Chapter 11: Housekeeper? (Seeking Your Support)

The fifty thousand he earned during the day from interviewing at someone else’s company was swiftly diminished by another five thousand that very night, just for making a trip to someone’s home under the pretext of a preliminary visit.

As the night grew deeper, the cab fares only rose higher.

When he arrived home, Yosuke Ueno was already fast asleep.

Tao Zhiming lay down but found himself still wide awake.

Being reborn in Tokyo at this moment certainly offered him many opportunities, but it also posed a disadvantage not easily resolved.

This was Japan—a place quite unlike the familiar land of summer from which he hailed.

He couldn’t simply rely on earning money by going to interviews at various companies forever, and if he wanted to make more in the future, he would need help.

The trouble was, Tao Zhiming’s understanding of Japan was not deep, even with the memories of Taoran.

Those memories belonged to a well-sheltered, academically stagnant good-for-nothing, clueless about society at large.

Yosuke Ueno, unlike Runa Onodera, could only be approached as a partner rather than as a subordinate to be ordered about, at least until Tao Zhiming had proven his abilities and convinced him of his future prospects. Friendship and the prestige of being a Tokyo University prodigy made Yosuke a different case.

So far, within Tao Zhiming’s line of sight, he was only truly familiar with Runa Onodera.

As for Kyoko Okita, whom he met today, Tao Zhiming had only approached her because she appeared so obedient and honest.

For what he needed to do next, he didn’t require his initial companions to be particularly smart or resourceful—obedience and efficiency were far more valuable in the beginning.

It remained to be seen what decision Runa Onodera would make.

The next morning, Yosuke Ueno woke to find Tao Zhiming already up, pen in hand, flipping through a job-hunting magazine, making marks and diagrams.

“Good morning.” Rubbing his eyes, Yosuke walked over to take a look. “Full of motivation, huh? Are you seriously searching for a better company, or are you out to collect generous signing bonuses like yesterday?”

“Of course it’s about the bonuses!” Tao Zhiming replied without even looking up—such money was there for the taking, and this was the final window in March. Come April, when the school year began, all the big companies willing to shell out serious cash would have finished this season’s campus recruitment.

Fifty thousand per company—if he hit up twenty, that would be ten million yen in hand.

A tidy sum in dollars, as well.

“You greedy beast!” Yosuke grumbled, but went off to brush his teeth anyway.

Before long, the phone rang.

Tao Zhiming picked up to find it was Naoya Murai, the Head of HR at Yuwa Trading.

“Mr. Tao, could you come to the company today to discuss the employment agreement?” Murai’s voice was cheerful.

“I’m terribly sorry,” Tao Zhiming replied smoothly, “but after my classmates heard that President Omiya personally commended me yesterday, they insisted I treat them to a proper meal. They’ll be coming over to my place soon, so I’ll have to look at my schedule for later.”

“Is that so?” Murai could only respond, “Well, it’s cause for celebration! In that case, I’ll contact you again tomorrow, Mr. Tao.”

“My apologies.”

After hanging up, Tao Zhiming raised his eyebrows.

They certainly wanted to strike while the iron was hot, but after Omiya Hiroshi’s initial underestimation, Tao Zhiming had already made up his mind to take what he could and move on.

Yosuke Ueno, perhaps overhearing, came out and asked, “Yuwa’s pushing you to sign the agreement?”

“That’s right.” Tao Zhiming directed Yosuke, who was about to continue living here for free, “Go get some breakfast, will you? I need to look for more companies and set up more interviews today.”

“Surprisingly diligent,” Yosuke remarked, pleased by this change. He assumed Tao Zhiming was only joking about the bonuses, and was truly thinking about his future and seeking a better company.

He headed for the door, but the moment he opened it, he was stunned to see Runa Onodera, hand raised to knock. “Runa, you’re here again?”

“Good morning, Yosuke!” Runa Onodera bowed and held up the bag in her hand. “You haven’t had breakfast yet, have you?”

