The first few days at the new job went smoothly. The tasks were just applications of Lin Yuhui's regular professional skills. Only the heat exchanger process data calculations required using the company's proprietary Excel spreadsheets, but the underlying calculation principles remained the same. Plus, he was quite adept with computers and had no trouble mastering the basic tools.
This drive traces back to his university days when he sought technical advice from professors but was pointedly told he lacked specialized terminology—a common gap for students from ordinary backgrounds. Undeterred, he became self-motivated, gradually teaching himself all necessary office software, programming tools, and chemical engineering applications.
“Here's your new ID card. Your start date is your employee number: 20210514.” " Safir handed him the completed ID card.
“Got it, thanks,” Lin Yuhui replied, removing his temporary badge to return it before slipping on the new one.
For days, Lin Yuhui focused solely on his tasks, maintaining minimal professional contact with colleagues—especially that stunning beauty. He saw no point in wasting energy or emotions on someone he’d never cross paths with in real life. He certainly didn't want to join their frequent discussions about dating. He was the only single man in the entire office, and he couldn't understand what they found so interesting about talking about it all day.
Though occasionally he'd glance at the beautiful women around him—a basic male respect for beauty. Those snow-white, long legs, while lacking athletic definition, certainly fit the anime aesthetic. But Lin Yuhui couldn't help but feel a pang of pity for her carelessness. Why couldn't she take better care of herself? Her ankles were covered in mosquito bites—some large and red, others smaller—yet Seris seemed utterly oblivious, as if nothing was wrong. Couldn't she just put up a mosquito net before sleeping? Here was a young woman who wasn't even as attentive as this old man.
Could it be...? A thought struck Lin Yuhui. Perhaps she went on blind dates after work, kissing her boyfriend by the roadside only to be swarmed by mosquitoes from the greenery? She applied makeup daily, arriving at the office each morning in a different style—too meticulously groomed. Honestly, no one here deserved the effort she put into her appearance. Was it all for those after-work dates? But why not apply makeup after work? Oh well, if she had to be meticulous anyway, might as well be meticulous all day. But wouldn't it be a hassle to constantly worry about her makeup all day long?
Could it be...? Lin Yuhui recalled that on her third day at work, Serice had arrived at the office exhausted, barely able to keep her eyes open. Dylan had even tried to be friendly, suggesting she take a nap in the car. Maybe she hadn't removed her makeup from the night before? Now, reflecting on Dylan's words back then, did they carry a different meaning?
But Seres had nothing to do with her anyway. And she knew women like that weren't her type. So these thoughts flashed by, neither affecting her work nor her life.
“David, this project needs optimization,” Christian said as he approached.
Lin Yuhui opened the file—an Excel spreadsheet containing formulas and macros for a shell-and-tube heat exchanger.
He tweaked the flow rates on both sides, pulling property data from his professional chemical engineering software. The calculation required iterative solving, which required manually copying the calculated heat transfer coefficients back into the input cells. Typically, results emerged after a few iterations, and this step hadn't been optimized either. Sometimes, when values were close, manual input sufficed.
Lin Yuhui entered the values twice. Based on the system's convergence characteristics, the third entry precisely filled in the solution value.
Christian's eyes lit up as he exclaimed,
"Ah, David, you're brilliant!"
“Ha, thanks,” Lin Yuhui replied with a smile.
“Oh, we can squeeze out a bit more performance here.” With that, he reduced the shell diameter and modified the baffle plate arrangement, further improving flow and heat transfer conditions.
The task was soon completed. It seemed like this was also a practical skills assessment from the boss. Clearly, whether in computer tool application or fundamental theoretical mastery, he had delivered a satisfactory performance.
After the boss left the office, the atmosphere relaxed again. Lin Yuhui didn't join in the conversation—there wasn't much common ground anyway.
“Hey, what software is he using? It's different from ours.”
Lin Yuhui knew Seris was referring to him and felt a flicker of pride. He was well aware of his own capabilities. But the one who spoke up was Dylan, sitting right beside him. He initially ignored her, but that felt impolite. Turning to see her eyes fixed on him, he asked,
“Talking to me? If you want to speak, look me in the eye.” The subtext was clear: don't bother me unless you're interested in pursuing a relationship. After speaking, he felt it sounded a bit harsh and tried to smooth things over.
“Oh, you mean this? This is specialized chemical engineering calculation software. It can calculate heat exchangers.”
Seris nodded. Lin Yuhui didn't chat with her any further and returned to his work.
But Dylan, seated to his left, remained undeterred.
“Hey, David, how old are you?”
Dylan was also in his thirties, so Lin Yuhui gave him some face, smiling as he replied,
“Forty-four. Born in '77.”
“Holy cow, you're almost as old as my dad!” Laila murmured from across the table.
Dylan leaned over Lin Yuhui and asked,
“Hey, Seris, how old are you?”
“I'm... 25,” Seris sat ramrod straight in her chair, staring straight ahead as if under interrogation. Her reply was laced with the giggles of a young girl before she quickly corrected herself,
“No, I'm 24.”
Lin Yuhui observed Seres's state without comment, noting she must have corrected her age by a year. Coincidentally, she was exactly 20 years younger than him—born in 1997. What a coincidence.
“Hey, Laila, how old are you?”
Dylan turned to ask Laila across from him.
“I'm 22.”
As the words flowed, Lin Yuhui's gaze followed suit.
“So, have you ever dated anyone?” Dylan asked without restraint, seemingly fascinated only by such topics.
Lin Yuhui glanced at him, inwardly thinking, How could he be so forward, asking girls such personal questions?
“Once,” Laila replied coldly.
"Well then, you should hurry up and find someone. Look at Seres—he's getting set up on dates again."
Where did Dylan get all this information? How did he know so much about girls' affairs? How much energy did he put into this? As Lin Yuhui pondered, Seris spoke up.
“Don't even mention it. My best friend dated a guy she met at the gym for eight months before breaking up. She still hasn't gotten over it. It's so painful she just lifts weights every day.”
Lin Yuhui instantly grasped the crux of the matter. Turning to look Seris straight in the eye, he declared,
“She picked the wrong place.” His blunt assessment was meant to prompt reflection—to serve as a cautionary tale for this lovely girl, hoping she'd develop discerning eyes when choosing a partner.
“Exactly! David's right—only partners found in libraries last...” Dylan immediately launched into a lengthy, lofty speech.
Lin Yuhui thought to himself: You don't have a wife. Even with looks like yours, rich girls might not want you. And now you're just a lowly clerk. What's the point of all this flirting and fawning?
Lin Yuhui stopped engaging in their conversation. It was pointless. After finishing his work, he clocked out on time, grabbed dinner at the cafeteria, and strolled back to his place.
No woman. No woman he cared about. His child wasn't around either. He was essentially living the single life—eating alone, no one else to feed. Back at his place, he checked today's news and updates. It seemed that once life's material needs were secured, people began seeking other ways to enrich themselves. After searching and comparing options, he ordered a violin for himself on Taobao. He simply loved its sound, even knowing he lacked the talent—or that he'd long passed the age when the brain's structure was still malleable. But that didn't stop him from enjoying it for his own amusement. And this kind of entertainment came with no emotional complications.
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and then Add to home screen.