The office area had quieted. Everyone was at their desks, busy familiarizing themselves with the system and workflow.
Thinking ahead to departmental rotations, He Xiaoyuan opened the public directory to learn which major departments Spris had and what teams were within each.
He spotted Xu Ruomeng, a small smile tugging at his eyes. Scrolling further, he found the HR management trainee groups. The trainees were divided into three groups; the first group of eleven, including himself, was now seated in the shared office area.
He Xiaoyuan’s new role read: HR — Management Trainees (Group 1) — He Xiaoyuan. A completely new identity, a fresh start.
As he was about to continue exploring, a notification icon blinked. He opened it to find a group chat: “Group 1 — 11 members.” Some had already started talking:
- Zou Fanping: “Who made this group?”
- Jiang Weiwei: “I did, lol.jpg. I just tried for fun, didn’t think it would work.”
- Xin Rui: “Nice, can chat during work.”
Comments poured in quickly:
- “Everyone’s browsing the directory.”
- “Checking departments.”
- “I finished browsing, still have no clue where I’ll end up.”
- “I’m leaving it to fate.”
- “I heard destiny calling when I looked at the CEO’s tab.”
He Xiaoyuan didn’t reply, simply reading as the conversation moved fast.
Another icon flashed. He He Xiaoyuan clicked it open.
New Media Division — Product Team 3 — Xu Ruomeng: Logged into the system yet? Are you in?
HR — Graduate Management Trainees (Group 1) — He Xiaoyuan: Logged in.
Xu Ruomeng: Connection successful!
Xu Ruomeng: By the way, this company’s software is insanely easy to use. You can make groups however you want, split them however you want, and the company doesn’t control it at all—perfect for slacking off and chatting.
He Xiaoyuan: I noticed.
Xu Ruomeng: So how is it—first day, settling in okay?
…
The company had a dedicated OA system and internal messaging platform. That afternoon, no one from HR showed up in this office area at all. Instead, they just created a group chat and explained everything that needed to be covered in the group—simple and efficient.
Around three in the afternoon, Zhu Xuanmin from HR came over with another male colleague, both carrying several large bags. As they walked in, she called out, “Come on, everyone—gather around for afternoon tea.”
They set everything down on a glass round table off to one side of the office. Everyone stood up and crowded around, discovering that the bags were filled with coffee, milk tea, and cake.
As Zhu Xuanmin opened the bags, she gestured for everyone to take whatever they liked and explained, “HR was originally going to order this for you, but the President’s Office ordered it first.”
Everyone was newly hired, and it was their first day—this was also their first company-provided afternoon tea. With so many things still unfamiliar, Zhu Xuanmin’s explanation made people hesitate to comment, though they couldn’t help wondering what afternoon tea had to do with the President’s Office.
Did the President’s Office often buy afternoon tea for the lower departments?
Wasn’t afternoon tea usually handled by each department on its own?
Zhu Xuanmin casually added, “Upper management is taking your cohort of management trainees pretty seriously.”
Dorm assignments, welcome gift packs, afternoon tea—one thing after another.
Hearing that, everyone felt pleased. It was nice to hear.
After all, who doesn’t want to be valued when they’ve just arrived?
At this moment, Zou Fanping handed He Xiaoyuan a slice of cake. He Xiaoyuan actually wanted to refuse—he didn’t like sweets. Cake was really too sweet for him.
But afternoon tea was a group activity, and Zou Fanping had kindly offered it to him on his own initiative. Refusing outright felt awkward, so He Xiaoyuan accepted it and held the plate.
Zou Fanping asked him again, “Milk tea or coffee?”
“Coffee,” He Xiaoyuan said.
In reality, the only coffee he drank was lattes with just milk added. With company-provided afternoon tea, though, you ate whatever was offered—it wasn’t appropriate to be picky.
He Xiaoyuan prepared himself to take a couple of symbolic sips of coffee and a few bites of cake, just to go through the motions. But when Zou Fanping handed it over and he took a sip, he was surprised to find that it was coffee with only milk added.
