Seeing that He Kao looked a bit hesitant, the person hurriedly added, "My last name is Qian, Qian Guran, the new colleague, we met this afternoon."
He Kao also extended his hand, "Oh, right, right, please come in."
This new colleague appeared to be in his thirties, of medium build, and his appearance and demeanor were quite refined, evidently not a fresh graduate, likely a job-hopper from another company.
Huang Xiaopang had already sat down by the bed, sniffing and saying, "What's that smell, did the noodles get burnt?"
Qian Guran sat on the computer chair, and He Kao sat on the newly bought stool. Qian Guran smiled, "This doesn't seem like something got burnt while cooking, it's more like something was just burnt."
He Kao, "Last month, during a team-building event, we passed by a temple and got a talisman. The monk said burning it at home would ward off evil spirits. I just found it while tidying up and went ahead and burned it in the bathroom."
His nonsense was quite convincing and natural, though it wasn't entirely false. Last month, there was another new colleague joining, and President E organized a weekend day trip to an ancient town in the suburbs.
A recently restored ancient temple was there, and during the visit, the monk cajoled everyone into getting talismans. There were ones for 99, 199, 399, 699, 999, each with a saying.
Gao Xue'e got one for 999, and the colleagues, caught up in the fun, each got one as well.
Actually, when the monk was luring everyone to burn incense for free, He Kao already felt that they were being tricked. But since everyone was coming in, and the atmosphere was heightened, it wasn't polite to spoil everyone's mood, so reluctantly, he chose the cheapest one.
Last week, when he found the talisman in the drawer of his computer desk, he remembered the monk's words and decided not to waste it, so he burned it in the bathroom. So what he said was true, he just changed the time to tonight.
His motivation for burning three sheets of paper earlier was very simple—to not let anyone know what happened today, and he quickly changed the topic, "Wasn't there a dinner gathering today? Why are you back so early?"
Huang Xiaopang's face was flushed, "Early? We weren't having a big drinking session with clients; it's already past ten!"
The department gatherings don't push for drinking, you drink what you want yourself. He Kao could tell at a glance that Huang Xiaopang had been drinking white wine today. Xiaopang has a tolerance of only three or four shots, but he always likes to have a few sips, unlike some colleagues who always claim they can't drink.
He Kao, "Did President E ask you to come over?"
Huang Xiaopang, "She just mentioned it casually, and since Old Qian lives right across the hall from you, I decided to drop by with him."
Qian Guran, "Everyone from the department came today, except you. And I heard you live here too, so I thought I'd come over with Xiaopang to get to know the place... It was President E who asked Xiaopang to come to take a look, and she's gone back to the office to work overtime."
Upon hearing this, He Kao admired Gao Xue'e a bit. After dealing with that matter last night, she estimated to have spent the entire night in a whirlwind of activities, and today she came to work as usual, arranged a department gathering, and went back to work overtime after eating. That's dedication.
The few of them chatted for a while, mainly focusing on Qian Guran wanting to understand the new company's situation. Huang Xiaopang, slightly excited from drinking, ended up saying a lot.
Qian Guran was also intrigued to hear that He Kao and Huang Xiaopang were neighbors and ended up in the same company's same department, so he asked a few more questions.
When the two were leaving, He Kao saw them out the door, even deliberately taking a look at the apartment across where Qian Guran rented. Then Huang Xiaopang took the elevator downstairs, and as Qian Guran entered his room, he turned back to greet He Kao.
He Kao waved goodbye and said they'd meet again, but as soon as he closed the door, he suddenly realized something was off.
**