Chapter 6, Section 005: The Young Pioneer Who Had Yet to Be Weaned

Ye Chen’s moves were simple yet fierce. Against these thugs, his straightforward street-fighting skills were more than enough to take on ten at a time without breaking a sweat. The last few opponents collapsed under his sharp kicks, groaning in pain. Ye Chen showed no mercy—each kick landed with the force of over a hundred pounds.

With a heavy stomp, Ye Chen pressed his foot onto the chest of the blond-haired punk and questioned coldly, "Speak. Who sent you?"

“N-no one sent me! We came on our own to collect protection money!” the punk rasped, his voice hoarse with fear.

“We’ll see how long you can keep up that bravado,” Ye Chen sneered. Without hesitation, he grabbed a red-hot iron tong from the barbecue grill, waving it menacingly like a branding iron in front of the punk’s face. “You just got your eggs cracked. Now I’ll give you a real barbecue!”

“No… please, no!” the punk begged desperately.

“Are you going to talk?” Ye Chen demanded, his tone icy.

At that moment, a few people squeezed into the room from outside. Upon seeing Ye Chen, one of them called out in surprise, “Brother Chen, it’s you?”

“Eh? Feng Zhixiao?” Ye Chen was momentarily stunned.

“Damn, it’s these bastards!” Now recognizing the men on the ground, Feng Zhixiao cursed loudly. He hurried over to Ye Chen and whispered a few words in his ear. Ye Chen immediately tossed the hot tong aside and narrowed his eyes, casting a sharp look toward Liu’s Barbecue, not far away. The chubby owner of Liu’s shop, seeing Ye Chen’s gaze, quickly backed away a few steps and turned his back.

So it turned out that the booming business at Liu Momo’s family’s barbecue stand had made Liu the Fatty jealous. He believed their stand was stealing his customers, and if it weren’t for them, his own business would be booming. In his envy, he’d paid two thousand yuan to hire a group of thugs, instructing them to drive Liu Momo’s family out of Jianghuai University.

“Brother Chen, just leave this to me. I guarantee I’ll handle it perfectly,” Feng Zhixiao said, pounding his chest. His three little underlings followed suit, the smallest still wearing a red scarf, sniffling as he declared, “Brother Chen, don’t worry, leave it to us!”

Ye Chen almost burst out laughing—Zhixiao really was something else. Only a boss as unconventional as him could have a little brother still wearing a red scarf.

“Hey, kid, are you even weaned yet?” a customer nearby laughed.

“Damn you! I was weaned at one, reading and writing by two, graduated elementary school at three, junior high at four, high school at five, and university at six! Look at you, you must be twenty and still in college—useless!” The red-scarfed boy glared with bright, black eyes. “Young man, you should get out and start hustling early; what you learn in school is useless! In fact, if you want, I’ll reluctantly take you as my little brother. Hurry up and pour some tea for your big bro!”

Laughter erupted all around; this kid was absolutely hilarious.

Feng Zhixiao looked a bit embarrassed. His twelve-year-old underling had a mouth that ran wild. He gave the boy a smack on the back of the head, scolding, “Idiot, spouting nonsense in front of Brother Chen. I’ll sort you out!”

“Brother Zhixiao, I won’t dare again!” The red-scarfed boy instantly shrank back, head lowered like a chastened schoolchild.

“Enough!” Ye Chen snapped at Feng Zhixiao. “This matter is yours to handle.”

As they conferred, the wail of a police siren approached. Red and blue lights flashed, and the crowd parted to create a path. Two officers leapt out, stern-faced.

“Who called the police?” The female officer, sharp and imposing in her navy uniform, stood out with her tall, straight legs and perfectly curved figure, her fitted uniform accentuating a slender waist and a full, captivating bust.

“I did!” Liu Momo hurried out and pointed at the thugs. “They were collecting protection money and smashing up our stand!”

The officer paused, frowning at the battered gang members. “Who did this to them?”

“I did!” Feng Zhixiao stepped in front of Ye Chen, giving him a meaningful glance.

