bodyguard against fate

Chapter 3, Bureau 258

Feng Weida spent half a month squatting in the market, only occasionally getting odd jobs like bricklaying and plastering. If this continued, he feared he would end up like the stray cats on the street, unable to survive the winter.

As the sun rose high in the sky, Feng Weida was starving and at his wits' end. He stared longingly at the meat buns sold at the roadside stall, his mouth watering. But when he checked his WeChat wallet, he only had 26 cents left, not even enough for a vegetarian bun. He asked the stall owner if he could do something to earn a couple of buns. Suddenly, a figure approached from afar, resembling Chen Ergou. Chen Ergou was impeccably dressed in a suit, his shoes gleaming, a stark contrast to the disheveled man who had stolen his instant noodle soup in his pajamas.

"Ergou!"

Feng Weida called out, but Chen Ergou didn't hear him. He strode into a small building with a swagger that seemed to know nothing of his family. The words "Xiuli Garment Factory" were clearly visible on the building.

Feng Weida wanted to borrow a few yuan from Chen Ergou, so he followed him. But when he went in, he was dumbfounded. There was a long line outside an office. Feng Weida saw Chen Ergou in front and was about to push forward when a burly man with a beer belly pushed him back.

"What are you doing, cutting in line!"

I've seen this in Feng Weida's movies. Usually, these long queues are for giving out eggs or porridge. With such a good thing happening, Er Gou didn't even call me!

"Can I be in line here?" Feng Weida asked sincerely.

The burly man with the beer belly looked at him: "You're here to apply for the job too?"

"Applying for a job?"

"It's on the wall, see for yourself!" The beer-bellied burly man tossed his head, and only then did Feng Weida see the job posting on the wall.

It turns out that this company was recruiting male drivers with a monthly salary of 5,000 yuan plus room and board, which is equivalent to 7,000 to 8,000 yuan after taxes and fees, which is at least double the salary offered by other companies!

Seven or eight thousand might not be much in a big city, but in this small town, apart from civil servants, no other job can compare. Almost half the town's drivers have come here.

Feng Weida also has a driver's license, which he obtained five years ago. He originally wanted to leave, but then decided to try his luck, since he was already here anyway.

One by one, the interviewees came out of the room. Some shook their heads and sighed, while others were beaming. Only Chen Ergou came out leaning against the wall.

"Ergou, are you alright?"

Feng Weida quickly stepped forward.

"Don't even mention it, I twisted my back," Chen Ergou replied casually, not expecting the person in front of him to be Feng Weida. "What brings you here?"

I'd like to try it too.

"Go back, it's hopeless!"

Why?

"Do you know what they're hiring?" Chen Ergou whispered, "Not drivers at all—"

"Not the driver?"

"Didn't you see? Who twists their waist when hiring a driver?"

"The driver who twisted his waist?"

"Pah! Zelensky, my foot! Forget it, I can't explain this to you."

Chen Ergou walked away with a swaying gait.

The person who interviewed Feng Weida was the company's vice president, Wu Renxing. Wu Renxing was of medium height and had a muscular build that was not commensurate with his age. Usually, company vice presidents would wear suits and ties, but he was different. He was dressed casually and deliberately showed off his big gold chain. Even though his bookshelf was full of the Twenty-Four Histories, it could not hide the nouveau riche temperament in his bones.

"Name?"

"Feng Weida".

"age?"

"34".

"Work experience?"

"Wedding planning company, photographer."

"Do you know what positions we're recruiting for?" Wu Renxing asked.

"Aren't you the driver?"

"Yes and no," Wu Renxing said. "Three thousand is enough for a regular driver, but the reason I give him two thousand more is because he also has to work as a bodyguard."

"Bodyguard..." Feng Weida seemed to know why Chen Ergou had twisted his back; the chair on the ground must have been crushed by him. "It's not impossible."

Wu Renxing looked him over; his physique seemed fine.

"Have you ever worked as a bodyguard?"

Feng Weida shook his head.

"Related ones are fine too."

"Are you planning to get in trouble?"

Which company was your previous employer?

"The previous one?" Feng Weida pondered.

