After a good night’s sleep, Shang Zhitao woke up the next day to hear people talking in the living room.

“Shall we have lunch together? It’s a chance to get to know each other.” It was Sun Yu; she liked making friends.

“Sure. I can’t cook, so I’ll be responsible for buying groceries.” The voice belonged to Yuanzhu, whom Shang Zhitao had heard before. She jumped out of bed, put on her underwear, and threw on a large T-shirt before opening the door and asking with a smile: “Are you planning a group meal?”

“Yes. Today is the first time everyone in Room 601 is present, so we’re having a meal to get acquainted.” Sun Yu explained. Her boyfriend’s company was having a team-building event in the suburbs of Beijing this week, so she still didn’t need to go to him.

“I’d like to join too, if that’s alright?” Shang Zhitao asked for everyone’s opinion. She also enjoyed lively gatherings. Being new to the city, she wanted to make some friends.

Another young man whom she hadn’t met before also smiled and said: “Of course.” He was wearing a corporate culture T-shirt with a logo Shang Zhitao recognized well. She was secretly amazed—Beijing was truly a city where hidden talents abounded; people walking around looking ordinary, yet none were truly just passersby.

“Let me make the introductions!” Sun Yu acted like a proper mediator: “Shang Zhitao, Sun Yuanzhu, Zhang Lei.”

The young people all laughed: “Then let’s go buy groceries.” Zhang Lei and Sun Yuanzhu volunteered to shop for groceries. Sun Yu stood by the window watching them leave, then turned to ask Shang Zhitao: “Do you have a boyfriend?”

“No.”

“Then you should get along well with these two guys. They have excellent jobs. They’re genuinely the new elite of the internet industry.”

Sun Yu spoke realistically. One person struggling in this city wasn’t as good as two, and if the other person had a decent income, life would be relatively easier. Shang Zhitao blushed: “I’m not in a hurry. I just graduated and want to focus on work.”

“Work and dating don’t have to interfere with each other!”

Shang Zhitao quickly waved her hands: “No, no. Living under the same roof would be too awkward.”

Sun Yu giggled, a spicy yet charming girl from Guizhou who loved matchmaking for others. Shang Zhitao truly didn’t have such thoughts; her mind was full of work concerns, making her cautious and apprehensive: “You know what? On my first day at work, a boss told me to resign.” Shang Zhitao sighed: “I’m a bit nervous. He didn’t seem to be joking.”

“Did you offend him?”

“No…”

“Did he take a liking to you?”

“…He probably doesn’t lack girlfriends…”

“Then why did he want to fire you on the first day?”

Yes, why? Shang Zhitao had been puzzling over this for several days without figuring it out. Was it really because she was the most mediocre among the recruits? Perhaps so.

She went to wash up and do laundry, deep in thought. By the time she was mostly done with her chores, the guys had returned. They were carrying four bags full of food. Shang Zhitao hurriedly asked: “How much was it? Let’s split the cost?”

“No need, no need.” Sun Yuanzhu shook his head with a smile: “Let’s not be roommates who fight over a few cents of electricity. When we’re away from home, we should look out for each other. This small amount doesn’t matter.”

Zhang Lei also shook his head: “That would be too deliberate. Next time it’s your turn.”

“Alright.” Sun Yu tied on an apron and went to the kitchen: “Let me show off my skills.”

“I… only know how to cook noodles…” Shang Zhitao was a bit embarrassed; her culinary skills were truly nothing to boast about.

“You can help prepare the ingredients!” Sun Yu smiled as she handed Shang Zhitao some garlic, then turned to clean the fish and chop the ribs, her movements swift and practiced. The guys crowded at the kitchen doorway, watching Sun Yu’s flying hands, unable to help but admire: “Girls who can cook are rare these days.”

Shang Zhitao gave Sun Yu a thumbs up: “Fantastic.” Her face was flushed pink from the kitchen heat, her expression showing the clarity and innocence of a young girl, like a well-behaved good student.

Zhang Lei glanced at Sun Yuanzhu and coughed slightly.

“Can everyone eat spicy food?” Sun Yu asked.

“Yes.” Everyone nodded.

Upon hearing this, Sun Yu ran back to her room and brought out a jar of chopped chili, then pushed Shang Zhitao out: “Go outside, it’s acrid.” Then she closed the kitchen door. The aroma quickly wafted out, and Shang Zhitao’s nose twitched. She suddenly felt that the loneliness she had experienced over the past week was being healed.

