124: Chapter 124 Yunjin Pavilion

Jiang Chen looked at them and remained silent for two seconds.

Then he spoke, his tone flat, as if he were stating something that had long been decided.

"Regarding the salary, let me make things clear first."

The five men's gazes didn't flicker; they waited in silence.

"A monthly salary of twenty thousand each. There's a three-month probation period, after which we'll adjust based on performance. Year-end bonuses are separate. If you do well, I won't mistreat you."

He paused.

"I'll cover room and board. Accommodations are already arranged in a nearby neighborhood, a ten-minute walk from here. Everyone gets their own apartment—not a dormitory, but a private unit."

One room per person.

Not a dorm, but an apartment.

When those words landed, the reaction from the five men was even more pronounced than when they heard the monthly salary.

Zhang Heng's eyebrows twitched.

Zhao Yiming, who had been slightly bowing his head, looked up.

He Hai, standing on the far end, relaxed the tight line of his mouth.

A monthly salary of twenty thousand was a more than decent income for men like them, who had retired from the military and spent several years struggling in society.

But a private apartment for each person...

That meant private space. It meant being able to close the door after work without tossing and turning in a collective dorm while listening to someone else's snoring.

It meant they could truly treat this place as a home base rather than just a temporary bunk.

They had lived in collective dorms for too many years in the military. Since retiring, they had stayed in construction sheds, shared rentals, and tin shacks behind auto repair shops.

Having a bed of one's own was the norm, but a room entirely to oneself was a luxury.

Jiang Chen took in their reactions and continued.

"Lu Zheng will brief you on the job details. I'm not asking you to do anything illegal, but it's not exactly sitting in an office drinking tea either."

"There will be physical labor and emergencies. I'm telling you upfront: if you want to back out now, you can. Walk out that door, and we'll act like we never met. If you stay, you follow the rules."

He paused for a moment.

"Is anyone leaving?"

The living room fell silent for about three seconds.

Then He Hai spoke first. His voice wasn't loud, but every word seemed to be pressed out from his chest.

"I'm not leaving."

Zhao Yiming followed immediately. His lips twitched into a somewhat roguish grin.

"A private apartment and twenty thousand a month? I'd even haul manure for that."

Beside him, Liu Wei muttered, "Hauling manure is your old trade anyway."

Someone among them couldn't hold it in and let out a snort of laughter, though they all remained standing ramrod straight.

Jiang Chen waited for them to quiet down and nodded.

"Then it's settled! Lu Zheng, you handle the living arrangements."

Lu Zheng acknowledged this, pulled a ring of keys from his pocket, and tossed them in his hand, the metal clinking crisply.

"Jiahe Neighborhood. It's a ten-minute walk from here. One studio apartment per person. Different floors, but the layout is the same: private bathroom and a small kitchenette."

He glanced at the five men. "Mr. Jiang had someone clean them in advance. Sheets, bedding, toiletries, and basic appliances are all provided. You can move right in."

The five men nodded in unison.

He Hai's eyes rimmed with red again, but he kept his head down so no one would see.

Jiang Chen glanced at the clock on the wall: 10:12 AM.

"Go drop off your things and get familiar with the place first. At noon, the six of you meet me downstairs."

He paused, a trace of imperceptible warmth entering his tone. "I'm taking you out for a welcome meal."

12:20 PM.

Yunjing Pavilion.

The city's finest Chinese restaurant, located in an old Republican-era mansion on Yanjiang Road.

It had no main dining hall, only eight private rooms. Spending started at two thousand per person, and reservations usually had to be made a week in advance.

It was said that the head chef's master had once prepared state banquets for a certain national leader.

Jiang Chen led the way, with the six men following behind him.

They had changed into clean clothes, combed their hair, and their faces looked refreshed from being splashed with cold water.

He Hai had swapped his work uniform for a dark blue polo shirt, with the collar buttons fastened neatly.

Zhao Yiming had changed into a clean pair of sneakers, finally brushing off the streak of dust from the sides.

Zhang Heng wore a gray shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his mid-forearms, revealing hands covered in calluses.

It wasn't that they were trying to dress up; they simply felt that they couldn't embarrass Mr. Jiang when dining at a place like this.

The front desk manager was a woman in her forties, wearing a dark qipao with her hair pinned up meticulously.

Her gaze moved from Jiang Chen to the six men behind him, retracting in less than half a second.

Anyone who could hold this position had eyes like measuring tapes.

Jiang Chen walked at the front, his pace neither fast nor slow. His shoulders were relaxed and his gaze was steady—the posture of someone habitually in control.

Although the six men behind him were dressed plainly, their gait was different from ordinary people; their steps were light, their backs were straight, and they didn't gawk at the decor.

"How many in your party, sir?"

"Seven. My name is Jiang; I booked the Linjiang Hall."

The Linjiang Hall was the best private room in Yunjing Pavilion. It faced the river directly, with a small terrace outside the floor-to-ceiling windows where two pots of old-growth lotuses were planted.

The minimum spend was eight thousand, excluding drinks.

The manager opened the reservation book, and Jiang Chen's name was clearly listed.

It had been booked yesterday.

Her smile deepened slightly.

"Mr. Jiang, this way please."

As the door to the Linjiang Hall opened, a panoramic view of the river rushed to meet them.

The round table was large enough to seat twelve, but only seven sets of tableware were laid out.

The tablecloth was starched stiff, the bone china dinnerware glowed with a warm ivory-white under the lights, and the walls of the wine glasses were so thin they were translucent.

Jiang Chen took the seat of honor and then raised a hand.

"Sit."

Only then did the six men take their seats.

No one touched the menu, and no one looked around.

However, Liu Wei's gaze lingered on the bone china plate for a moment, and Zhao Yiming's peripheral vision swept over the river view outside the window, his Adam's apple bobbing.

He Hai sat closest to the window. Under the midday sun, the river's surface looked like a sheet of crushed gold, and the buildings on the opposite bank resembled a row of silent teeth.

He had seen the city skyline countless times from the top of a tower crane, but he had never seen it while sitting in a place like this.

The menu was presented, featuring a leather cover and gold-embossed lettering.

Jiang Chen took it, opened it, scanned it from beginning to end, and then closed it.

"Prepare a spread of your best dishes for seven people."

He handed the menu back. "Don't worry about the price."

The manager took the menu and bowed slightly.

"Are there any dietary restrictions, Mr. Jiang?"

"None, but make sure the portions are generous."

"Understood."

The manager withdrew, and the door to the private room closed silently.

The table was quiet for two seconds.

Liu Wei picked up the bone china teacup in front of him, turned it slightly, and set it back down.

His fingers were too thick; he was afraid he might crush it.

Zhao Yiming picked up the napkin on the table, turned it over to study the folding technique, and then put it back exactly as it was.

Sun Yi pushed up his glasses, his lips pursed.

Zhang Heng was the quietest, his hands resting on his knees and his back ramrod straight, as if he were sitting in a conference room.

Lu Zheng glanced at Jiang Chen.

Jiang Chen leaned back in his chair and withdrew his gaze from the window, meeting his eyes.

Their eyes met for a split second, and Lu Zheng gave a slight nod.