Chapter 44: The Rental Agreement

“…”

The car was enveloped in silence.

Comrade Xiao Zhang deliberately pretended not to hear, his attention firmly fixed on driving, as if oblivious to Chang Yu’s words just now.

From the outset, Xiao Zhang had always been clear about his own position.

He was simply a diligent driver—an instrument, nothing more.

Perhaps, to Chang Yu and Feng Sanpao, Katya was just Katya. There was nothing to be afraid of.

At best, she was a team leader, a rank above theirs, nothing more.

So, whether it was Chang Yu or Feng Sanpao, they could discuss Katya’s private life with unruffled faces, feeling no impropriety.

But to Xiao Zhang, Katya was his superior—her status on par with Chang Yu and Feng Sanpao, or perhaps even higher.

To speak ill of one’s superior behind their back was taboo in the units he had served in; for serious cases, one might even be punished with dozens of lashes.

“Comrade Xiao Zhang!” Chang Yu suddenly raised his voice.

“Ah? Sir, were you calling me?” This time, Xiao Zhang finally responded.

After all, to feign ignorance twice in a row would be going too far.

“You know Katya, don’t you?” Chang Yu asked him.

“Of course. Chief Katya is a person worthy of respect,” Xiao Zhang replied in textbook fashion.

He wasn’t lying; in his impression, Katya was indeed respectable.

“Then do you know if Katya has a boyfriend?” Chang Yu pressed on.

“That, I’m not sure about,” Xiao Zhang replied with some uncertainty. “She probably doesn’t?”

His encounters with Katya had been few and far between—how could he possibly know about her romantic life?

As for Katya’s private affairs, he truly knew nothing.

Clearly, this was a loaded question.

No matter how he answered, Chang Yu wouldn’t be satisfied.

Fortunately, Xiao Zhang was a seasoned old hand.

He had his own ways of looking out for himself.

He suddenly stomped on the brakes, and the car, which had been speeding along, came to an abrupt halt.

The sudden inertia threw Chang Yu and Feng Sanpao forward, abruptly cutting off their conversation.

“Sir Chang Yu, we’ve arrived at your apartment building,” Xiao Zhang turned around and said respectfully.

He could have slowed gradually and parked smoothly by the curb.

But he chose to brake sharply, thus avoiding having to answer Chang Yu’s question.

“Oh, we’re here already?” Chang Yu looked out the window, and sure enough, the familiar apartment building came into view.

“Since I still need to take Chief Sanpao back to Yong’an Security, I won’t get out to see you off,” Xiao Zhang said, his tone carrying a hint of apology.

Chang Yu opened the door and instructed, “Between the two of us, Sanpao needs you more. See that you get him home safely.”

“Don’t worry, Sir Chang Yu! That’s my job,” Xiao Zhang replied.

Watching Chang Yu disappear through the apartment building’s doors, Xiao Zhang restarted the car and drove off in the direction of Yong’an Security Company.

Once home, Chang Yu slumped onto the sofa.

After everything that had happened today, he was beginning to realize just how important it was to have a dedicated logistics officer.

Take Xiao Zhang, for example: with just one call from Feng Sanpao, no matter the weather, no matter how dangerous, he was always there at a moment’s notice.

In a vast sea of people, there was always a black sedan waiting for you somewhere.

That feeling was simply too good for words.

He began to take seriously what Katya had told him before, about the benefits and perks the Bureau offered.

“I wonder if Katya was exaggerating. The benefits here seem almost too generous,” Chang Yu muttered, pulling out his phone and dialing a number.

Katya had given him this number, saying that its owner was his exclusive logistics officer.

“Hello, you must be Chief Chang Yu, yes?” As soon as the call connected, a mature, steady male voice came through the receiver.

Clearly, this logistics officer had already saved Chang Yu’s number, just waiting for him to reach out.

“Ahem, yes, this is Chang Yu,” he said, trying to sound authoritative.

There was a brief pause on the other end.

“I’m your dedicated logistics officer. Just call me Xiao Li,” the man continued.

“Ah… Comrade Xiao Li…”

“Sir, is there anything you need me to do?” the man asked.

Chang Yu’s expression turned odd. “The first thing I want you to do is stop calling me ‘sir’.”

“Times are changing, society is progressing—we can’t keep clinging to old ways and habits.

