This encounter did not lead to any intersection or convergence between her and me, as we remained parallel lines. I still maintained my habit of staying out late and returning home in the early hours, indulging in the virtual world of online games and hanging out with friends in real life. My life did not change much because such encounters were not enough to alter it. However, another event did change my life, and it came in the form of a sentence from my boss.
One late night, while I was engrossed in a game, battling alongside my brothers, I heard someone entering the company's premises. Our company used card-based door locks, with each person having a card that also served as an attendance tracker. Only senior staff like me could enter the building at such late hours.
However, upon seeing the person's face, I realized it was my boss. Our office was one large space upon entering, and my desk was tucked away in the farthest corner, befitting my status as a senior employee. The entire office was dark, with only the dim light from my computer screen illuminating the space, allowing my boss to spot me easily.
"Lufei, still working this late?" my boss slurred as he staggered over, emitting a strong smell of alcohol. It seemed another drunkard had stumbled upon me, though this one wasn't as attractive.
"Yeah, I still have some tasks to finish up," I replied nervously, wondering if my boss would discover my irregularities. If he found out that I never arrived on time in the mornings and spent my evenings using company resources for personal matters, my position as a senior employee might be at risk.
However, my boss seemed oblivious to my unease. He didn't even bother to glance at my computer screen and continued to praise me. "Well, very good. If everyone in the company worked as diligently as you, our company would develop even faster. A good company development means I won't overlook your efforts. Unfortunately, not everyone understands this, making your dedication all the more commendable. You're doing great."
"Thank you for your praise, boss," I replied, feeling embarrassed by his compliments. The cold sweat trickled down my back.
"I'm seriously considering your future in the company. Your current position doesn't fully utilize your abilities. Tomorrow, yes, tomorrow, I'll reassign you to a new role where you can fully utilize your skills and enthusiasm," my boss declared.
I wasn't sure if my boss was genuinely drunk that night or if he truly appreciated my work performance. Nevertheless, I began to be "utilized" more. My position indeed improved, and so did my salary. However, my "personal time" vanished. I was dispatched to manage market work in our company's branches in Guangzhou and Beijing, starting my journey of constant travel between the three cities.
To be honest, I had been a senior employee for some time, but I had never boarded a plane. Due to my fear of heights since childhood, I couldn't even approach the edge of a tall building. For this reason, I had turned down countless opportunities for free trips organized by the company or friends' groups, all because they involved flying. However, today, to maintain my position as a senior employee, I had to sacrifice my principles and start taking flights, despite my fear. (Statistics indeed show that airplanes have the lowest accident rates among all modes of transportation, but they also have the highest fatality rates.)
As I embarked on my first trip to the airport, I felt apprehensive. Besides my fear of flying, I also harbored fantasies about beautiful flight attendants. I even pondered how I would greet her if I encountered her on the plane. However, by the time I overcame my fear of flying, I had never encountered her. Moreover, the attractiveness of the flight attendants also disappointed me, perhaps because the beautiful ones were all assigned to international routes.
Nevertheless, despite my disappointment, the quality of service from these flight attendants was much higher than that of ordinary attendants. So, during the short hours of each journey, I abandoned my usual habit of sleeping on transportation and instead kept an eye out for any beautiful women, even if they weren't flight attendants. Sometimes, sitting by the window, gazing out at the vast expanse of white clouds, I felt like I was the lowest-quality person in the entire cabin, always obsessing over beautiful women, yet never progressing beyond mere fantasies.
As a result, my "home" in Shanghai remained often vacant, with my visits becoming increasingly infrequent. I wondered if this was the reason why, since that incident, I had never encountered her again. Slowly, my fantasies about her began to fade away, and she would forever remain in my memory as "a beautiful woman who once lived downstairs from me and once spent a night with me." Meanwhile, three months passed without me noticing. When others were still debating fiercely about what it meant for a man over 25 to maintain a strong interest in gaming, she reappeared.