Doesn’t this person leave the elevator?

Ming Shuzhen rode her newly bought electric scooter to the base of the building.

Her body felt encased in frost, the chill seeping into her bones.

Parking the scooter in front of the building, Ming Shuzhen checked her hair in the side mirror.

‘I can’t just barge in like this,’ she thought.

Today was her first day reporting for work.

Her job applications had mostly sunk without a trace, and she’d braced herself for a stint as an unemployed drifter. Fortunately, one company saw her potential and sent her an offer email.

Normally, graduates either hunted for jobs during the graduation season or joined the spring or fall recruitment drives.

It was late November now, nearly the end of the year, and Ming Shuzhen found it surprising to be starting a job at this time.

The commercial building where the company was located wasn’t very tall, but its advantage was not having to share office space with other companies, making operations more convenient.

The company, named “Red Brick,” specialized in housing inspections—a field completely unrelated to Ming Shuzhen’s major.

Still, she was grateful to have landed a job. The company hadn’t minded her mismatched major, so she had no complaints either.

The company’s entrance was a sensor-activated glass door. Ming Shuzhen stood in the center, and the door slowly slid open.

Inside, she first noticed an artistic wall with the words “Red Brick” written in elegant script, alongside two certificates: one for Inspection Agency Qualification from the Provincial Market Supervision Department and another for Construction Quality Testing Agency Qualification from the Provincial Housing Department.

At the reception desk stood a young woman with a low-bun hairstyle, looking neat and efficient.

However, she wasn’t working diligently; she was gossiping with two other young women at the desk.

Only when Ming Shuzhen approached did they fall silent.

“Hello, I’m here to complete my onboarding,” Ming Shuzhen said, her body stiff from the cold ride over.

The warm air inside the lobby was intense, instantly fogging up her glasses.

She took them off and held them in her hand.

The women, who had been chatting, turned to look at Ming Shuzhen in unison, sizing her up.

“Hello,” the receptionist greeted with a friendly smile. “Are you Ming Shuzhen?”

“Huh?” Ming Shuzhen was surprised. A company this large, and they already knew her name—a mere new employee.

“That’s me, that’s me,” she nodded repeatedly.

The women’s scrutiny of her seemed to intensify.

Ming Shuzhen noticed their gazes and looked back, puzzled. They quickly averted their eyes.

“Do I report directly?” Ming Shuzhen asked, confused.

“Oh, yes,” the receptionist replied, perhaps distracted, missing the questioning tone in Ming Shuzhen’s voice.

“The elevator’s back there,” she said, pointing. “I’ll take you.”

“Hey,” one of the women at the desk interrupted, “you can’t leave the front desk. I’ll take her to report.”

She moved to link arms with Ming Shuzhen, acting overly familiar.

Ming Shuzhen’s satisfaction with the company grew. Her colleagues seemed so warm.

“No, it’s fine. I’ll go myself,” she declined politely.

“Come on, we’re just idling anyway,” the woman said with a bright smile.

“Huh? Isn’t the company busy?” Ming Shuzhen wondered if the business was struggling—times were tough for physical industries.

“Busy, busy,” another woman chimed in. “We’re just stealing a moment of leisure.”

“Oh,” Ming Shuzhen gave an awkward smile, starting to find these people a bit odd.

Their inexplicable flattery.

Directed at her, a nobody who hadn’t even officially started.

No, she hadn’t even completed her onboarding—she wasn’t even a nobody yet.

“It’s okay, I can manage. No need to trouble you,” Ming Shuzhen declined again.

She didn’t want to owe favors on her first day.

Seeing that Ming Shuzhen genuinely didn’t need help and wasn’t just being polite, the women relented.

“Alright, we’re all in the same company. We can hang out often—maybe lunch together?”

Within twenty minutes of arriving, Ming Shuzhen detected a hint of reluctance in their tones.

Walking further, she saw three elevators and hesitated over which to take.

Two looked like standard elevators, while the third was framed with pinewood panels, appearing more luxurious.

A standard one feels safer…

With that thought, Ming Shuzhen pressed the up button for the two regular elevators.

But perhaps because it was peak office hours, the elevators stayed on one floor for a long time before moving.

Ming Shuzhen watched the numbers above the elevators tick slowly.

Suddenly, a “ding” sounded, and the pinewood-paneled elevator opened.

Ming Shuzhen glanced over and met the eyes of someone inside, who was looking her way.

The person seemed to be texting, lifting their head from the phone with a trace of lingering irritation.

Ming Shuzhen instinctively shrank back, sensing this person wasn’t easy to get along with.

The elevator paused briefly before the doors began to close.

The person inside quickly pressed a button, and the doors reopened.

Ming Shuzhen blinked, noticing they were still staring at her and had apparently held the elevator for her. She hurriedly stepped inside.

Once she entered, the person pressed the close button again.

‘Is this person not getting off?’ Ming Shuzhen wondered.

Her attention soon shifted to the elevator itself.

