When I'm on the night shift, all the department heads can't sleep.

The next afternoon, Chen Kai waited for them at the entrance of the residential area.

After Lin Ye approached, he pointed to each of the two people: "Chen Kai, high school classmate. Ma Hao, roommate."

Ma Hao shook hands with Chen Kai, then turned to Lin Ye and asked, "Is that all for the introductions?"

"It's over."

"This doesn't sound like you're introducing a friend; it sounds like you're handing over a shift."

Chen Kai chuckled. "You'll get used to it. His matchmaker did the same thing in high school, but at least now he knows to add a 'relationship' part."

"So you didn't learn the word 'saving' in the hospital after all." Ma Hao turned to look at Lin Ye. "Then I feel better."

"Since this is your first meeting, could you please refrain from talking about me?"

"Yes." Chen Kai looked up at the building number. "Then let's talk about why there's no elevator on the fifth floor."

The three of them climbed up the stairs, one floor at a time.

Upon reaching the fourth floor, Ma Hao looked up while holding onto the railing: "I climbed up here after working through the night; the last floor might require you to carry it."

Chen Kai turned around from the front and said, "Don't worry, if you really rent it, I'm only responsible for sending the address, not for after-sales service."

"See that?" Ma Hao nudged Lin Ye's arm. "Your friend is even more heartless than you."

The landlord had already opened the door, and there were three pairs of shoe covers on the shoe rack.

Seeing them come up, he didn't rush to invite them inside. Instead, he flipped to the tenant's section of the contract sample: "Renting the entire apartment. Who will sign?"

Ma Hao picked up the shoe covers, then put them back: "I haven't even put my shoes on yet, and the contract is already out?"

"I'll state the terms upfront to save you the trouble of haggling after reading them." The landlord placed the contract on the small table in the living room. "One month's deposit and three months' rent in advance, minimum one-year lease. You can move in on the first of next month. If you're really interested, give me an answer within two days."

Chen Kai handed the shoe covers back to Ma Hao: "Wear these first. You've climbed all the way up here; you can't just be looking at a contract."

"That's true. We can't climb five floors for nothing."

The living room was small, with an old sofa placed against the wall and the air conditioner casing already yellowed.

The landlord opened the window facing the street, and the sounds of bus brakes and station announcements from downstairs came in. He quickly closed it again: "It's much better with the window closed. The previous tenant lived there for three years and never complained about the noise."

Lin Ye stood by the window and listened for a few seconds.

What time is the last bus at night?

The landlord waved his hand: "You can check that yourselves. It's only three stops to the First Municipal Hospital, and it's even faster by bike."

Chen Kai had already opened the map and set the departure time to night: "The buses stop running early. If I really walk back in the middle of the night, it will take more than half an hour."

Ma Hao took the phone: "Didn't you tell him yesterday that you were quite close?"

"Three stops isn't close enough?"

"There's a difference between three bus stops and three steps."

"When did I say three steps?" Chen Kai snatched the phone back. "What time do you two get off work? Your legs aren't my responsibility, are they?"

Ma Hao laughed: "I like hearing that."

Lin Ye ignored them and turned to go into the kitchen.

He turned on the faucet; the water flow was thin at first, then thickened, and only stabilized after a few seconds. There were no watermarks under the sink, but when he opened the cabinet door, there was a musty smell that had been lingering for a long time.

Chen Kai crouched down to examine the connector, then touched the flexible hose: "This one's cracked. If you really want to rent it, have him replace it before signing the contract."

The landlord came over and took a look: "Replacing a pipe is no problem."

In the living room, Ma Hao picked up the air conditioner remote and pressed a couple of buttons, but the air conditioner didn't respond. He flipped open the back cover; it was empty. "Do we have to pay three months' rent upfront for the batteries too?"

"The previous tenant probably took it when they moved. The air conditioner should still work; I'll try finding the batteries tonight."

"Your house has a knack for picking the right time; you never know anything until nightfall."

The landlord wasn't annoyed: "There's nothing I can do. The building is old, and the rent is lower than in newer buildings. Price and conditions have to be equal, one of them has to be right."

The two bedrooms are one large and one small. The master bedroom faces south and there is still room to put a bed and a desk in; the second bedroom faces the side wall of the building next door, and there is only a narrow passage between the foot of the bed and the wardrobe.

Ma Hao squeezed in first, then turned sideways and opened the cabinet door: "This one should be discounted by at least two hundred."

"The whole unit is rented out; it's not charged separately," the landlord said.

"I'll settle the bill with him separately." Ma Hao gestured with his foot towards the foot of the bed, "If his legs were any longer, he'd have to stretch them into the closet to sleep."

Lin Ye leaned against the door: "You just said you couldn't climb to the fourth floor, and now you're already charging for the bed?"

"You need to have the right attitude when looking at a house."

