Chapter Twenty-Eight: A Timid Heart in an Empty Room

Setting off at 7:30 in the morning, Qin Ke walked to Company C in about twenty minutes.

Company C was located in the Xintong Building in Zhongguancun. The building had twenty floors, and Company C occupied the fifteenth and sixteenth.

Qin Ke saw Lin Haidong waiting for him at the reception on the fifteenth floor, greeting colleagues as they arrived. It was evident that the cheerful and enthusiastic Lin Haidong was well-liked at the company and was quite familiar with the staff in the marketing and technical departments.

After leading Qin Ke through the entrance, Lin Haidong took him directly to the office of Qi Guosheng, the Director of the Technical Department.

Qi Guosheng, a graduate of T University and nearing forty, greeted them with a smile and kindly inquired about Qin Ke’s work experience. Qin Ke answered concisely, neither servile nor overbearing. Qi encouraged Qin Ke to take the company’s onboarding training seriously, to familiarize himself with the functions, performance, and applications of Company C’s products as quickly as possible, and to strive to work independently soon.

After leaving Qi’s office, Lin Haidong told Qin Ke that the roles for new hires were not yet finalized. After the training and examinations, those with the best results would be given priority in choosing their preferred positions, and they would still need to pass a three-month probationary period before being officially hired.

Once his onboarding paperwork was processed, Qin Ke began the training. There were twenty new recruits in total, including five women and fourteen men. Some were fresh graduates, while others had jumped ship from other companies, all applying for technical roles.

The training lasted two weeks. It was divided into two parts: the first was a one-day session on corporate culture, financial policies, business workflows, attendance and leave policies, and employee benefits, followed by an exam that same day. The second part was technical training, consisting of three days of theory and eight days of hands-on equipment practice, with daily exams.

The technical instructor, Pei Yuhang, was a network expert in his early thirties. Qin Ke sat in the front row every day, listening attentively and taking detailed notes. He was not afraid of making mistakes or looking foolish; he was bold in asking questions, actively interacted with the instructor, and reviewed his lessons diligently after class, quickly catching Pei’s attention.

Qin Ke had more experience than the fresh graduates, and based on his background in stored-program control switching equipment, he could always raise peculiar yet highly practical questions. He also possessed a better memory than his experienced peers, and his exceptional recall proved powerful once again.

Company C had a vast array of network products, with complete high-end, mid-range, and low-end product lines. Through diligent study, Qin Ke memorized the structures, interface types, performance specifications, system parameters, functional indicators, countless communication protocols, cumbersome machine-human commands, and various client application cases. This allowed him to score full marks on every theoretical exam.

During the hands-on sessions, Pei Yuhang would sometimes have them start from completely blank equipment to build a network, or intentionally set technical traps for them to solve.

Qin Ke never needed to consult technical documentation; he could identify the most appropriate product models and complete network setups and activations with the fastest speed. He was also the first to resolve the technical obstacles Pei had artificially created. Consequently, his efficiency in equipment operation was the highest, firmly securing him the top spot.

(II)

From the moment Qin Ke scored full marks on his first theoretical exam, he caught the attention of a girl—a fresh T University graduate named Fu Sichen.

Fu Sichen noticed that Qin Ke worked overtime every night, returning home very late. Except for a half-hour phone call, he spent all his time in the lab familiarizing himself with the operation and configuration of various network devices. He even had Lin Haidong from the marketing department find him several typical client network architectures so he could build and troubleshoot them from scratch. Whenever he encountered a problem, he would ask Instructor Pei during class the next day. Pei grew to like him more and more, often turning an entire lesson into a discussion session based on Qin Ke's questions.

One evening after work, Lin Haidong found Qin Ke in the lab and said, "Old Six, you're working too hard. Don't worry. They say they'll eliminate people, but in reality, everyone stays. Come on, let's go get a drink."

Qin Ke laughed and said, "Old Four, there will be plenty of time for that later. I need to work a bit more; I have to live up to your recommendation. I don't want people saying I only got in through the back door."

Seeing that Qin Ke was determined to stay, Lin Haidong left alone.

Fu Sichen took the opportunity to enter the lab and said to Qin Ke, who was checking router data, "Engineer Qin, hello. May I ask you a question?"

