HSS CH18

Chapter 18: 300,000 a Month

Before hanging up the phone, Lin Miao repeatedly instructed his dad, “Keep an eye on the gate and don’t let any bad guys in again.”

“How come,” Lin Jianxing grumbled, “you’re my boss now?”

Before Lin Miao could respond, his dad interjected, “You’re just trying to get Little Huo to deduct my wages again, right?”

His dad complained, “You’re just like that fox borrowing the tiger’s fierceness!”

“You’re the tiger,” Lin Miao retorted, “Where does Huo Yuchuan look like a tiger?”

Lin Jianxing clicked his tongue and said, “The way he hit people today was way fiercer than a tiger.”

Lin Miao paused for a moment and said, “I remember, Huo Yuchuan doesn’t seem to have a brother.”

“Heard they’re not from the same mother,” Lin Jianxing said. “I found out later that the young man acted all high and mighty with Little Huo, demanding to be made a vice president. When Little Huo refused, he got angry.”

“You really think this company is yours!” Huo Chengdong sneered in frustration, “A bastard child, and you actually think you’re part of the Huo family?”

“Bastard?” At that moment, Huo Yuchuan sat behind his desk flipping through documents without even lifting his head, “Aren’t you?”

“I…” Huo Chengdong choked for a moment, then stubbornly said, “At least I grew up in the Huo family. Unlike you, who knows where you came from.”

He raised his eyebrows, “Maybe you’re just some other man’s child that your mom had, seeing the money in our family and trying to pass yourself off as one of us.”

“You think they trust you? They just see that you’re useful and keep you around to make more money.”

“When you’re no longer useful, you’ll end up begging like a dog…”

Huo Yuchuan closed the file, stood up silently, and walked towards him.

Huo Chengdong thought he had been persuaded and said triumphantly, “You should have listened to me earlier, I…”

Huo Yuchuan suddenly grabbed his collar and threw a punch.

“Ah!”

So, when the security guards rushed up, they saw Huo Chengdong howling and flailing his limbs around in confusion, accidentally hitting Huo Yuchuan’s mouth in the chaos.

“Little Huo called an ambulance after he was done,” Lin Jianxing said, “and had him dragged away.”

He left crying uncontrollably, wanting to curse but too afraid to, and was dragged away with a whimper.

That evening, Lin Miao lay in bed, his brows furrowing more and more as he thought. He said to Huo Yuchuan, “You don’t talk much; how can you argue with him? If he scolds you again, just tell me, and I’ll scold him.”

Huo Yuchuan looked at his slightly disheveled hair and asked, “Are you good at scolding people?”

“I’m… pretty good,” Lin Miao puffed out his chest and said, “I learned a bit from Jiang Leming.”

Jiang Leming was cheerful and talkative, able to chat with anyone for hours. When it came to scolding, he was unstoppable. During their freshman year, he had scolded a heartless taxi driver so fiercely that the driver didn’t even take the money and just drove away.

“…Impressive,” Huo Yuchuan commented.

“Of course,” Lin Miao said proudly, “Everyone in our dorm is amazing.”

He Yu was more reserved, with excellent grades and the most stable scholar in their dorm; Zhou Zhuo was tall and strong, a member of the school basketball team who had led his team to many victories.

“I’m the weakest link,” Lin Miao said in a low voice, “I’m good at eating, though.”

Huo Yuchuan couldn’t help but laugh.

This time, however, Lin Miao didn’t get angry. He just asked, “Are you feeling better?”

Huo Yuchuan looked at him without a word.

“I know you’re upset today,” Lin Miao paused and took the initiative to hug him, “Forget about it after a good sleep, okay?”

Huo Yuchuan inhaled the fresh scent from his hair, the new shampoo from the bathroom.

He closed his eyes and whispered, “Okay.”

Two days later, while Lin Miao was looking up information in the library, he received a message from his dad.

“Son, Little Huo’s brother is here again, and he brought several guys in black clothes.”

Lin Miao quickly replied, “Don’t let him in.”

Lin Jianxing: “Little Huo let him in.”

Lin Miao grabbed his bag and rushed over.

When he arrived at Huo Yuchuan’s company, he saw his dad leisurely wandering around the entrance, with the other security guards in the lobby.

Lin Miao urgently asked, “Why didn’t you go up to protect Huo Yuchuan?”

Lin Jianxing: “Little Huo didn’t call us.”

Lin Miao was furious, “If he gets beaten up again, I’ll have him fire you.”

Lin Jianxing: “……”

Lin Miao took the elevator upstairs and peeked into Huo Yuchuan’s office. He saw a man wrapped in bandages, looking like a mummy, sitting in a wheelchair with several men in black suits standing behind him, probably bodyguards.

