quickly stepped forward, got his luggage, walked over to stand beside the other four, and the five of them lined up neatly in a row, all looking toward the butler.

The butler stood before them, his expression growing even more serious, his tone grave as he said,

"First, I need to give you a heads-up.

The young master is high-maintenance and has extremely high standards for food and living conditions, especially regarding cleanliness. He has a severe cleanliness obsession.

If any of you fail to clean properly or meet the requirements, you'll be dismissed immediately, no exceptions."

He paused, then continued,

"As for meals, the young master's tastes are very unpredictable. Sometimes he likes sweet things, sometimes he prefers spicy, occasionally he favors salty flavors—there's a lot of uncertainty.

You need to be flexible and pay close attention to his preferences.

The things he doesn't like to eat, I'll go over in more detail tomorrow. If I say too much now, you won't remember it all."

The butler scanned the group.

"Now, go and put your luggage in the dormitory first.

Meet back here in half an hour.

I'll take you to familiarize yourselves with the Shang family estate.

Remember, there are many rules. Behave yourselves and don't wander around."

"Yes, sir!" Cheng Feng immediately responded loudly.

In contrast, the other four only gave a weak, perfunctory reply, their tone full of indifference. One of them even secretly rolled his eyes.

The butler's brow furrowed at once, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the four of them, his voice dropping a few degrees:

"If you don't want to work, then get out! There are plenty of people lining up for this job.

Don't think that just because you're young masters and misses from other families, you can run wild here.

In the Shang Family, you four are nothing! Didn't you eat? Louder!"

Intimidated by the butler's aura, their faces fell immediately, and they snapped to attention, shouting loudly:

"Yes, understood!"

The butler gave a satisfied nod and waved over a man and a woman not far away:

"Brother Li, Cailan, take them to the dormitory."

"Alright, Butler Liu," the two answered right away, stepping forward and motioning for the five to follow.

The five nodded and followed behind Brother Li and Sister Cailan.

After that, the four young people didn't dare to be the slightest bit lazy anymore, each behaving properly and respectfully.

Actually, these four.

All got in through connections.

Their respective families have some influence locally.

But compared to the mighty Shang clan, they are completely insignificant.

The reason their parents sent them to serve the young master of the Shang Family is simply to curry favor.

If they can serve the young master well, or manage to connect with anyone from the Shang Family, it would be of great help to their family businesses in the future.

The four of them are extremely unwilling in their hearts.

After all, they are pampered young masters and misses who should be enjoying a good life; who would want to do menial work serving others?

But their families' attitudes are firm.

They simply cannot resist and have no choice but to grit their teeth and come to the Shang Family as servants.