Chapter 138: One in Three Hundred and Eighty
As soon as Anji left the kitchen, her confidence plummeted. It was still chilly in the morning. Thankfully, Aunt Wine had prepared warm congee for breakfast. Anji would have been shivering otherwise. Her uniform was nowhere near thick enough to protect her from the wind. The cloth was thin, likely a hand-down from some other senior, altered by someone to fit her.
Remembering the main street that Pearl showed her in yesterday’s tour of the western district, Anji found the research labs easily. However, she had no idea where to turn in order to find the sixth lane where Researcher Yang’s lab was located. However, she did her best to keep a lookout for any doors with green paint.
Each research compound had its own personality. If Anji had more time, she would leisurely study each lab’s unique designs that reflected its researcher. Some were messy, while others were neat. It was surprising to see researchers with a gardening hobby and others who decided to pile books in their courtyard. Weren’t they afraid of the rain destroying those books?
After roaming in the research district for some time, Anji had to admit she needed help. Part of her regretted not accepting Aunt Wine’s offer to escort her to Researcher Yang’s lab. The sun was already high up in the sky. People were bustling from place to place. Many were carrying heavy objects, and nobody had any time to spare the lost child a glance.
Unsure if she should bother the busy assistants and researchers for directions, Anji stood at the side of the lane and watched as the researcher yelled at his assistants. They did not seem to have the patience or time to help a lost child out. Moving along, Anji looked around and mustered enough courage to approach an assistant moving a heavy shelf of books to the outer courtyard.
"U-um, excuse me! Do you happen to know where Researcher Yang’s lab is?"
Her small voice became lost when someone from inside the lab yelled at the assistant to help with a new shelf. Without even noticing the small child, he left quickly.
Lost and defeated by her first attempt at getting help, Anji awkwardly stood by the entrance for a while. Eventually, she left like a ghost without anyone ever noticing a child in distress. By now, Anji was positive she would never find Researcher Yang’s lab on time. However, she still had to try. Although the researcher let her know he would not be in today because he had a meeting, it was still horrible to be tardy on her first day on the job. Researcher Yang’s assistants must be waiting, so Anji mustered her courage again to approach another person who did not seem angry.