A Generation‘s Egg

Old Wang was stunned for a moment when he received the egg.

This egg was slightly larger than a goose egg, grayish-white all over, with a rough surface, as if it had been rolled in mud. In the office, other colleagues were holding similar eggs, with varied expressions; some looked at them curiously, while others were completely bewildered.

"What is this?" Little Zhang couldn't help but ask what was on everyone's mind.

Sister Li from HR walked over smilingly and clapped her hands, "Everyone, this is the 'Egg of the Times' specially prepared for you by the company in response to the 'call of the times'."

"Egg of the Times?" Old Wang was even more confused. He had been a copywriter for twenty years and had planned countless promotional campaigns, but he had never heard of such a thing.

Sister Li continued to explain, "This egg represents the company's expectations for everyone, and it also represents the responsibility that the times have given us. How to hatch it and maximize its value depends on everyone's efforts!"

Everyone looked at each other, no one understood.

Old Wang carefully held the egg back to his workstation. The egg was cold to the touch and had an indescribable dampness. He tried to search for "Egg of the Times" on his computer, but the results were blank.

He began to observe others. Some put their eggs on their desks and wiped them every morning and evening; some put their eggs in incubators, said to simulate the incubation environment; others even took their eggs home, saying they wanted to consult their mothers.

Old Wang was a little anxious, afraid of falling behind. In the company, the topic of the "Egg of the Times" was getting more and more popular. Whoever could make their egg "hatch" into greater "value" would become the company's "vanguard of the times."

He began to frantically look up information, consult experts, and even bought a "Complete Guide to Poultry Incubation." He discovered that this egg didn't seem to be a real chicken egg; its material was unknown, it was extremely hard, felt like a stone to the touch, and made a dull sound when tapped.

He felt like he was becoming more and more like a hen incubating an egg. Every day, besides work, he was studying this egg. He began to have insomnia, his dreams were full of dense eggs, which emitted eerie whispers, as if mocking his ignorance.

One day, Old Wang saw Little Li in the company pantry. Little Li was carefully carving on his egg with a small knife. He asked Little Li what he was doing.

"I'm carving my life goals on it," Little Li said with a grin. "I hope it can feel my 'positive energy'."

Old Wang looked at him and suddenly felt a chill.

He decided to no longer be obsessed with "hatching" this egg. He put the egg in his drawer, like an useless object, and ignored it.

Time passed day by day, and the popularity of the "Egg of the Times" gradually faded. The company no longer emphasized it, and the colleagues gradually lost interest. Some eggs were broken, revealing an empty, hard shell inside; some were randomly discarded in corners, covered in dust.

Only Old Wang's egg, still quietly lay in the drawer, without making a sound.

At the end of the year, the company organized an annual summary conference. The leaders on the stage spoke eloquently, summarizing the glorious achievements of the past year, and looking forward to the beautiful blueprint for the coming year.

Suddenly, the leader changed the topic and looked at Old Wang, who was sitting in the corner: "Master Wang, I heard that your 'Egg of the Times' has been idle. What's the reason?"

Old Wang stood up and said calmly, "I've been thinking about what this egg actually is."

The whole place was silent, and everyone was waiting to hear his profound insights.

"I found that this egg is neither a chicken egg nor some 'Egg of the Times', it's just a stone," Old Wang said. "A stone, it will never hatch anything."

The leader's face turned pale.

Old Wang continued, "We are all chasing the so-called 'times,' chasing those ethereal concepts, but we have forgotten that we ourselves are the most important."

The whole place was silent, only Old Wang's gaze was as firm as a rock.

The next day, the company issued a notice: In order to respond to the "changes of the times," it was decided to cancel the "Egg of the Times" project, and all employees would be given an "Annual Special Contribution Award." The prize was a carefully selected...

When Old Wang opened the prize, he was stunned again. It was an exquisitely crafted birdcage, empty inside, with a few small words written on the cage door: Next generation egg, please look forward to it.