42 Chapter 42- The Red Packe (1/2)
Relating to Episode 25 of Love O2O Series.
When Hao Mei and KO made it in to work the next morning, the office no longer looked like a scene from a historical drama and apart from a bright red box left on Mei's desk, had returned to its usual muted hues. KO and Mei stood behind his computer chair, eyeing the box with great suspicion. Around them, conversation was hushed, as if their peers were waiting for their reaction. Which only made Mei even more reluctant to open the mysterious present. He nudged it with a ruler and when it didn't explode, gave it a harder shove. It slid sideways... then nothing. Picking it up, he frowned at the weight and gave it a shake. Something inside rustled? Or rattled? And was there a crinkle too? What the hell is in this thing?
”Open it.”
”You open it.”
”It wasn't on my desk.”
”That's because they're all too scared of whatever you would do to their computers.” Mei scowled at the package on his desk. ”It's red. It's obviously for both of us. Why don't you open it?”
KO folded his arms. ”I don't care.”
”Huh?”
”You'll open it. Because you want to know what it is. I don't care.”
”Ungrateful.”
”Who do you trust to give you a red packet that you appreciate?”
”Ah....”
”This is not from him.”
Mei had to acknowledge that KO had a good point. Xiao Nai's red packet was already in his desk drawer, waiting for him to file them away at home. Which meant that this box was from someone in the office... He looked around and noticed all the heads suddenly duck behind computer screens. Or maybe from everyone in the office. He wrinkled his nose at KO.
”Fine. But if anything jumps out at me, sicc 'em.”
KO grunted agreement and watched over Mei's shoulder as he peeled the red wrapping paper off and used a key to slice open the tape keeping the box closed. Peeling the flaps back, they both peered inside.
”Nuts?” Confused, Mei pulled several packets of nuts out of the box. Some were cashews, some almonds, some mixed. Some were raw while others were roasted. The only thing they all had in common was that they were all salted. ”Eh? Why salted nuts? I like the sweet snacks... why would they give me salty nuts?”
KO choked on air and, shaking his head, left his naïve furen to work it out himself.
”Hao.... Laosan is bringing me food but he's still not back. I'm starving,” Yu Ban Shan sat on the edge of Mei's desk and whined. ”Do you have anything to eat?”
”There are nuts in the drawer.” And he still couldn't work out what that present had been about. The way everyone kept asking him for snacks and sniggering was really starting to get on his nerves. ”Help yourself.”
”Thank you!” Ban Shan dropped a kiss on the top of Mei's head, making the younger man rub his hair and scowl at him.
”Hurry up.”
Rummaging through the drawer, Ban Shan pulled out a bag of nuts before something else caught his eye. While Mei concentrated on recoding a particular section of the game, Ban Shan snuck the files out of his drawer and ducked away. Mei continued working, oblivious to the drama that was about to unfold.
The first he knew of impending trouble, was when his screen went black.
”What are you doing?” He tried to turn his computer screen back on but Qui Yong Hou stopped him.
Ban Shan waved the files in front of Mei's face. ”What's this?”
”That's mine!” He tried to rise out of his chair to grab the files but Qui Yong Hou pushed his shoulders back down while Ban Shan continued brandishing the files. ”Give it back to me.”
”Everybody! Come and look at this cunning boy!” Ban Shan's trumpeting caught the attention of several others and they crowded around Mei's desk. Mei covered Ban Shan's mouth with his hands, so Yong Hou picked up the narrative.
”Hao Mei has something to say to everyone!”
I do not. Bastards.
”What's that?”
”And there are two!”
”There are two!”
Mei's stomach flipped as everyone close enough to read the front of the files recognised them as House Purchase Agreements. Ban Shan sat on the edge of Mei's desk and rested his chin on his hand in a classic 'thinking' pose.
”Cunning Boy...” His voice was soft and Mei was shocked when his eldest brother abruptly leaned forward and grabbed him by the shoulders. ”Why didn't you tell me when you went to rob a bank?”
Ban Shan's words were punctuated with sharp shakes and Mei's head felt like it was about to fly off his neck.
”Exactly, Mei. How much money do you have left from winning the lottery?” Yong Hou's grin encouraged others to pipe up.
”Buy houses for all of us!” Wang Wei's suggestion was met with cheers and Mei tried to escape but Ban Shan grabbed his tie, anchoring him to his chair.
”Mei... You're a wealthy man who has been hiding among us working class men.” Li Qiang tsked and shook his head at the hapless Mei. ”Why is that.”
Letting go of Mei's tie, Ban Shan clapped a hand onto his shoulder instead and Mei almost wished he'd go back to pulling the tie.