The man trembled and said, “Huo Yuchuan, I warn you, if you dare hit me again… I won’t let you off!”

Huo Yuchuan ignored him.

Huo Chengdong was a bit intimidated and didn’t dare to demand to be a vice president anymore. He lowered his request, “Then… how about a department manager?”

Huo Yuchuan: “Go be a security guard.”

“What?!” Huo Chengdong was shocked and furious, “You want me to guard the gate?!”

He almost jumped up but failed, and angrily said, “A security guard is nothing, and you dare to make me one?!”

Lin Miao got angry instantly, pushed the door open, and said, “What’s wrong with being a security guard? It’s a job that earns money, and it’s way better than you!”

Huo Chengdong was startled by him and asked, seeing his angry expression, “Are you a security guard?”

Lin Miao: “No.”

Then why are you so angry? Huo Chengdong thought he had stepped on his tail. He turned back to Huo Yuchuan, “Anyway, I won’t be a security guard!”

Huo Yuchuan picked up a document from the table and threw it at him, saying, “If you can sign this contract, I’ll make you a manager.”

Without even looking, Huo Chengdong happily said, “Alright, you said it! It’s just a contract, I’ll sign it!”

He left confidently in his wheelchair, looking back before leaving and warning, “Keep your word!”

Lin Miao stood in front of Huo Yuchuan’s desk like a little security guard.

Huo Yuchuan walked behind him, “Came to protect me?”

Seeing Huo Chengdong leave, Lin Miao let out a sigh of relief, “Why didn’t you call the security guards up? What if they beat you up?”

Huo Yuchuan: “Isn’t there you?”

“I’m not very good at fighting,” Lin Miao thought and felt a bit scared. Those bodyguards earlier, one could probably pick him up with one hand and shake him around.

Huo Yuchuan slightly lowered his head and looked at him, “Then why did you come up here alone?”

“My dad and the others wouldn’t come up, saying you didn’t call them,” Lin Miao had rushed all the way and was thirsty, wanting to find some water to drink. But he saw a document spread out on Huo Yuchuan’s desk, which seemed to be a salary breakdown.

He casually glanced at it and saw that Little Zheng’s column read 300,000.

“Little Zheng’s monthly salary is 300,000?!” Lin Miao’s eyes widened.

Huo Yuchuan nodded.

Lin Miao: “I get 300,000 in two years, and that’s just his monthly salary?!”

So is Huo Yuchuan only stingy with me?

Huo Yuchuan calmly said, “He does the work of more than ten people by himself.”

Lin Miao replied, “Then… I can also take on more tasks.”

Huo Yuchuan glanced at him and asked, “What kind of work?”

Lin Miao thought for a moment and realized that, aside from accompanying Huo Yuchuan to sleep, all the other tasks were handled by Aunt Chen and Little Zheng.

He pouted and said, “Can I take some of Aunt Chen’s and Little Zheng’s work?”

Huo Yuchuan didn’t object but said, “Then you ask Aunt Chen and Little Zheng.”

So Lin Miao called Aunt Chen and said, “Aunt Chen, I’ll sweep the floor at home from now on.”

Aunt Chen immediately started crying and said, “Is it because I don’t sweep cleanly enough?”

Lin Miao quickly reassured her, “No! I didn’t mean that…”

“Then I’ll sweep three times, no, four times!” Aunt Chen said sorrowfully, “Please don’t look down on me, okay?”

Lin Miao spent half an hour comforting Aunt Chen and swearing that he wouldn’t touch a single broom or mop in the house before he managed to calm her down.

He then called Little Zheng and asked if he could take on some of his tasks.

Little Zheng replied, “Sure.”

Lin Miao’s eyes lit up, but then he heard, “But the salary can’t be reduced.”

Lin Miao turned to Huo Yuchuan and said, “He said the salary can’t be reduced.”

Huo Yuchuan replied, “Then you won’t get paid.”

Lin Miao: “……” Then why should I even do the work?!

Lin Miao immediately hung up the phone.

Not long after, Aunt Chen brought lunch and, before leaving, held Lin Miao’s hand with tearful eyes and said that she had swept the floor four times today, and it was very clean.

Lin Miao almost wanted to strangle himself for making those phone calls today.

He spent another half an hour coaxing Aunt Chen into a smile and convincing her that sweeping the floor once was enough.

After talking so much, he was exhausted and just wanted to take a nap with Huo Yuchuan after finishing his meal.

There was a resting room in Huo Yuchuan’s office with a very soft bed. Lin Miao closed his eyes and burrowed into the blanket as soon as he got in.

After a while, Huo Yuchuan also lay down beside him.

