Shen Yao can still vividly recall Old Teng's expression.
But when Ms. Wang asked her whether she got along well with the colleagues, she thought for a moment and said euphemistically: "Mr. Zhang is a very nice person. He is a typical administrative staff. Many colleagues in the bureau have gone on field duty, there are only a few of them left. We greeted each other and are all busy with our own work. Since it's my first day there, I didn't ask many questions."
Ms. Wang agreed, "You wouldn't notice anything strange on the first day."
Shen Yao gave a silent nod.
Ms. Wang handed some foods to Shen Yao: "Was there any arrangement about which department to go to and what you'll be responsible for?"
Shen Yao thought quickly: "The work in the bureau is confidential. I don't know exactly which department I will go to yet. For the next few days, I'll work on a special case with Director Zhang."
Shen Zhaolin - Shen Yao's father - was rather surprised, "You are assigned to handle a special case right after you arrived?"
When new employees start their jobs, shouldn't they first get familiar with routine tasks and trivial work? But when Shen Yao joined the team, she was allowed to work on the case together with the department leader. Shen Zhaolin was pleasantly surprised, "That's fine. It will allow you to quickly get familiar with the work and the relevant departments."
Shen Yao nodded: "It seems that there are too few people in the bureau."
"It's good to be busy." Shen Zhaolin felt happy inside.
When he was suddenly told that Shen Yao would be transferred earlier, he and Yao's mother were both unsure about it. The competition for the position Yao applied for at the News Department was like crossing a narrow bridge among thousands of people. This year, she was well-matched in the News Department and did a good job. Suddenly, she was told she would be transferred to the Special Immigration Bureau. Yao's mother felt very uncomfortable about it for a long time.
Shen Yao's parents both work in government offices. Such unrequested temporary transferation most probably happens when someone want to carry off her position by getting in by the back door. Very few people have ever heard of the Special Immigration Bureau. They don't even know what Shen Yao can do there. So the parents of the girl of course were worried about her.
"Mom and Dad, I'm done eating." Shen Yao dropped the chopsticks. "I'm going to look up some information first."
"Is that all you want to eat?" Before Shen Zhaolin finished speaking, Shen Yao had already returned to his room with the thumping footsteps, leaving only the echoes. "I'll wash the bowls."
"This is because she was thinking about something in her mind." Ms. Wang was as clear-minded as a mirror. She also put down her chopsticks and said, "She'll feel hungry in the evening. Let's make a banana pancake to keep for her."
Shen Zhaolin smiled and got up to clean up the dishes and bowls.
*
An Cheng, Fire Station, today.
Shen Yao enters the search keywords. Soon, news and updates about the Ancheng fire appeared one after another on the display screen.
The fire in Ancheng?
Today at the Special Immigration Bureau, Old Teng was urgently asking director Zhang to leave. Zhang requested Tao Zi to take her around the bureau to get familiar with the environment. As a result, just as Zhang had left, the internal phone in the office rang, and it was Tao Zi who answered the call. Shen Yao vaguely heard it was the Ancheng Fire Station. They said that something belonging to Zhang had fallen into their area this morning.
Ancheng Fire Station, Special Immigration Bureau - These two departments, whose names alone would seem to have nothing in common, surprisingly found themselves intersecting. Moreover, the time is "this morning".
-- Sorry, the head of the Special Immigration Bureau has sent personnel in charge of the personnel affairs on an urgent field trip.
-- I'm truly sorry. This morning, there was an urgent field trip and we didn't have enough staff here. It was such a rush that I forgot to inform you in advance.
The emergency field operation carried out by Zhang and Old Teng was jointly conducted with the Ancheng Fire Station. This morning, the only urgent event related to the Ancheng Fire Station was - the fire in Ancheng. Zhang and Old Teng are going to Ancheng to handle the special case of the Special Immigration Bureau. What kind of immigration project is related to fire and the fire station?
Shen Yao clicked on the news while resting her chin in her hand, completely puzzled and unable to figure it out.
