Chapter 67 part 1
The second interview was conducted by the department manager. It was still the same three candidates: Bai He, Mu Lin, and Shen Hao, entering one by one for a face-to-face discussion. The questions this time were much more professional than the previous round, making Bai He keenly aware of his lack of expertise in this specific area. Fortunately, he had done his homework beforehand, so he wasn’t caught completely off guard.
As soon as the interview ended, the department manager, who had worn a stern expression throughout the questioning, suddenly changed his demeanor. He approached Bai He with a warm, spring-like smile to shake his hand, leaving the upright and tense Bai He feeling a bit bewildered.
Thinking about it later, it was probably because of Qin Yao. Bai He had actually told Qin Yao a long time ago not to open any back doors for him.
Recalling the oppressive atmosphere created by the interviewer earlier, Bai He felt that there indeed hadn’t been any special treatment during the assessment itself, which made him feel a bit more balanced inside.
The interviews for Shen Hao and Mu Lin also went smoothly. After they finished, they left FREE. The manager informed them that the results would be sent via email and that they should just wait quietly for the news.
Bai He went upstairs to find Qin Yao. The office was empty, so he checked the adjoining lounge. Just as he opened the door, Qin Yao came out, dressed in a suit. Rarely, he had even slicked his hair back, making him look much more energetic and sharp.
Bai He paused for a moment, then walked over to help Qin Yao adjust his collar. “Do you have something to do this afternoon?”
“I have to go to the city center next door. There’s a meeting at two o’clock.” Qin Yao couldn’t maintain his cool facade for more than a few seconds before collapsing onto Bai He. “I don’t want to go. I want to eat with Xiao Bao.”
Having straightened the collar, Bai He patted the other man’s shoulder. “We can eat together when you get back tonight. Alright, go on. Remember to find a place to have lunch.”
“Mm.” Qin Yao held Bai He and kissed him for a while, resting his forehead against Bai He’s. “Wait for me to come back. I’ll bring you a small cake.”
“Okay.” Bai He nodded. After a split-second hesitation, he stood on his tiptoes and kissed Qin Yao. “Hurry up and go.”
“F*ck…” Qin Yao touched his lower lip, his earlobes turning burning red. He suppressed the soaring joy in his heart. “I really want to just not work for the rest of my life and just fool around with you, Xiao Bao…”
After getting a light knock on the head from Bai He, Qin Yao behaved. “I’m going, I’m going. I’m off. Bye-bye, Xiao Bao~”
Watching Qin Yao leave, Bai He stayed in the office. Since the launch of Xingchen, its popularity had remained sky-high, dominating rankings both domestically and internationally. The attention this game received far exceeded expectations. Everyone at FREE had been incredibly busy lately, especially Qin Yao, who was flying everywhere, attending meetings and social engagements, his daily schedule packed to the brim.
There were many potted plants in Qin Yao’s office. Among them, Bai He discovered a pot of catnip. He stared at the catnip in a daze for a moment, then slowly took out his phone, snapped a picture, and sent it to Qin Yao.
Death: [Are you raising other catnip behind my back?]
After sending that string of words with a poker face, he put down his phone and quietly began tending to the office plants. Qin Yao hadn’t hired a secretary, so he usually took care of these plants himself. Occasionally, Zhang Wenyi would help water them. However, with neither of them having any free time recently, they often forgot that there were other living things in the office.
Every time Bai He came over, he remembered to extend the lives of these plants.
A moment later, the phone in his pocket buzzed a few times. Bai He took it out leisurely to look.
Bad Cat: [Xiao Bao, it’s not what you think!!!]
Bad Cat: [The only catnip I love is you!!!]
Bad Cat: [Xiao Bao, believe me!]
Bai He smiled at the phone and typed a reply.
Death: [Work hard.]
The other side immediately behaved.
Bad Cat: [Okay, Xiao Bao~]
Putting down the phone, he continued tending to the potted plants. After he finished, he wasn’t in a hurry to leave. He went to Qin Yao’s desk, turned on the computer, found Xingchen, and used Qin Yao’s account to start running maps.
