chapter 10 You're fired ===

"Thorpe Chen, what did you just say? Say that again if you dare." Chris Li exploded in anger. She always considered herself to have a good figure and looks, and Thorpe Chen's comment really irked her.
"What's going on?" At that moment, a property manager passed by.
"Manager Yang, this two sneaked in. Kick them out quickly," Chris Li pointed at the two of them and shouted. "What's wrong with the security guards at the entrance? Why are they just letting people in so carelessly?"
"Which unit are you two from? Can you register, please?" Manager Yang was quite professional.
"Building 8 in Zone C," Thorpe Chen stated his address. "My name is Thorpe Chen."
"Thorpe Chen?" Manager Yang was taken aback and his demeanour instantly became respectful. "Mr. Chen, I'm so sorry, Chris Li is new here and not aware of the situation."
"Manager Yang, why are you being so nice to him? He's just a gambler. All he does is drink, gamble, and hit his wife. He's nothing but the trash of society. Kick them out quickly!" Chris Li still didn't get what was happening.
"Chris Li, shut up! Didn't I tell you that we have VIPs today and you were supposed to serve them?" Manager Yang was furious. This woman really couldn't recognize important people.
Thorpe Chen was personally mentioned by Adolf Lin. The developer of this housing estate is a subsidiary of the Lin's group. He needed to serve the boss's VIP carefully. Yet this woman dared to insult Thorpe Chen.
"Y… yes. You mentioned that there would be a new resident in Zone C, Building 8, and you wanted me to be their personal housekeeper. Could it be..." Chris Li turned pale. Could it be that the new resident was Thorpe Chen? This was impossible.
"Indeed, it's me," Thorpe Chen smirked. "A servant like you really doesn’t know her place. Manager Yang, either replace her, or I'll report to Mr. Lin that I'm not comfortable living here. You decide."
"Chris Li, you're fired. Leave immediately," Manager Yang decided without hesitation.
"Manager Yang, I know I was wrong. I promise I'll be careful next time. Please don't fire me," Chris Li's spirits were crushed as she pleaded.
She had gone to great lengths to get this personal housekeeper job. Firstly, the benefits were great. Secondly, it gave her a chance to interact with the wealthy. Yet she was being fired just after a few days of work.
"You don’t need to say anything else. Disappear from Mr. Chen's sight. Now!" Manager Yang ordered.
Without a choice, Chris Li glared at Thorpe Chen and left, puzzled. In her eyes, Thorpe Chen was always just a lowly thug. How did he suddenly become so important?
"Mr. Chen, Mrs. Chen, I sincerely apologize. I'll arrange another housekeeper for you immediately," Manager Yang bowed in apology.
After the incident with Chris Li, Thorpe Chen and Gloria Ye returned home.
Gloria Ye was stunned by the luxury of their new home. It had three stories, lavish decorations, and all imported furniture. She had never imagined living in such a luxurious house in her life.
"Honey, quit your job and stay here to take care of our baby," Thorpe Chen chuckled.
"No, I can still work. Plus, I've been working on two big deals recently. Once they're finalized, I might get a promotion," Gloria Ye replied. "We'll need more money when the child is born."
"Don't worry about it. I'll handle it," Thorpe Chen assured her with a smile.
"Honey, I miss home," Gloria Ye said, lost in thought.
"Then let's go back. I'll go with you," Thorpe Chen was surprised, knowing that Gloria hadn’t contacted her family for years.
"But..."
"There's no 'but'. You don’t need to always think about me. I know they look down on me, but if you want to go back, I don't mind any ridicule from them," Thorpe Chen said. "After all, raising you couldn’t have been easy for your father."
"Really? I'm just worried you won't be able to tolerate their ridicule," Gloria Ye was elated.
"For you, I can bear it," Thorpe Chen replied with a gentle smile.
"My dad's birthday is the day after tomorrow. Let's go back during this time and hope he can accept us," Gloria Ye suggested.
"He will. I’ll buy him a gift," Thorpe Chen assured her with a grin.
After purchasing the necessary daily items, Thorpe Chen contemplated that he hadn’t visited his father-in-law for years. He decided to buy a meaningful gift. His father-in-law loved literature and antique calligraphy and paintings. So, Thorpe Chen decided to visit the antique market.
Fengling City's Antique Street had been around for quite some time. It was after lunch, so there weren’t many people around. Thorpe Chen wandered aimlessly.
"Hey, Thorpe Chen! You're shopping for antiques now? I was wondering why you weren't around for cards these past few days. Trying to strike it rich by finding a hidden treasure?" A teasing voice called out from behind.
Thorpe Chen turned around and saw a sleazy-looking man approaching.
"Third Brother, it's you." Thorpe Chen smiled. This was his card-playing friend, Carey Liu, who, like Thorpe Chen before, drank and played cards every day without focusing on real work.
However, this guy was sharp, always taking advantage but never getting taken advantage of, so he was doing slightly better than Thorpe Chen.
"Come on, let's go for a few rounds." Carey Liu gave Thorpe Chen a hefty pat on the shoulder.
"No thanks, Third Brother. I won't be playing cards anymore," Thorpe Chen replied, shaking his head.
"Oh, turning over a new leaf?" Carey Liu looked at Thorpe Chen with surprise, "This doesn't seem like you."
"I'm about to become a father. I have to think about the child," Thorpe Chen said with a smile.
"Thorpe Chen, what's gotten into you?" Carey Liu shook his head, "What are you looking at here?"
"I'm looking at a piece of calligraphy and painting. My father-in-law's birthday is coming up soon, so I brought my wife to have a look," Thorpe Chen explained.
"Looking for a painting? Tell me! One of my buddies runs a painting shop. Come, I'll take you there. I'm sure you'll find something you like." Carey Liu grinned mischievously, taking Thorpe Chen by the arm and leading him away without waiting for a reply.
"Old Ji, I've brought you a customer." Carey Liu took Thorpe Chen to a painting shop where the shopkeeper came forward to greet them.
"Old Ji, this is my buddy Thorpe Chen. He's interested in a painting. Can you recommend a good one?" Carey Liu winked and gestured to the shopkeeper.
"Haha, no problem. Friends brought by Third Brother are like family. Brother, my name is Luis Ji. How about I show you a few?" Luis Ji could tell from Carey Liu's expression what was going on and greeted them warmly.
"That would be great, Brother Ji," Thorpe Chen nodded.
"Take a look at this one. It's a chrysanthemum painting from the Tang Dynasty by Levi OuYang. As you may know, Levi OuYang is one of the four great calligraphers of the Tang Dynasty. This painting..."
"Let's look at another," Thorpe Chen, with his warrior heritage and knowledge of the esoteric and the yin-yang, could tell at a glance that it was a fake.
"You don't like it? Alright, how about this one? This is..."
"Brother Ji, we're all in business here. Can you be sincere?" Thorpe Chen didn't even glance at it.
"You have quite high standards. Wait a moment. I have a treasure in this shop. I'll bring it out for you to see," Luis Ji said, his face beaming, pulling Carey Liu to one side.
"Carey Liu, is he an expert?"
"Expert my foot! He's a gambling addict. But let me tell you, no matter how much you sell it for, I want 30% of the profits," Carey Liu whispered.