“Before I joined the organization, I was just an ordinary guy, living an ordinary life.

“No different from you, or from anyone else walking down the street. Don’t treat me as someone special.

“I’m not one for formalities, and I don’t like putting on airs. We’re all from humble backgrounds—I don’t want to act superior.

“‘Sir’ just doesn’t sound right—it’s too bureaucratic. Why make things hard for each other? Let’s use a different title.”

Perhaps moved by Chang Yu’s sincerity, the voice on the other end softened, clearly touched by his words:

“But you are my superior. I have to show respect. Still… if you really don’t like the title, I can change it.”

Some leaders are approachable and dislike putting on airs.

They prefer an equal, friendly relationship with their subordinates, as friends would.

Xiao Li understood this—he simply assumed Chang Yu was such a person.

“By the way, Comrade Xiao Li… Do you know Comrade Xiao Zhang?” Chang Yu asked, his face a little bashful, cheeks tinged pink, heart beating faster.

“The logistics officer who works with Chief Sanpao?” Xiao Li asked.

“Yes, you know him?”

“Of course. We’re old colleagues—always running into each other.”

Though puzzled why Chang Yu would mention Xiao Zhang, Xiao Li answered honestly.

“Comrade Xiao Zhang is a very good man. I met him today, and I admire him greatly.”

“Xiao Zhang is indeed outstanding…”

“But what I like most about him is his honesty and his willingness to work without complaint.”

“Sir, if you have something to say, please say it directly.”

“I think you should take Xiao Zhang as an example.”

“Take Xiao Zhang… as an example in what way?”

“Compared to the word ‘sir,’ I much prefer the title ‘chief.’ It has a friendlier ring, and on that, Comrade Xiao Zhang does very well.”

Chang Yu put on a clumsy official tone, and his exaggerated manner made him seem every inch the cadre.

The main thing was, every time he thought someone was going to call him ‘chief,’ he felt a rush of excitement.

Even now, his heart was thumping in anticipation.

“Uh… I understand, Chief!” The man on the other end was momentarily dazed.

Was ‘chief’ really friendlier?

Xiao Li had expected Chang Yu to want to be called ‘superior,’ or perhaps ‘comrade,’ or even just by his name.

But never had he imagined that after such a roundabout preamble, Chang Yu still wanted to be called ‘chief.’

Xiao Li thought, “If you wanted me to call you chief, you could’ve just said so. Why take such a detour?”

And what about not standing on ceremony? What about not putting on airs? Weren’t we all from humble backgrounds? Weren’t we supposed to make things easy for each other?

All of it—just talk! Utter nonsense!

…

“So, you want to rent for a year, is that right?” Fatty Wang sat in the guard booth, puffing away at his cigarette, looking unfazed.

“That’s right, I came here specifically to sign the lease with you, Brother Wang,” Chang Yu replied, flicking the ash from his own cigarette.

“My new boss told me the unit will cover my annual rent, as long as I provide the contract and the landlord’s bank details.

“As soon as I heard, I rushed over. After all, if the new unit is footing the bill, I might as well rent from you—no reason to let the money go to outsiders.”

The two of them smoked and chatted, and soon the small guard booth was clouded with smoke.

After finishing a cigarette, Fatty Wang got straight to business. He deftly pulled an A4 sheet from his briefcase—a blank lease contract, with all the terms clearly printed.

He took a carbon pen from the drawer. “As a proper landlord, I always keep a contract on hand, so I can draw one up anytime, anywhere.”

Before writing, Fatty Wang looked solemnly into Chang Yu’s eyes, as if searching for his true intentions. “If everything you’ve said is true, I’ll rent you the place.

“My only worry is that you’re deceiving me—saying your new unit will reimburse you, but actually paying out of your own pocket, just so you don’t stay here for free.”

A warm current surged through Chang Yu’s heart. Fatty Wang was always thinking of others. He was like a sun, radiating warmth to everyone around him.

“Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t afford it. You know me—I can’t even pay the rent,” Chang Yu said with a sincere smile.

Fatty Wang studied him for a long moment, seeing nothing but honesty and openness in Chang Yu’s eyes—not a trace of deceit.

He believed him, especially after that line: “Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t afford it.”

“That’s true—I was overthinking it.” Fatty Wang finally relaxed, and, with a few quick strokes, filled in the rent, deposit, lease term, and other details, and signed his name at the bottom.