Love O2O- Beyond a Beautiful Smile

Chapter 11- A New Team Member

Relating to Episode 17 of Love O2O

A/N: That music when KO challenged Xiao Nai to find his phone number... and the mental challenge between two alphas? I have to admit to a slight twinge of desire to ship Xiao Nai and KO.... but as soon as I saw Hao Mei's face again that twinge vanished as if it was no more than a mosquito bite. I honestly don't think that any other characters from the series could possibly come between these two however I won't rule out the possibility of an OC coming on to the scene at some point. Maybe someone from Hao Mei's past work?

It seemed the green drink did have hulk-like abilities. Rather than being able to go home and sleep until his alarm woke him, Hao Mei found himself reliving his late night- or should that be early morning?- conversation with KO; mulling over every word, or grunt, like a cow chewing the cud. Did KO really think so little of him that he believe Mei would turn his back on his brothers and their business? But then why would he look after him when he got drunk and what was with that 'hmm'; did he really not notice the shining pair because... because what? He needed glasses... or because he was looking at Mei? But why would he look at Mei if he thought he was the type of person to just quit?

   Burying his face in the pillow, Mei pummelled the mattress. Each punch released a waft of powder scented air and he groaned. It smelled wrong. The smell of the powder was making his nose itch and his eyes sore. It was definitely the fault of the powder, and not because he was lying in bed agonising over an imagined hidden meaning. Tomorrow... he rolled over and checked his phone... not tomorrow... later today, he was turning over a new leaf. Starting from a decent hour and not, he peered at the phone again, at 3:27am, he was going to remember that he was a grown man and not a teenage girl.

    For some reason, upon arriving at work and entering the elevator with Qui Yong Hou and Yu Ban Shan, his mental reminder to act like an adult had been forgotten. Playing with his tie, he entered the work place laughing and joking with his two friends. His good mood lasted as long as his reminder did; Xiao Nai's announcement that a hacker would be joining their team was shocking enough but his assertion that it was the hacker who had accessed Hao Mei's computer was too much. Mei spiralled back in to his thoughts again, spending more time through the day chewing on his thumbnail and pacing the hallway, than he did on any productive form of work.

    Waiting for midnight to come around was torture for Hao Mei. The mind that he'd tried to rein in just that morning was now in over drive and he found himself stooping to the level of a high school bully as he came up with plans to drive the hacker away. Or at least severely scare him so he regretted ever stepping one cyber foorprint on Mei's computer.

    "Will the person who hacked Hao Mei's computer really dare to come? Isn't he afraid of being beaten up?" Yu Ban Shan's pacing was making Hao Mei dizzy. Unable to bring himself to join the others just yet, Hao Mei leaned against the far corner of the office, weapon at his feet, watching his eldest bro burn nervous energy. In comparison, Laosan and Qui Yong Hou looked surprisingly calm and self-contained. Okay, maybe it wasn't surprising for Xiao Nai to nonchalantly wait for an impending disaster but generally Qui Yong Hou reacted in much the same manner as Ban Shan so Mei was surprised that he looked so calm.

    "Don't most of these experts like being free and not tied down? Why would he want to work for us?"  Eh, Yong Hou had a good point. Mei was impressed.

   "Laosan, what did you do to him?" Ban Shan brandished a rolled magazine in the air.

    "I didn't do something to him." Xiao Nai looked past Ban Shan, making eye contact with Hao Mei as he said, "It's what he wants to do."

    Mei froze. Heart pounding. Skin prickling. What was that? Why would Laosan look at him like that? It's not like Hao Mei knew who the hacker was to ask him to join. And all the people he knew with the skills to do it were already part of the team... It's not my fault! His internal wail went unheeded by the other three.