Chapter 1: Concern of Loved Ones
1934 Words
Houston, Imperial Tower—
In the middle of summer, at the peak of the working day, countless people were seeking employment, and the job application office at the Imperial Building was filled with a long line of applicants.
Everyone knew that the benefits of working at Imperial Building were far better than those at ordinary companies!
"Insufficient experience, no prior engagement in this kind of work, lacking language skills, next."
A beauty in a tight black uniform sat in her chair, seemingly oblivious to the long line of applicants before her. She took out a pen and doodled something on a piece of paper.
After she finished writing, she casually lifted her head and uttered those simple words, indicating denial of employment.
The rejected man forced out a chuckle and stared a few times at the woman's chest. No doubt, her suit accentuated her exquisite figure. The man felt that it was a feast for his eyes and only left after being urged by the people behind him.
"What job are you applying for?" asked the woman in uniform without looking up.
"I would like to inquire about the position of a cashier!"
“Sorry, the company isn't hiring for that position at the moment!” The uniformed lady’s melodic voice echoed once more, before she said, “Next!”
A boy about nineteen or twenty years old, wearing casual attire, looking like a student, came forward. The boy wore a youthful smile, perhaps caused by the attention of the gazes around him; he blushed and smiled shyly.
Perhaps the boy's steps were too light, or maybe the uniformed lady was absent-minded.
"Next!" the uniformed lady called.
As she spoke, she slowly looked up, a hint of surprise in her beautiful eyes. She noticed a boy standing in front of her, and to her surprise, she did not hear his footsteps.
"Kid, the high school is 300 meters to the right when you get out of this district! This is the recruitment office of the Imperial Group!" The uniformed woman's surprise was only momentary, and then she bowed her head again.
"Sister, I want to apply for a job!" the boy said.
"You want to apply for a job?" The uniformed woman was surprised and took another glance at the boy, realizing that he indeed looked quite young, about fourteen or fifteen years old, and could indeed only be called a 'boy'. As she was wondering, she asked, "What kind of job do you want to apply for?"
"Bodyguard!" the boy replied astonishingly.
At his words, the people lined up behind immediately became restless.
"Kid, stop messing around. Your school hasn't ended yet, why are you playing around with a job application? Hurry back to school, don't skip classes to cause trouble!"
"Kids these days are really troublesome. He's not fully grown yet and he's thinking about job applications!"
"Yeah, looking at his appearance, he should either be a high school student or a college student! Nowadays, university students, have too much free time on their hands. It was rumored, but unexpectedly, it turned out to be true.”
"..."
"What kind of job do you want to apply for!" The uniformed lady asked again.
She did not pay attention to the commotion of the crowd, instead, she scrutinized the boy, noticing his youthful looks but with a promising charm.
One has to admit, he indeed looks like a small handsome guy. His short hair is neat, his attire is not outdated, and his age is just blooming like a flower. More importantly, the gaze from the boy's eyes seems to be sincere, as if he is not in the slightest frivolous.
After a moment's pause, the boy responded again with the same serious demeanor.
"I look forward to becoming a bodyguard!"
The lady in a uniform asked, " Do you have any experience working as a bodyguard?"
"No."
“Did you graduate from college?”
"No."
“Have you ever served as a soldier?”
"No."
The uniformed woman took a deep breath, steadily gazing at the boy for a while, and once again had to wonder if the boy was here to purely cause trouble.
This boy didn’t seem to have any domineering physique or muscles expected for a typical bouncer. Only his handsome face could come in handy, but there is not a single factor that stands out in him to be picked as a private bodyguard.
"What can you do then?" the woman in the uniform had to ask again.
"I know how to fight!" the boy replied.
At this, a fit of laughter erupted from the crowd behind.
Unfazed by it, the boy named Jack stared at a certain distant piece of equipment, asking, "Is that the machine you're referring to?"
The uniformed woman nodded without looking up.
"It won't break, will it?"
The uniformed woman seemed a bit impatient. This machine has been ‘hit’ by countless people; if it were breakable, it would've been long broken!
"We won't ask for your responsibility if it breaks!"
Jack didn't say anything else, his eyebrows furrowed, a serious look surfaced on his face. After rubbing his fists, his right punch suddenly swung out.
"Bang!"
His fist crashed upon the machine.
A thunderous boom!
"Ding!"
"Ding!"
"Ding...Ding!"
"Over 100 kg, over 120 kg, over 140 kg! Over 160 kg! Over 180 kg!"
"Over 180 kg! Over 180 kg!"
Sounds were emitting mechanically from the machine.
Jack was worried – did he just break the machine? He had been concerned about breaking this machine the moment he threw his punch, but he didn't expect that even after holding back most of his strength, it seemed that the machine was still broken?
With that thought, Jack was startled.
"I can't break this machine. I still want to find a job. I don't want to not only fail in securing a job but also have to pay for the machine!" Jack prayed silently to himself.
