Boys of Ice and Fire

Rice is a Must

Zoe and Rosie got in a line in front of a spicy hot pot shop, and started their propaganda about how tasty this pot was. Ethan did not fancy the idea of eating this for lunch. Born and bred in Southern China, where rice was the standard staple food, he had to have rice every lunch or supper, but he feared that it would be inappropriate to separate from his co-workers so soon. Wouldn’t it make me look like a loner? So Ethan persuaded himself to stay in line, with an uneasy mind.

This shop was filled with people, so the food in it must be good. But what Ethan cared about was rice, and rice alone! So he craned his head to scan the shop for any sign of rice, but he couldn’t see any. It was after weighing his options for a while that he began to raise the fateful question.

“Excuse me? Does this spicy hot pot shop happen to serve rice?” said Ethan, his hopes low, because there was a slim chance that such a shop would offer rice. Most owners of such shops exclude rice from their menu because it would boost the sales of various vegetables and meat by keeping the guests hungry.

“I’m afraid not, Ethan,” said Zoe blandly.

“Then I have to go!” Ethan could no longer hold his own. “I have to eat rice for lunch! Bye bye! See you later!”

Zoe and Rosie looked at each other, speechless for a while, and then resumed their polite smiles.

“Bye bye, Ethan. See you later!” chorused Zoe and Rosie.

Before their reply was complete, Ethan had taken off, fully aware that he had acted against his words about “not picky!” He could almost imagine Zoe and Rosie saying “How inconsistent and shameless this man is!” behind his back. But he didn’t give a s**t about his reputation any more! Without qualms at all, driven by his innate need for rice, he dashed around the food court looking for rice.

On his first tour of this fancy underground food court, Ethan found the variety impressive. There were shops for noodles, Japanese fast food, all sorts of Chinese food, assorted snacks, char-grilled barbecue, a buffet for work, etc.

Based on past experience, Ethan decided to choose Yoshinoya, a Japanese fast food chain with branches all over Beijing he had been pretty familiar with and had faith in. He was too hungry to try his luck on new brands. After savoring the chili fish, the latest offer by the shop, in the shop's unified decoration, Ethan was fully satiated.

Rubbing his stomach contentedly, he staggered his way back. When he tried to find the maze of hallways leading to the lift, he found he had lost his way. With considerable effort, Ethan only found the hot pot shop and searched frantically for Zoe and Rosie for help, but they were nowhere to be found!

Should I text Gigi or Shaun for help? No way! It would be so humiliating to get lost in the food court on the first day at work! 

After a careful examination of the layout of the food court, Ethan decided the best solution would be to take the escalator to get out of the Tower first, and then go back in from the front gate. But when he got to the front gate, he was denied admittance because he didn’t have the mask with him! Plagued by the COVID-19 pandemic, great towers like this normally require people to wear a mask if they were to be admitted.

OK. Fine. Just a typical messy first day... No need to worry. I’m still alive.

With some eloquent pleading and a show of his fresh nuclear acid test result, Ethan finally sweet-talked the doorman into allowing him back into the tower, and then found his way back to his work space on the third floor by the lift where Shaun and Ethan touched each other physically for the first time just this morning.