"It's the place you just came from."

"The First Mental Hospital." Feng Weida suddenly realized.

"You manage the patients?"

"I am managed by others."

"Do you have a mental illness?" Wu Renxing was startled. His first reaction was to call the police, since he didn't know if he had run away from home.

"I'm not sick," Feng Weida shook his head.

"How did you get in if you weren't sick?"

"Did you watch the live broadcast?" Feng Weida was about to tell his story of divorce again.

"I'm sorry, we don't accept mental patients here. You can go back now."

Feng Weida had just started when Wu Renxing ruthlessly interrupted him.

"They gave me a mental illness assessment, which came down to level 0. I am not mentally ill," Feng Weida argued.

"Who performed the examination on you?"

"Vice Dean Zhang, he's at level three."

"Is your dean also mentally ill?" Wu Renxing found it unbelievable!

Wu Renxing originally planned to hire a normal person, but Feng Weida's appearance seemed to show him another possibility. Right, why can't a mentally ill person be a bodyguard? Anyway, his role is to take the bullet for me. I'm not afraid that he has a mental illness, I'm just afraid that his mental illness is not severe enough.

"Since you say you're not sick, I believe you and your hospital director. So how can you prove you're capable of being a bodyguard?"

Feng Weida knew that if he didn't show off his skills like Er Gou, it would be hard for people to believe in his abilities. Just then, there was a money tree by the door. Feng Weida walked over, and with a forceful pull, uprooted the money tree.

"Why did you pull it out?" Despite being mentally prepared, Wu Renxing was still somewhat surprised.

"Lu Zhishen can uproot a willow tree." Feng Weida's explanation always sounds as unexpected as a bolt from the blue. "I can uproot a money tree."

In his view, uprooting trees was the best proof of force, but in Wu Renxing's view, it was the best proof of mental illness!

As expected of an outstanding talent trained by the First Mental Hospital, let's use him!

Wu Renxing smiled: "Congratulations on passing the interview! You'll officially start work tomorrow!"

Feng Weida, on the other hand, seemed somewhat surprised: "You don't mind...?"

Wu Renxing patted him on the shoulder: "Weida, although this is our first meeting, I feel an instant connection with you. My surname is Wu, which means 'mouth' and 'sky'. From now on, you'll work for me!"

"Don't worry, Mr. Wu, I will definitely protect you!"

"It's not me, you need to protect President He."

"Mr. He?"

"Mr. He's a garment factory owner. He needs a driver when he goes out or attends events. Besides driving, your most important job is to protect the boss's safety. If the boss is alive, you're there; if the boss isn't, you'll lose your job, understand?"

Feng Weida nodded: "Protect General Manager He well!"

Feng Weida had a stubborn streak; the more he cared about something, the less he wanted to talk about it, as if speaking it out would suffice. Wu Renxing didn't discriminate against his age or background, and even paid him such a high salary. For someone almost in despair, that wasn't just an ordinary job; it was like being given a lifeline when you were drowning. This kindness was something he would repay even if it meant going through fire and water!

"However, I have one request," Wu Renxing said, "Don't tell anyone except me that you've been to a mental hospital."

"But I won't lie." Feng Weida was reluctant to accept his benefactor's first request.

"I'm not asking you to lie, I'm just telling you not to talk about this experience. If Ms. He finds out I hired someone like this as her bodyguard, wouldn't that implicate me?"

"What should I say if someone asks?"

Wu Renxing thought for a moment: "Let's find a word to replace it. You know Bureau 749, right?"

Feng Weida shook his head.

"It's best if you don't know. If someone asks, just say it's from Bureau 258."

Feng Weida nodded seriously: "Then should I tell you my code name?"

"What code name?"

"Number 356".

"Go ahead and relieve yourself!" Wu Renxing was too lazy to waste words with him. "Go find Director Wang from the factory office to arrange a dormitory for you. Your cell phone must not be turned off, and it cannot be out of credit. You must be available at any time. Go!"

Feng Weida stood at attention, gave Wu Renxing a standard military salute, turned around, and marched away.

Wu Renxing watched his retreating figure, a cold smile playing on his lips.