"Go ahead," Qin Ke said without looking up, continuing his work.

"How do you configure network address translation on a C81000 router and make it dynamic? What is its processing capacity?"

Qin Ke rattled off the relevant configuration commands and performance parameters.

"My goodness, you're amazing. This newly developed device won't be on the market until next month, and you already know it that well," Fu Sichen exclaimed.

Hearing this, Qin Ke looked up. Seeing someone he didn't recognize, he asked, "Excuse me, who are you?"

Fu Sichen smiled and said, "I'm your classmate."

Qin Ke had been sitting in the front row every day and hadn't paid attention to the other new hires, so he didn't recognize her. "I only have one classmate in Beijing, and he's a man," he replied.

"Doesn't someone who attends class with you every day count as a classmate?" Fu Sichen asked with a smile.

"That only makes us colleagues," Qin Ke said blandly.

"Then let's get acquainted. Hello, Colleague Qin, I'm your colleague, Fu Sichen." She extended her right hand.

"Hello, I'm Qin Ke." Qin Ke extended his hand and gave hers a brief shake.

Fu Sichen was shorter than Bian Xiaoqi, with a round face, long hair, smaller eyes, and a slightly fuller build. Her skin was fair, though not as fair as Bian Xiaoqi's. Dressed in jeans and a denim jacket, she appeared to be a capable and attractive girl.

Qin Ke sized her up for a moment, then went back to work without another word.

"You're already in first place; you don't need to work this hard anymore, do you?" Fu Sichen continued.

"Nothing better to do," Qin Ke said, eyes still on his work.

"If we have group practicals, can I be your partner?" she asked.

"I'll follow Instructor Pei's arrangements," Qin Ke said, still not looking at her.

By nearly eleven o'clock, seeing Qin Ke preparing to leave, Fu Sichen got up as well.

(III)

Disturbed by Fu Sichen’s intrusion, Qin Ke returned home to his empty apartment and couldn't help but think of Bian Xiaoqi. Tossing and turning, he couldn't sleep, so he turned on the lights. Ignoring the fact that it was past midnight, he picked up his phone and called Bian Xiaoqi.

Bian Xiaoqi hadn't been able to sleep either. Since Qin Ke’s call at 7:30 that evening, her right eyelid had been twitching, leaving her restless. In the darkness, the sudden ringing of the phone made her jump out of bed. "Qin Ke, is that you?"

"Xiaoqi, please come to Beijing soon. I miss you," a low voice came through the receiver.

"You're calling so late—did something happen?" Thinking of her twitching eyelid, Bian Xiaoqi grew worried.

"Nothing. I just missed you and couldn't sleep," he said, trying to sound relaxed.

"That's not it. You never sounded like this before, and you've never called this late. Is work going poorly?" she asked anxiously.

At the mention of work, Qin Ke relaxed slightly. "I've taken first place in all my training exams. There's no pressure at all, and I'll definitely be able to choose the position I want. But with you not by my side, I just don't feel settled."

"Well, I'm not worried about your work. Is there something else? Tell me quickly," she pressed.

"I..." Qin Ke hesitated.

Hearing his hesitation, Bian Xiaoqi felt a sudden jolt. "Is someone interested in you?" she asked immediately.

Her perceptiveness took him by surprise, so he recounted Fu Sichen’s behavior in detail, adding, "She definitely doesn't live in Zhichunli."

Bian Xiaoqi listened carefully and, after a moment, said, "She must be testing you. What do you think about it?"

"Once you've seen the vast ocean, the other waters are not worth calling water; once you've seen the clouds of Mount Wushan, the other clouds are not worth calling clouds. This won't happen again. We are just ordinary colleagues. I'm focusing entirely on my work and won't pay any attention to her," Qin Ke replied.

"Things aren't that simple. She will definitely come to you again. You must handle this carefully. That’s why I need to get to Beijing as soon as possible," Bian Xiaoqi reassured him.

"Please do come soon. How are your resignation proceedings going?" Hearing she was coming, Qin Ke felt more at ease.

"It's not going well. I'm troubled by it." In previous calls, she hadn't told him about the stress of her resignation, fearing it would affect his work. But tonight, hearing about his situation, she didn't want to hide it anymore.

