A Once-a-Year Hairdo

"Old Wang, your hairstyle today, wow, it's trendy!" Little Zhang said, glancing at Old Wang's head while coding. Old Wang, in his early thirties and a programmer, had a freshly permed curly hairstyle, looking like a sheep that had been electrocuted.

"Yeah, just got it done." Old Wang touched his hair, his tone tinged with helplessness. "Company policy, perm your hair once a year, considered an 'annual benefit' for employees."

"Huh? A benefit like that?" Little Zhang almost laughed. "Why doesn't our company have that? What kind of bizarre company is that?"

"Our company, a big one, you know, very strict procedures." Old Wang sighed. "They say it reflects the company's attention to employees' appearance and encourages everyone to be positive and motivated."

"Positive and motivated?" Little Zhang looked puzzled. "What does perming hair have to do with being positive and motivated?"

"Who knows." Old Wang shrugged. "Anyway, it's once a year, you have to do it. Think about it, if you don't, HR will talk to you, saying you lack collective honor, and you’re not actively integrating into the company culture."

"That's just ridiculous," Little Zhang shook his head. "What if someone doesn't like perms?"

"Don't like it? Just bear with it." Old Wang smiled bitterly. "The company says it's 'mandatory voluntary'. If you really don't perm, your year-end performance might..." Old Wang didn't finish his sentence, but Little Zhang understood.

"Do you like perming your hair?" Little Zhang asked curiously.

"Like it?" Old Wang paused, then smiled wryly. "I can't even remember the last time I chose my hairstyle. Anyway, it's just once a year, might as well change the mood." He pointed to the exquisite perm card on the desk, which read “Annual Image Enhancement Card.”

"So, what other 'benefits' does your company have?" Little Zhang continued to ask curiously.

"Plenty of benefits." Old Wang started counting on his fingers. "Every month the company gives us two pounds of apples, saying 'an apple a day keeps the doctor away'; we all have to stand up and do 'office exercises' every day at three in the afternoon, supposedly to relieve neck pressure; every year, the company organizes a 'team building' event where we play 'blind men and an elephant'."

"Blind men and an elephant? What... what's the logic behind that?" Little Zhang was utterly confused.

"The company says it helps develop team collaboration spirit," Old Wang explained helplessly.

Little Zhang was silent. He looked at Old Wang's curly hair, then at his own messy hair, and suddenly felt that Old Wang's company didn't seem so bizarre after all.

"By the way, Old Wang, I heard you got a 'sheep curl' this time?" Little Zhang couldn't help but ask.

"Yeah." Old Wang touched his curls. "The hairdresser said it's the most popular this year."

"But didn't you get a 'foil perm' last time?" Little Zhang asked in confusion.

Old Wang paused, then looked down at the "Annual Image Enhancement Card" on the table, examining the back carefully. It clearly stated: "This card is for use at designated salons only, valid for one year, with designated hairstyles each year, see company internal announcement for details."

He suddenly remembered that when he went to the salon, the hairdresser didn't ask him what hairstyle he wanted, but just took out a booklet, pointed at a random hairstyle, and started working.

Old Wang suddenly felt like he never had a real choice. He was coding every day, seemingly working towards someone else's goals. He permed his hair once a year, as if to add a touch of color to the company. Even the “sheep curl” he thought he chose was just some regulation from the company to maintain "image uniformity."

Old Wang picked up his phone and opened the company's internal announcement, a striking headline caught his eye:

《Notice Regarding the Uniform Hairstyle Requirements for Employees in 2025》

Notice Content:

In order to enhance the overall image of the company and showcase the positive spirit of the employees, after research and decision by the company's senior management, the uniform hairstyle for all employees in 2025 is "sheep curls." Please go to the designated salons for perming within the specified time. The cost of this perm will be covered by the company.

Below the announcement, there was a small paragraph:

"Employees who do not accept the company's uniform hairstyle requirements will be deemed to automatically waive their annual performance review and will have their 'Annual Image Enhancement Card' usage eligibility cancelled for the year."

Old Wang looked at the announcement and suddenly laughed, the laughter growing louder, tinged with sarcasm and a hint of sadness.

He looked around at his colleagues, all of whom were also sporting the same "sheep curl". Everyone looked like a herd of uniformly trained sheep, once a year, being taken to the salon to be trimmed into the same style.

At that moment, the office speakers suddenly blared, a mechanical voice announced: "It's time for the 3 PM office exercises. Please stand up, maintain formation, and begin!"

Old Wang slowly stood up, he looked out the window, the sunlight was just right, yet felt blindingly harsh. He started to follow the instructions of the broadcast, mechanically stretching his arms and legs. Looking at his curls, he suddenly felt like a small cog trapped in a huge machine.

His smile froze, turning into a stiff expression. He seemed to realize that the once-a-year perm was not a benefit, but an invisible shackle.

He looked up at the ceiling, and a voice in his heart was shouting:

"Is this really my own hair that I permed?"

The broadcast continued, the office exercise music echoed, and Old Wang's heart sank into deep confusion.