Chapter Twenty-Three: A New Job

By the time he returned home, it was already noon. Obedient and thoughtful, Xiao Lan Gao had prepared lunch. It seemed she’d learned from Yang Yaxin and the others that he had a voracious appetite, so she’d made enough food to feed five people. Still, given Qin Yang’s current condition, even that wasn’t enough to fill him halfway. Sensing his lingering hunger, Xiao Lan went back to the kitchen and cooked even more. As she watched Qin Yang eat with gusto, a trace of happiness finally surfaced in her heart.

“Brother, I’ll go back to school tomorrow,” Xiao Lan said, propping her chin in her hand as she watched him eat with satisfaction. “The college entrance exams are coming up soon. I don’t want to fall too far behind in class.”

“That’s fine,” Qin Yang nodded, thinking that school might help her distract herself from missing their father. “With Qin Wu looking after you, I’m at ease. If anyone tries to bully you, just tell me—your brother will deal with them.”

A blush colored Xiao Lan’s cheeks and she lowered her head, saying nothing as she continued eating. Just then, Tao Caijie came in, her face bright with cheer. She looked at Qin Yang and smiled. “Qin Yang, I found a job for you. Our company is publicly hiring drivers. I put in a good word for you. You can give it a try—I know you have a license. What do you think?”

“A driver?” Qin Yang frowned slightly.

Being a driver was indeed a desirable job, always accompanying the leadership for meals and entertainment, but the schedule was demanding—one could be called upon at any time. Looking at Xiao Lan, he hesitated. Sensing his reluctance, Tao Caijie smiled. “Don’t worry about Xiao Lan. If work gets busy, she can come eat with me after school. Now that you’re looking after her, you can’t just be idle every day, can you?”

Qin Yang gave a wry smile. He certainly hadn’t been idle lately; he’d been involved in more than a few questionable dealings. But, considering Tao Caijie’s good intentions, he nodded. “Alright, when’s the interview?”

“This afternoon.”

With the job settled, Qin Yang put aside his thoughts and told Xiao Lan to rest at home. After one o’clock, he left with Tao Caijie for the company.

It’s worth mentioning here the company where Tao Caijie worked. It was the Tianfeng Group, which stood behind the Golden Sail Shipyard. In the city of Haitian and throughout the southeast province, it was a top-tier enterprise focused on real estate and electronics development. While it couldn’t quite compare to the Hailong Group owned by the Qin family, its current achievements had earned Tianfeng a place among the country’s top 100 corporations. The driver position being filled this time was particularly significant—it was for Liu Molan, the biological daughter of the group’s chairman, Liu Jinxiu. Having just graduated from university, this wealthy heiress had only recently joined Tianfeng and was assigned full responsibility for managing the Tianfeng Mall.

Tianfeng Mall was a subsidiary of the group, renowned among Haitian’s citizens for its upscale atmosphere and premium services. Located in the heart of the city’s commercial district, it was also Tianfeng’s most lucrative property. Tao Caijie, meanwhile, was a supervisor there, managing sales.

“Manager Liu is extremely decisive and has a commanding presence—she’s got the air of a true businesswoman after graduating from overseas. Qin Yang, you’d better put aside any lazy tendencies. I worked hard to get Manager Liu to agree to this; don’t let me down,” Tao Caijie reminded him repeatedly on the way. Dressed in a suit, Qin Yang felt awkward, tugging at his collar now and then as though it were strangling him.

“Stop fidgeting. Look, your collar’s up. Don’t move.” With a helpless shake of her head, Tao Caijie stepped behind him to neaten his collar, fussing over him like an elder sister.

Their home wasn’t far from the mall, so within ten minutes they arrived. Gazing at the grand Tianfeng Mall, Qin Yang couldn’t help but click his tongue in amazement. The chairman must really trust Liu Molan, handing over such a colossal enterprise to her. Tao Caijie was well-liked by her colleagues; people greeted them all the way to the top-floor offices. At the door, Tao Caijie knocked, offering Qin Yang one last reminder.

Qin Yang gave her a thumbs-up in reassurance.

“Come in.” The voice from inside was as cold and mechanical as a machine, yet undeniably pleasant to the ear.

Tao Caijie tugged Qin Yang inside. The office was simply decorated, mirroring the woman at the desk—a beauty with the bearing of a monarch seated high above. Liu Molan was truly stunning, her face untouched by makeup, its natural clarity almost shaming to behold, but her innate aloofness kept others at a distance. Dressed in sleek black business attire, her shapely figure was completely concealed, making Qin Yang wonder how she could stand wearing something so stifling.

“Manager Liu, this is my brother, Qin Yang. He’s an honest sort. Would you like to speak with him?” Tao Caijie asked softly.

Liu Molan, who’d been reading documents, finally looked up at Qin Yang, who stood there as still as a post. “My driver must be on call twenty-four hours a day. You must be able to report to me within ten minutes at any time. Don’t ask what you shouldn’t, don’t say what you shouldn’t, don’t listen to what you shouldn’t. If you have any objections, feel free to raise them, but everything must adhere to principle.”

Qin Yang felt a wave of helplessness. Most of these requirements were manageable, but having to appear within ten minutes was a bit much—what if he was stuck in the bathroom for half an hour? He was about to refuse, but seeing Tao Caijie’s anxious gaze, he could only nod. “I can do that.”

“Good. Supervisor Tao, take him to Human Resources.” Dismissal was swift.

Tao Caijie was clearly used to Liu Molan’s style. As they left, she kept reminding Qin Yang to be careful with his words and actions around Manager Liu and not to mess things up. “The chairman sent Manager Liu here as a trial by fire. If you do well, you’ll soon be the driver for the president of Tianfeng Group. Please treasure this opportunity.”

Qin Yang nodded, touched, and gave her a reassuring smile. “I’ll do my very best.”

Reassured by his promise, Tao Caijie helped him complete the paperwork. Before long, a girl hurried over. “Qin Yang? Where’s Qin Yang? Manager Liu is heading out—go get the car from the garage, now!”

After getting the license plate number and the keys, Qin Yang was about to chat with Tao Caijie when the girl added, “Manager Liu will be downstairs in three minutes. You’d better have the car at the entrance by then. Her sense of time is notorious—three drivers have already been fired for being late. I’m only warning you because of Sister Tao.”

“Damn,” Qin Yang muttered under his breath. Tao Caijie urged him to hurry.

Qin Yang dashed off, catching a glimpse of Liu Molan leaving her office—only to turn back after glancing at something. Eyes flashing, Qin Yang hurried to the elevators, pressing every button on one, then taking the other down at a leisurely pace. Once downstairs, he took advantage of the empty lobby to press every floor button on one elevator again before finally making his way to the garage, where he quickly located the black Audi A6.