Being carried onto an ambulance at the start? But this is America!

As we approached the manor, the scene before us presented a stark contrast to the impoverished streets of my memory.

Not far away, a private lake with shimmering blue waters comes into view, reflecting the uniquely styled detached villas along its shore.

The air was so fresh it carried the scent of grass, trees, and lake water. The streets were spotless, the green belts were meticulously trimmed, and every detail exuded an air of luxury and privacy.

This is another side of Los Angeles.

The two brothers stopped in front of the imposing gatehouse, and Li Ping said to the security guard.

"We were invited by Ms. Flora Lancaster, and we were recommended by the North Street Methodist Church."

The security guard was clearly familiar with the procedure. After checking the internal communication records, he immediately adopted a professional and polite expression and used his walkie-talkie to call an electric patrol car within the community.

I sat in the clean patrol car and drove on the flat, silent asphalt road, with spacious mansions on both sides of the road.

Each house looks like a model taken straight from a home decor magazine: meticulously maintained front and back gardens, artificially lush and smooth lawns, garages that can park three luxury cars, and abstract or realistic art sculptures and fountains at the entrance...

Li Fan simply couldn't see enough.

"Hey bro, look at that bicycle and refrigerator, they look pretty new, why are they piled up with the trash can?"

"And that wrought iron bed frame, the barbecue grill, those gardening tools that weren't even fully unpacked... why are they all just lying in the corner?"

He pointed to a small pile of miscellaneous items in the side yard of a villa by the roadside, his face full of confusion.

"Haha, the little guy is so cute."

The person driving the patrol car was the community property manager, who laughed upon hearing this.

She was a mixed-race woman who looked to be in her early thirties, with honey-colored skin and long, dark brown hair neatly tied back, revealing her beautifully shaped neck.

The well-tailored light gray uniform skirt hugged her body, obscuring her toes, and her figure was accentuated by the seatbelt, creating a striking and mature yet aggressive beauty.

She tilted her head slightly to explain, her voice carrying a professional and pleasant tone.

"Those aren't for repair. Mr. Randall's yard is being renovated, and those are just old items and excess materials to be thrown away by the cleaning company."

"Huh? Just throw it away?"

Li Fan was even more surprised and blurted out, "Even if you take it to a recycling center to sell as scrap, you can still get money, right?"

His limited English vocabulary, coupled with his anxious tone, made him seem particularly blunt.

The mixed-race female manager's smile deepened, her eyes slightly upturned, conveying a knowing sense of superiority.

"You mean you want Mr. Randall to transport these things to a recycling center a few miles away, spend a whole morning on it, and maybe get tens or hundreds of dollars in return?"

Which of the rich people here would even consider this?

Even for most middle-class families, doing so is very uneconomical and...undignified.

Their time is worth far more than that.

Her words remained polite, but a condescending tone had already subtly emerged.

From Li Fan's naive words, she had already accurately assessed the two people's levels.

When she first received the notification from the security guard, she glimpsed two tall, leggy, and fresh-faced Asian youths outside the car and wondered if they were temporary male companions or models invited by a lady to entertain.

It is now known that he was just a temporary worker recommended by the church to do manual labor, a person from the lower middle class.

She lost interest in further conversation, her gaze fixed straight ahead, focused on driving.

If Li Ping knew that she overestimated herself to be a lower-middle-class person, he would probably laugh.

He's just a lousy beggar.

The patrol car quickly stopped in front of an elegant Victorian-style mansion.

The main building is a soft off-white color, with classic white columns and a wide porch, and the double-height design is very impressive.

The female manager led the two brothers through the front garden to the heavy solid wood gate and pressed the doorbell.

A moment later, the door opened.

A woman appeared at the door.

The first thing that catches the eye is that head of pure blonde hair, a color that cannot be achieved with dye. It looks more like a waterfall formed by the melting of sunlight, loosely tied up with a few lazy curls hanging down.

She has typical Western bone structure—eyes as blue as a clear lake, a three-dimensional and delicate profile, a high and straight nose that seems to flow smoothly down from her forehead, with perfect proportions like a classical sculpture.

Her lips were a rich, true red, creating a striking contrast with her snow-white skin, exuding an undeniable radiance amidst her allure.

