Strangers in Sync

Chapter 7:

A cute and pitiful stray cat abandoned halfway.

By the time Fang Huaining left Hexin Industrial, it was almost eight o'clock. Most of the remaining employees in the company were going to stay overnight and should have been picked up by the company shuttle. However, knowing that the round-trip journey to the city took nearly four hours, Fang Huaining declined to trouble them and left alone.

Fortunately, the bus station was nearby. However, since it was off-peak in a remote area, buses came by at least every half hour, and it wouldn't be surprising to have to wait an hour.

Fang Huaining was not in a hurry. He stood in a clean corner of the bus station, his mind fully immersed in the complex data world as he reviewed the program he had just written.

The rain intensified, accompanied by occasional flashes of lightning and thunder, but it didn't disturb him. It was the faint white shadow flickering by the street that suddenly caught Fang Huaining's attention. Looking over, he found a person standing there, shrouded by a layer of rain-soaked air that obscured his vision. Fang Huaining squinted his eyes, trying to discern the figure.

To his surprise, the person he thought had long since departed stood before him once again, entering in a way that left Fang Huaining utterly speechless.

This time, the individual was not beside the eye-catching electric cart but rather had an even older... no, a completely broken bicycle instead.

The bicycle was locked with a chain to a utility pole across the street, and the small farmer was struggling hard to free the lock amid the torrential wind and rain.

The lock appeared to be rusted. The farmer persisted for quite some time, and just when Fang Huaining thought he would fail, the chain finally came undone.

Fang Huaining couldn't tell if it was his imagination, but it felt to him that the farmer glanced over briefly before riding away on that broken bike.

From the evaluations of family and friends, it was evident that Fang Huaining was definitely not an approachable person; he was cold and proud, making it difficult for anyone to get close to him. Typically, it was always others who approached him, and for Fang Huaining to take the initiative to speak to a stranger was nearly impossible.

However, at that moment, he hesitated for just a moment before speaking up.

Fang Huaining said, "It's very dangerous for you to be out here like this."

His voice was not loud, easily drowned out by the surrounding noise of the rain, so Fang Huaining repeated himself, this time with more emphasis.

"Rushing through this weather, with no shelter nearby and a lot of metal on your bike, makes it very easy to get struck by lightning."

This time, he was sure the other person heard him, as the farmer's foot movement slowed for a moment, though he didn't turn immediately.

It seemed he had no intention of accepting the advice; Fang Huaining thought, strangely not feeling surprised or angry. He had never liked to meddle, and it was already quite generous of him to offer a kind reminder so infrequently. Frankly, it was just this person who was so peculiar, stirring up his intense curiosity, and the other party had every right to hold onto his own opinions; after all, his life was his own.

However, the scene that unfolded next abruptly changed everything.

The two were struck by a flash of bright light; neither saw exactly how it happened, only knowing that with a deafening roar, a nearby tree, as thick as a person, suddenly lost half its branches and bark, as if it had been struck by a giant axe swung from the void. The flames that erupted immediately were doused by the rain, leaving only swirling gray smoke to prove that the earlier scene wasn't merely a product of their imagination.

It was really struck by lightning...

Fortunately, it wasn't a person.

Fang Huaining jumped in shock.

He believed that the person on the street must have also been shaken, because after coming to his senses, the small farmer silently got off his bicycle and even insisted on re-locking the broken bike to the utility pole. After confirming the bike was safe, he dawdled over to the bus station, where Fang Huaining was waiting.

He stood at a spot about a meter or two away from the awning, without a word of thanks or a conversation, just casting a faint glance my way before turning his head away as if we were mere strangers who had just met.

I wondered if I looked like a nobody.

There was no conversation, no objective, we just stood there side by side, silently watching the rain curtain falling in front of us. If this were a TV drama, a fitting background music at this moment would be "Awkward", or maybe the erhu version.

Fortunately, I'm also accustomed to being in awkward silences, so I didn't find it difficult to bear. On the contrary, I found that the other person seemed even more uncomfortable than me.

In the rain, he was wearing a half-waterproof jacket, which only seemed to allow the water to seep in, leaving him wet and uncomfortable. His feet must have been cold, and his old sneakers, though still clean, showed signs of age - wrinkles and creases on the edges where they touched the ground. Every step he took left a small wet footprint on the ground, revealing that the shoes were probably leaking.