He Xiaoyuan was a little taken aback.
Someone nearby muttered, “This coffee’s just milk, no sugar.”
Zhu Xuanmin handed over some milk tea. “If you want something sweet, go for the milk tea.”
“That’s fine,” the person said. “I’ll drink it anyway.”
Someone else chimed in, “The cake tastes pretty light too.”
He Xiaoyuan took a bite and was surprised again—it wasn’t very sweet at all. It suited his taste perfectly.
Watching everyone eat, Zhu Xuanmin smiled and said, “The President’s Office bought this and sent it straight over. It wasn’t customized to individual preferences, so just eat casually.”
“Once you’re assigned to departments and start eating afternoon tea within your own teams, you’ll be able to choose what you actually like.”
“No worries,” someone said. “We’re not picky—easy to raise.”
Zhu Xuanmin left shortly after. Some of the trainees stayed around the table, chatting as they ate, while others had already returned to their desks. He Xiaoyuan was among the latter.
He placed the barely-touched cake and coffee beside his computer. Seeing that Xu Ruomeng was still chatting with him, he replied to a few messages and mentioned that afternoon tea had just arrived.
Xu Ruomeng wasn’t surprised.
Xu Ruomeng: We just ordered afternoon tea too, but I haven’t been eating it lately—too easy to gain weight.
Xu Ruomeng: Yours was ordered by HR, right?
He Xiaoyuan: Apparently it was sent by the President’s Office.
Xu Ruomeng: ???
Xu Ruomeng: What? The President’s Office?
Xu Ruomeng: The President’s Office ordered afternoon tea for you guys?
Xu Ruomeng: Thinking.jpg
He Xiaoyuan: Yeah, that’s what the HR colleague said when they delivered it.
Xu Ruomeng: I can’t wrap my head around that.
Xu Ruomeng: The President’s Office—that lofty, untouchable President’s Office. Not just for you guys, but even for us company veterans, it’s an unreachable existence.
Reading her messages, He Xiaoyuan raised an eyebrow slightly.
Xu Ruomeng: Whatever. Free food is free food.
Xu Ruomeng: What did they order—cake and milk tea again? Shrug.jpg
Xu Ruomeng: Bet it’s not to your taste.
Xu Ruomeng: Doesn’t matter. First one—just take a few bites for form’s sake and toss the rest.
He Xiaoyuan: I got cake and coffee. Neither is sweet—pretty good, actually.
Xu Ruomeng: Applause.jpg
Xu Ruomeng: This one’s a win.jpg
He Xiaoyuan also felt that it was nice. His first day had gone smoothly, and even the afternoon tea had unexpectedly matched his preferences.
Moved by the thought, He Xiaoyuan took out his phone, opened the camera, and quietly snapped a few photos of the coffee and cake together—recording what felt to him like a very successful first day on the job.
—
President’s Office.
When Qiao Sixing went into the CEO’s office to deliver documents, he didn’t forget to report on something else as well. “By the way, President Lu, the afternoon tea you requested has already been sent downstairs.”
He deliberately emphasized, “The coffee has no sugar, and the cake is on the lighter side.”
Behind the desk, Lu Chen flipped through the documents and gave a brief “Mm,” without saying anything else.
Qiao Sixing didn’t leave, remaining where he stood.
Soon, without lifting his head, Lu Chen said while turning a page, “During the rotation period, just keep sending it like this.”
“Understood,” Qiao Sixing replied.
Only then did he turn and leave.
—
The company had a lunch break at noon. Under the standard eight-hour workday, the official end time was six o’clock.
It was the trainees’ first day, and there wasn’t much to do. When it was time, everyone packed up and left, not forgetting to take the onboarding gift pack that had just been handed out before quitting time—a fairly large lidded box.
Some people had already eagerly rummaged through theirs. He Xiaoyuan didn’t rush to open his; he left it as is on the floor beside his desk.