During the handover with Cheng Ang, a client in Pengyan City—a subsidiary of Xizhou—stated that if Bian Xiaoqi quit, they would not sign the contract with Company A, as they only trusted her. Cheng Ang, panicked, reported this to Gao Yuge. Gao requested that Bian stay on for another month until the Pengyan contract was fulfilled. Bian was furious and wanted to walk out, but since Cheng Ang was shadowing her every hour, and she believed in finishing what she started, the resignation had dragged on. Today was already the fifth day, and she wouldn't be able to make it to Beijing this Sunday.

"Xiaoqi, I'll handle my affairs here. Don't worry or get upset; there will be a way," Qin Ke comforted her.

"Yes, I believe there will be a way. I'll fly to you as soon as I can," she said, her tone lightening.

"Xiaoqi, it's late. Let's get some sleep. Goodnight." Qin Ke hung up the phone and, after thinking for a long time, drifted into a half-sleep.

(IV)

After hanging up, Bian Xiaoqi found it even harder to sleep. She sat on the living room sofa in her pajamas, her mind drifting between thoughts of Qin Ke and the entanglement with the Pengyan client.

"The autumn moon rises, the dew is light; my silk robe is thin, yet I remain undressed. I pluck the silver zither deep into the night; my heart fears the empty room, and I cannot bear to return to bed." Wang Wei’s "Autumn Night Song" perfectly captured her current mood.

Jiang Sumei, a light sleeper, heard the phone ring and then the movement in the living room, so she put on a robe and went downstairs. The living room lights were off, but she turned them on to find Bian Xiaoqi sitting motionless on the sofa.

"Xiaoqi, why aren't you asleep? What happened?" Jiang Sumei sat down beside her.

"Mom, what should I do?" Seeing her mother, Bian Xiaoqi leaned against her immediately.

"Tell Mom all about it." Jiang Sumei held her close.

Bian Xiaoqi recounted the situation with Qin Ke.

"You should go to Beijing as soon as possible. Didn't you already book a flight for this Sunday?" Jiang Sumei asked.

"Mom, my resignation is not going smoothly; I can't get away right now." Bian Xiaoqi explained the situation with the Pengyan client.

Jiang Sumei thought for a moment. "Xiaoqi, have you asked the client why they are doing this?"

"I asked, but they won't tell me the reason," Bian Xiaoqi replied.

"Everything has a reason. It's because your current status doesn't place you on equal footing with them for a conversation." Jiang Sumei understood the essence of the matter instantly. "Go find Shen Jing; her father can help you find the answer."

Prompted by her mother, Bian Xiaoqi realized why the client wasn't being honest and knew exactly whom to approach. Her gloom vanished, and she smiled. "Mom, you're the best. It's so good to have you; I know what to do now."

Jiang Sumei added, "As for Qin Ke, you don't need to worry. If people are destined to meet, they will find each other even from a thousand miles away; if not, they won't recognize each other even when face-to-face. I think you understand that."

"Mom, I do, but I want to see whose charm is greater than mine," Bian Xiaoqi said, filled with confidence again.

The next morning, when Qin Ke went to work, he saw Fu Sichen waiting for him downstairs, holding a paper bag with breakfast.

Qin Ke smiled and said, "Colleague Fu, you really don't know how to get tired, do you?"

"Why would I be tired? We live so close; it's no trouble at all. I've already eaten; this is for you." Fu Sichen handed him the bag.

"Thank you. Let me pay you," Qin Ke said, taking twenty yuan from his wallet.

"Colleague Qin, why are you like this? If you offer money again, I'll throw this breakfast in the trash," she said, feigning anger.

"Fine. Then I'll treat you to breakfast tomorrow morning. We are colleagues, and I shouldn't take advantage of you. 'The friendship of a gentleman is as pure as water,'" Qin Ke said, putting his money away and emphasizing the word "colleague."

"Oh! After thinking about it all night, you seem to have figured things out," Fu Sichen said, noticing his demeanor was quite different from last night.

"I have. We can only ever be colleagues, so I'm in a great mood today! Thank you for the breakfast, Colleague Fu," Qin Ke laughed.

"You aren't married yet, are you?" Fu Sichen stared at him with a smile.

With that, she turned and ran toward Company C.