Since he would be interning at FREE in the future, he needed to understand the company’s products better. FREE had made more than just Xingchen; their other games were also well-known, though Xingchen was the breakout hit.
Time passed quickly while gaming. Before he knew it, an hour had passed. Bai He leaned back in the chair. Qin Yao’s pheromones still lingered in the space. He closed his eyes and sniffed gently; it smelled very good.
Bai He opened his eyes and stretched his neck, preparing to log out and check other games. Just then, his phone rang. Thinking it was Qin Yao, he picked it up, only to find it was an unfamiliar number.
“Hello,” Bai He answered.
A slightly hoarse voice came through. “Hello.”
He paused for a second. “Zhang Yao?”
Unexpectedly, Bai He had guessed it. Zhang Yao didn’t deny it. “I changed my phone. Everything related to the old Zhang Yao has been erased. Do you have time? Want to grab a meal together?”
“Reason?” Bai He stood up to stretch his body after sitting for so long.
“You’re still angry?” Zhang Yao gave a bitter laugh, speaking weakly. “I’ve paid such a huge price. Can’t you give me a little face?”
Bai He thought for a moment. “I need to know your reason for wanting to eat with me.”
Zhang Yao was honest. “Alright, I just want to make friends with you. Smart people don’t speak in riddles. If I want to survive here, I have to pick the right side.”
That made sense. Bai He asked, “Where to?”
“Where are you? Should I come pick you up?” Zhang Yao asked.
“FREE. Come over then.”
“You really aren’t polite.” The person on the other end laughed.
“You offered.” Bai He went to turn off the computer. “I’ll wait for you on the first floor.”
After hanging up, Bai He stared blankly into space, thinking. Zhang Yao no longer had a mission, nor did he have system cheats; he posed no threat. Furthermore, what Zhang Yao said had some logic. “Picking a side” might be an exaggeration since Qin Yao wasn’t some underworld power, but if Bai He were in Zhang Yao’s shoes—starting from scratch with no skills—he would definitely choose to build good relations with people who could benefit him.
Moreover, Zhang Yao might know something about the recent situation with the Guan family.
With that in mind, Bai He opened his chat with Qin Yao and sent a message.
Death: [Zhang Yao came to find me. I plan to go eat with him.]
There was no movement from the other side; he was likely busy.
Bai He wasn’t in a rush. He went to the cafe on the first floor of FREE to sit and wait. A short while later, security stopped a car outside. The window rolled down, and Bai He saw Zhang Yao. He got up and walked out. Zhang Yao was still explaining things to the security guard when he saw Bai He and waved. “Bai He, over here.”
Bai He walked up. Just as he was pulling open the passenger door, the phone in his pocket rang.
He stopped to check the message.
Bad Cat: [What??!]
Bad Cat: [Okay, Zhou Sheng says he’s absolutely safe.]
Bad Cat: [Where are you guys going to eat?]
Bad Cat: [He’s driving?]
Bad Cat: [Xiao Bao, you are not allowed to sit in his passenger seat!!!]
Bai He: …
He silently closed the passenger door and, under Zhang Yao’s confused gaze, opened the back door and got in.
Zhang Yao turned his head to look at Bai He, amused by the sequence of actions. “Are you treating me like a chauffeur?”
Bai He lifted his eyes expressionlessly. “Where are we eating?”
Zhang Yao withdrew his gaze. “I booked a table at Rong Lou. We’ll be there in a few minutes.”
The car drove off. There was no conversation between the two. Bai He kept looking out the window. Zhang Yao glanced at Bai He a few times through the rearview mirror but didn’t speak until they arrived.
Rong Lou was a very famous, time-honored restaurant with retro decor. Zhang Yao and Bai He entered one after the other. A waiter led them to a private room. The dishes were served quickly. Bai He didn’t stand on ceremony; he quietly picked up his chopsticks and ate, waiting for Zhang Yao to speak first.
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