In his drowsy state, Lin Miao suddenly remembered that he hadn’t heard Huo Yuchuan mention Miss Zhao these past few days. He couldn’t help but open his eyes and ask, “Huo Yuchuan, how are things between you and Miss Zhao?”

Huo Yuchuan pulled the blanket over him and said, “You’re so nosy.”

Lin Miao poked his head out from under the blanket and said, “I’m just a little curious.”

Huo Yuchuan replied, “Nothing much.”

“Miss Zhao is so beautiful; you don’t like her?” Lin Miao suddenly had a brainstorm. “Do you have someone you like?”

Huo Yuchuan didn’t speak, not denying it.

“Who is it? Do I know them?” Lin Miao suddenly felt wide awake. “Have you confessed?”

Huo Yuchuan replied, “No.”

Lin Miao asked, “Why haven’t you confessed?”

Huo Yuchuan fell silent again, closed his eyes, and seemed to be asleep.

Lin Miao called out to him a few times, but eventually got sleepy again. In his half-asleep state, he finally heard him say, “Wait a bit longer.”

Lin Miao mumbled, “Wait for what?”

Huo Yuchuan’s voice was so low that Lin Miao could barely hear it.

“Wait until he likes me too.”

Lin Miao slept until three in the afternoon, by which time Huo Yuchuan had already gone back to his office next door.

Lin Miao had no classes in the afternoon but did have evening classes. He planned to go back to school first, eat in the cafeteria, and then head to class.

However, after packing his bag, Huo Yuchuan suddenly asked him, “Do you want to have Western food?”

Lin Miao was taken aback for a moment and said, “Ah?”

Huo Yuchuan explained that a friend of his had just opened a Western restaurant, and it was having its grand opening tonight. They had invited some guests who could eat for free.

Lin Miao hesitated for a moment while holding his bag, then dragged a chair over and sat beside Huo Yuchuan, playing on his computer.

So, the employees coming in to sign documents saw their boss being squeezed to the edge of the table.

Everyone was used to it, knowing that there was a very good-looking college student who often came to see Huo Yuchuan. No appointment or registration was needed; he could just go straight to the boss’s office.

At six in the evening, Lin Miao followed Huo Yuchuan to the newly opened Western restaurant.

The decor looked very exquisite and high-end, the kind of place Lin Miao wouldn’t dare to enter alone.

The owner was a slightly plump middle-aged man who greeted Huo Yuchuan with a beaming smile as soon as he walked in. He arranged a table with a good view and a bit more privacy for them.

Lin Miao was focused on eating and didn’t pay much attention to the restaurant after the dishes were served. He only remembered what dishes were served and which ones were the most delicious.

When he had eaten almost all he wanted, he noticed that the restaurant had filled up with more people. He Congshan had also arrived and seemed to have had some drinks. He came over to greet them, a bit tipsy.

As the time for class was approaching, Huo Yuchuan called Little Zheng to take Lin Miao to school.

“Give me a ride too,” He Congshan said wearily, “I’m heading back. I haven’t slept well these past few days and have a headache.”

Huo Yuchuan: “Did you go thieving?”

He Congshan replied irritably, “Yeah, I went to steal someone.”

He went to tell the owner a few words, then got into Little Zheng’s car with Lin Miao, “Take Little Lin to school first.”

Twenty minutes later, the car stopped at the school gate. Lin Miao unbuckled his seatbelt and was about to get out when he saw the half-drunk He Congshan leap out faster than him.

“Boss……”

He saw through the car window that their math teacher was walking out of the gate, holding a book. Under the bright streetlight, his silver-rimmed glasses caught a bit of light.

He Congshan walked over, covered his nose and mouth with his hand, and smiled with a hint of alcohol, “Found you.”

Yu Jinwan’s whole body stiffened. He took a step back and whispered, “You’ve got the wrong person.”

He Congshan looked at him suspiciously and said, “Wrong person?”

With people coming and going at the entrance, Yu Jinwan started to walk away but was grabbed by He Congshan again after a few steps, “Hey, wait a minute……”

Lin Miao saw He Congshan tugging at him like a bully and thought he was having a drunken fit. He quickly called Little Zheng over to hold him back, “Otherwise, the security guards will beat him up!”

“I’m not having a drunken fit!” He Congshan held onto the person tightly and shouted, drawing the attention of many people. Lin Miao quickly pulled them behind a nearby tree.

“You… you really have the wrong person,” Yu Jinwan lowered his head slightly and struggled with his wrist, “Let go……”

He Congshan stared at him intently, suddenly grabbed his chin with one hand, and kissed him quickly.

“I didn’t get the wrong person!” He said decisively, “It’s this mouth!”

Yu Jinwan, Lin Miao: “……”