When the clock hit the hour, he still didn’t get up. He stayed seated at his workstation, continuing to familiarize himself with the system.
Xin Rui walked past him from behind and asked, “Not heading out?”
“I’m waiting for someone,” He Xiaoyuan replied.
“Then I’m off. Bye,” Xin Rui said.
“Bye.”
He Xiaoyuan kept waiting for Xu Ruomeng. They had agreed to have dinner together after work to celebrate the first day on the job.
At 6:30, Xu Ruomeng called him on voice chat. “Xiaoyuan, I’m off work!”
“Okay,” He Xiaoyuan said, standing up from his chair and shutting down his computer in one smooth motion.
“Meet on the first floor.”
He Xiaoyuan carried the onboarding gift box to the elevator lobby to wait.
Anyone who was staying late had already gone to the cafeteria level to eat, and those getting off work had left on time. The elevator area was momentarily empty—just He Xiaoyuan.
By now, he knew that one of the elevators was reserved for executives. As he waited, he faced the regular employee elevators, his back to the executive one.
Just as he was watching the floor indicator, there was a ding behind him—the sound of an elevator arriving.
He Xiaoyuan assumed it was the executive elevator and didn’t turn around, continuing to watch the one he was waiting for.
Then a familiar voice suddenly sounded behind him: “He Xiaoyuan.”
He froze, then turned around—and saw the young executive who had interviewed him earlier, standing by the elevator doors with one hand holding them open, smiling at him. “Off work? Waiting for the elevator? Perfect timing—let’s go together.”
The other man recognized him and had even stopped the doors to invite him in so warmly. Naturally, He Xiaoyuan couldn’t refuse.
He angled his feet toward the executive elevator, nodded politely to Qiao Sixing, and asked, “Is that okay?”
Qiao Sixing smiled. “Of course. Come on in.”
As He Xiaoyuan stepped toward the elevator, he realized Qiao Sixing wasn’t alone. In the corner of the elevator—partially blocked by Qiao—there was another person. He couldn’t see his face clearly yet, but since he was riding the executive elevator as well, it was obvious he was another senior executive.
Once inside, at close range, it would’ve felt rude to stare. So as he entered, He Xiaoyuan simply nodded politely in the other man’s direction, then turned to stand side by side with Qiao Sixing, both facing the doors.
The doors closed, and the elevator began to descend.
Qiao Sixing turned to look at He Xiaoyuan, his tone friendly and attentive. “First day today, right? How does it feel?”
To this day, He Xiaoyuan still wasn’t clear on the interviewer’s exact position or title. He also wasn’t particularly outgoing. Since the other man asked, he answered simply, “Pretty good.”
Qiao Sixing glanced at the box He Xiaoyuan was holding. “That’s the onboarding gift pack, right?”
“Yes.”
“It’s a small token from the company for new hires,” Qiao Sixing said. “Take a good look when you get back—use whatever’s useful.”
There was an implied meaning in his words, suggesting the gift pack was more than just a formality.
Of course, He Xiaoyuan didn’t catch the nuance. He assumed it was just polite talk and responded briefly.
“Oh, right,” Qiao Sixing added. “Did the afternoon tea we sent down today suit your taste?”
He Xiaoyuan paused, then realized that the interviewer from before was actually from the President’s Office.
In his mind, the internal directory from the OA system flashed by as he quickly tried to recall who the leaders in the President’s Office were.
Qiao Sixing smiled. “Almost forgot—you don’t know who I am yet.”
Then he introduced himself openly. “My last name is Qiao. I’m a special assistant in the President’s Office.”
A contact card immediately surfaced in He Xiaoyuan’s memory: President’s Office — Manager — Qiao Sixing.
He Xiaoyuan said at once, “Director Qiao.”
Qiao Sixing waved it off with a smile. “I wouldn’t dare call myself that in front of this gentleman,” he said, turning toward the person behind him.
He Xiaoyuan followed his gaze and turned as well.