Chapter 6
Yesterday's score was 1,050 pieces, zero errors, in 12 minutes and 52 seconds.
I am very satisfied.
At four in the afternoon, I received a WeChat message from Hu Li: "Bao Zhu, at five thirty, our department head will be waiting for you at the dorm entrance, come together, the location our department head knows, just follow along. Reply upon receipt."
"Okay."
"I plan to wear that little black off-shoulder dress today, remember to bring a light jacket of yours, in case it gets cold at night I can wear it."
"Okay."
At five fifteen, I went downstairs, making people wait would be impolite. One or two lilac flowers managed to bloom before the end of the season, the faint fragrance lingered, more than half of the people in the hospital dormitory building were at work, so it was very quiet. I probably waited less than a minute when someone called to me: "Bao Zhu."
A black sedan was parked at the edge of the athletic field, and a young man was standing on the driver's side.
I hesitated a little: "Department Head Li?" I walked over quickly.
He smiled broadly: "Don't tell me you don't recognize me?"
I bowed slightly, "Seeing you in casual clothes for the first time, I didn't recognize you for a moment."
He gestured for me to get in the car, and seeing that he was already seated inside, I promptly got in the passenger seat.
The hospital was soon left behind.
The car ran very smoothly, I didn't know what I should say, so I didn't speak. Department Head Li also didn't speak, it was very quiet in the car.
But I enjoyed the quiet very much.
"You don't mind if I call you Bao Zhu directly, do you?" Department Head Li suddenly spoke.
I turned to look at him, he also glanced at me, smiling as he said: "Hu Li is always talking about you in the department, Bao Zhu this and Bao Zhu that, so I subconsciously started calling you that way too."
"She does tend to talk a lot." I said.
Li Zhiyuan laughed somewhat helplessly, "That's the point? Shouldn't the point be whether or not I can call you that?"
"Oh, that's no problem at all, call me whatever you like! Thank you for coming to pick me up today." I said respectfully.
"Bao Zhu," Li Zhiyuan sighed, "I'm only seven years older than you, you're treating me like I'm your uncle."
I was a little at a loss for words.
Li Zhiyuan said: "My full name is Li Zhiyuan, that 'zhiyuan' from ningjing zhiyuan, or you can call me by my full name, anyway Hu Li and the others call me Li Zhiyuan too."
I really hadn't heard Hu Li call him that before. But I never give people trouble, so I readily went along: "Alright, Li Zhiyuan, thank you for picking me up."
"You're welcome," Li Zhiyuan said. "Would you like to listen to some music?"
I nodded.
Music would be nice too, the flowing music means we wouldn't have to speak.
The car drove through streets and alleys, this city is very beautiful and clean, the economic conditions are much better than my hometown, the pedestrians on the road looked hurried, it was the evening rush hour, and there was congestion on many road sections. I looked at my watch, not even 5:30 yet.
Department Head Li said: "Probably another 50 minutes or so. Don't worry."
Me: "I'm not worried."
I really wasn't worried, just reacting instinctively.
Today's 5:30, like every Friday before, my goal would be there on time.
"Cheng Peng booked the Urban Manor by the lakeside, dinner starts at 7, he booked the whole place, eating and entertainment will be there." Department Head Li said.
I nodded: "Oh, how thoughtful."
Department Head Li laughed again: "You sound just like a parent."
I laughed too.
"But you are family after all." Department Head Li said. "There's not a day Hu Li doesn't mention you. The first thing she does when she gets to work is look up to see if you're in the office."
He quickly glanced at me, "You might be more important than Cheng Peng."
Yes, that's just like something Hu Li would do. Back in school, the first thing she did when she got back to the dorm was flip open my bed curtain to see if I was there.
"You know you can see your office and lounge from our department if you look up, right?" Department Head Li said.
I knew that, it was also one of the reasons I practiced dissections in the dark with the lights off.