When she went to the bureau today, she felt that everything in the bureau was strangely odd. But she couldn't pinpoint exactly what was odd; it was just an intuitive feeling.
In theory, Zhang was indeed like the head of the department. Old Teng was an experienced veteran employee in the department, and the leader did show some consideration for such a senior employee. Although Zhang and Old Teng's relationship was a bit exaggerated, it seemed that this was also the case in the News Department. But she couldn't quite put her finger on what was wrong...
Shen Yao scrolled the mouse wheel and her gaze quickly scanned across the screen.
The fire in Ancheng caused property losses of over 40 million yuan.
The fire in Ancheng has not caused any casualties yet.
The fire in Ancheng is still under investigation. The media are temporarily prohibited from entering to report.
The fire in Ancheng...
Shen Yao's hand holding the mouse suddenly stopped.
Zhang was directly back from the field to handle her registration. He was in a hurry and didn't even change his clothes. It seemed that there were remnants of ashes and odors from the fire stuck on his clothes. When Old Teng opened the door, the smell of ashes in the office was even stronger. So Zhang and Old Teng went out on an assignment to the warehouse of the Ancheng fire scene.
What exactly does the Special Immigration Bureau handle that is related to the fire station? The fire scene was even shielded from the official news media, but staff of Special Immigration Bureau managed to get in.
Shen Yao gently pressed her fingertips against her lower lip. The Special Immigration Bureau may not be, or may not only be just a department responsible for handling special foreign affairs of immigration applications...
*
The new office is far away. Shen Yao has to take the subway during the morning and evening rush hours to cross the entire Nancheng. Last night, before going to bed, Shen Yao ate quite a lot of banana cakes. In the morning, after having a cup of milk, she hurriedly left home. It was a crowded stop on the subway nearby.
"Don't be so hurry on the road." Shen Zhaolin admonished.
"Got it!" Hre voice left before the elevator closed.
"Why does it suddenly feel like she's going back to high school?" Shen Zhaolin couldn't help exclaiming.
Shen Yao's high school was several bus stops away from her home. Back then, every morning she would rush out of the house and take the bus, often having a couple of sips of milk and grabbing a sandwich before leaving. Three years have passed in a flash. She finished the college entrance exam and went to university... Suddenly, the house became quiet.
After graduating from university, Yao went to the News Department. It is just a ten-minute walk from her home. There's no need to rush through the morning rush hour.
Now that She's at a new workplace, suddenly she was like back in high school, rushing around in a hurry...
Ms. Wang was reading the newspaper while drinking tea. "When children grow up, they'll learn to take care of themselves."
What Mr. Wang said was right. Shen Zhaolin was stunned for a moment.
*
The advertising screens at the subway station are continuously showing coffee ads, New Year goods ads, as well as the down jacket endorsed by a popular talk show actor. There are only two weeks left until the Spring Festival, and the subway has also started looping Spring Festival songs.
Some passengers were sleeping, some looking down at their phones, and others placing orders for the down jackets. Shen Yao was afraid of missing the stop, so she only had music playing in her headphone. When passing by one of the stop, she noticed the ads on the platform featuring New Year figurines. They looked quite festive. Shen Yao scanned the QR code and placed an order for several sets. They can be given as gifts to colleagues during the Spring Festival.
Just after placing the order, "Ding ding ding~" the sound came from the headphones. Shen Yao logged into WeChat. The profile picture of Su Haohao - the beautiful Olivia standing with her arms crossed - turned out: [Are you saying that you were transferred from the News Department?]
Shen Yao hadn't got a chance to reply yet. On Su's profile picture, another red dot appeared again. [Just like that, without any explanation. And they don't even care if your major is suitable for the job or not! ]
Su Hao Hao: [That was a position that was contested by 2,000 people! I will never allow you to be transferred away!]
The familiar tone appeared on the screen, as if the automatic voice playback function had been activated. The text also came to life in a vivid manner.
