We have a new intern in our company.

During the dog days of summer, wearing a long-sleeved shirt, buttoned up to the top button.
In the break room, a group of people are fighting over the air conditioner remote.
Eighteen degrees. Sixteen degrees. Whoever adjusts it gets scolded.
Someone hangs a portable fan around their neck. Someone places a humidifier on their desk.
Someone goes to the bathroom every half hour to rinse their wrists.
The intern sits in the corner. Motionless.
At lunchtime, I sit opposite him. I ask, aren’t you hot?
He says he is hot.
I say, then why don’t you turn on the fan?
He puts down his chopsticks.
“The breeze from the fan is actually my own sweat evaporating and taking heat away.
Mini fans generate heat themselves, and my body speeds up blood circulation to adapt to the wind.
Going in and out, I end up more tired than not using it.”
“Also.”
“The company’s air conditioning is set to 18 degrees, and the electricity bill is charged to the department.
Last month, the administration issued a notice that overspending would be deducted from performance bonuses.
Every degree you cool now will be deducted from your year-end bonus at the end of the year.”
The break room fell silent.
Someone turned the air conditioner back to 26 degrees.
The intern stood up. Took a few steps. Turned back.
“Every time you go to the bathroom to rinse your wrists, on the way back past the front desk, the front desk has no air conditioning.
The alternating hot and cold causes your pores to repeatedly contract and expand.
At night, your skin itches when you go home.”
“You think it’s prickly heat. Actually, it’s your capillaries cursing you.”
The next day, all departments wore long sleeves.
The front desk asked what was wrong. No one answered.