"By the way, recently, some people who aren't part of our farm staff have been sneaking into the farm. If you see any suspicious individuals, you can report them to your superiors or the butler," Wan Qian casually reminded Wen Xirou, recalling what the butler had said earlier today.
Wen Xirou immediately took note—this must be the clue that Big Shot got from the farm owner's office today. She thought back to the woman in the red dress who had claimed to be the farm owner.
"Big shot, I really did see a suspicious person. Today, when I was working, a woman in a red wool dress came by. She asked us to help her find a ring, saying that she was the farm owner."
Wan Qian immediately denied this, "Impossible!"
She was the farm owner! How could she not know what she wore or what she had been doing?
Wen Xirou nodded and added, "Yeah, I also think it's impossible. By the way, this is the thing that woman asked us to help her find."
Saying this, Wen Xirou took out the severed finger and ring from her pocket and handed them to Wan Qian for her to see.
Wan Qian looked closely. It was a grayish-white severed finger with a diamond ring on it, and the broken edge was hanging with soft, decayed skin, already showing signs of rotting.
A surge of anger immediately rose in her chest. These intruders were going too far! Not only did they add strange substances to the shampoo and body wash, but they also disguised themselves as her to deceive her employees. They even used these creepy prank tools to intimidate her staff!
What if the interns she had painstakingly recruited were really scared off by these tactics?
"Don't worry, it's nothing to be afraid of," Wan Qian said, looking at Wen Xirou and softening her voice to comfort her. "She can only try to scare you, but as long as you don't listen to her, you'll be fine."
Wan Qian was really worried that if these intruders realized their pranks weren't scaring the employees, they might try something else. She couldn't let them succeed.
Wen Xirou nodded firmly, "Got it!"
Big shot was right. Earlier, the woman in the red dress had been constantly bothering them, but she hadn't done anything truly aggressive.
As long as Wen Xirou didn't listen to her, the red-dressed woman could only scare her but couldn't do anything else.
Big shot was truly impressive—she had already figured out how to deal with the woman without even meeting her.
Wan Qian glanced at the severed finger in Wen Xirou's hand again and feeling a bit disgusted. It was crafted quite realistically.
However, she couldn't let Wen Xirou, such a beautiful woman, keep holding it. If it was left in the dormitory at night, she feared she wouldn't be able to sleep well either.
After thinking for a moment, Wan Qian took the severed finger from Wen Xirou's hand.
"Never mind, I'll deal with this. You two go take a shower."
Wen Xirou handed the finger over to Wan Qian, feeling reassured. "Okay."
Wan Qian took a tissue and wrapped the severed finger before walking out of the dormitory. She called for the butler and handed the finger to him.
"It's really too much. How could they come up with something like this?" she said, her voice filled with disbelief.
The butler took the severed finger and gently reassured her, "I will take care of this matter as soon as possible."
"Could it be that someone doesn't want me to take over this farm and is deliberately causing trouble?" Wan Qian couldn't help but ask.
The butler widened his eyes slightly, a look of mild surprise on his face. He hadn't expected Wan Qian to perceive that layer of the issue.
Wan Qian tilted her head, narrowing her eyes slightly, as though contemplating something.
"Could it be my great-uncle's competitor from when he was alive?" Wan Qian pondered.
She remembered seeing some business wars in the news, where companies would sabotage each other, like "watering down the competitor's money tree" or "cutting their internet lines." To her surprise, such things seemed to have reached her own doorstep.
The butler paused for a moment, then fell silent, his gaze fixed on Wan Qian, who only reached his chest in height.
Under the moonlight, her shadow cast a blurry shape on the ground, and her delicate face, with long black hair cascading over her shoulders, looked ghostly pale, almost devoid of color. Whether it was a trick of the light or the moon's chilling glow, her skin seemed to have a faint bluish-gray tint.
The butler lowered his eyelids and smiled softly, his voice calm and reassuring, "No matter what their intentions are, I will eliminate the threat for you."
Wan Qian tilted her head back to look at the butler, her lips parted, and after a long pause, she finally said, "Uh... your salary from my great-uncle must be pretty high, right?"
After all, the butler looked like a professional, and his knowledge of the farm far exceeded her own as the so-called farm owner. Besides, he had already sworn loyalty without her even saying anything.
It must have been her great-uncle who had offered an outrageously high salary, one that no one else could afford, to recruit such a capable person.
Wan Qian couldn't help but feel a little anxious, wondering if she'd be able to offer such a high salary in the future.
"In reality, Mr. Wan didn't offer me a high salary," the butler replied, looking at Wan Qian with calm eyes. "My salary comes from the farm's profit-sharing. You need not worry about being unable to pay me."
"I once received a great favor from Mr. Wan," he continued, "He funded my education, including my studies abroad. So, Ms. Wan, even to repay his kindness, I will help you become the sole owner of this farm."
His words left Wan Qian couldn't help but blush a little.
"Well, you're... really a good person," she said. After all, people who repay kindness like this were rare these days.
The farm was visibly poor, and making a profit would likely take a long time. Given the butler's professional skills, he could probably earn a good amount working elsewhere.
She had to admit that her thoughts were too utilitarian. Wan Qian sincerely reflected on her actions in her heart.
"I'm just glad you trust me," the butler smiled.
Wan Qian nodded. "Of course, I trust you a lot."
Her great-uncle had left her a note saying she could trust the butler.
Besides, she couldn't think of anyone else more suitable to help her manage the farm. If she hired someone else at a high price, it would be hard to find someone as professional as the butler, and she couldn't afford such a salary.
After confirming that Wan Qian had no other matters, the butler took the severed finger and left.