As the sound of "over 180 kg" echoed twice more and then stopped, Jack felt many gazes converging on him.
They all quieted down after he threw that punch.
"Wow…"
"180 kg?"
"That's impossible!"
"One punch down, and a sow would bristle with pain! I bet the ox in my hometown would be painful if it were hit by this punch!"
The uniformed woman saw the three-digit number in front of her eyes and hurriedly rubbed her beautiful eyes, then put on her glasses lying on the table and looked at the machine again, confirming that it indeed showed 180 kg!
Yes, she did not misread, the machine showed exactly 200 kg, indicating that the boy's punch had 360 jin (approximately 396.8 lbs)!
The impact of a normal man's punch typically ranges between 30 kg and 100 kg.
"180 kg…"
The uniformed woman opened her cherry lips slightly, distracting the passersby and luring them to take another look.
She just couldn't believe that this little boy in his teens could hit so hard that the machine reached its limit. She felt that 180 kg was certainly not the limit for this little boy, otherwise the machine wouldn't have shouted five times before it stopped!
"Talent!"
The uniformed woman took a deep breath and judged silently in her heart.
"This… This machine isn't broken, right?" Jack asked cautiously.
"It's not broken. What's your name?" The uniformed woman immediately looked up, once again scrutinizing the boy before her.
Talent —
Her intuition, facts, and her eyes told her definitively!
This was an absolute talent!
"Jack! Identification card, please!"
Jack handed over his newly obtained identity card.
The uniformed woman took Jack's ID card, and her gaze settled on the details at the back of the card.
"He's not as good looking in the photo!"
The uniformed woman looked up at Jack again grinning.
...
Jack.
Age: 19
Born in the East Houston district.
The uniformed woman quickly noted these details down and then looked up and smiled, "Come to this address tomorrow. If you pass the assessment, you will enter a probationary period with a monthly salary of 16,000 dollars for a month. Remember, 8 o'clock in the morning and bring your ID and yourself!"
To the keen-eyed, this was the first time the uniformed woman had smiled today.
Jack took the piece of paper with the address from the uniformed beautiful woman, feeling elated.
"Master told me that it's hard to find a job, but I don't think it's that hard. Could it be that I'm just too outstanding? Yes, it must be it!" Jack thought to himself.
Hearing the uniformed woman's words, he quickly nodded his head and left the crowd.
The woman in the uniform watched Jack's retreating figure and didn't call for the next person, instead, she jotted down a few words.
Top scorer in the power test, 'Jack'.
19 years old. Qualified for the Bodyguard trial.
After she finished writing, then she mechanically called out, "Next!"
...
"Jack, come to our house for dinner today!"
"No, maybe another day!"
Jack was smiling and greeting the neighbors.
Having lived in this neighborhood for over ten years, he was very familiar with everyone.
Taking out his key to open the door, Jack immediately smelled the aroma wafting from the kitchen. After taking a deep breath, he laughed, "Sister, why did you get home so early today? Was business not going so well at the shop?"
As he spoke, he changed his shoes and entered the kitchen.
He has an elder sister.
Her name is Mary.
His sister is six years older than him, twenty-five this year.
Mary is wearing a scarf, her busty chest upright, her slender figure enchanting. Seeing Jack enter the kitchen, the spatula in her hand slows down. She smiles and says, "There wasn't much to do at the shop today, so I left the work to Xiao Ling. Oh, the chair in Aunt Wang's house across the street is broken. Can you help fix it?"
"Got it!" Jack nodded his head.
He did not leave but leaned against the wall, staring at his sister.
Mary obviously noticed Jack's gaze. A flush crossed her face, and her pretty face showed a hint of surprise. She said hurriedly, "I'm still cooking!"
"You're just getting more and more beautiful, sister!" Jack chuckled.
Taking a deep breath, he smelled the aroma of foods and also the scent of his sister.
His sister, stepping into the age of twenty-five, was a woman who exuded mature charm all over. Her temperament was gentle and quiet. A sweater on her body further accentuated her enticing figure.
Jack could not help but sneak a few glances at his sister's chest before he left the house to repair the chair at neighbor Aunt Wang's place.
...
At the dinner table.
"Sister, I've found a job!"
Mary picked up her chopsticks, put a piece of meat into Jack's bowl, and asked, "What kind of job?"
"Bodyguard!" Jack looked at his sister, whom he found captivating even after ten years, with a serious look on his face.
"No!"
"It's okay!"
"Absolutely not!"
As expected, Mary furrowed her eyebrows and looked at Jack. "Jack, although the shop isn't busy, and we have limited sales each day, I can support you. At your age, you should just stay home and enjoy yourself. Why make life difficult?"
"I just want to help carry some of your load, sister!" Jack looked back at Mary, firm and unyielding.
Mary’s tone softened, she sighed and said softly, "But being a bodyguard is too dangerous! Do you want your sister to worry?"
- Writer
