Chapter 21: She Burst In

“No need. I’ve always trusted the people’s soldiers.”

From the moment Lu Qingqiang met Yan Fang and Zhang Qiang, she had a good impression of them.

Their eyes were clear and resolute, and they carried that unique aura of discipline and spirit that only soldiers possessed.

Especially that woman named Yan Fang. Though she was female, it was obvious at a glance that she was loyal, dependable, and straightforward in character.

Not to mention, she stood at 1.76 meters tall, much taller than the average woman, and gave off a strong sense of security.

Faced with such an outstanding female soldier, Lu Qingqiang felt nothing but respect and admiration.

As for their more detailed backgrounds, she didn’t bother asking.

After all, anything related to the military often involved confidentiality.

All she needed to know was that these two had solid character and were fully capable of handling their duties as security personnel. That was enough.

“Director, is there a mistake in the salary listed on the contract?”

After glancing at the contract, Zhang Qiang couldn’t help but raise a question.

“Twenty thousand a month. That’s correct.”

“I had already planned to offer you that salary from the start.”

“Wasn’t it supposed to be ten thousand each?” Zhang Qiang looked confused.

He clearly remembered that during the phone call, it was mentioned that since he was bringing someone along to work, the twenty thousand would be split between the two of them.

So why did the contract now say twenty thousand per person?

Security personnel, to put it plainly, were just guards.

What kind of security guard made that kind of money every month?

At this rate, wouldn’t the boss be losing money?

“What’s wrong? Do you not believe in your own abilities, or do you not trust my judgment?” Lu Qingqiang asked.

“Neither.”

“Well then, what’s there to hesitate about?”

“You’re right.”

After signing the contract, Lu Qingqiang personally led them to two temporary dorm rooms not far from each other.

The rooms weren’t big and had bunk beds. The white walls looked a little dull, but everything was clean, and the bedding was brand new.

The wardrobes were large enough to store all their belongings.

Daily necessities like toothpaste, toothbrushes, and towels had already been prepared and placed beside the beds.

“You’ll have to make do here for a few days.”

“The new staff dorms will be ready in a month at the latest. You can move in then.”

“Thank you, Director. Actually… this place is already pretty nice,” Zhang Qiang said with a goofy grin.

These were single rooms. Though not very spacious, they were far better than the conditions they had when on missions before.

He was quite satisfied.

“Settle in first, then take a walk around the orphanage.”

“I already pointed out the canteen to you earlier. Just head over there when it’s mealtime.”

“Got it, Director.”

After Lu Qingqiang left, Zhang Qiang immediately beamed with joy.

“Sister Yan, what do you think of this job?”

“To be honest, it feels like a dream,” Yan Fang replied.

“Right? I feel the same way.”

“Security guards out there only make three to four thousand a month. The better ones maybe seven or eight thousand.”

“But we’re getting twenty thousand. Twenty thousand!”

“Even a lot of white-collar workers in the city don’t make that much!” Zhang Qiang muttered.

“Exactly. So from now on, we need to stay focused and responsible on the job. We can’t let a single bad guy slip through. We must do our best to protect everyone in the orphanage,” Yan Fang said seriously.

“Yes, Sister Yan.” Zhang Qiang instinctively stood up straight and gave a salute.

“Qiangzi, we’re both civilians now. We’re coworkers. You don’t need to salute me all the time, okay?”

“Right, right. Just a reflex, haha.”

“Sister Yan, how about we go take a walk? Maybe stop by the canteen again and get familiar with the place?”

“Sure, let’s go.”

The original orphanage wasn’t very big. It used to take less than ten minutes to walk through the whole place.

But that was no longer the case.

The current orphanage had expanded at least four or five times over its original size.

All the surrounding land had been leased by Secretary Liu under Lu Qingqiang’s direction.

Even the mountain behind the facility now belonged to the orphanage.

As a result, Yan Fang and Zhang Qiang were exhausted just from walking around.

Who would’ve thought that the Jiang City Loving Heart Orphanage would be this massive?

And it was still under construction and renovation.

Though the layout was only partially complete, they could already tell that once it was finished, this would definitely become the best orphanage in all of Jiang City.

The environment here was simply amazing.

A large portion of the space had been set aside for planting greenery and flowers.

There were even wooden pavilions, ponds, miniature rock gardens, and fountains.

At first glance, it looked more like a leisure park than an orphanage.

No, it was even more atmospheric than most parks.

Even the buildings under construction had their own distinctive charm.

When they finally arrived at the kitchen, they were instantly tempted by the delicious aromas wafting through the air.

“Hello, sir. We’re the new security staff. The director said meals are provided here, right?”

“That’s right. We serve three meals a day. Just come on time and there’ll be food.”

“If you come at other times, you’ll still be able to find something to eat.”

“You two look pretty sharp. Were you in the military?” Master Zhao asked curiously.

“Hehe, you’ve got a good eye, sir.”

“Sister Yan and I were both in the army. We’ve been discharged and are just looking for work now,” Zhang Qiang replied with a smile.

“Soldiers are great. People who’ve served deserve respect.”

“Without you, we wouldn’t have this peaceful life.”

“You’ve worked hard.”

“Here, take your trays. Help yourselves to whatever you want.”

“But we do have one rule here: you have to wash your own dishes after eating,” Master Zhao reminded them.

“Got it. We’ll follow the rules,” Zhang Qiang said.

After taking trays from the sterilizer, the two began to serve themselves.

Even though it was already afternoon, there was still a wide variety of dishes available.

Besides the rice mixed with corn kernels, there were also meat-stuffed flower rolls and buns as staple options.

They each scooped two big spoonfuls of rice before heading over to pick their dishes.

The corn rice gave off a sweet, fragrant aroma that blended perfectly with the scent of the rice.

It was steamed to perfection—not too dry to choke on, and not too wet to stick to the chopsticks.

The fluffy white grains were dotted with golden corn kernels, making it both visually appealing and delicious.

As for the dishes, they were incredibly appetizing.

There was spicy and sour cabbage that whetted the appetite, savory braised pork ribs, sweet and tangy braised eggplant, refreshing cold shredded vegetables, flavorful shredded pork in garlic sauce, and stir-fried okra with a kick.

Every dish was delicious.

They loved every single one.

After finishing their rice, Zhang Qiang and Yan Fang each grabbed a flower roll and a bun.

The steaming hot meat-stuffed flower roll, dipped in the sour cabbage sauce, was absolutely mouthwatering.

My goodness, how could something taste this good?

And that pickled vegetable bun—its flavor was simply amazing.

After their meal, they even had hot tomato and egg soup.

There were also Master Zhao’s marinated eggs and freshly cut fruit.

The fruit included sliced yacon, whole kiwis, washed winter dates, and orange wedges.

The yacon was juicy, and a single bite released a burst of sweet juice in the mouth.

The kiwi, once peeled, revealed its vibrant green flesh—tart and sweet with every bite.

The winter dates were crisp and sugary sweet.

The orange slices were golden and juicy, packed with vitamin C.

Before they knew it, the two of them were stuffed.

“Sir, your cooking is just too good!”

After washing their trays, Zhang Qiang and Yan Fang stood chatting with Master Zhao.

“Haha, as long as you liked it.”

“If you have any dietary restrictions or suggestions, feel free to let me know.”

“By the way, my surname is Zhao. Everyone here usually calls me Master Zhao.”

“Grandpa Zhao, is it time to eat yet? I’m starving! I’ve missed your cooking so much!”

Just then, a little girl came running into the canteen.