I couldn't help but stare at him for a moment until the headlights of an oncoming car cut through the darkness. The car finally pulled up, and just as I was about to get in, the driver asked me, "Young man, are you getting on?" I turned around and saw the farmer still standing there.

I knew that at this time of day, this might be the last bus, and he wouldn't be foolish enough to cycle in such bad weather if he had other options. The driver's question made him look up, and through the foggy windshield, our eyes met again. He was still wearing his white hat, with his hair wet and plastered to his face, making him look like a young boy—or rather, a lost kitten abandoned by the side of the road.

At that moment, I felt a sudden pang in my heart, realizing that he must not have any money on him. He had intended to borrow books and then go to work today, but the unexpected situation in the suburbs caused him to change his plans. In his haste, he forgot his wallet and even neglected to charge his electric bike, which meant he couldn't make the round trip for four hours and had to find another means of transportation—his old bike that he had kept for years but was reluctant to part with.

In the end, he opted to ride with me, not because he was waiting for the bus, but because he was waiting for the rain to stop before attempting to bike back home.

As soon as I asked him if he had any money, he didn't wait for an answer and inserted two coins into the parking meter. Then he turned around and sat down on one side of a chair.

A little while later, a small kitten slowly moved into the car through the door, and this time he finally uttered a "thank you" that was directed at me. Although it was soft, I could hear it clearly.

He didn't sit next to me but instead sat in the back of the car. The only reason we could sense each other's presence was that there were only two of us in the car. The dark night, heavy rain, quiet car interior, and the presence of this person were all difficult to ignore.

I had stayed up late writing papers the night before and was very tired that day, so as the car swayed back and forth, I fell asleep without realizing it. I also started dreaming without realizing it.

In my dream, the sun was high in the sky, and I was walking on the school's tree-lined road with sweat dripping down my back. Suddenly, I ran into a giant cat coming towards me. It was like a snail with a lot of things on its back. I didn't notice it and bumped into it head-on.

The cat's belongings went flying everywhere as it said in a human voice, "You owe!" I looked closely and saw that it was a computer that had been smashed to pieces.

"How much do I owe?" I asked casually.

"Twenty," said the cat.

I handed over the money.

The cat said again, "Eighty more."

I handed over the money again.

The cat continued to demand more money from me.

"What do you want me to do?" I found myself asking in my dream.

Suddenly, the scene changed; I found myself standing in a field, plowing with a hoe handed to me by the cat. The cat said, "You must work with me to earn money!"

As a roommate, Wang Fuliang immediately jumped in to respond and reassuringly said, "Senior, when it comes to this question, you really shouldn't direct it at the top performer. This person's physical capabilities are different from ours. After more than a thousand days and twenty-four hours in front of a screen, their eyesight remains 2.0; they don't experience back pain, leg aches, and even when washing their hair, they lose no more than a few strands—simply an anomaly."

This trait resonated with ordinary coders. As soon as he spoke, the elevator filled with envious sighs, compelling Fang Huaining to explain.

"I still managed to sleep a few hours before dawn; I also caught some sleep on the bus ride back from the suburbs last night." It had been such a restful sleep...

Though Fang Huaining was indeed in high spirits, staring at a computer for several hours was quite taxing. After a morning of work, he stepped out of the lab, pinching the bridge of his nose as he made his way to get coffee.

The research institute had decent facilities, with two tea rooms on each floor, complete with microwaves and refrigerators.

On the ninth floor, there was even a coffee machine, providing a comforting mental boost for late nights.

However, today the machine was malfunctioning; even the hot water supply was running low. Fang Huaining tried a few things, but ultimately had to take his cup down in the elevator.

Li Huan had been at the research institute for almost a week, feeling utterly exhausted every day. At a place like A University, there were more interns than the institution's own talent could accommodate, mostly brought in to assist with trivial tasks. The core interns rarely engaged with actual projects; instead, they grappled daily with various basic data, often seeing their supervisors only occasionally, learning most of the essential details from senior students.

Despite this, such positions remained in high demand every year. Li Huan, although psychologically prepared, still felt somewhat wronged by the situation.

