Chapter 19

Yang Kang hurriedly said, "This is very reasonable; the boss has considered it very thoughtfully."

Boss Shao smiled and said, "It's good that you agree. I was worried you might not. Well, I'm not a stingy person. If you receive items, you can sell them under the name of Ruyi Workshop, or you can use Ruyi Workshop to participate in the antique exchange meetings at Langyuan, or even request that they be auctioned off there."

"Thank you, Boss!" Yang Kang smiled, thinking to himself, "This way, if I need to buy something and then resell it, I won't have to worry."

"Alright, let's talk about your salary," Boss Shao said. "Old Zhou said you used to work at a pawnshop for 3,000 yuan a month?"

Yang Kang just nodded. 3,000 yuan wasn't much; many of his classmates who had started working earned more than that. But his major wasn't very relevant.

"The work here is quite easy, so I won't give you a raise. I heard from Old Zhou that you don't get along with Jiang Yan. Since that's the case, I'll provide you with accommodation so you won't have to put up with the Jiang family. How about that?" Boss Shao said with a smile, "Besides, I have plenty of space here."

"That's great! I was actually going to ask you—could I stay in your storage room for a couple of days? Otherwise, I won't be able to find a place to rent right away," Yang Kang said with a wry smile.

"My storage room can't be used for that. I like to tinker with crafts, and it wouldn't be convenient if you stayed there," Boss Shao laughed. "Since that's the case, I'll draw up a contract. Sign it, and you'll be officially hired. Is that how it's done? It's my first time hiring someone."

"Ha..." Yang Kang couldn't help but laugh at his humor. "That's how it's done."

"Wait a moment!" Boss Shao said, walking to his desk and typing away. In a few minutes, a contract was placed in front of him.

Yang Kang glanced at it: 3,000 yuan a month, accommodation provided, work hours from 9 AM to 4 PM, and the job was just to look after the shop with no performance pressure.

"The work hours here aren't strictly defined; I'm not a corporate entity," Boss Shao said as he saw Yang Kang reading the contract. "I don't have high demands. If you want to date a girl, go out, or travel, I have no objections. But at least open the shop a few days a month; don't keep it closed all the time."

"Boss, you're joking!" Yang Kang laughed. "With my looks, who would date me?" As he spoke, he signed the two copies of the contract.

"Times have changed?" Boss Shao asked curiously. "A handsome young man like you, and no girls want to date you?" As he spoke, he signed the contract and handed one copy to Yang Kang, smiling, "The contract is now in effect."

Yang Kang looked down and saw that Boss Shao had beautiful handwriting. His name was Shao Wenmo, a very elegant name.

"Come, Mr. Yang, let me show you around upstairs to familiarize yourself with the environment," Boss Shao said.

"Sure!" Yang Kang nodded. After all, this was where he would be working, so he needed to get familiar with the place.

"The downstairs area is the restaurant, the kitchen is next to it, and the bathroom is nearby. The dark door under the stairs is the storage room," Boss Shao said as he led him upstairs.

"Okay!" Yang Kang responded, following Boss Shao up the wooden stairs. The upstairs space was small, a typical three-bedroom apartment.

The living room was simply decorated with a sofa and a not-so-big LCD TV. On the other side were the study and the bathroom. The study was ordinary, with a dictionary set on the bookshelf and nothing else.

"This is the bedroom, facing south, perfect for sunbathing in winter," Boss Shao said, opening the bedroom door and smiling.

Yang Kang looked around and saw that the bedroom was indeed well-lit. The large floor-to-ceiling windows were bright and clear, making it very comfortable. The bedroom was a small suite, with a wall dividing the inner and outer areas. Inside was a wardrobe, and outside was an antique display cabinet, professionally called a "duobao ge," but it had clear tempered glass.

However, the duobao ge was empty, with nothing on it.

"Boss, you don't have any antiques displayed here?" Yang Kang asked curiously.

"Hehe..." Boss Shao laughed awkwardly, "Mr. Yang, don't bring up the sore spot!"

Hearing this, Yang Kang could only smile awkwardly and change the subject, "Boss, you can call me Yang Kang or Xiao Kang. Since I'm your employee, you don't have to keep calling me Mr. Yang."

"Ha..." Boss Shao smiled. "Alright, I'll call you Ah Kang?"

"Sure!" Yang Kang nodded.

Boss Shao showed him around and then went downstairs. Yang Kang looked at the small couch by the window and asked softly, "Boss, can I sleep here at night?"

"Uh?" Boss Shao looked at him in surprise. "You want to sleep here? That's not good. What if a customer comes in and sees you? That would be very inconvenient."

"But..." Yang Kang was also taken aback. "You won't let me sleep in your storage room, and your kitchen and dining room don't seem suitable. You said you'd provide accommodation. Do you want me to sleep in the bathroom?"

Boss Shao scratched his head, looking defeated. "Is the bedroom upstairs not good? It's really not suitable for you to sleep here. It's fine in summer, but what about winter? This place is only good for lying down and reading books."

Your bedroom upstairs? This time, Yang Kang felt his mind was a bit slow. "You want me to sleep in your bedroom? Where will you sleep?"

"I don't live here; I have another place!" Boss Shao sighed. "You kid, you didn't say clearly, making me think you had some special preference for sleeping in the living room."

"No, no, I have no interest in sleeping in the living room," Yang Kang shook his head.

"Alright, go upstairs and pack your things, then come down. I'll take you to buy a uniform," Boss Shao said.

"Sure!" Yang Kang nodded, thinking to himself, "Is this Boss Shao following the hotel model, requiring employees to wear uniforms?"

But thinking about it, some large antique shops required young and attractive women to wear retro qipaos. Maybe Boss Shao was following that trend?

Fine, let him do what he wants. He is the boss, after all.

Boss Shao also went upstairs to help him pack. Yang Kang saw that the wardrobe was also empty, and the bathroom didn't even have a towel, indicating that Boss Shao had never lived there.

"Later, you should buy some daily necessities. How can you live like this?" Boss Shao looked at Yang Kang's extremely simple luggage and shook his head.