"Brother, it's great you're back. From now on, we brothers will follow you. Just give us a word, and we'll go through fire and water without hesitation," Wang Hu said earnestly. After speaking, he glanced at the few followers behind him and shouted, "What are you standing there for? Call him 'Brother'."
"Brother!" The followers chorused.
Ye Qian slightly nodded and continued, "Hu Zi, this time I came back just to find a peaceful job and not to worry my old man anymore..."
Ye Qian hadn't finished his words when Wang Hu eagerly said, "Brother..."
Ye Qian stopped him with a gesture and continued, "No need to say more, I have my plans. Besides, we brothers don't need to be so formal. Whether I lead or not, if you ever need anything, I'll definitely help."
Seeing Ye Qian's resolved attitude, Wang Hu didn't press further. He knew Ye Qian's words were genuine—whenever he had troubles, Ye Qian would surely help, just as he would unhesitatingly assist Ye Qian if needed. "Brother, it's been eight years since we last met, we must drink heartily tonight, not going home until we're utterly drunk."
Ye Qian smiled slightly and agreed, "Not going home until we're drunk."
It was almost midnight when Ye Qian and Lin Rourou finally left. Wang Hu had drunk too much, already snoring on the table, while Ye Qian had also had a fair bit to drink but wasn't drunk. Lin Rourou, however, had drunk quite a bit and babbled nonsensically all the way as Ye Qian drove her home.
After dropping Lin Rourou off at her place, Ye Qian then drove away. Li Dong had intended to deliver some money to Ye Qian that night, but seeing Wang Hu and Ye Qian deep in conversation, thought better of it. He was just an ordinary thug, not really a mafia, at best hovering in the grey area between the lawful and the lawless. In this area, although Wang Hu's influence wasn't significant, it was still beyond Li Dong, who also secretly pondered whether he should follow Wang Hu through Ye Qian's connection. But would Ye Qian help him with that?
Lin Rourou's home was a rented apartment she shared with a sister, a two-bedroom flat. After Ye Qian left, Lin Rourou's housemate teasingly approached her and said, "Rou Rou, is that your boyfriend? He's so handsome."
Lin Rourou, slightly drunk, didn't really respond but just smiled blissfully as she watched Ye Qian's car disappear into the distance.
Ye Qian wasn't pretending to be noble or refusing to mix in the underworld; he clearly knew that being involved in the underworld in China was harder than in any other country in the world. Moreover, having just returned to the country, he was unfamiliar with the complexities of SH city's underworld of both officials and businessmen, so he preferred not to act rashly.
As he left the bar, Wang Hu, wrapping an arm around Ye Qian, cautioned him to be wary of Ou Yang Tian Ming, whose influence was substantial and anything in the future needed to be handled carefully. As far as Ye Qian was concerned, someone like Ou Yang Tian Ming from a privileged background was hardly worth his concern. If Ye Qian wanted to deal with him, it would be all too easy, whether through high-level connections in China, diplomatic channels, or leveraging the vast information and business networks established by the Wolf Fang Mercenary Group over the years—even directly taking him down was an easy task. However, Ye Qian did not want his return to be known by the high echelons of China nor by the violent members of the Wolf Fang, as it would only complicate matters if they all decided to come to China.
The next morning, Ye Qian got up early, a habit from years of discipline. As the head of the Wolf Fang Mercenary Group, he needed to maintain a physical condition that ordinary people couldn't match to meet challenges under any circumstances.
After a quick breakfast at a local diner, he took the bus to the Tian Ya Corporation. It was his first day on the job, and he didn't want to be late. Of course, it wasn't appropriate to drive there, as it would look pretentious—driving to work when the job was just a security guard.
The job as a security guard at Tian Ya Corporation wasn't demanding. Aside from routine patrols of necessary areas of the corporate building, there wasn't much else to do. Plus, Tian Ya Corporation was a well-known entity in SH city, hardly anyone dared to cause trouble there, so essentially, the security job was quite relaxed.
Moreover, while the salary for security wasn't high, the benefits were quite good, including social insurance, housing fund, and meals. If one could work up to being a security manager, it would be even better. Overall, this job offered both future prospects and a decent earning potential.
There were over a dozen security guards,
but a few were night shift, so Ye Qian hadn't met them yet. The security captain who interviewed Ye Qian, Zheng Xin, took him to HR for official registration and then to collect a security uniform and corresponding equipment. The standard 511 tactical uniform looked quite decent on him. The moment he donned the uniform, Ye Qian felt as though he was back on the African lands leading his Wolf Fang mercenaries.
After introducing Ye Qian to his colleagues, Zheng Xin briefly explained the security duties and advised Ye Qian to ask others if he had any questions, before strutting off. Ye Qian didn't have much reaction to Zheng Xin's attitude; if he didn't like it, he'd simply avoid dealing with him.
Watching Zheng Xin leave, one security guard grumbled, "What a piece of work! Acts all high and mighty, but he's just a bootlicker."
Ye Qian chuckled lightly. He had already learned the name of this short, but young-looking security guard who resembled a young Ma Jingtao—Wan Chunhua. "It seems you guys really dislike Captain Zheng," Ye Qian commented.
"You can ask around; there's hardly a security guard here who doesn't despise him. He's always bossing people around, sucking up to the leadership. Whenever there's danger, he hides; whenever there's a chance to shine, he's the first to push forward. If it weren't so hard to find a job nowadays, I'd seriously consider knocking some sense into him," Wan Chunhua vented his frustration. The other guards nodded in agreement, except for one quiet young man in his late twenties who said nothing.