Chapter 472: Unexpected Encounters

It all happened so suddenly.

Even after recognizing her, Lu Xin was momentarily at a loss for what to do.

He figured they were acquaintances…

Shouldn’t he show some excitement and warmth at her arrival?

But then, should he go in for a hug or…?

Han Bing flashed a mischievous smile at Lu Xin, clearly pleased with her sudden appearance as she blinked coyly at his astonished expression, as if she had just pulled off a little prank and was waiting to see his reaction.

…

“Hello, hello…”

For a brief moment, Lu Xin’s expression froze before it morphed into delight, and he eagerly extended both his hands.

Striking a handshake pose.

“Huh?”

Han Bing was taken aback as well, then covered her mouth with one hand in a laugh while extending the other.

In that worn hallway filled with cigarette butts and the pervasive smell of smoke, three hands clutched together tightly.

Fearing he wasn’t showing enough enthusiasm, Lu Xin even shook his hands up and down after grasping hers.

“Mr. Lone Soldier, I never expected your first act upon seeing me would be to shake hands—using both hands, no less…”

Han Bing’s radiant smile lit up the dim corridor.

“Oh, oh…”

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Lu Xin reluctantly let go of her hand and said with a laugh, “I honestly didn’t expect you to come over.”

He added with a strange expression, “Weren’t you really busy lately?”

“I was swamped a few days ago—it nearly made my head spin.”

Han Bing ran a hand through her long, thick, straight black hair and laughed with an air of nonchalant pride, “But thankfully, things have been relatively stable recently.”

“Over at Sea Country, business has been hectic, but under Professor Bai’s arrangements, nothing major has gone awry. In Happy Town, everyone was initially on edge, yet the situation turned out to be surprisingly smooth, and the staff are already being pulled back.”

“That has certainly eased our pressure, bit by bit…”

“Of course, aside from a lighter workload, it might also be thanks to you.”

She added with a laugh, “During our calls, the higher-ups could hear everything. I was probably griping too openly, so after half a month of back-to-back overtime, they finally granted me some time off…”

“…”

“Well…”

Lu Xin had heard her voice countless times, yet hearing it face-to-face was a first.

Looking at the smile on her face, as bright and chirpy as a little bird, she chattered non-stop.

Not only could he catch every word she said, but he also felt her bubbling joy with every syllable.

Lu Xin felt less at ease than when chatting on the channel and couldn’t quite figure out how to respond.

After a moment of hesitation, he said, “Oh dear, aren’t you worried about getting on your boss’s bad side with that kind of talk?”

Han Bing blinked and replied, “Not at all.”

Lu Xin asked, surprised, “Why not?”

She laughed, “Because my mom’s status is higher than that of our bosses.”

“…”

Lu Xin was momentarily stunned—this answer had caught him off guard.

Han Bing’s eyes crinkled in mirth as she said, “When I got unexpectedly time off, I had no idea what to do with myself.”

“Earlier, Mr. Lone Soldier asked me to help you look for a place, so I’ve gathered some information.”

“But for something as important as a house, it’s always better to see it in person rather than just looking at the details, so here I am.”

She added with a bright laugh, “Mr. Lone Soldier, will you let go of my hand now?”

“Hmm?”

It was only then that Lu Xin realized he was still gripping her hand with both of his, and he hurriedly let go.

Han Bing flashed a dazzling smile, revealing perfectly white teeth as she shifted her stance by the hallway, “So, shall we head out now?”

“Oh.”

Lu Xin instinctively agreed but then added awkwardly, “But I still have to go to work…”

“Hmm?”

Han Bing glanced at Lu Xin and then at the bustling office inside.

Her expression turned puzzled and a bit uncertain as she lowered her voice, “Isn’t that the disguise you use for your identity?”

“No…”

Lu Xin explained, “I actually work here.”

“Strictly speaking, my job in the Special Pollution Cleanup Department is just a side gig.”

“…”

Han Bing gave him a long, assessing look, clearly surprised by his answer.

“Alright then, I’ll wait inside.”

She nodded in agreement, “I’d also like to see where Mr. Lone Soldier works.”

“Well…”

After a brief pause, Lu Xin smiled and led Han Bing inside, saying, “I’m doing pretty well here.”

He added, “I’m now the supervisor in charge of several projects.”

“…”

“Swish,” “swish,” “swish…”

As Han Bing followed close behind Lu Xin into the office, many faces were instantly raised in surprise.

In the cold, starkly lit office, Han Bing’s arrival seemed to inject a burst of life.

The male colleagues couldn’t help but widen their eyes, while the female colleagues raised their eyebrows slightly.

For many of the male colleagues aspiring to make it in the Main City, a girl like her was the ultimate dream target.

Even though they didn’t yet know who Han Bing was, they could certainly sense something unique about her aura.

Her outfit was rather ordinary, but being from Main City, she carried a certain grace that set her apart from girls from Satellite City.

“Hello, everyone…”

With a shy smile, Han Bing gently waved at Lu Xin’s colleagues as she walked by his side.