Ye Chen was puzzled as to why Feng Zhixiao was taking the fall, but seeing his signal, he kept silent. The watching bystanders certainly weren’t going to speak up—people here just wanted to watch the drama, never to get involved.

“You?” The female officer eyed Feng Zhixiao’s skinny frame skeptically, but since he confessed, she had to accept it. “Fine, come with us to assist the investigation.”

The police came and went swiftly, the thugs carted off by ambulance. Feng Zhixiao threw Ye Chen a wink and left with the officers. The excitement faded, and Liu Momo and her mother were left to clean up the mess. After all that had happened, there was no way they could continue business tonight. Both mother and daughter were deeply troubled.

“Brother Chen, my mother and I will head home first,” Liu Momo said, looking reluctantly at Ye Chen.

Ye Chen nodded, watching the unfortunate pair leave.

As for Liu’s Barbecue, Ye Chen decided not to wait for Feng Zhixiao to handle it. He dragged Fatty Liu into a room alone.

When he emerged, Ye Chen felt invigorated, flexing his fists after that satisfying beatdown. Fatty Liu wouldn’t dare cause trouble again.

With the night’s events over, Ye Chen tidied up and returned to Xinhai Community. Checking his wallet, he figured he had just enough. Originally, he hadn’t planned to report to Tianya Group tomorrow, but after hearing from Feng Zhixiao about a monthly salary of over ten thousand, his heart skipped a beat. Hell, ten thousand a month was more than enough for him to live on.

The next morning, Ye Chen washed up, shaved, and put on his most presentable suit and a pair of flashy crocodile leather shoes, stepping out in style.

Tianya Group started work at nine. The building was only a ten-minute walk away. As he approached, he saw groups of professional women, impeccably dressed and strikingly beautiful.

“Wow, Tianya Group really lives up to its name—there are so many beauties here!” Ye Chen was dazzled by the scenery.

“Hey, new guy, right?” A shifty-looking man sidled up and whispered, “Don’t be fooled by appearances!”

“Huh? What do you mean?” Ye Chen asked, puzzled.

“Let me tell you, according to the grapevine, the female president Li Ruo is a total lesbian!” The man spoke confidentially. “So, most of the beauties here swing that way. If you’re new, don’t even think about making a move on any of them!”

“No way, really?” Ye Chen was stunned. He couldn’t wrap his head around it—so many gorgeous women, and they all had that kind of preference…

“Alright, enough gossip. Let’s introduce ourselves!” The man suddenly straightened, flashing a grin. “I’m Liu Shang—‘Liu’ as in Andy Lau, ‘Shang’ as in noble! And you?”

“I’m Ye Chen! First day on the job!” Ye Chen chuckled.

“Oh, first day? Which department?” Liu Shang asked curiously.

“Uh… bodyguard!” Ye Chen nodded.

“Whoa…” Liu Shang sucked in a breath. This guy was a bodyguard? In all Tianya Group, only President Li Ruo could possibly need a bodyguard. Liu Shang smacked his lips in envy, dragging Ye Chen aside. “Brother, you’re in luck—you get to see President Li every day! Do me a favor, snap a photo of her for me someday, will you?”

“Uh…” Ye Chen was speechless. “But isn’t she a lesbian? Why do you care?”

“Who cares! She might be, but I’m not!” Liu Shang almost pleaded. “Brother, my happiness is in your hands! Get me a photo and I’ll pay you a hundred yuan. I’ll hang it on my wall and stare at it every morning! Oh, my goddess…”

Ye Chen broke out in a cold sweat, quickly shaking off Liu Shang and rushing into Tianya Group. He made his way up to the fifteenth floor to report to HR. The Tianya Tower, headquarters of the group, was a grand twenty-story building with blue curtain walls, housing over a thousand employees.

