TFRLTOP Chapter 9

Chapter 9 – The Overbearing CEO’s Little Newbie

◎ Not a Customer to Be Toyed With ◎

It had to be said—Huo Xiao’s decision to have his subordinates prepare clothes for Ming Ming was downright brilliant.

The system asked, “Are you going to buy designer clothes, handbags, and jewelry? I can recommend some luxury brands that would suit you.”

Ming Ming shot back, “Why would I buy that stuff?”

“You’re rich now.”

“So what if I’m rich? Why should I waste money on that?” Ming Ming found the idea ridiculous. “Those luxury handbags even make you buy other stuff before they’ll sell to you. If I already have money, why would I let them push me around?”

“A customer who can’t be pushed around!” Ming Ming strutted past the luxury shopping street, radiating an aura of ‘It’s not that I can’t afford you, it’s that I wouldn’t waste my time on you.’

The system was speechless.

What a poor person’s mindset.

In the end, it could only watch helplessly as Ming Ming walked into… not Vacheron Constantin, but the Häagen-Dazs store on the street over.

She browsed for a while, then stopped, grandly waved her hand, and told the clerk, “One tub of every flavor!”

System: …

I can’t even watch this.

“Hello, ma’am.” The Häagen-Dazs employee, professional as ever, pointed to the shelf. “Do you mean these pint-sized cups? We have twenty-one flavors in 81g and 392g sizes. Which would you like? I can pack them up for you.”

Ming Ming pointed to the two rows of massive tubs behind the glass counter—the kind they scoop ice cream from—and said, “These.”

She emphasized again, “One tub of each flavor.”

The clerk froze for a second and blurted, “Ma’am, that’s not… uh, I mean, are you sure you want the large tubs? Each one is seven to eight kilograms. Are you buying for commercial use? If so, please come over here and register so we can give you the wholesale rate.”

“But we’d need to check our stock first.”

Ming Ming smiled and nodded. “Yes, those big tubs. Not for commercial use—just for me. Wholesale price doesn’t matter. You take cards, right?”

“Yes, of course. Please have a seat for a moment.”

Another clerk brought her a cup of coffee and asked kindly, “Is this for you and your family? You’ll need to store them properly—if you don’t finish them quickly, they’ll spoil.”

Ming Ming fell into thought, then humbly asked for advice on how to store them.

A few minutes later, the stock-checking clerk returned to say they had enough in stock and could deliver to her address.

The system, which had just been thinking Let’s see how you haul this home, went silent.

Ming Ming cheered, “Long live modern society!”

She left her address, took out her black card, and keyed in the PIN—error.

Ming Ming:?

The system said gravely, “Your birthday… isn’t your birthday.”

Embarrassed, Ming Ming pulled out Chu Yun’s ID, checked the date, and entered it correctly this time.

Once the transaction was done, she thought for a moment, then decided to give Butler Wu a call.

At the Huo residence, Fifth Master Huo was giving Chen Si some instructions when Butler Wu’s phone buzzed. Seeing Chu Yun’s number, he hesitated, glancing at Fifth Master to see if he should answer.

His hesitation was long enough that Fifth Master and Chen Si both looked at him. Butler Wu gestured, and Fifth Master nodded for him to pick up.

Butler Wu put the call on speaker and held it out respectfully. Chu Yun’s voice came through: “Butler Wu, I bought something and had it delivered to the house. I left your number for the delivery, so please sign for it later.”

She had a habit of stretching certain syllables, sounding almost playful. Even over the phone, her good mood came through clearly.

Butler Wu glanced at Fifth Master, not answering right away. Thinking he was ignoring her, Chu Yun added in the same light tone, “By the way, I spent Fifth Master’s money. If anything gets damaged, it’s his loss—not mine.”

At that, Fifth Master chuckled and said into the phone, “Alright, I’ll make sure he looks after it for you.”

He sounded as if he were humoring a child, clearly unconcerned about what she’d bought.

“Oh, Fifth Master!” Ming Ming exclaimed in surprise. “Then I won’t worry about it. Bye!”

Hanging up, her good mood doubled. Earlier, making the system eat humble pie had been fun; now, with Fifth Master on her side, her new hobby was making Butler Wu squirm.

If you have a powerful backer and don’t use them, you’re an idiot.

She wandered around for a while longer, buying nothing.

Honestly, just aimlessly strolling down the street already felt like bliss. In the past, she’d been constantly rushing between part-time jobs for meager pay, crushed under the weight of financial pressure. She’d never known what it was like to not be in a hurry, not to fret over dwindling savings.

It felt so good.

Even if suffering comes later, I’ll have earned it.

Ming Ming accepted it with ease.

Back at the Huo residence, Butler Wu was having a rare moment of helplessness.

The gate guard called to say a delivery had arrived. Of course, delivery trucks weren’t allowed inside, so to show due diligence, Butler Wu went himself—only to regret not asking what it was beforehand.

“Man, you came empty-handed?” the driver said, puzzled. “This thing’s about four hundred pounds. You’re not getting a cart and some guys to help unload?”

Butler Wu stared at the giant “Häagen-Dazs” logo on the truck, pushed his glasses up his nose, and called for the servants to bring the supply truck to haul the ice cream.

“Hurry it up, will ya? I’ve got other stops before I clock out,” the driver said, wiping sweat. “You guys are out in the middle of nowhere.”

“We’ll unload shortly,” Butler Wu replied evenly.

Once everything was off the truck, the driver shook his head. “By the time you get home from here, the sun’ll be down,” he said, then drove off.

“Where’s Butler Wu?” Fifth Master asked.

“Miss Chu’s delivery just arrived—he’s signing for it at the gate.”

Fifth Master raised an eyebrow, suddenly curious. “Pull up her purchases for today. I want to see.”

Chen Si handed over the bill just as Butler Wu returned, leading several carts piled high with Häagen-Dazs tubs into the main residence.

Huo Xiao glanced at the bill—twenty thousand yuan worth of ice cream—then at the carts. For once, he was silent.

Chen Si gave an awkward laugh. “We should’ve thought ahead. A young lady, staying here in this heat for days—we didn’t even think to get her ice cream…”

Fifth Master waved it off, telling them to just take care of it. A moment later, a servant came over, looking troubled. “Butler Wu, the kitchen freezer can’t hold all of this…”

Butler Wu gritted his teeth. “What about the ice chests?”

“They’re all full,” the servant said regretfully. “They’ll start melting soon.”

Butler Wu: “…”

Chen Si quickly called someone. “Yes, send over a freezer—the biggest one you’ve got! Now, immediately, right this second!”

Huo Xiao pinched the bridge of his nose. “I remember there’s a space by the cellar. Have someone dig an ice pit there.”

“Yes, Fifth Master.” Butler Wu left at once to make arrangements.