Taking advantage of the absence of the seniors, he had Wang Qin help him with a statistic while he slipped into the corridor for a breather. Just as he was catching his breath, he saw the elevator doors open, revealing Fang Huaining stepping out.

Fang Huaining didn't look at Li Huan but went straight to the tea room.

However, Li Huan couldn't take his eyes off him the moment he saw him, watching as Fang Huaining stood there with his head down, making coffee.

He hadn't paid much attention the last time, but this time he was even more certain of Fang Huaining's extraordinary physical appearance: broad shoulders, long legs, tall and upright, and his attire was quite tasteful. It was understated yet effortlessly stylish in its details. Additionally, the watch on his wrist was precisely the model Li Huan had been eyeing for a long time but hadn't been able to afford yet.

Truly perfect in every way.

Li Huan pondered this and was about to step forward when someone else approached Fang Huaining more quickly.

Li Huan recognized them—one was a senior in their group named Hong Yue, a student from the same university, and the other was Teacher Liu from A University's research institute.

Teacher Liu clapped Fang Huaining on the shoulder with a smile, saying, "Just looking for you, Huaining. In a couple of days, you're coming with me. Lao Ni has lent you to me."

Fang Huaining looked confused.

Hong Yue chimed in, "It's for the recruitment summer camp. Teacher Liu wants you to help us out."

Teacher Liu was relatively young, having only begun supervising graduate students last year, and was quite close to them. Hearing this, other students drinking water in the tea room joked, "Teacher Liu, is this allowed? Isn't it a bit of personal gain?"

"Am I doing this for myself?

"I'm also here to recruit talent for the school. We need to showcase our strengths to attract excellent students from other institutions and demonstrate the quality of our own students," Teacher Liu said, gesturing toward Fang Huaining. "Lao Ni has just completed a project; Huaining will be far more beneficial to me out there than he would be in the lab."

With that, he affectionately draped an arm around Fang Huaining's shoulders. "Well, you already know about my basic projects, so it's settled. Thank you in advance, teacher."

Once he unilaterally assigned the task, Teacher Liu left happily, leaving Hong Yue to handle the aftermath.

"Huaining, is that okay? If there's a real issue, I can talk to Teacher Liu for you."

Hong Yue and Fang Huaining were in the same class and had both just secured their applications this year, making them quite outstanding in this competitive environment.

Fang Huaining thought for a moment and shook his head. "It's fine. I can manage."

Hong Yue smiled, "Great! I'll send you a message with the specific time, okay? The number we exchanged last time is still valid, right?"

Receiving an affirmative response, Hong Yue felt satisfied. Although she wanted to say more, she saw that Fang Huaining had already left the tea room with his coffee, so she decided to let it go.

As she watched him step into the elevator, Hong Yue turned back toward the lab, only to find herself face-to-face with Li Huan.

"What are you doing here?" Hong Yue asked. It wasn't even mealtime yet.

Li Huan, caught slacking off, forced a smile and quickly composed himself. "I, uh, came out to use the restroom. By the way, senior, I noticed the welcome banner on the wall. Are there students visiting?"

Hong Yue generously let the matter slide and replied, "Oh, that's for our school's summer camp activities. Recommended graduate students from other universities will be coming for assessments to select outstanding candidates for direct doctoral or master's programs at A University. You've just started your second year, right? It's still a bit early; you can try out in a couple of years."

Li Huan's face lit up with excitement, "Then... even if I'm not eligible to participate, can I still come to observe?"

Hong Yue dashed his hopes, "No, interns don't get time off."

Upon hearing this, Li Huan pouted in disappointment.

As expected, the A University College of Computer Science summer camp, held two days later, was a challenging event. The first day saw the research institute open its doors to visitors, with outstanding students from all over the country, eager to pursue further studies at A University, filling the once-quiet building with activity. The capable assistants under various mentors worked tirelessly to host the visitors and showcase their school's hospitality and warmth.

After a morning of intense work, Hong Yue and the others were exhausted, their legs shaking with fatigue. Fang Huaining, in particular, had become the main attraction, surrounded by participants as soon as he appeared.

For hours, riding the elevator up and down with the campers had nearly exhausted him.