Just as she arrived at the stop, Shen Yao was pushed out of the train carriage by the crowd. Her headphones nearly fell off and she quickly put them away along with her phone. The crowd rushed out of the train carriages in a hurry and then swiped their cards to exit the station one after another. During the morning rush hour, people were hurrying about in a flurry, and no one bothered to notice the plight of others.
Standing on the escalator leading to the ground, Shen Yao finally took out her phone. Su Haohao was still scrolling through WeChat, expressing her dissatisfaction.
Shen Yao replied: [It seems we are quite close to each other. Should we arrange a dinner date some day?]
Su Haohao immediately switched her thoughts: [A royal lamb steak pot?]
Su Haohao: [To be honest, I found a restaurant that has exactly the same smell as the one downstairs of our school dormitory. It's delicious and affordable. Is there really no way to refuse?! Tonight!]
Olivia, with her hands crossed over her chest, seemed to have lost some of her intense anger.
Shen Yao's lips curled upwards and she immediately sent a voice message: "Yesterday's registration was supposed to include a dinner party. But the director had an emergency and cancelled it. I don't know if there's another arrangement for today. I'll reply to you later."
The message was sent and Su replied instantly: [Biu~~~]
Shen Yao once again smiled and put the mobile phone back into her pocket.
During her four years in university, she and Su Haohao were classmates and roommates. They wore the same clothes, skipped the same classes, and even failed to have anyone impersonate them during roll call. After graduation, although they were no longer inseparable as before, Su Haohao would still appear in front of her via WeChat, sending out "ding ding ding" messages. Even her parents knew that her "twin sister" was teasing her about the increasingly unpalatable food in the company cafeteria, with no taste at all. "Ask Su to come our home this weekend. I will do the cooking for her." Old Shen couldn't bear to hear the child say there was no tasty food. He was extremely sad about it. Living alone away from home, Su stayed on to strive for success right after graduation. Her parents were far away and there was no one to take care of her. Lao Shen brought in his own daughter.
Ms. Wang still has the habit of reading newspapers at her desk. After listening to Old Shen, she calmly added, "Su Haohao really likes pea chicken."
That weekend, Su Haohao cried hard and insisted on being her parents' second daughter.
...
The escalator finally arrived. Shen Yao quickly regained her composure, a smile still lingering on her lips.
The Special Immigration Bureau was across the street. Shen Yao looked left and right, following the crowd as they crossed the zebra crossing.
*
On the first day of work, Shen Yao seemed to arrive a little early. The Special Immigration Bureau is on the 17th floor. The entire floor was dark except for the emergency lights, but the sunlight outside was already very good.
Shen Yao swiped the card to open the door, turned on the light and drew the curtains. She has just started working and hasn't been assigned to a specific department yet. For the next few days, she will be working on a case with Zhang, so her workstation has been arranged in Zhang's opposite.
The office has heating. Shen Yao took off her coat and hung it up. She put down the bag, wiped the countertop, her table and Zhang's table with a rag. Just as she put the rag away, the internal phone in the office rang. Shen Yao hesitated for a second about whether to answer or not. But there was no one else in the entire office except her. It was not yet time to go to work, but the phone kept ringing. The memo on the screen read: "No matter how annoyed you are, you must answer this call."
Shen Yao: "..."
She pressed the speaker button. Before she could speak, the other end couldn't wait any longer and said, "Director Zhang, Su He only requested a two-day leave before. Now he suddenly said he won't be able to come back soon. His office is already overflowing. Old Hu has been constantly urging. Please open the door and have a look directly."
Coincidentally, the door wasn't closed. Shen Yao subconsciously glanced at the office opposite. The sign on the door reads "Stamping Room".
Shen Yao probably didn't misobserve it - it seemed that the office opposite was being inflated somehow. No, it should be said that it was being inflated to the point of almost bursting. Paper was constantly leaking out through the crack in the door. The display board beneath the door also began to scroll and give warnings: Danger, Warning, The files have reached the limit, and the self-destruction program is about to start!
Since, self-destruction?
Shen Yao: "!!! "