Lu Xin, feeling a bit awkward, whispered to his colleagues, “She’s just a friend…”

Even he couldn’t understand why.

Just a friend visiting the office, yet why were so many envious glances suddenly fixed on her?

The strangest part was that when their eyes met his, he couldn’t help but feel a touch of pride.

…

“Huh?”

When Lu Xin pushed open the door to his small office, Vice President Xiao was already seated inside, fiddling with his watch. As soon as he saw Lu Xin, he grinned and said, “Brother Lu, check out this watch. I think it really suits your style… Huh?”

His gaze quickly shifted from Lu Xin to Han Bing, who had just entered with him.

After a brief pause, he realized she had likely heard him address Lu Xin as ‘Brother Lu,’ and his face suddenly turned stern.

“Which department are you from?”

“…”

Lu Xin casually took the watch from Vice President Xiao’s hand and put it into a drawer, then introduced with a smile:

“She’s my friend, Han Bing, from Main City.”

“…”

“Ah?”

Vice President Xiao’s face visibly drained of color as he quickly stood up in alarm.

He hastily closed the glass door, then bowed low to shake Han Bing’s hand, apologizing repeatedly, “I’m sorry, Miss Han…”

“I’m Xiao Yuan, a friend of Brother Lu.”

“Hello, hello.”

Han Bing shook his hand lightly before turning to look at Lu Xin as if asking a question.

Lu Xin could only smile and explain, “He’s the company’s vice president. He might soon become the real CEO.”

“This, uh, this…”

Vice President Xiao appeared a bit embarrassed, laughing, “Mainly, we’re just waiting for my old man to officially step down…”

After exchanging greetings, Lu Xin sat down at his computer desk.

Han Bing took a seat on a small plastic stool nearby, and all three shared warm smiles.

They smiled and laughed together…

Until the atmosphere gradually grew a bit awkward…

…

Lu Xin quietly turned to Vice President Xiao and said, “Don’t you feel this office is a bit cramped?”

“Really? Haha…”

Vice President Xiao suddenly couldn’t seem to laugh as he glanced around the small office.

Originally carved out from Director Liu’s spacious office, the room was never large and now was stuffed with all the gifts he had just moved in. Lu Xin and Han Bing sat together while he stood alone by the door…

He silently met Lu Xin’s gaze, receiving a wordless affirmation.

Then he suddenly laughed and said, “Miss Han, you and Brother Lu chat for now—I completely forgot about a meeting…”

Han Bing nodded with a smile, “Alright, alright, you go ahead.”

“Then, I’ll head out…”

Vice President Xiao, beaming broadly, opened the door and left. In the next moment, he peeked back in, “Oh, by the way…”

Looking seriously at Lu Xin and lowering his voice, he said, “Brother Lu, you know our company offers a lavish expense allowance for entertaining, right?”

“Miss Han is from Main City—everyone from Main City is considered a potential client.”

“And the allowance is pretty generous…”

“…”

Lu Xin gave him a long, piercing look.

Was the boss hinting that he should sponsor private entertaining with his company’s money?

First giving him a watch and then encouraging lavish entertaining with public funds.

…Was this a bit too much corruption for a department supervisor?

…

“Hmm…”

Watching the exchange between Lu Xin and Vice President Xiao, Han Bing pondered, gaining a new perspective on Lu Xin’s day job.

“What are all these boxes?”

After Lu Xin sat down and actually started working, Han Bing couldn’t help but notice the piles of packages that Vice President Xiao had just brought in. Curious, she asked Lu Xin.

“Well…”

Lu Xin immediately realized and lowered his voice, “They’re gifts.”

“It was that incident a couple of days ago. They weren’t wiped clean of their memories, so they know I handled it for them.”

“No sooner had they come out of isolation than they sent over all these things.”

“…”

As he spoke, he kept a careful watch on the changing expression on Han Bing’s face.

“Gifts?”

Han Bing’s expression shifted from surprise to appraisal as she looked around, saying, “I’ve been working for so long and never received any gifts…”

“I agree—they’re really over the top.”

Lu Xin replied calmly, “That’s why I wasn’t planning to accept them. You see, I haven’t even opened any of these boxes.”

“I was planning to have them all taken back later.”

“…”

“Well…”

Han Bing hesitated for a moment before saying, “Our Special Pollution Cleanup Department does have rules against accepting gifts from polluted individuals, since those affected could still pose a hidden threat.”

Lu Xin was momentarily taken aback and nodded silently.

“But it depends on the circumstances…”

After a moment’s thought, Han Bing smiled and added,

“If we’re sure these formerly polluted individuals are fully recovered and no one else knows, we could consider an exception.”

“After all, the key to helping them recover is easing their mental stress.”

“Accepting their gifts might help put their minds at ease…”

“At worst, we just pretend to accept them and return everything once they are completely restored.”

“…”

“Ah…”

Lu Xin was genuinely stunned—he couldn’t help but feel deep respect for the girl before him.