The moving company was predictably early; by the time Mr. Nangong reached the downstairs entrance, the truck had just settled into its spot. It was a box van, and four young men hopped out, spotting Mr. Nangong and heading straight for him.

"Are you the one moving today, sir?" one of the youths, wearing a baseball cap, asked as he approached, pulling the brim low over his eyebrows upon seeing Mr. Nangong.

"Yes, Unit 402 in Building 1. Everything's packed. Someone is waiting upstairs for you folks to start; I’ll stay down here and watch the truck." Mr. Nangong, always meticulous in his affairs, had planned this out on his way down: he and his wife would supervise the movers—one upstairs, one down—to ensure they didn't pilfer anything. However, even with such careful arrangements, he overlooked one critical detail: Sakurako was still in a deep sleep. The box truck's cab could only fit two people, and since he needed to navigate, he had to take the co-pilot seat. Putting the soundly sleeping Sakurako in the cargo hold with the others would surely draw unwanted attention from the moving crew. If he left her alone at the apartment, he feared chaos would erupt upon their return.

He pondered the dilemma from every angle, finding no truly satisfactory solution. As Mr. Nangong wrestled with his thoughts, the four young men had already hauled seven or eight items downstairs. They stacked the packing boxes near the rear opening of the van; one climbed inside to receive the boxes, while another passed them in one by one from the outside. The remaining two, using a flatbed cart as before, went back for the rest of the belongings.

In less than two minutes, the two who had gone upstairs returned, dragging four or five more boxes. The young man with the baseball cap pushed the flatbed to the van's entrance but didn't head back upstairs. Instead, he walked directly up to Mr. Nangong and instinctively adjusted his cap again, saying, "Sir, your young lady is still asleep, and your wife can't wake her. Why don't we rent a sedan for her and your wife to ride in? I know the manager; he'll give you the absolute lowest price—just to be friends. Having the young lady sleep in the cargo hold during the bumpy ride could easily hurt her."

This suggestion arrived at the perfect moment, striking exactly the right chord with Mr. Nangong. He thought to himself: Who says movers have no prospects? This young man knows how to conduct business and instinctively grasps the client's psychology. And so, he played along: "That sounds good, but I worry a sedan might not arrive quickly enough and delay your business."

The young man didn't address Mr. Nangong’s hesitation. Instead, he pulled out his phone and walked a short distance away to make a call. Two minutes later, a black Santana sedan roared in from the main road, stopping right next to the moving truck. By this time, the crew had transferred everything into the cargo hold. All preparations were complete; all that remained was for Mr. Nangong to go upstairs, carry Sakurako down, place her in the sedan, and be ready to leave.

Unexpectedly, Mr. Nangong stood by the truck's rear door, hesitating and refusing to ascend. Seeing him guarding the door, the baseball cap youth figured Mr. Nangong didn't trust the moving company—fearing that if he left them alone, they might drive off with all his possessions. He walked over again and said, "Sir, are you worried about your things being unattended? If you don't mind, I can go upstairs with your wife and carry your young lady down."

This second remark was also precisely what Mr. Nangong desired. In truth, he could have simply asked Mrs. Nangong to come downstairs to watch the goods while he went up to carry his daughter. However, Mrs. Nangong had spent her life as a homemaker with limited contact with the outside world, and Mr. Nangong never felt entirely comfortable leaving her alone to face a group of large, rugged young men. Thus, he chose the lesser of two evils: letting the young man in the cap go up to carry Sakurako down. After all, in this day and age, the ancient prohibition against men and women touching had long since vanished; assisting others remained a virtue worth encouraging.