Chapter 1641 - 662: "Decadence"_2

Chapter 1641: Chapter 662: "Decadence"_2

The twelve girls, ranging in age from the youngest at seventeen to twenty-four, haven’t been sent to the manor for long, all within one year.

It’s not to say they are all beauties, but indeed "decent-looking" is the basic standard, and there’s no girl with a figure out of shape; overall they are slim and tall, which is probably a legacy of the former owner’s aesthetics.

The girl in front of me, named Zhang Manzhi, has only been here for less than two months. She has just turned nineteen, and this is her first job in domestic service, yet her position is similar to being a "live-in maid," which is why she’s nervous facing Zhou Wang.

Wait... live-in maid?

Not knowing what came to mind, Zhou Wang, with some suspicion, asked, "Xiao Man, did your previous owner ever make... um, some rather excessive demands on you all?"

After all, Zhou Wang never seriously employed maids before, so he’s unsure of their "limits," but according to his guess, a formal labor contract certainly wouldn’t include those kinds of things.

But that kind of situation can be unpredictable; a charming, adorable maid whose fate is completely in your hands might not have the courage to resist if the owner wishes to do something.

Zhou Wang’s question was quite tactful, yet, perhaps because Zhang Manzhi had received relevant knowledge in training, she quickly understood what Zhou Wang was getting at.

Her cheeks flushed slightly, but she still stammered, "No, there wasn’t... Before you, the manor was inhabited by a female owner, who didn’t come frequently. I’ve only seen her three or four times."

A female former owner, huh?

Zhou Wang was immediately relieved. Although with his current status, he wouldn’t have any thoughts about these maids, if they had been harmed by the former owner, it would still leave a lingering discomfort.

Zhou Wang even considered whether to replace them all.

To maintain a manor of this scale, a team of dozens is not many, and Zhou Wang doesn’t want the hassle. If everything can remain as it is, that would be best.

After inquiring Zhang Manzhi, Zhou Wang called the manor’s butler over.

There are two butlers in total, one male and one female, which is the "standard configuration" for decadent aristocrats. The male butler oversees the daily affairs of the manor, while the female butler is responsible for finances, procurement, and the household of the owner.

The male butler also hails from the Philippines, rumored to have served some royal family, although it’s uncertain if that’s true; the female butler is from Korea, with over ten years of experience serving upper-class families—which, judging by their resumes, seems impressive.

Then there are more than twenty servants, with over ten technical roles, including repairmen, gardeners, chefs, drivers, bartenders, and others.

"Victor, what’s the current salary for each of you?"

Zhou Wang somewhat awkwardly called the male butler by his English name, maybe because he’s so superficial, that calling that name always brings to mind a playful image of a "quick-handed trickster" with the butler’s stern face and graying temples.

Thus, Zhou Wang couldn’t help but smirk, always struggling hard to suppress it.

The nearby Sura couldn’t quite understand why her boss showed such expressive micro-expressions in front of an old man?

Victor, unaware of Zhou Wang’s quirky thoughts, replied earnestly in English: "Mr. Zhou, my current annual salary is $200,000, Ms. Han’s is $120,000, senior maids earn between $30,000 and $50,000, and senior technicians generally earn between $60,000 and $80,000."

Having understood this information, Zhou Wang was truly startled.

These individuals seem to be doing some of the humblest work, yet their incomes are certainly not low.

Two butlers, when converted to Huaxia currency, make over a million a year, which is the income level of top executives in major corporations.

Maids and technicians earn slightly less, but even the manor’s lowest "intermediate maid" has an annual salary of at least 100,000 to 200,000 RMB, far surpassing most regular workers.

Though Zhou Wang realized this comparison isn’t quite fair, as this is Seoul, the developed region of a developed country, and the manor’s former owner must’ve employed elite-level maids.

Yet this is indeed their pure income; before Zhou Wang raised the salaries for Xu Wenqian and others, Xu Wenqian’s annual salary was roughly equivalent to that of a "senior maid."

Moreover, since they live and eat in the manor, despite having little time off each month, and being unable to go out without the owner’s permission, it also means they essentially have nowhere to spend money.

During festivals and holidays, the owner still has to give them gifts, red envelopes, etc.

Estimating roughly, Zhou Wang figured that sustaining the people in this manor, along with the daily operations and maintenance, would cost at least tens of millions a year... this is the most conservative estimate as well.

Zhou Wang couldn’t help but clench his teeth.

Indeed, owning such a home isn’t just about affording to purchase it; without sustained wealth and sufficient foundation, everything is merely an illusion.

"Take me to see the wine cellar."

Zhou Wang suddenly remembered something and instructed the butler.

Following Victor’s lead, Zhou Wang arrived at the wine cellar on the second underground floor (the first underground floor is the entertainment area), immediately seeing the vast collection of wines and liquors on the shelves, whereupon Zhou Wang finally felt relieved.

Thankfully, the system was generous enough to encompass everything left behind in this manor; otherwise, filling such a large wine cellar would cost him significantly...

With cash flow always tight, Zhou Wang was genuinely pressured.

"I want to organize a party, probably for around a hundred people; do you have similar experience?"

At this point, Zhou Wang weighed his words and spoke to the two butlers before him.

The two exchanged glances, and the female butler with the surname Han replied, "Of course, Mr. Zhou, your wishes are our direction of effort... regarding hosting manor banquets, both Mr. Victor and I have rich experience in this area; you can let us know your detailed requirements."

Zhou Wang plans to briefly maintain relationships here before leaving Korea; holding a property deserves such courtesy.

After sharing his thoughts, and upon hearing the initial budget given by the female butler, Zhou Wang was relieved to learn it would only cost around a million.

Mainly because the manor is well-stocked with various drinks, saving a substantial amount, and as for related service staff, this is inherently the responsibility of the manor’s maids, so naturally, there’s no additional cost, making it seem "quite economical."

After preliminarily finalizing the banquet plan, Zhou Wang, who had been running around with Jeon So-mi, Jin Zhixiu, and Jin Zhenni over the past two days, felt a bit worn out.

"Take me to the master bedroom, I want to rest a bit."

"Certainly, Mr. Zhou."

The female butler led the way and asked, "Do you need your bed warmed?"

"Warmed bed?"

Zhou Wang clamped his teeth; could it mean what he’s thinking?

Ms. Han, however, showed no indication of surprise; she instead explained earnestly, "This is part of your live-in maid’s responsibilities; if needed, Mr. Zhou, you may wait in the living room, and I’ll have Xiao Man prepare your bed for you..."

Zhou Wang now roughly understood, admitting he was half-right; the maid actually does warm the bed, but not involuntarily.

What truly "decadent"!

Zhou Wang sighed again and politely declined.

...

Standing in the manor’s third-level master bedroom, with European-style dome and spacious floor-to-ceiling windows, covered with a thick velvet carpet, Zhou Wang was holding a cup of iced Coca-Cola, yet hadn’t quite developed the urge to sleep.

He just suddenly remembered something.

"In a little over ten days, it’ll be my birthday..."

Zhou Wang suddenly felt a headache; even though he usually avoids various festivals to avert awkward situations, this birthday was unavoidable.

Because all the women around him might forget other things, but would definitely remember his birthday.

Should I stay in Korea till New Year passes before returning?

Thinking for a moment, Zhou Wang abandoned that idea, realizing that as long as he’s on Earth, it actually makes no difference, especially since there’s "air travel" these days...

"Tough business!"

After pondering for a while without finding a better solution, Zhou Wang could only let out a sigh of melancholy.