After finally sending off a batch of students, Fang Huaining and the seniors sneaked into a meeting room to rest. Hong Yue suggested it was time to eat.

"Let's order takeout; I can't make it to the cafeteria," someone said.

"It's summer vacation; most of the shops outside the school are closed. Where can we go to eat?" someone else countered.

"There must be some places open."

"I don't know, anyway."

Although he wasn't a postgraduate student, due to a staff shortage, Wang Fuliang was brought in to help with some physical labor. He raised his hand during the brief silence.

"I know one."

Huang Yue took the crumpled business card from him and looked it over: "Bean Bean Snack Bar? Hmm, it has a lot of variety and seems to be quite good."

She glanced around and looked at Fang Xianliang: "How about we eat there?"

Fang Xianliang also examined the business card and nodded after a moment.

As a result, the efficiency of the takeout service was very high. Within 20 minutes, someone arrived with the food and delivered it to their floor.

Huang Yue was discussing afternoon plans with Fang Xianliang when there was a knock at the door. Fang Xianliang set down his pen and looked up.

However, the person who entered was a relatively unfamiliar delivery boy, with an excellent attitude. He smiled and greeted everyone, introducing the new menu items and promotions from the store.

"I'm so tempted to eat at your store, how about we order some more?"

"There's enough time, right? We have half an hour before work."

"There's enough time, I'm going to call my store to send another employee over, to save me from going back and forth."

Huang Yue hesitated, looking at Fang Xianliang, thinking he wouldn't agree, as Fang Xianliang was always punctual and never wasted time.

To her surprise, Fang Xianliang glanced at his watch and nodded.

Huang Yue had no choice but to make a phone call. While speaking, she browsed the menu: "Since everyone likes it, how about we get them to deliver food for the next three days as well?"

She asked Fang Xianliang, who continued to nod, unusually amiable today.

Within 20 minutes, Li Ting rode his electric bike to A University Research Institute. After waiting for half a day as the elevator kept moving between the 5th and 10th floors, watching the ice cream melt, Li Ting finally chose to take the stairs.

He climbed up to the 7th floor and met Li Han when he turned the corner. Li Han looked surprised, staring at his uniform before smiling awkwardly; however, he didn't approach him.

Li Ting was busy and didn't have time to chat with him. He took another step forward and continued up to the 9th floor's meeting room.

Fang Xianliang admitted that when he saw the delivery boy come in, he had a moment of uncertainty about whether it would be him.

However, when he actually saw him standing there, he was the first to be taken aback. He thought to himself that the person might not recognize him now. What would he say if he did? And how would he respond?

Fang Xianliang reflected for a moment, but everything he had anticipated did not unfold. Li Ting looked at him for a moment before setting down the items he had brought and leaving without saying a word. He even closed the door behind him.

He was gone.

Fang Xianliang: "..."

He had been so warm and welcoming just moments ago; why had he suddenly turned so cold?

It was unpredictable.

On one side, Huang Yue noticed that Fang Xianliang was no longer as humble as usual. She even took out a large cup of cold drink from the delivery bag and placed it in front of him, smiling as she asked, "I thought you didn't like sweet things?"

She recalled having heard that Fang Xianliang had a habit of avoiding sweets.

Fang Xianliang merely nodded and slowly sipped the ice cream. "Hot weather, cool down."

Chapter 9:

He was genuinely curious to see whether this person, who always appeared before him so full of talent, would create a mess or not.

The second day of the summer camp was still a significant event. Fang Xianliang and his group needed to meet with visiting postgraduate students one-on-one to introduce their advisors' strengths, research directions, and to address the various questions they had.

This time, they were so busy that they only realized it was already lunchtime when the courier arrived with their food.

It was the same delivery boy from Bean Bean Snack Bar. He approached them with a smile, collected payment, and promoted their new products.

Finally, they managed to send him off. Huang Yue noticed that Fang Xianliang's food had not been touched.

Huang Yue asked, "Is it not to your taste? I specifically ordered yesterday's dessert for you. You said you liked it."

Fang Xianliang kept his head down and replied, "Yes, just put it aside for now."

Huang Yue pursed her lips and said nothing further.

