Hello, old…

Arriving at her workstation, Ming Shuzhen found it a hundred times better than she’d imagined.

Each desk was separated by partitions, with ample space underneath for her legs, and the office chair had an ergonomic lumbar support design.

Ming Shuzhen examined her employee badge.

It had no photo or name yet, only a printed line at the bottom: “Inspection Team Two.”

If there was a Team Two, there must be a Team One, right? But seeing only Team Two members on the fourth floor, was Team One on another level?

“Sister Meilin, where’s Inspection Team One? I haven’t seen them,” Ming Shuzhen asked, since Meilin’s desk was right next to hers.

“Oh,” Meilin explained patiently, “Team One is downstairs. They mainly handle large malls, office buildings, and disaster-affected houses. We’re split up so we can spread out blueprints more easily.”

“By the way, when we got your badge, we didn’t know what photo you’d want, so we didn’t print one,” Meilin continued. “You can print it yourself in the print room.”

“I see,” Ming Shuzhen thanked her, thinking Meilin was quite thoughtful and thorough.

“Should I use an ID photo? Blue or red background?” Ming Shuzhen had digital copies of her ID photos on her phone.

“Hahaha,” Meilin laughed as if she’d heard a joke, then realized this was typical of a fresh graduate—so proper. “Use whatever you like. It just needs to identify you.” She pulled her own badge from a drawer to show Ming Shuzhen. “Look at mine.”

Ming Shuzhen leaned over. Meilin’s badge had a photo of a teddy bear dog, with “Meilin” written below in slightly uneven handwriting, but clear enough to read.

“Huh?” It was that casual?

Ming Shuzhen thought about using her WeChat avatar—a picture of Lazy Sheep scratching its head with a green leaf, grinning cheerfully, sure to brighten anyone’s mood.

“You should pick a name too. We all use nicknames here,” Meilin said.

“Oh?” Ming Shuzhen realized Meilin, Qian Duoduo, and Dou Youmi weren’t their real names.

“Then I’ll go with…” Ming Shuzhen pursed her lips, “Full Pockets, how’s that?”

“Sounds great!” Meilin chuckled.

Qian Duoduo overheard and hurried over to join the fun. “As expected of our Team Two! Even our nicknames are spot-on.”

“Hey, what about mine?” Meilin teased, pretending to be offended.

“You’re the team leader, setting the tone. Of course, you need a standout name,” Qian Duoduo said, nudging Meilin with her elbow.

“Fine, you’re good with words,” Meilin relented, dropping the playful argument.

Ming Shuzhen took her badge and a marker and headed out.

Meilin hadn’t told her where the print room was, but Ming Shuzhen spotted it right away.

The print room had frosted glass doors, stacked with piles of paper, and the light inside was bright white even from a distance.

After printing her photo, Ming Shuzhen carefully wrote “Full Pockets” on the badge, stroke by stroke.

Hanging her personalized badge around her neck, with Lazy Sheep’s smiling face and its little heart-shaped tongue sticking out, Ming Shuzhen felt in high spirits.

“Wow, did you practice calligraphy?” Back at her desk, Meilin curiously examined the badge, impressed by the neat handwriting.

“I studied it as a kid,” Ming Shuzhen said, scratching her head. Wanting to bond with her colleague, she asked, “Is the dog on your badge your pet?”

“Yup,” Meilin said, introducing it. “His name’s Cappuccino. Cute, right?”

“Very cute,” Ming Shuzhen nodded.

“Sister Meilin, is there any work for me to do now?”

“You came late in the day, and most tasks are wrapping up, so there’s not much for you,” Meilin said, frowning in thought. “Why don’t you wander around and get familiar with the place?”

“The whole building’s ours. The elevators don’t need access cards, so feel free to explore—no restrictions,” Meilin added, perhaps sensing Ming Shuzhen’s hesitation.

Ming Shuzhen looked at Meilin gratefully but felt uneasy about wandering without work.

“Hey, did you take the elevator with the boss when you came up?” Meilin asked, noticing Ming Shuzhen wasn’t moving. Since her own task wasn’t too demanding, she chatted to pass the time.

“Oh,” Ming Shuzhen recalled the stylish woman who rode the elevator up and down without getting off. So that was the boss.

“Don’t worry, our vibe here is super relaxed. It’s all good,” Meilin said, misinterpreting Ming Shuzhen’s hesitation as concern about revealing something.

It was a misunderstanding.

Red Brick’s boss was a young female entrepreneur named Ming Shuyan—only one character different from Ming Shuzhen’s name.

With a similar name, a sudden hire, riding the boss’s private elevator on her first day, and a mismatched major, she seemed like a connected hire.