Even Tao Zhiming couldn’t help but stand up and take a look.

“Good morning, Mr. Tao!” Another bow.

Tao Zhiming nodded. “Miss Onodera, what brings you here?”

“Taoran!” Yosuke protested unhappily, “Watch your tone!”

Runa Onodera stared in confusion at Yosuke’s indignation, but Tao Zhiming just rolled his eyes at him and said, “Miss Onodera, Yosuke here seems quite taken with you.”

Yosuke immediately wilted, his cheeks flushing red.

Runa Onodera giggled, hand to her mouth. “I just wanted to thank Mr. Tao for taking the trouble to escort me home last night, so I came early with breakfast as a small token of gratitude. Please accept it.”

“What?” Yosuke turned to Tao Zhiming in surprise. “Last night?”

“What are you implying?” Tao Zhiming shot him a disdainful look, then said bluntly, “Come in, I’m starving.”

Seeing that Runa had come alone, Tao Zhiming understood.

She was a woman who took her daughter’s safety seriously, which only added to her credibility in his eyes.

“Miss Onodera, aside from me, do you have any other prospects this month who might result in a sale?” Tao Zhiming asked as he ate.

The breakfast Runa brought was a more luxurious version of the typical fare: miso soup and plain rice porridge, with a variety of grilled fish and side dishes—she had spent some extra money, it seemed.

“It’s very difficult,” Runa admitted, clearly worried. “You’re not the only one—everyone thinks housing prices are soaring, and no one wants to let go now.”

Ordinary people were shrewd, too; even if they knew they’d eventually have to sell, they were doing their best to maximize what they could get.

Perhaps that was why Runa’s performance had recently declined, her income falling short of expectations.

Since Tao Zhiming had already made his offer, he didn’t bother with the passive approach any longer and said directly, “So, have you made up your mind, Miss Onodera? The living room is shared, but every bedroom will have its own lock. If you don’t trust me, that’s fine—Yosuke here is a man of the utmost integrity.”

Yosuke looked at Tao Zhiming in bewilderment, unsure what he meant.

Runa Onodera bit her lip and tried once more, “If you really want to start your own business, why not just sell the house now? That way, you’d have plenty of money at your disposal.”

“What?” Yosuke couldn’t hold back. “Weren’t you just looking through job listings?”

Tao Zhiming didn’t bother answering him, but told Runa, “If the price doesn’t meet my expectations, I won’t sell. As for money, I’ll figure something out.”

“Bonuses?” Yosuke’s eyes widened. “Don’t tell me you’re planning to rake in fifty thousand every day?”

That familiar number made Runa stare at Tao Zhiming in shock.

She’d heard of the fierce competition among university students for jobs—one reason she hoped her daughter would attend university one day.

Had he really received a fifty-thousand bonus from a major corporation yesterday, just for considering an offer?

Runa could not help her envy. The prospect of earning at least fifty thousand a month after April, just as Tao Zhiming said, gave her a bit more confidence.

But it was not enough. She couldn’t just gamble her future on hope.

“Still undecided?” Tao Zhiming said. “But I won’t wait long.”

He finished breakfast quickly and stood up. “Thank you for the meal. I need to start writing my résumé.”

He went to his room.

There was no helping it—without a computer, he’d have to write by hand and mail out his applications. Tao Zhiming planned to spend the day blanketing the market, making follow-up calls as well; with the Tokyo University aura, if there were any briefings soon, he’d likely be invited directly.

This way, he could lay out his schedule for the next month and use any remaining time for other ventures.

In the living room, only Yosuke and Runa remained.

“So... Runa, what did Taoran mean just now? About every room having a lock?”

Runa looked at him and hesitated, then said, “Mr. Tao said I could move in here for free, so he could evaluate my work skills and decide if I’m suitable for the job he’ll offer in the future...”

Yosuke stared at her in disbelief.

Move in here?

Work for Taoran in the future?

A housekeeper?