The car moved through Beijing in the Sunday morning light, the roads quieter than their weekday selves, the city briefly behaving like somewhere that had a pace other than relentless.
Guiying sat in the back and looked out the window and let his mind settle.
The TongShu building came into view after forty minutes, smaller than expected from the outside but clean and well positioned, the logo above the entrance understated and precise. He got out, stood on the pavement for a moment and looked at it.
New environment. New people. New version of himself to hold together under a camera.
Then he walked in.
The lobby of TongShu was modest but well kept, clean walls, good lighting, the TongShu logo in understated lettering above the reception desk. A receptionist looked up when Guiying walked in, a young Beta woman with a neat ponytail and a bright alert expression.