Inside, Ye Chen was awed by the scale—floor tiles polished to mirrors, a lobby that spanned hundreds of square meters, in-house gymnasium, swimming pool, and various reading rooms. If you’d never heard of such amenities, you’d find them here. To enrich their employees’ leisure time, Tianya Group had set up many recreation and sports facilities, all free to use outside work hours.

“Excuse me, is this the HR department?” Ye Chen hesitated at the office door for a long time before entering.

“Can’t you read the sign?” A woman of formidable size eyed him irritably, her backside as broad as a grinding stone. “First thing in the morning and you’re already annoying me!”

“Uh…” Ye Chen was taken aback.

“Well, what do you want? Here to check some files?” She pushed her glasses up her nose.

“Um… I’m the new bodyguard,” Ye Chen stammered, swallowing hard. This woman was intimidating—her hips rivaled her chest in magnitude, her nostrils upturned, and her beady eyes glinting.

“You’re the new hire?” She paused, glanced at Ye Chen, and for the first time smiled. “Not bad, at least you look decent. You must have some skills to pass the test. Fill out this form and register.”

She tossed him a form. Unfazed, Ye Chen took the pen and quickly filled it out before handing it back. After a cursory glance, she entered his information into the computer, then handed him an employee badge. “From now on, clock in and out with this. Any tardiness or early departure means deductions.”

“Yes, yes,” Ye Chen nodded, then quietly asked, “Um… do you know what my salary is?”

“What, President Li didn’t tell you?” She looked surprised.

“I… I’ve never met her. How could I know about the salary?” Ye Chen was puzzled.

The woman paused, then smiled slyly. “No problem. Go see her on the twentieth floor now! Maybe President Li wants to surprise you.”

Full of suspicion, Ye Chen took the elevator straight to the twentieth floor. He still didn’t understand what the HR woman meant, but with questions in mind, he finally reached the legendary office of the ice-cold beauty CEO.

Knock, knock, knock!

Ye Chen politely rapped on the door.

“Come in,” came a frosty female voice from within, utterly devoid of warmth or emotion.

Ye Chen stepped inside.

The moment he saw the woman’s face, he was stunned—her features were exquisitely beautiful, her skin as fair as jade, clad in a black office suit with the neckline slightly open, revealing a deep, graceful contour and a pair of creamy, milk-white curves.

She sat quietly, focused on the files before her. There seemed to be a subtle, fresh fragrance drifting through the air, gradually seeping into one’s heart, like a lone plum blossom blooming gracefully in a quiet valley. No matter how many eyes watched her, she seemed alone in a vast wilderness, every glance and gesture exuding freedom and elegance.

Ye Chen was utterly captivated by her tranquil presence. Suddenly, she looked up, and a jolt ran through him—why did her face look so familiar? Ye Chen was dumbfounded.

Damn, isn’t this the examiner from the interview? How is she President Li? He hurried out, checking the golden letters on the door: General Manager’s Office.

Crap—so yesterday, he’d argued with the president herself, thinking she was just an interviewer. Now he was doomed.

Li Ruo’s lips curled into a cold smile, clearly enjoying Ye Chen’s shock. Remembering his arrogant manner during the recruitment, she wished she could punch him and flush him down the toilet.

“P-President Li!” Ye Chen was mortified. If he’d known she was the legendary ice-queen CEO, he’d never have spoken so rudely. But it was too late for regrets, so he forced a stiff smile. “I, uh, I’m here to report.”

“Hmm.” Li Ruo stifled a smug smile, putting on a stern face. “First day on the job, report to Security, get your uniform. Don’t walk around looking so shabby—you’re my bodyguard now. Don’t embarrass me by looking like a beggar.”

Ye Chen’s clothes were clean enough; though the style was a bit dated, they were comfortable. He stifled his anger, thinking, One day I’ll get back at you for this. Don’t get too cocky, missy—let’s see who laughs last. He nodded and grinned. “Right, can’t let President Li lose face.”

“Hmph!” Li Ruo snorted coldly, irritated. “Why are you still here? Do you expect me to keep you?”

Ye Chen quickly took his leave, not daring to stay a moment longer.