Li Ting was stacking four part-time jobs due to summer vacation. Two of the stores had temporarily closed until September. However, he wasn't taking it easy; he had already scouted out two other jobs and was scheduled for interviews today. One of the potential employers had previously collaborated with his last workplace, and when Li Ting met with them, he was excited and quickly agreed to the terms. The other was a new store that had just opened. After reviewing Li Ting's impressive resume, they also agreed without hesitation.

Once he finished, Li Ting took out his student ID and went to A University Library. The library had kindly opened three days a week during the summer vacation.

Li Ting remembered clearly that this time, when he arrived at the library entrance, he saw a notice announcing that the library would be closed for two hours because some departments at the university were holding a "Summer Camp for Postgraduate Research" event. The library space had been rented out, resulting in a delayed opening.

Two hours felt a bit long, but Li Ting could wait since he had classes at four o'clock. He randomly found a long bench under some trees outside the library entrance and sat down.

From this spot, he could see a large crowd of students flowing in and out of the library courtyard. Colorful flags and banners had been set up at the entrance for the summer camp event. He could feel the enthusiasm and energy emanating from the sea of young faces, even from afar.

Li Ting took out his water bottle and drank some water while listening to two girls talking behind him.

"Have you made a decision yet? Which advisor to choose?"

"I've talked to a few... Liu Shuiping and Song Zhao are both good."

"But do you think Liu Shuiping's experience is too limited?"

Liu Xi's Experience at the University

Liu Xi believed that having little teaching experience had some advantages. A new teacher tends to be very serious when teaching the students for the first time.

Only a few of those well-known, big-name teachers are actually engaged in hands-on teaching, while most of them make a lot of noise without taking any real action; they simply talk about how impressive they sound. Additionally, there are likely many individuals who would like to apply for Song Zhao's class, making the competition extremely intense.

"Isn't this what the handsome guy just said a moment ago?" Liu Xi asked in surprise. "Hahaha, are you being brainwashed just because he's handsome?"

"Don't talk nonsense!" Liu Xi interrupted. "He does have a point, though."

"What point is that?" Liu Xi questioned. "Just a moment ago, I noticed people asking about the handsome guy, and it turned out he was following Nü Yuanyuan's team. It was only because he was with Nü Yuanyuan's team that we realized he wasn't such a big shot after all."

"He's certainly accomplished. Nü Yuanyuan doesn't even accept students these days," Liu Xi replied. "But if Nü Yuanyuan's student can advocate for Liu Chu Rong, doesn't that indicate that Liu Chu Rong is indeed quite good?"

"No, I think you're just being influenced by the handsome guy," Liu Xi responded.

"Shut up! You must have been driven crazy by the heat outside," Liu Xi joked.

"You're the one who's gone crazy over the handsome guy. Why don't you go inside for some air conditioning? You might spot the handsome guy over by the bookshelves," Liu Xi teased.

People around Liu Xi were making half-joking, half-sincere comments as they came and went, but Liu Xi remained seated quietly, occasionally wiping his forehead with a handkerchief to remove his sweat.

Suddenly, a girl in the distance caught Liu Xi's eye and signaled for him to come over. Liu Xi didn't respond at first; it wasn't until she motioned to him again that he realized she was actually calling him over.

Though Liu Xi was puzzled, he walked over to her.

"Can you help me out, classmate?" she asked, pointing to some loose banners on the wall. "We need to tie them up a bit tighter."

Before she could bend down to tie the ropes, Liu Xi took hold of her wrist and quickly stepped in, securing the ropes tightly in just three movements, the cords as thick as his thumb.

The girl was taken aback. "Wow, you're really strong!"

Liu Xi simply nodded and turned to leave, but the girl called out to him again.

"Are you a graduate student by any chance?" she asked. This was the time for graduate students—either seeking advice from professors or quietly studying for exams after two days of chaos. Liu Xi replied, "No, I'm not."

The girl's eyes brightened. "Really? That's great! I've finally found someone who's not from another school! Thank goodness. You, you, you... can you help me out?

She spoke in a questioning tone, but her hand was already pulling Liu Xi toward the library door. As they walked, she said, "During summer vacations, it's really hard to find students from A University, and we have no choice but to..."

