Where is the problem? Although the door was closed, the image from earlier was still in his mind; it was Qian Guran turning at the door and bidding him goodnight.
The new colleague who joined on the first day coincidentally also lived in Sesame Apartment, on the same building and floor, not far yet not close, just diagonally across. Could it be so fortuitous?
Many colleagues in the company indeed live in Sesame Apartment, mainly because it's close, within walking distance to work. Although the rent is quite expensive, employees of big companies can afford it due to their salaries.
He Kao moved here because of Huang Xiaopang's recommendation; he rented a small single room in Building 1, Apartment 0912, with a monthly rent of 2,500.
Huang Xiaopang himself also lives in Sesame Apartment Building 3; he is a bit more extravagant, renting a one-bedroom apartment, with a small bedroom and a living room, at a monthly rent of 4,000.
Qian Guran rents a two-bedroom apartment, the monthly rent being 6,000, the most expensive in Sesame Apartment. There are no larger units here, as the name "Sesame Apartment" suggests, they are generally small.
Excluding the absent-minded moment this afternoon, tonight should be his first meeting with Qian Guran. First impressions between strangers are very important, even more so is the breakthrough of social distance.
Qian Guran made an impression as generous, steady, very enthusiastic, with a cheerful and approachable personality. More importantly, on the first meeting, this person entered his apartment and then invited him to tour his own apartment.
They discussed topics involving work and life, and childhood stories — that's the social distance typical of very familiar friends, bringing their relationship closer to the extent that future interactions won't feel awkward.
Qian Guran was very natural about it; an individual newly entering unfamiliar surroundings always seizes the opportunity to establish new social circles, seeking a sense of security from familiarity, which is normal beyond normal.
But He Kao was particularly sensitive to the distance between people, perhaps because he has been fairly self-conscious since childhood.
During the intense exchange of information, there was no time to think, but in the instant of farewell when the door closed and he saw Qian Guran waving, He Kao instinctively felt somewhat puzzled again.
Just in that fleeting moment, he thought about many things, believing the appearance of Qian Guran seemed too coincidental!
A new colleague from the same department, coincidentally living as a neighbor diagonally across. On the first day of work, although he missed the welcome dinner, the other party seized the chance to quickly close the distance, inexplicably becoming quite familiar.
All of this has very reasonable explanations, but if one wishes to suspect, numerous doubts can still be found.
During the conversation, Qian Guran claimed he previously worked at a large design institute, but in recent years due to industry reasons, the institute's business volume declined yearly, and the pay wasn't great, prompting thoughts of changing jobs.
He Kao's project team was hiring experienced professionals in design planning; Qian Guran saw the resume on the internet, passed the interview, got hired, and then resigned to come over...
But the original unit of Qian Guran wasn't in this vicinity.
The shortest rental term for Sesame Apartment is six months; tenants must pay two months' deposit and six months' rent upfront. Although it sounds somewhat unreasonable, there's no shortage of tenants here.
Meaning, Qian Guran spent 48,000 to rent an apartment near the company before even starting the job.
He Kao "visited" Qian Guran's apartment earlier, sensing he didn't just move in. From the study to the bedroom to the living room and bathroom, there were quite a few items, yet stored and arranged everyday, evidently not in a state of just moving in and not yet fully tidied.
He Kao also knows the recruiting process of his department; if the resume meets the requirements and the background check is clear, the time from passing the interview to officially joining is short, theoretically with three months of probation anyway.
It seems Qian Guran rented the apartment before receiving the job notice; either he knew he would get the job, or he possibly came for He Kao...
No wonder He Kao had so many thoughts; just today he listened to the recording mentioning there are people like Hidden Moth, and many were searching for Hidden Moth. Last night, Gao Xue'e's encounter was a key clue of Hidden Moth's activity.
If Hidden Moth really exists, and if Zhou Du from twenty years ago is Hidden Moth, then what is the other more crucial clue in the search for Hidden Moth? He Kao just realized — that clue is himself!
Zhou Du is his father; although he doesn't carry his father's surname and never mentioned his father to outsiders, it's not top-secret information. If a determined person intends to investigate deeply, they can still find out.
How does an ordinary person become Hidden Moth? Some guess it relates to a certain item. Then after Zhou Du's death, where did that item go? The primary suspects to be investigated are Zhou Du's family.
The son of Zhou Du works at a company where his department leader experienced a possible Hidden Moth incident. With those two key pieces of information, it's impossible for the searchers not to suspect He Kao!
He Kao is aware he is not Hidden Moth; until today, he had never heard those two words, but unfortunately, it's the truth only he knows.
He cannot prove the truth, and who would believe his explanation anyway, moreover to whom can he explain?
He Kao suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of crisis and fear, as if surrounded by something invisible, being subjected to omnipresent probing, leaving him somewhat at a loss.