Was it always this easy for people to become friends in a city like this?

The young people sat together, all feeling a bit shy.

“Would you like a drink?” Sun Yu asked. She had a good tolerance for alcohol, having grown up in Maotai Town. During her first birthday celebration, elders had dabbed alcohol in her mouth, and her alcohol tolerance had developed in the sauce-aroma flavor of Maotai Town.

The guys nodded in agreement, but Shang Zhitao apologized: “I don’t drink.”

“A girl from the Northeast who doesn’t drink?” Zhang Lei asked her.

“Well, not everyone from Inner Mongolia can ride a horse…” Shang Zhitao defended herself.

“Then we won’t drink, hehe.” Zhang Lei scratched the back of his head: “Cultured people don’t pressure girls to drink, unless the girls want to drink themselves.” Then he stood up to get some Coca-Cola. Sun Yuanzhu asked Shang Zhitao one more question: “Can you drink cold beverages?”

“Yes.”

They were all drifters in a foreign land, from south to north, from east to west, sitting together, the distance suddenly vanishing. They were all collectively known as “outsiders.”

So they chatted about everything under the sun, from noon until evening, still feeling like they had more to say. Their conversation topics were interesting—stories from their respective workplaces. Shang Zhitao was new to the workplace and didn’t have any interesting stories to share, so she just listened quietly.

It turned out there were many different types of work.

Sun Yuanzhu worked in big data. He talked about big data application logic and the problems big data could solve. He told them about how he and his colleague smashed a laptop in the meeting room over a crawling logic dispute, making Sun Yu giggle.

As for Zhang Lei, he worked in product commercialization, dealing with different people every day. Business trips, research, drinking, modeling—all had shaped his somewhat roguish character. In the years that followed, Shang Zhitao would meet many commercialization bigwigs, and she found that most of them were like Zhang Lei. And Zhang Lei, too, became one of those bigwigs.

Sun Yu had a background in sales. She had previously worked in sales at a top visual display company but resigned resolutely after her boss forcibly assigned her clients to other colleagues.

What an interesting group of people!

While washing dishes, Shang Zhitao’s phone rang. She ran to pick it up and heard Lumi’s voice: “Hey, sister, I see that yesterday’s payment process is almost complete. Remember to remind Luke to approve the payment approval email!”

“Okay.”

Shang Zhitao hung up the phone, remembering that yesterday he had arranged dinner and a concert over the phone. She checked the time, deliberated for a while, and decided to send him a message.

Hello Luke, regarding yesterday’s project payment, Finance has already started the process. There’s one last email that needs your approval and confirmation. Sorry to bother you.

It took Luan Nian a long time to reply with a simple “ok” and nothing more. At least the matter was addressed. Shang Zhitao opened her computer to check emails, waiting for the final process, but Luan Nian still hadn’t approved it by nine in the evening.

“Still not approved?” Lu Mi asked her.

“I sent a message, and he replied, ‘ok.’ Maybe it’s not convenient for him?” Shang Zhitao wasn’t sure.

“Ask him again.” Lumi encouraged Shang Zhitao to push forward, then reassured her: “Don’t be afraid, you’re the best.”

“Oh.”

Shang Zhitao sent Luan Nian another message: “Hello Luke, are you available to approve?”

Not available. Luan Nian didn’t reply to her, tossing his phone back into his pocket. The concert was coming to an end, and beside him, Jiang Lan was still watching attentively. Luan Nian despised these boring weekend nights from the bottom of his heart, but this major client was difficult to deal with, and the board had assigned him to handle it. Luan Nian had a sense of propriety, chatting with her about everything under the sun, maintaining a careful distance. She wasn’t stupid either; even up until they entered the concert hall, she hadn’t agreed to anything. Luan Nian wasn’t in a hurry either. He was just stringing her along—if the deal wasn’t going to happen, why should he rush?

But that Shang Zhitao was truly persistent. Another message came in: “Are you able to approve as soon as possible? Finance is waiting.”

“Let her wait.”

“…Alright.”

“Is something wrong?” The woman beside him leaned close to Luan Nian’s ear and asked softly, her sensual fragrance wafting over.

“Nothing.”

“Thank you for accompanying me to the concert.” Jiang Lan’s fingertips grazed the back of Luan Nian’s hand, lightly, provocatively. Luan Nian was experienced in such matters, but he had no interest in Jiang Lan. He held her wrist and slowly moved her hand back to her knee.

He wasn’t a male escort.

He wasn’t for sale.