Chen Kai waited for him to come out of the second bedroom before asking about the water and electricity bills, property management fees, and the previous household's settlement details.

After the landlord finished answering, he casually asked where they worked.

"The First Municipal Hospital," Lin Ye said.

"That job is stable," the landlord said, his tone softening. "It's perfect for two people to live together."

Ma Hao flipped the remote control back onto the coffee table: "We're not exactly settled yet. We're still in residency training, we're just here to check things out."

"Let me make this clear: other people will be coming to see it later, and I'm not reserving it for anyone. If you really want to rent it, contact me privately within two days."

The landlord was talking when his phone rang.

He went outside to answer the phone, and gave the same address to the next person looking at the apartment.

Lin Ye looked at the two bedrooms again: "If I think it's suitable, I can rent the whole apartment first, depending on my situation. We can decide whether to move or not after you get the results."

Ma Hao picked up the empty remote control again, pressing his thumb on the buttons twice: "What about the deposit and the first three months' rent?"

"I'll go first."

"Isn't that still keeping it for me?" Ma Hao put down the remote control, his voice lowering. "You live alone in a two-bedroom apartment, which already costs more. If the second bedroom is empty for a day, you'll cover for me for that day. I've checked it out, but it's not certain yet, so don't put this burden on yourself."

"I need to live here too, it's not all for you."

"Come on," Ma Hao said, looking at him. "I'll feel even worse if you don't urge me to pay you back."

Lin Ye was silent for a moment, then raised his hand and knocked on the door frame of the second bedroom: "Okay."

Ma Hao's expression finally relaxed: "That's more like it."

Chen Kai stood by the window until the two finished speaking before handing his phone to Lin Ye: "There's another one-bedroom apartment downstairs, the rent is a bit lower. You should check out the one you want to live in first, don't wait around and both apartments will be rented out."

"I know." Lin Ye transferred the link to the one-bedroom apartment to himself.

Ma Hao nodded to Chen Kai: "I agree with that. Sometimes he's even harder to persuade than the patient."

When the landlord returned from the phone call, he asked them if they wanted to leave their contact information.

Lin Ye added the other party and sent them three questions: water pipes, air conditioning, and noise at night.

As I went downstairs, I saw people carrying folding tables up from the corner on the fourth floor.

The stairwell was narrow, and the three of them waited against the wall for ages. After the table was moved over, Ma Hao looked down at the tips of his shoes and said, "Climbing like this every day must be exhausting."

"With your stamina, you're still working the night shift?" Chen Kai asked.

"I don't even have time to feel tired at work, and my legs just won't feel like my own when I get off work."

"We really need to think about the fifth floor."

Upon arriving at the entrance of the residential complex, Chen Kai sent the address of the one-bedroom apartment to Lin Ye, then nudged him on the shoulder: "I'll go first. You guys go see the next one yourselves, don't treat me like a real estate agent."

Ma Hao chimed in from the side, "Don't worry, next time I see you I'll only ask about the old grudges from Linye High School, not about the house."

"Then don't even bother seeing me," Lin Ye said.

Chen Kai smiled, waved his hand, and turned to walk in the other direction.

Lin Ye and Ma Hao went to the bus stop.

The property listing was still on his phone. Ma Hao walked to the bus stop, pulled out the photo of the second bedroom, and saved it.

Lin Ye happened to see this: "Weren't we not allowed to stay?"

"I said don't save it for me, I didn't say I didn't want to stay." Ma Hao put his phone back in his pocket. "If I really need it, I'll pay for it myself."

"Two hundred less?"

"There must be very few. You're afraid of bumping into a closet door if you turn over in that room."

As the two were talking, two documents were sent to the residency training group in succession.

In the seating chart for the graduation theory exam, Lin Ye was in the third exam room, and Ma Hao was in the fourth exam room, separated only by a corridor.

After reading the message, Ma Hao waved his phone in front of Lin Ye and said, "Don't wait for me at the door after the exam, and don't compare answers with me."

"Hahaha, afraid of making a mistake?"

I still prefer you when you talk less.

The next thing to come was the schedule for reviewing the rotating materials.

Both of them were scheduled for the first review window after the theory exam.

The group administrator then reminded everyone that the original copy of the rotation manual was already in the Science and Education Department, and those with missing pages or missing signatures should bring all the supplementary materials as per the separate notification.

Ma Hao saved the exam and review dates together in his calendar: "Take the exam first, then I have to review the materials. We'll talk about the house after my inspection period ends, and don't secretly pay any money."

"understood."

Lin Ye's phone vibrated again. This time it was a separate notification from the Science and Education Department regarding missing items.

[Missing Surgical Rotation Materials: The supplementary case record for appendicitis surgery was not submitted with the rotation manual. Please bring the original supplementary record for review.]