Money String
During his lunch break, Lin Jingshang found a small paper bag on a chair on the small terrace. Inside were several sample packs of coffee beans from different origins and with different flavors, as well as a note.
[Recommended brewing parameters for different beans.]
Detailed tables for water temperature, grinding degree, and water-to-powder ratio are attached.
Lin Jingshang held the note, looking at the meticulous data on it, and then recalled the failed creation from last night, which was described as not bad. He couldn't help but smile.
He took out his phone and sent a message to Xie Dang.
[Lin Jingshang]: Thank you for the beans and parameter table.
[BUG Partner]: You're welcome. Practice is the sole criterion for testing truth.
Sunlight streamed onto the terrace, and also onto those few small packets of coffee beans.
---
With the year-end approaching, the company's annual meeting is on the agenda.
In the notification issued by the administration department, in addition to the usual procedures, one point was specifically emphasized: this year, a smart system will be used to randomly allocate banquet seats, in order to promote cross-departmental communication.
Lin Jingshang looked at the words "intelligent random" in the email, his lips twitched slightly, and he took a screenshot and sent it to Xie Dang.
[Lin Jingshang]: I bet we're deskmates.
[BUG Partner]: 99.9% probability.
On the night of the annual meeting, the hotel banquet hall was brightly lit and bustling with people.
Lin Jingshang found his seat according to the seating chart on the electronic invitation; it was a table next to the main table.
He walked over and, sure enough, saw that familiar name printed on the seat next to the main table: Xie Dang.
His seat was right next to Xie Dang.
Several colleagues who were already seated saw Lin Jingshang arrive and smiled knowingly.
Lin Jingshang remained calm on the surface, but in his mind he cursed that incompetent system eight hundred times over.
As a senior executive, Xie Dang needed to first entertain guests at the main table.
Lin Jingshang sat down at his seat and chatted with colleagues from other departments at the same table.
After a while, Xie Dang left the main table and came over. He sat down in the empty seat next to Lin Jingshang, picked up the tea that had been poured on the table, and took a sip.
"Are you done with your work?" Lin Jingshang asked in a low voice.
"Hmm." Xie Dang put down his teacup and loosened his tie.
Xie Dang's colleagues at the same table greeted him one by one, and he nodded in response to each of them.
The annual meeting proceeded smoothly, with speeches from leaders, awards presentations, and performances... the atmosphere was lively.
When it came to the interactive game segment, the host announced the rules, requiring each table to send one person to participate in a test of teamwork.
All eyes were involuntarily drawn to Lin Jingshang and Xie Dang's table.
More accurately, the focus is on the two of them.
A female colleague at the same table laughed and teased, "Is there even a choice? It's definitely President Xie and Lin Jingshang!"
Others echoed his sentiments.
Lin Jingshang felt a chill run down his spine and subconsciously looked at Xie Dang.
Xie Dang's face remained expressionless, but he also showed no sign of objection.
The host, having received instructions, immediately handed over the microphone: "It seems there's a lot of enthusiasm! Then please, Mr. Xie and Mr. Lin, represent this table in our game!"
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the two had no choice but to get up and walk to the center of the stage.
The game is a classic charades game, but the questions have been carefully designed: [Destined for Each Other], [Love at First Sight], [Soulmate]...
Lin Jingshang felt his cheeks burning as he looked at the words displayed on the big screen.
He forced himself to gesture, while Xie Dang guessed.
Surprisingly, the two had an amazing chemistry.
Often, Lin Jingshang only needs a simple gesture, or even a glance, for Xie Dang to accurately give the answer.
Lin Jingshang pointed to the sky, then to the ground, and finally to Xie Dang.
Xie Dang: "It was destined."
Lin Jingshang gave Xie Dang a deep look.
Xie Dang: "A glance that lasts a lifetime."
Lin Jingshang pointed to his heart, then to Xie Dang.
Xie Dang was silent for two seconds before speaking: "Soulmate."
Cheers and whistles erupted from the audience.
Lin Jingshang stood on the stage, the lights somewhat dazzling. He could feel Xie Dang's gaze fixed on him, calm and focused. The surrounding sounds faded away, leaving only the pounding of his heart in his chest.
They won the game and received a voucher for a hot spring resort for two.
When Xie Dang returned to his seat after stepping off the stage, he casually handed the vacation voucher to Lin Jingshang.
"You handle it."
Lin Jingshang took the hot lottery ticket, the calm yet inexplicably certain tone of Xie Dang when he spoke of his soulmate still echoing in his ears.
The annual meeting is still going on, filled with laughter and joy.
Lin Jingshang felt that all the excitement of the night had become background noise.
---
After the annual meeting ended, Lin Jingshang took the double hot spring resort voucher home and casually placed it in his desk drawer.