A faint woody fragrance filled the space, rich yet crisp. Ming Shuzhen didn’t know much about scents, but the smell made the elevator feel pristine.

The three walls seemed to be marble but weren’t cold to the touch.

Though she’d felt chilled earlier, Ming Shuzhen now felt warm.

‘As expected of a big company—even the elevator is so fancy,’ she muttered to herself.

Realizing she hadn’t pressed a button, she looked at the panel and saw it was a touchscreen displaying the exact floor she needed.

Her focus finally shifted to the person beside her.

Their aura matched the elevator—refined and pristine.

Ming Shuzhen discreetly compared their outfits. For her first day, she’d dressed formally: a woolen toggle coat over a white high-neck sweater, and, unusually for her, a pair of low-heeled leather shoes.

The other person wore sharp suit pants, a light blue dress shirt, and a sweater draped over their shoulders. Their hair fell perfectly, each strand in place.

‘Isn’t that shirt too thin? Aren’t they cold?’ Ming Shuzhen thought, feeling her carefully chosen “mature” outfit was utterly outclassed.

They were also much taller, with an overwhelming presence.

‘Good thing I didn’t wear a puffy jacket,’ Ming Shuzhen consoled herself.

The elevator stopped at the fourth floor with another “ding.”

Ming Shuzhen didn’t rush out, waiting for the stylish woman to exit first.

But the woman didn’t move, as if she were just riding for fun.

Ming Shuzhen gave her a curious glance and stepped out.

Outside, the company’s lively atmosphere hit her.

Five or six people were gathered at nearby workstations, including the woman who’d offered to guide her earlier.

Instead of sitting properly, everyone was casually milling about, creating a relaxed vibe.

Ming Shuzhen planned to head to HR for onboarding and wasn’t sure if her desk was here, so she didn’t greet anyone yet.

Following her instincts, she walked forward, but the chatter at the workstations stopped, and all eyes turned to her.

Even someone as oblivious as her could feel the weight of their stares.

Uncertain if she’d done something wrong, Ming Shuzhen gave an awkward smile and touched her nose.

“Hello, darling! You’re the new Shuzhen, right?” A slightly chubby woman with bold, colorful lipstick reacted first, her wide mouth moving as if to rush over for a hug.

While appreciating the enthusiasm, Ming Shuzhen stepped back nervously.

Thankfully, the woman stopped short, sparing her the imagined heavy embrace. As she approached, Ming Shuzhen caught a pleasant fragrance.

“We just met and talked downstairs,” said the woman who’d offered to guide her, her tone brimming with excitement.

“Ha, hi everyone,” Ming Shuzhen greeted shyly, her voice a bit stiff.

But they didn’t seem to notice her awkwardness, enthusiastically introducing themselves.

In just a few minutes, Ming Shuzhen learned the chubby woman was Qian Duoduo, the one she’d met was Meilin, and a skinny guy was Dou Youmi…

“Which university are you from? Are you a grad student?” Qian Duoduo asked curiously, her bright lipstick flashing as she spoke.

“Uh,” Ming Shuzhen hesitated, “East University, undergraduate.”

“East U! Great school! Why didn’t you go for grad school?”

“…” Ming Shuzhen faltered. With her major, it was better to start working than pursue further studies.

“What’s your major?” As expected, the question followed.

This was the last thing Ming Shuzhen wanted to answer.

To attend a top-tier university, she’d compromised on her major. Though it was a prestigious 985 school, her program was a university-enterprise collaboration, known to insiders as less competitive.

“Um…” Ming Shuzhen glanced at the eager faces around her.

“Civil engineering…” she mumbled, hoping they wouldn’t press further.

“Civil engineering matches our company perfectly! What’s your focus?”

They kept probing, and Ming Shuzhen, unable to dodge, admitted, “Tunneling.”

“Oh. Oh.” Qian Duoduo nodded twice, as if achieving sudden enlightenment.

“Your school’s in the East District, right?”

Ming Shuzhen’s heart sank as they kept asking. “Yeah.”

Everyone knew the East District was just a branch campus under East University’s name.

Now they’d figure out she was a bit of a slacker.

But instead of losing interest or looking down on her, they seemed even more excited, as if this was exactly what they’d expected.

Though Dou Youmi was a guy, he was fair and lanky, looking just as polished.

He was the first to flash his WeChat QR code. “Add me, and I’ll pull you into our team’s group chat.”

“Huh?” Ming Shuzhen hesitated. She didn’t even know which department this was—what if she wasn’t in their team?

Despite her doubts, as a newcomer, she complied and scanned his code.

“I… I’ll head to HR for onboarding first,” she said.

“Huh? Isn’t that already done?” Meilin interjected.

“What? Done?” Ming Shuzhen was stunned, impressed by the company’s efficiency.

“Yeah, your desk is over there, and your computer’s already set up,” Meilin continued.

Dou Youmi leaned in, eager for credit. “I helped move your computer over.”

“Oh, thanks,” Ming Shuzhen nodded, once again struck by the company’s thorough service and her colleagues’ warmth.