Lin Tian and Captain Liu went back to give their statements as a formality, which didn't take much time, and Captain Liu even personally drove him back to Xinyi Mall.
After bidding farewell to the enthusiastic Captain Liu, Lin Tian hurried into the mall. There was no helping it; his zombie body felt incredibly uncomfortable after being under the sun for too long, as the parts exposed to direct sunlight felt like they were about to melt. Lin Tian wasn't sure how much moonlight he would need to absorb to completely avoid this situation.
"Brother Lin Tian, over here, come for a moment," Lin Tian had just entered the mall when someone called out to him warmly. He turned to see that it was Manager Liu from the mall's HR department. Usually, Manager Liu acted all high and mighty, hardly even acknowledging the security guards, but now he was calling him over so affectionately.
Although he didn't like such people, Lin Tian still went over. Manager Liu handed him an envelope, enthusiastically patting Lin Tian and saying, "Brother Lin Tian, this is your bonus from last month, haha, the finance department asked me to give it to you. Also, this is a phone to compensate you for yours, with the card all set up and the same number. Are you satisfied?"
The latest iPhone 6, the withheld bonus from last month, the company was really willing to spend money, it seemed they were doing so out of respect for Elder Han. Lin Tian accepted the phone and, after a moment's thought, understood the situation. He didn't really care about what phone he used—it was just a matter of seeing these people's true colors again.
"Thank you, Manager Liu, I'm very satisfied. If there's nothing else, I'm going to start work," Lin Tian said.
When he returned to the security room, Lin Tian pushed the door open and saw someone sitting inside; it was Elder Han, with a smile on his face as he watched Lin Tian enter.
"Elder Han, hello," Lin Tian said, feeling a lot of goodwill towards the elderly man, who was very cultured.
"Young man, I have something to discuss with you, so I'll just get straight to the point. I like you very much, so I recommended you to Chairman Xiao to be a bodyguard. Are you interested?" Elder Han asked directly, with a hint of expectation in his voice.
"Chairman Xiao's bodyguard, could it be Mrs. Xiao?" Lin Tian said with some emotion—it was the person at the helm of the group.
"Oh, no, no, my apologies for not being clear. It's Second Miss Xiao. If you become her bodyguard, you'll need to accompany Second Miss to her studies and protect her every step of the way."
Lin Tian was somewhat tempted. He had dropped out of school in his junior year, which was a regret of his. If he could re-enter school, it would also fulfill his grandfather's wish, and he was confident he could get into university.
But Lin Tian couldn't afford the tuition, so he asked the question that concerned him the most: "What's the salary for the bodyguard position?"
"Hehe, a tax-free annual salary of 300,000 yuan, with your tuition fully covered, and even a year-end bonus. How does that sound?" Elder Han said with a chuckle.
An annual salary of 300,000 yuan, equivalent to a monthly salary of 25,000! Lin Tian thought he had heard wrong and had to ask again to make sure it was true. This wage was even higher than that of HR Manager Liu, it was no wonder Lin Tian, a poor kid, was surprised. However, he quickly regained his composure.
"Elder Han, is it because the job is quite dangerous that the salary is so high? But I promise you, I'll be up to the job," Lin Tian confidently said, also very much in need of a well-paid job. Soon, the place he was living would be demolished and redeveloped, and if it came to that, he might end up homeless, as finding another room at such a low rent would be impossible.
"Haha, that's the spirit of a young man, you're keen! I'm looking forward to your performance. But I must remind you, the job is a bit dangerous, and there's another main reason—the Second Miss has a bit of a temper, so you'll need to be careful. Now, let's go meet your future charge," Elder Han laughed heartily.
With Elder Han around, Lin Tian could blatantly skip work and follow Elder Han's car to the Xiao Family. Before Lin Tian left, he had tried to imagine the grandeur of the Xiao Family's villa, but it wasn't until he reached the Xiao residence that he realized he had been wrong.
The Xiao Family residence was made of green bricks with tile roofs, flared eaves, and elaborately carved beams. The support pillars at the entrance were wooden, and the two large red-lacquered doors even had bronze beast door knockers. Surrounded by trees that cast dense shadows, Lin Tian almost thought he had traveled back in time.
"It's odd, the gatekeeper should have opened the gate after seeing my car on the security camera," Elder Han said, puzzled, after parking the car in the outside garage and seeing that the gate was still closed.
As he was about to press the doorbell, an agreeable female voice came from inside.
"Grandpa Han, I know you're outside, but Mom said you're bringing a new bodyguard over, so I'm not opening the door. I've sent away the gatekeeper and security guards. Unless you send him away, I don't need any bodyguards at all."
"It's Second Miss Xiao," Elder Han couldn't help but wipe the sweat from his forehead despite his usual refined demeanor. He looked apologetically at Lin Tian and gestured for him to wait a moment.
"Second Miss, you should appreciate the Young Madam's concern for you. Have you forgotten what happened last time?" Elder Han mentioned something unknown, and there was silence from Second Miss Xiao inside.
"Fine, if you insist on finding me a new bodyguard, he must pass my test. If he can't even get through my challenge, how is he qualified to protect me?" Second Miss Xiao seemed to have planned this all along and revealed her cunning intention.
Elder Han spread his hands helplessly towards Lin Tian, indicating that he also had no way with Second Miss Xiao. Lin Tian nonchalantly nodded his head, listening to Second Miss Xiao, who sounded like a young girl and wondering what kind of test she could possibly have in store for him.
Seeing Lin Tian's agreement, Elder Han breathed a sigh of relief. He had been worried that Lin Tian would leave in a huff. Raising his voice, Elder Han called out, "Second Miss, what's the test? Please tell us."
"For the first challenge, he has to get inside on his own without using the main entrance," Second Miss Xiao declared her first tricky problem, seemingly triumphant, and Lin Tian could even hear the smug laughter in her voice.
This challenge would indeed be difficult for an ordinary person without tools since the Xiao family was a typical estate surrounded by high walls, at least four meters tall. However, for Lin Tian, it was not a challenge at all.
Under Elder Han's expectant gaze, Lin Tian took a run-up after backing up a little—a move completely unnecessary for him as he could have leaped from a standstill, but he did so just to be less shocking. He sped towards the wall and lightly jumped. Lin Tian swore it was just a light jump, but he still cleared the wall by a wide margin and landed inside the courtyard.
Elder Han on the outside was stunned. Could Ancient Martial Artists really jump in so effortlessly? Regardless of Elder Han's thoughts, Lin Tian was now inside the compound, standing on a stretch of lawn. There seemed to be a wooden building in the distance, but it was obscured by rockeries and trees, preventing a clear view.
"Who's that thief daring to climb over the Xiao Family's wall?" A crisp reprimand came from behind Lin Tian, who turned to see a beautiful, delicate face looking at him with a half-smile. With the white gloves of a security guard and the hood of his tracksuit pulled over his head, Lin Tian indeed looked like a delinquent youth.
Wow, such a pretty young girl. Could she be a maid of the Xiao Family? The girl looked to be only about seventeen or eighteen years old, with curved eyebrows and sparkling eyes, her little mouth red and luscious, and cheeks flushed with a healthy bloom. She was dressed in a white spaghetti strap sundress with a pair of brown boots on her feet. She was young, but she sported a well-developed chest.
However, she was holding a wooden stick in her hand and staring at Lin Tian with malicious intent.