Performance Appraisal Form

   

Li Ming's lips curled into a slight smile as he received the thin A4 sheet of paper. He knew it was the year-end performance appraisal form, the key to his bonus and promotion for the coming year. The office was so quiet that even breathing could be heard clearly, as everyone carefully examined their own "verdict of fate."

The design of the appraisal form was simple. On the left were the appraisal items, such as "work attitude," "teamwork," and "innovation ability," and on the right were five options: excellent, good, satisfactory, unsatisfactory, and needs improvement. Each option had a small checkbox for the appraiser to tick.

Li Ming went through each item, his face maintaining a calm smile, as if he were appreciating a familiar landscape painting. He considered himself diligent this year, working early and late, hardly ever late or leaving early. Team cooperation was also harmonious, and his innovation ability might be slightly lacking, but at least it reached the satisfactory line.

When he turned to the last page and saw the final "overall evaluation" section, his smile froze. The options there were not the conventional "excellent" or "good," but four entirely new options: "gear," "screw," "lubricant," and "scrap iron."

Li Ming rubbed his eyes, thinking he might have read it wrong. No, it was indeed those four words, each one like a rusty knife, stabbing hard into his heart.

Some people in the office began to sob softly, while others cursed under their breaths, but Li Ming remained silent. He looked around and saw that his colleagues had different expressions. Some looked lost, some looked pale, and some looked like they were watching a farce.

He picked up his pen, hesitated for a moment, and finally ticked the box next to "lubricant." He thought, maybe being an inconspicuous lubricant wouldn't be bad, at least he wouldn't be discarded like scrap iron.

When he handed in the form, he saw the personnel manager, Sister Wang, with a stiff smile. She took the form and stuffed it into a thick folder without even looking at it.

That night, Li Ming had a strange dream. He dreamed that he had become a small gear, constantly rotating in a huge machine. He felt incredibly tired but could not stop. He tried to break free but found that he was already one with the machine.

The next morning, Li Ming received an email from the company, informing him of his promotion. He was transferred to a new department to serve as "Lubricant Management Specialist," responsible for providing lubrication services to the "gears" and "screws" of various company departments. The email also mentioned that this job required a high level of responsibility and dedication.

Li Ming looked at the words on the screen and suddenly laughed, a laugh tinged with helplessness and irony. He understood that, in this company, everyone was a small gear or screw. Even if they were promoted, they would still operate on a fixed track, and he, however, had just turned into "lubricant" for these gears and screws.

He began to tidy up his desk, noticing that a small oil can had appeared at the corner of the desk, with a label that read: "Please use sparingly, do not waste."

Li Ming picked up the oil can, looked in the mirror, and dripped a drop on his temple.

He smiled and walked out. A new day, a new job, new gears were turning. He thought, would he remember to lubricate his own gear tomorrow? After all, who could guarantee they wouldn't become the next piece of "scrap iron"?