Ming Shuzhen had no idea she was being treated specially. New to the workplace, she just thought her colleagues were naturally warm.

Still, judging by everyone’s relaxed demeanor, the company atmosphere was genuinely great.

Assuming Meilin was reassuring her about having no tasks, Ming Shuzhen gave another grateful look.

“Then I’ll take a look around to get familiar.”

“Go for it,” Meilin said, watching her like a parent. “The break room has tons of snacks. Grab some.”

“Awesome!”

As a recent grad, Ming Shuzhen’s appetite for snacks hadn’t faded.

The break room was in the corner. When she got there, Dou Youmi was already inside.

He’d brewed himself a cup of ginger tea to ward off the morning chill.

The office had heating, so it wasn’t cold, but Ming Shuzhen’s feet were still frozen from her scooter ride. Seeing Dou Youmi’s ginger tea, she wanted to make one too.

“Let me brew it for you,” Dou Youmi offered, grabbing the health pot he’d just used.

“No, no, I can do it,” Ming Shuzhen said, embarrassed to trouble him.

“It’s fine,” Dou Youmi said with a hint of a Beijing accent. “I’m free right now anyway.”

“Look in the cabinet. There’s all kinds of snacks. Pick a few,” he added, working the pot.

Ming Shuzhen went to the cabinet, which had no handles or grooves—it popped open with a press.

Inside was a dazzling array of snacks, many she’d never seen before, likely not even sold in stores.

Afraid they might be expensive, she hesitated and grabbed a pack of dried orange peels instead.

Tearing open the pack, she was hit with a tangy citrus scent.

“Eating dried orange peels in the morning? Watch out for acid reflux,” Dou Youmi said, glancing at her.

“Huh? It causes acid reflux?” She hadn’t known.

Dou Youmi seemed like quite the health-conscious guy.

Still, Ming Shuzhen nibbled on the peels. Her mouth watered more, but the flavor was satisfying.

Dou Youmi handed her the brewed ginger tea and noticed her badge. “Full Pockets?”

“Hahaha, great name. Totally fits our Team Two,” he said, echoing the others.

Ming Shuzhen smiled, looking down at Lazy Sheep on her badge, feeling everyone was genuinely kind to her.

“Let’s call you Little He from now on. Full names feel too formal,” Dou Youmi suggested.

“Sounds good,” Ming Shuzhen agreed, since everyone used their nicknames.

“Why’re you wearing your badge like a kid with a red scarf?”

“Huh?” Ming Shuzhen was confused but realized Meilin kept her badge in a drawer, and Dou Youmi wasn’t wearing his. She might be the only one with it on display.

“Haha, just kidding. It looks good,” Dou Youmi said, seeing her study it seriously.

“Oh,” Ming Shuzhen relaxed and smiled. She liked her badge and even planned to crochet a new strap at home to replace the blue telephone-cord-like one.

Leaving the break room, Ming Shuzhen held her ginger tea in one hand and orange peels in the other.

Dou Youmi had mentioned soft leather sofas upstairs for relaxing, so she headed there.

This time, she knew to take the regular elevator. She pressed the button with her knuckle and waited quietly.

Her phone pinged several times, but with her hands full, she decided to check it upstairs.

The upper floor had no workstations, making it feel spacious. A row of leather sofas sat in the center, empty at this hour.

Ming Shuzhen sat down, carefully placing her ginger tea on the sofa, and finally checked her phone.

The messages were from the group chat Dou Youmi had added her to.

Despite everyone’s casual vibe, the group name was formal: “Red Brick Inspection Team Two.”

Ming Shuzhen guessed this was because inspections involved complex processes, and clear group names helped with communication.

In the chat, Dou Youmi had sent a photo of the break room’s snack cabinet, tagging her and recommending a few snacks she had to try.

Ming Shuzhen replied with an “OK” emoji.

While scrolling through the chat, she felt someone sit beside her. She started to turn but the sofa dipped under their weight, tipping her ginger tea.

Her first thought was regret—she’d barely sipped the fragrant tea. Then she worried about stains or smells lingering on the sofa.

The person handed her tissues. Ming Shuzhen took them without looking, frantically wiping the spill.

“It’ll come out,” the person said, trying to reassure her.

Ming Shuzhen didn’t respond, too focused on cleaning to register their voice.

After using several tissues to soak up the tea, she was relieved to see no stains or discoloration on the sofa.

Clutching the damp tissues, she turned to thank the person.

Then she saw a familiar face.

Wait, wasn’t this the woman from the elevator?

No, Meilin said she was the boss.

“Bo… Boss, hello,” Ming Shuzhen stammered.