Holographic Bodyguard Log

Chapter 2: Fight Hard

The Fengdu Group in Beijing is a subsidiary of a multinational corporation, mainly operating in the hospitality and restaurant industry. Among its holdings is the Fengdu Grand Hotel, a standard five-star hotel located on the second ring road in Beijing, very close to the famous Wangfujing. From the top floor, you can even see the Purple City.

A month ago, Zhang Yi officially became a proud and honorable security guard at Fengdu Group. His monthly salary is three thousand yuan, with accommodation and one meal provided. Although the salary isn’t much, the accommodation is what makes it worthwhile.

Today was payday, but after coming out of the finance department, Zhang Yi’s face was dark, and he strode toward the gym provided for the security department.

To his surprise, his first month's salary was deducted by three hundred yuan. When he inquired about the reason, the finance department explained that he had taken three days off, each costing one hundred yuan, thus the deduction of three hundred.

For others, three hundred yuan might not be a big deal, but for him, it was half a month's worth of meals.

After confirming the reason in the finance department, Zhang Yi quickly figured out who was behind it: the head of the security department, He Sen.

At Fengdu, each department maintains an attendance log, and the department head is responsible for recording their subordinates' attendance. In the security department's log, Zhang Yi's three days off were recorded, and the finance department naturally followed the rules and deducted his wages.

"Bang!" When Zhang Yi reached the gym, he kicked the door open, walked in, and his eyes locked on one person. He said coldly, "He Sen, you’re setting me up?"

"Whoa!" The five muscular men inside the gym all turned at the same time. These men were all security guards at Fengdu, two of them were sparring, one was hitting a punching bag, and the other two were lifting dumbbells.

The one hitting the punching bag was none other than He Sen, the head of the security department, 32 years old, a former special forces soldier. After his discharge, he had spent nearly ten years struggling in Beijing, and finally, he became the head of the security department at Fengdu Group.

He Sen’s face was covered in acne scars, likely due to poor hormonal balance during puberty. He had a tough, intimidating look, which worked well in his line of work.

His upper body was covered in tattoos. On his chest, there was a large Maitreya Buddha, and on his back, a red koi fish.

"Zhang, are you crazy?" The first to speak was one of the men sparring. His name was "Qiu Wu," though Zhang Yi didn't know his full name. He only heard people call him "Wu Ge" or "Qiu Wu." He was the deputy head of the security department, an old subordinate of He Sen. They had been comrades in the military, and later, He Sen brought him into Fengdu.

"Xiao Zhang, what’s the matter? Did I offend you?" He Sen said with a friendly smile, his tone calm and easy-going. He had a good relationship with everyone at Fengdu, and despite his fierce look, he was actually a clever old fox.

"Qiu Wu, what are you talking about? Just tell me why my attendance record was altered," Zhang Yi said, his anger rising.

He Sen looked at him with a sly smile, "Oh, I see, it’s about the time you took off, right? You asked for leave on the 6th to see your sister, and I approved it. That’s one day off, right?"

"What about the other two? I don’t remember asking for any other leave," Zhang Yi said, walking up to He Sen, while Qiu Wu and the others closed in, surrounding him.

"Let me think… Ah, I remember. On the 16th, around 3 PM, you asked for leave, and on the 18th, also around 3 PM, you asked for leave. Is that correct?" He Sen continued to smile.

"What? Those don’t count! I just went to the bank across the street for a few minutes!" Zhang Yi’s eyes widened.

"In this job, every minute counts. Our motto at Fengdu is that if you're on duty, you must be committed. So even if you were gone for just a minute, those two instances are considered as absenteeism," He Sen explained, unfazed.

Zhang Yi felt frustrated. "So you’re telling me, when others are out messing around during their shifts, it doesn’t count, but when I go to the bank for ten minutes, it’s absenteeism?"

"I don’t know about that, I didn’t see it," He Sen shrugged, his tone mocking.

"Are you trying to pick a fight with me on purpose?" At this point, Qiu Wu sneered from the side. "What makes you think you can compare with others? Get lost now, or don’t blame us for being rude."

