Early in the morning, Shi Lan arrived at the convenience store for work as usual. She wondered if it was just her imagination, but she always felt as if there were eyes watching her silently. Every time she tried to catch them, those eyes would disappear into the crowd, making it impossible for her to find them.
For several days in a row, those eyes followed her like a shadow, but Shi Lan could not catch them. She thought that there must be someone capable in the world, so she became indifferent. Anyway, she was all alone now, and all she had was a pile of debts. If anyone was interested, they could take it. She didn't care.
In late autumn, although the sun was still bright, the temperature had turned cool. A man in an ordinary jacket walked briskly across the flat and wide green space and entered the small building hidden by the green trees.
Inside a room in the small building, a man calmly sipped his amber-colored liquor. The man in the jacket had just respectfully placed a note on the ground, muttering something to himself. The man listened expressionlessly, and after a long while, he waved his hand, and the man in the jacket, with his hands clasped at his sides, carefully withdrew.
The room was completely silent. The man thoughtfully finished his drink, and as he put down the glass, he pursed his lips slightly. Finally, he pressed a hidden button on the table. Soon, a man in his seventies, dressed in a white Zhongshan suit, walked over slowly. When he reached him, he said in a low voice, "Young master, you wanted to see me?"
The man nodded. "There are too many people serving here; it's annoying to watch."
The old man understood men; he knew the young man was naturally aloof and disliked crowds, which was understandable. "What does the young master intend to do?"
The man said, "No need to do anything else, just leave two capable people to tidy up the house."
The old man nodded and turned to leave.
The man tapped the table lightly and said again, "This place is too big; two people are a bit too few. Let's go and ask for a helper."
The old man was momentarily taken aback, thinking to himself that if he felt it was too little, he could just keep a few more; they were all things he was used to anyway, so it wouldn't be a hassle.
The man looked at him indifferently.
The old man knew that he was dissatisfied with the lack of an immediate response, so he bowed respectfully and asked, "May I ask who you intend to invite back, young master?"
The man pushed the note on the table aside. "Call her over."
The old man picked up the slip of paper and glanced at it; it was a very ordinary phone number.
After a moment, the old man chuckled. Although it was unusual to be noticed by the young master, how special could it be, given that he was doing a job as a maid?
The old man quickly left, and the man poured himself another glass of wine, sipping it slowly. This time, however, the corners of his mouth curved upwards, though not obviously, but a little warmer than his previous cold expression.
In the early hours of the next day, a multi-person battle broke out at a remote warehouse in the east of the city, resulting in five deaths and more than thirty injuries. In this peaceful era, such a heinous crime was a major case, and the newspapers were not about to let such headline news slip by. Reporters from all walks of life rushed out overnight, and before dawn, newly printed front-page headlines were already placed in the most conspicuous positions on newsstands.
When Shi Lan, who was replacing her colleague, saw the news, she clicked her tongue and sighed at the impermanence of life before letting it go.
Life had to go on. Shi Lan continued browsing the web. She had to find another job before she could finish her work at the clothing store, otherwise the meager salary from the convenience store wouldn't be enough to satisfy the loan sharks' appetites.
The phone kept vibrating. Shi Lan answered it casually and said, "Hello."
She thought it was just a routine payment reminder or annoying sales pitch, but the person on the other end of the phone gave her a huge surprise.
When Shi Lan learned that someone had actually asked her to be a maid, she was a little incredulous. She had just casually filled out the job posting on the recruitment website, thinking she was just trying her luck. To be honest, she wasn't good at housework.
Shi Lan didn't ask too many questions, but simply said that she probably couldn't handle the major responsibilities.
The person on the other end of the phone seemed unwilling to go into details over the phone, only asking her to come over for a discussion, promising that the salary would certainly not disappoint her.
Shi Lan was inclined to refuse, but the last sentence on the phone made her hesitate for a moment. Thinking of her current predicament, Shi Lan gritted her teeth and agreed.
After hanging up the phone, Shi Lan was stunned for a moment.
At a time when every penny is precious, receiving such news suddenly gave her a surreal feeling.
The next morning, standing in front of a lawn as wide as two main stadiums, Shi Lan was speechless.
How could a family like that hire her as a maid, knowing she's not good at housework, and still insist on giving her an interview?
A mix of disbelief and doubt lingered. After standing silently for a while, he still couldn't resist the temptation of money.
As she climbed the steps of the small building, Shi Lan silently encouraged herself, thinking that the worst that could happen was that she wouldn't do it, since they wouldn't do anything to her anyway.
When the doorbell rang, there was silence inside, but the door was quickly opened by a woman in a light blue dress who greeted her with a kind smile.
"Are you Miss Shi?"
Shi Lan nodded.
The woman opened the door a little. "Please come in. The housekeeper is waiting for you in the small living room."
Shi Lan smiled slightly at the woman, said thank you for your trouble, and followed her through the elegantly decorated living room to the antique-style reception room next door.
The woman led her here, gestured to the old man inside, and then turned and left.
Shi Lan carefully examined the valuable ornaments on the display cabinet and the various sizes of porcelain pieces throughout the room.
The old man curiously looked at the sweet-looking girl, and also noticed that her clothes were all very cheap street vendor items.
The old man couldn't help but wonder. As someone who had watched him grow up, he knew the young master's temperament and habits very well. Coupled with his habit of rarely going out, he was very puzzled as to how the young master knew her.
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