The system seemed somewhat displeased that the two hadn't used their lottery tickets, but dared not make any further noise and began trying to gain attention.
On Monday morning, as soon as Lin Jingshang arrived at his workstation, he noticed a small white porcelain flowerpot next to the silly-looking sunflower on the windowsill. Inside was a lush green succulent with plump leaves.
There was a card under the flowerpot: "[Money string, symbolizing abundant wealth, suitable for placement in the southeast corner of an office desk.]"
Lin Jingshang picked up the card, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
Is this system now acting as a part-time Feng Shui master?
He took the photo and sent it to Xie Dang.
[Lin Jingshang]: It's starting to care about my finances now. (Attached photos: succulents and cards)
【Xie Dang】: Crassula genus of Crassulaceae family. It prefers light and is drought-tolerant. It should not be watered too much. There is no scientific basis for its placement.
Lin Jingshang couldn't help but laugh as he looked at the popular science article on botany.
He replied with "Received," then moved the potted string of pearls further inside the windowsill, away from the southeast position.
The two met on the small terrace during their lunch break; the weather was lovely today.
Xie Dang took a sip of coffee and suddenly said, "I also have a succulent in my office."
Lin Jingshang was taken aback: "It was a gift from them?"
"Yes." Xie Dang nodded. "Same variety."
Lin Jingshang suddenly remembered the system syncing the shopping cart, and a thought popped into his head: "Is it trying to sync everything with us? The cups we use, the candy we eat, the plants we grow..."
Xie Dang pondered for a moment and confirmed his guess: "It is mimicking the shared interests of human couples, trying to enhance intimacy by creating common ground."
"Unfortunately, their methods are too clumsy and they don't understand us at all," Lin Jingshang couldn't help but complain.
He and Xie Dang were clearly two people with completely different personalities.
“Yes, an ineffective strategy,” Xie Dang agreed.
Although the strategy failed, the small string of pearls still settled on Lin Jingshang's windowsill.
It is indeed very easy to grow and does not require much care. Its plump leaves stretch out in the sunlight, adding a touch of vitality to the monotonous office environment.
A few days later, one afternoon, Lin Jingshang needed Xie Dang to sign a document.
He walked into the president's office and found that in the corner of Xie Dang's desk, in the place that was originally empty, there was indeed a pot of the same string of pearls, growing lushly in a white porcelain flowerpot.
Two potted plants, forcibly placed there by the system, stand facing each other across the office and the common work area.
After Xie Dang signed the document, he handed it back to Lin Jingshang. His gaze swept over the succulent plant next to him, and he suddenly said out of the blue, "It grows faster than yours."
Lin Jingshang: "...Maybe the sunlight is better where you are?"
"Yes." Xie Dang nodded seriously, "The duration of sunlight will increase by 15%."
Lin Jingshang, holding the document, was amused again.
Back at his workstation, he looked at the slightly outdated string of pearls on his windowsill, but he didn't feel discouraged at all.
The system wanted them to synchronize, and they found their own rhythm.
Just like those two hot spring tickets stored in the drawer.
When the time is right, perhaps they will go together.
---
A cold front swept through the city, and the temperature plummeted. When I went out in the morning, my breath turned into white mist.
Lin Jingshang has a constitution that is prone to cold, and he is especially afraid of the cold. Although he was wearing a thick down jacket, his neck was exposed, and when the cold wind blew, he couldn't help but shrink his neck.
He walked downstairs to the company and ran into Xie Dang, who had just gotten out of his car.
Xie Dang's gaze lingered on his bare neck for a moment, and he frowned slightly.
"Not wearing a scarf?" he asked as the two entered the elevator together.
Lin Jingshang rubbed his hands together: "I forgot, I didn't expect it to get so cold all of a sudden."
Xie Dang didn't say anything more.
During a break in his work in the morning, Lin Jingshang received a link from Xie Dang titled "The Importance of Keeping the Neck Warm in Winter and Prevention of Common Diseases".
He clicked on it and found various medical data and charts that detailed the health problems that could be caused by a cold neck.
Lin Jingshang: "..."
That's definitely Xie Dang's style.
He replied: "I've learned it, I'll definitely remember to wear it tomorrow."
In the afternoon, Lin Jingshang was working when the receptionist came over carrying a package: "Mr. Lin, you have a package."
Lin Jingshang was a little puzzled, as he hadn't bought anything recently.
He took the box, opened it, and inside was a neatly folded beige cashmere scarf, soft and warm to the touch.
There was no card, no signature, but he knew almost immediately who sent it.
He picked up his phone and sent a message to Xie Dang.
[Lin Jingshang]: I received the scarf.
[Xie Dang]: Yes, the weather forecast shows that the lowest temperature tomorrow will be minus five degrees Celsius.
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