"Yeah, you should just leave," He Sen said, checking his watch. "You’re supposed to be on duty. You’re in the gym now, that’s absenteeism too!"

"F*ck you and your absenteeism!" Zhang Yi couldn’t take it anymore. He knew exactly why he was being targeted—he hadn’t bribed He Sen. He remembered that two others who had joined the security department with him had given He Sen gifts: one had bought a few hundred yuan worth of cigarettes, and the other had given him three hundred yuan for his birthday. But Zhang Yi didn’t play that game, and now He Sen was getting back at him.

Without warning, Zhang Yi kicked He Sen in the stomach. He wasn’t someone to let things slide, especially when he felt bullied. But just as his kick was about to land, He Sen swiftly dodged, showing off his special forces agility.

"You’re asking for it," Qiu Wu growled, as he and the others attacked Zhang Yi from all sides.

Zhang Yi had anticipated this. Having trained in martial arts for five years, he was no stranger to fights, even winning some awards. This skill was one of the reasons he was hired as a security guard at Fengdu.

He swiftly dodged Qiu Wu’s punch and countered with a powerful punch to his chest, sending Qiu Wu flying back several meters.

The other two attackers closed in, one using his legs and the other his fists. Zhang Yi had trained with these kinds of moves, and though they were strong, he was able to dodge the punches and land a solid hit on one of them.

But just then, He Sen finally shouted, "Liu Ershui, get back! Zhi, take him down!"

Zhi, also known as Li Tiezhu, was one of the men lifting weights earlier. He was tall and quiet, often seen standing next to He Sen like a bodyguard. Zhang Yi had always suspected that he might be more than just a bodyguard to He Sen.

Li Tiezhu stepped forward, sizing Zhang Yi up. "I heard you’ve trained in martial arts and sparring. Is that right?" He asked dismissively. "In my eyes, it's all just fancy moves."

With that, he charged at Zhang Yi like a predator, delivering a punch with lightning speed.

Zhang Yi barely had time to block, and the force of Li Tiezhu’s punch sent excruciating pain through his arms. He staggered back five steps.

"You’ve got good reflexes!" Li Tiezhu sneered, closing in again, his movements like a beast hunting its prey.

Zhang Yi’s arms were numb, but he wasn’t going down easily. As Li Tiezhu’s next punch came flying toward him, Zhang Yi knew he had no choice but to take the hit. The punch landed squarely on his face, and Zhang Yi retaliated with a kick to Li Tiezhu’s chest.

The two separated, Zhang Yi stumbling to one knee, blood trickling from his mouth, while Li Tiezhu stepped back, clutching his chest in shock.

Just then, the intercom from the gym crackled. "He Sen, are you there? The chief is calling you. Head to the 28th floor to fix the power supply. The secretary’s wife is sick, and the CEO’s office power is down. Hurry up!"

"Got it, thanks," He Sen said, immediately turning to Zhang Yi. "Enough! Stop now, both of you!"

Zhang Yi’s hand shot out, grabbing Li Tiezhu’s leg, twisting it and forcing him to the ground. Before anyone could react, Zhang Yi had already pinned Li Tiezhu down, locking his arm around his neck.

"Stop! All of you, stop!" He Sen yelled, rushing toward them.

Li Tiezhu, struggling, finally managed to stand up as Zhang Yi released him. But Zhang Yi’s glare was cold and relentless.

He Sen approached Zhang Yi, patting him on the shoulder with a smile. "We’re all men here, Zhang Yi. Let’s not let personal grudges interfere with work. If you want to fight, we’re always ready."

Zhang Yi wiped the blood from his mouth, his eyes cold. "I haven’t lost yet. If you want to try, come at me."

Li Tiezhu sneered. "You’re nothing but trash. Maybe after ten more years of training, you’ll be worthy of licking my boots."

Zhang Yi’s eyes burned with anger, but He Sen quickly intervened. "Enough, Zhang Yi. Are you going to the CEO’s office or not?"

Zhang Yi was not going to back down, but he wasn’t going to leave either. He needed the job and the money.