Liu Xi found himself following her into the library, through the main hall, and toward the most crowded area. It wasn't until they got closer that he realized they had set up a row of exhibition booths and numerous display boards featuring information about A University's professors, their research areas, and the various projects they were working on. Students from A University occupied one side, while students from other institutions filled the other, engaging in friendly consultations and sharing information.

What was intended to be a one-on-one interaction turned into a free-for-all, as the enthusiasm of the graduate students from other schools skewed the numbers in their favor. Liu Xi was brought to the most crowded of the exhibition booths.

As he pushed through the crowd, Liu Xi spotted two graduate students surrounded by a throng of people, one of whom looked very familiar to him.

Fang Xia Li was listening to the conversation between the graduate students when someone mentioned that they had found some help, but Liu Xi's eyes widened when he saw who it was. As Liu Xi approached, Fang Xia Li's face initially tensed for a moment before returning to its usual calm demeanor.

This time, Fang Xia Li was more prepared than he had been the last time.

Hong Yue suggested to Xia Li, "Have him help with collecting student information. It's not complicated. Some students don't have enough information on their resumes. Just write down where they're from, what they're good at, and what they hope to learn. If you're unsure, you can always ask. Can you do that?"

Liu Xi didn't immediately respond, instead taking a glance around at the people surrounding them before his eyes landed on Xia Li's face.

He had expected Xia Li to ask him for assistance with some physical labor, but instead, it was a task that required technical skills – something he lacked experience with. Liu Xi had seen some of these people when he delivered food to them the day before, but he hadn't stayed long enough, and he was wearing different clothes this time, so no one recognized him.

However, even if no one recognized him, he thought that Xia Li should have recognized him. If he agreed to help, Xia Li would still have no reason to allow someone who delivered food to interact with the graduate students.

To his surprise, however, Xia Li didn't point out his past life or object to his involvement. Instead, he looked at Liu Xi calmly and asked, "Do you have any plans for this afternoon?"

Hong Yue suddenly remembered and asked, "Oh yeah, yeah, I forgot to ask you. Do you have the time? Actually, this task won't take up too much of your time."

Liu Xi paused for a moment before responding, "No, I don't."

"Great, great, great! Now sit down, here is the form, take a pen, and start writing in this column... don't worry, we'll tell you what you need to write," Hong Yue said, quickly pushing Liu Xi over to Xia Li's side without giving him a chance to hesitate. She urged him into action and left him to handle the graduate students while she walked off to engage with another group of people.

Xia Li usually knew how to maintain balance in situations. However, in this moment, he found himself overwhelmed with curiosity. He wanted to see if this person, so talented and with a mysterious past, could indeed handle this task, which was not as simple as Hong Yue suggested, especially since it was difficult for outsiders to comprehend.

As he pondered, he listened attentively to the graduate student next to him, occasionally asking some important questions.

The conversation flowed smoothly at first, with everyone simply documenting the students' schools, names, and phone numbers, without any errors.

Xia Li felt satisfied and noted that the graduate student—Liu Xi—was indeed an excellent typist. His writing was neat and elegant, resembling the work of someone with rough hands and a rugged exterior, yet in reality, he was quite refined and delicate.

As the conversation became more intricate and the crowd began to stir, Xia Li found himself preoccupied with more pressing matters. It wasn't until he regained his composure that he realized the conversation had been mostly in English.

Fang Huaining thought the situation was disastrous. He tried hard to recall the information that several students had provided, planning to review it later and fill in any gaps. With his memory as sharp as it was, he shouldn't make mistakes.

To his surprise, when he turned around, he saw the forms beside him filled out neatly and completely. The little secretary, who was intently focused on her writing, not only penned well in Chinese but also fluently and elegantly in foreign languages.

As A City serves as a major hub connecting the international community, it's not hard to comprehend that many workers here possess some knowledge of foreign languages. Even the cleaning staff on bar streets tend to be more proficient than many college students, and it's not unusual for couriers to have basic English skills. However, for someone to accurately transcribe numerous specialized terms from the field of computer science – terms and principles that are usually found in this area – is truly exceptional.

Some time passed before Fang Huaining's voice was heard again, and when Li Ting looked up, he was met with a pair of vacant eyes staring back, unaware that the student in front was calling him.

Li Ting: "Wait, don't call me like that."

Fang Huaining: "!!"