Lin Yi smiled faintly and shook hands naturally with Chu Pengzhan.
This kind of social etiquette was second nature to Lin Yi. "Mr. Chu, hello!"
Chu Pengzhan's enthusiasm left Lin Yi slightly flustered. It was the first time he'd encountered such an enthusiastic employer. Although he'd been hired for a task, the chairman of a publicly listed company treating him with such respect was curious. Why did it feel more like a meeting between equals?
"Mr. Lin! I understand, perhaps asking you to take on this task might feel a bit beneath you..." Chu Pengzhan hesitated before speaking.
Hearing this, Lin Yi was almost embarrassed, something rare for someone as thick-skinned as him. He quickly replied:
"Not at all... Back home, I weave straw sandals for a living. I only make a few hundred bucks a month. The old man said this task could feed me for life..."
Lin Yi thought to himself, This employer is really decent. Not only did he hire me, but he's also so polite, unlike others who criticize after paying me.
"What? Weaving straw sandals?" Chu Pengzhan was stunned. He looked closely at Lin Yi. He hadn't mistaken him for someone else, had he? But what was this nonsense about weaving sandals? Did Lin Lao really make him do that for a few hundred bucks a month?
Chu Pengzhan was at a loss for words. He'd heard rumors from his father about Lin Yi's exploits. Just one hostage rescue mission in Africa could net tens of millions of dollars, yet this guy claimed to weave sandals to make ends meet?
"Yes, a pair of sandals sells for four bucks. If I make three to five pairs a day, that's a few hundred a month." Lin Yi nodded, but he, too, felt something was off. The old man didn't seem like someone struggling to get by.
Chu Pengzhan decided to let it slide. It wasn't his place to pry into Lin Yi's personal life. Hearing Lin Yi's response, he shook his head helplessly.
"From now on, your salary will be thirty thousand a month. This covers your tuition fees and daily expenses. Of course, any money spent on my daughter can be reimbursed through Li Fu."
"Thirty thousand? The old man said just a few thousand!" Lin Yi was taken aback. What? Such a high salary? If I'd known, I wouldn't have brought my own money. Could've avoided seeing the old man's miserly face when handing over the forty-nine thousand bucks. "Wait a second, Mr. Chu, what did you just say? Tuition fees? Spending on your daughter? What does this mean? I'm a bit confused..."
Lin Yi was baffled. What exactly was Chu Pengzhan implying? Wasn't he here to complete a mission?
"Oh? Didn't Lin Lao explain to you? Come with me; we can discuss the specifics upstairs," Chu Pengzhan said with a slight smile and gestured for Lin Yi to follow him to the elevator.
Since Chu Pengzhan was now his employer, and the pay was indeed generous, Lin Yi decided not to press further for now. Over the years, he had encountered all sorts of strange assignments.
Walking alongside Chu Pengzhan, Lin Yi slowed his pace intentionally to let Chu walk ahead. But Chu Pengzhan deliberately matched his steps with Lin Yi's. Lin Yi noticed this gesture and felt slightly puzzled. Why does he seem overly friendly?
Though curious, Lin Yi decided not to ask. After all, it was their first meeting, and they weren't familiar with each other. Some things would naturally become clear over time.
Chu Pengzhan's office was on the top floor of Pengzhan Tower, covering over 200 square meters. One wall was a massive floor-to-ceiling window, flooding the space with natural light.
After ushering Lin Yi into the office, Li Fu stepped out and instructed the secretary, Xiao Yu, to serve tea.
"Mr. Lin, what would you like to drink?" Xiao Yu, having learned Lin Yi's surname from Li Fu, asked politely.
"Just plain water." Lin Yi was used to drinking plain water at home, and his habits didn't change when he was out.
Xiao Yu was momentarily stunned but quickly replied with a smile, "Alright, please wait a moment."
As for what the chairman would drink, she didn't need to ask—it was always the same.
"Mr. Lin, starting tomorrow, Li Fu will arrange for you to join the third-year, fifth class at Songshan First High School as a high school student. You'll be in the same class as my daughter, Chu Mengyao. Your job is to attend school with her daily, accompany her to and from school, take care of her daily needs, and tutor her when you're home. In short, you'll essentially be her companion. I've been too busy with work over the years and haven't been able to give her enough attention. I feel guilty about it, so I want someone who can relate to her and offer her some care. Since you're about her age, you should have some common ground, right?" Chu Pengzhan smiled gently as he explained.
Lin Yi was stunned. Find someone she can relate to? Offer her care? Common ground? Seriously? This was the so-called lifetime mission? Why does this sound more like matchmaking?
"Mr. Lin, is something wrong?" Chu Pengzhan noticed Lin Yi's stunned expression and seemed to guess his thoughts. "I originally thought Lin Lao had explained everything to you, but it seems that's not the case?"
"Mr. Chu, just call me Lin Yi. Being called 'Mr. Lin' feels awkward." Lin Yi forced a smile. "To be honest, I had no idea what I was supposed to do. The old man only said this was an important mission and that completing it would set me up for life..."
"Set you up for life?" Chu Pengzhan was briefly taken aback before laughing heartily. "Haha! Well, Lin Lao wasn't wrong. If you do this well, the rewards will indeed be enough to support you for life!"
"This..." Lin Yi still didn't understand what exactly his task was. "But what is my actual mission?"
"As I said earlier, you'll accompany my daughter to school, protect her safety, and make sure no one bullies her," Chu Pengzhan clarified.
"A companion? A babysitter?" These were the only terms Lin Yi could think of.
"Uh... You could put it that way. Essentially, yes." Chu Pengzhan nodded and handed Lin Yi a file. "This is information about Songshan First High School. Familiarize yourself with it."
Lin Yi took the file reluctantly. This is the old man's so-called 'super task'? Damn it, did I get conned again? Just like last time in South America, when the old man said I was rescuing one person... and it turned out to be an entire group.
But regardless, the pay was high, and the risk was low. Even if it felt like playing lackey to a spoiled rich girl, it wasn't a bad way to take a break.
Songshan First High School, despite its name, was now a private school, having been acquired without changing its title. Chu Pengzhan's Pengzhan Group was one of its top three shareholders.
No wonder someone like Lin Yi, who hadn't even attended elementary school, could be so easily enrolled in this high school.
"Alright, I'll do my best." Lin Yi nodded after briefly reviewing the file.
"Mengyao might have a temper, but she's a good kid at heart," Chu Pengzhan said with a wry smile. "I trust someone as capable as you can get along with her well."
Get along well? Lin Yi didn't plan on building a close relationship with this rich girl. It's not like they were dating, so what was the point?
Out loud, he said, "I'll try my best."
Chu Pengzhan seemed to sense Lin Yi's perfunctory tone but didn't press the matter. Instead, he called out, "Li Fu, Mengyao is about to finish school. Go pick her up and take Lin Yi along to familiarize himself with the environment."
"Mr. Chu, just call me Lin Yi, or Xiao Yi. 'Mr. Lin' sounds too formal," Lin Yi interjected.
"Alright, then Xiao Yi it is. After all, I'm your elder, so it's only fair. You can call me Uncle Chu," Chu Pengzhan replied with a smile.
Lin Yi nodded and followed Li Fu downstairs to the underground parking lot.