She wore a wine-red silk dress with excellent tailoring, perfectly outlining her curvaceous and mature figure.

A simple diamond necklace sparkled between her collarbones, making her swan-like neck appear even longer and whiter.

She simply stood there casually, yet she exuded a sense of composure born of privilege, as well as the slightly aloof and noble air that one unintentionally reveals when one has long held a high position.

A thought flashed through Li Ping's mind: This is probably not the wife of an ordinary tycoon, but more like a precious pearl or canary carefully protected by a powerful figure.

The property manager, Tessa, who had previously displayed a hint of arrogance in front of the two brothers, now lowered her head slightly and spoke respectfully.

"Ms. Flora, the person has been brought."

"Thank you for your hard work, Tessa."

Flora's gaze swept past Tessa and landed on Li Ping and Li Fan, a hint of surprise flashing in her azure eyes.

Marina's recommended helper, regardless of her professionalism, was surprisingly... pleasing to the eye.

Compared to the usual temporary workers who might smell of sweat or look tired, these two young men seemed more like male models or bodyguard interns who had wandered into this place by mistake.

As someone who appreciates aesthetics, Flora was quite satisfied with this—at least it wasn't unpleasant to look at.

Her gaze lingered briefly between the two men.

The taller, stronger boy seemed a bit awkward, his eyes darting around; he was the typical type who was strong but inexperienced.

The one with a tall and strong build, though dressed in cheap clothes, stood ramrod straight, with clear and calm eyes, and one could even glimpse a composure beyond his years and a vague ambition.

This made her quite admire it.

"Please refrain from wandering around the community after the cleanup is completed this afternoon."

Before leaving, Tessa specifically instructed the Li brothers, "The residents value their privacy, and security guards will patrol regularly."

After saying that, she nodded politely to Flora, turned and left, the sound of her high heels clicking on the cobblestones crisp and rhythmic.

"Come in, children."

Flora turned and walked into the house, her tone not particularly warm, but she maintained basic politeness. "Would you like something to drink? Water? Or juice?"

It was nearly 10 a.m.

"Thank you, Ms. Lancaster, but we don't need it."

Instead of responding to the conversation, Li Ping cut straight to the point, "What exactly do you need us to do?"

This sense of propriety made Flora feel even more in agreement.

She dislikes people who take politeness as an invitation and try to blur boundaries.

Do you really think she's inviting you?

"Come with me."

She led the two brothers through a spacious, bright living room decorated with classical oil paintings and ornate chandeliers, to a heavy wooden door leading to the basement.

"This place is full of old things. I plan to renovate the basement, and all this junk needs to be cleared out."

She pushed open the wooden door, and a smell of stale dust and old paper wafted out.

Below the stairs is a small semi-basement, filled with all sorts of boxes, old furniture, appliances, sports equipment, and other odds and ends whose purpose is unclear.

"Your job is to move everything out of here, leaving nothing behind, and put it in the garbage collection point at the back of the house."

After moving in, give the basement a quick clean, making sure not to leave too much dust.

Flora paused for a moment, then said clearly, "As compensation, it's one hundred and fifty dollars per person. I'll have lunch prepared at noon, it's on me."

Three hundred dollars.

They'll also provide a meal.

This compensation far exceeded Li Ping's expectations and was also far higher than the daily wage for a typical temporary worker.

He immediately bowed: "Thank you so much for the job opportunity, Ms. Flora. We can begin now."

After saying that, he deftly took out two brand-new gloves and masks from his backpack.

Marina gave these to them before they left; the kind old lady had been very thoughtful.

"very good."

Flora nodded, seemingly quite appreciative of this decisive and efficient approach.

"The tools are in the storage room next to the garage. There are trolleys and cleaning supplies. Please help yourselves. I'll be upstairs. If you have any questions, you can press the call button next to the doorbell."

After speaking, she turned gracefully, her burgundy skirt arcing through the air, leaving a faint scent of perfume, before disappearing at the top of the stairs.

Li Ping put on gloves and a mask, and whispered, "Don't look at me like that, bro. Sooner or later, we'll be able to live in a house like this too!"

They went to the basement first.