“Energy” Gas Station

Old Wang has been feeling like a battery every day at work lately, except that he's not charging himself, but being forcibly "energized" by others. This is all thanks to the company's newly launched "Energy Gas Station" project.

The so-called "Energy Gas Station" is that every day at nine o'clock in the morning, all employees have to line up to receive an "energy breakfast", plus an "energy slogan". The breakfast is actually quite abundant, with whole wheat bread, egg whites, and low-fat milk, you name it. It's just that it's the same every day. As for the "energy slogans," they are truly diverse, such as: "Let's be full of energy today!" "Fight on, you hard workers!" "Seize the day, make every second count!" and so on. Every morning, the entire office echoes with this unified, slightly roaring slogan, like some kind of collective hypnosis ritual.

Old Wang feels like a duck being force-fed every day, stuffed with standardized breakfasts, and then required to shout slogans as if he's on steroids. It's not that he doesn't understand the company's intentions, which is nothing more than to "inject energy" into employees and improve work efficiency. But Old Wang always feels something is off, like he's performing in an absurd play every day, and he's the most cooperative actor in it.

Since the "Energy Gas Station" was implemented, the frequency of overtime in the company has increased. After all, you've had your "energy breakfast" and shouted your "energy slogan," how can you not properly "release energy?" So, at ten o'clock in the evening, the office is still brightly lit, the sound of keyboard clicks rises and falls, and Old Wang feels like a squeezed lemon, empty and weak.

One day at lunchtime, Old Wang was eating in the cafeteria when he heard his colleagues discussing the "Energy Gas Station".

"Do you think this 'energy breakfast' really gives us 'energy'? I feel like I'm getting more and more tired," a young colleague complained softly.

Another colleague chimed in, "Who says not? After shouting the slogans every day, I feel like I've been hollowed out, and I fall asleep as soon as I get home at night."

"Have you guys noticed that since the 'Energy Gas Station,' the company seems to like using the word 'energy' more? Even meetings require us to 'release our energy,' it feels weird," said a slightly older colleague.

Old Wang ate his meal quietly, listening to his colleagues' complaints, feeling a strange mix of emotions in his heart. He suddenly remembered that this morning, when he lined up to receive his "energy breakfast," the new administrative girl gave him breakfast with a mechanical smile on her face, uttering a formulaic "energy slogan": "Wishing you a day full of energy!" The smile on her face was just like the actors in the company's promotional video.

Old Wang took the breakfast, looked at the little girl's expressionless face, and suddenly felt that today's whole wheat bread was particularly difficult to swallow.

That night, Old Wang worked overtime until ten o'clock again. He packed his things and was about to leave when he suddenly realized his phone was out of power. He walked to the company's charging station and found that all the charging ports were occupied. He looked at the phones plugged into the chargers, like a group of people lined up to "receive energy," and a sense of inexplicable dread washed over him.

He suddenly thought of a question, the company kept emphasizing "energy," so where did the company get its "energy" from? He turned his head to look at the surveillance camera in the corner of the office, which seemed to be flashing a strange light. He suddenly realized that the so-called "Energy Gas Station" might not be to "refuel" the employees, but to…

The next morning, Old Wang didn't line up to receive his "energy breakfast" as usual. He walked to the company's entrance, took a deep breath, and turned and left the company.

He pulled out his phone and found that the battery was full. He opened his phone and typed a sentence: "I don't need your 'energy,' what I need is..."

He didn't finish writing, but put his phone back in his pocket, turned and walked into a café on the street. He ordered an Americano coffee, sat by the window, and watched the crowds coming and going on the street, a long-lost smile appearing on his face.

He suddenly felt like he had regained his own energy.

At that moment, his phone vibrated in his pocket. He took out his phone and saw a message from the company that read:

"Please note, colleagues, in order to ensure that all employees have sufficient 'energy,' the company has decided to add a night-time 'energy' replenishment session. Please be sure to cooperate."