Confidentiality Agreement

Old Wang was laid off, or rather, "optimized." He walked in the winter wind, carrying a cardboard box printed with the company logo, like a leek uprooted from the soil.

He had worked diligently at "Tech Vanguard" for five years, from nine to nine every day, loving overtime more than anyone. As a result, just because the company was downsizing, he became an object of "optimization," the reason given as "a low contribution to the company based on a comprehensive assessment." These two words, "low contribution," pricked Old Wang's heart like a needle.

Back home, Old Wang slumped lazily on the sofa, looking at the empty room, a wave of sadness washed over him. He suddenly remembered that when he joined the company, a smiling girl from the HR department had handed him a pile of documents to sign. One of them, it seemed, was called... a "Confidentiality Agreement?"

At this thought, Old Wang suddenly sat up straight. He rummaged through everything and finally found the forgotten document in a corner. The agreement was as thick as a small dictionary, its densely packed clauses making his eyes blur.

"The Party B promises not to disclose any internal information of the Party A company to any third party, including but not limited to company products, technologies, operating models, salary structures, and the color of the toilet tiles..." Old Wang read line after line, and the more he read, the more he felt something was off. He even saw a clause stating: "The Party B promises that after leaving the company, they will not express dissatisfaction with the Party A company in any public place, nor engage in any behavior that may damage the Party A company's image, including but not limited to... not showing an angry expression to any employee of the Party A company..."

He rubbed his eyes and carefully confirmed it again, yes, it really said "not showing an angry expression."

Just then, a commotion came from downstairs. It was Old Li next door, yelling in the community garden, "Damn it, is the property management eating shit? The power's out again today!"

Old Wang instinctively went to the window, wanting to see how Old Li was "raging." But before he could see clearly, a strong survival instinct suddenly surged into his heart. He quickly pulled the curtains and covered his head with a quilt, afraid that he might accidentally become "angry."

He felt like a puppet tied hand and foot, and if he was not careful, he would be sent to the gallows by that absurd confidentiality agreement.

Old Wang began to live cautiously. He stopped watching the news, because the news might have reports about "Tech Vanguard"; he stopped chatting with friends, because he might inadvertently reveal his dissatisfaction with the company; he even dared not go out, because he was worried that he might unconsciously show an angry expression and be discovered by a "spy" from "Tech Vanguard."

He locked himself at home every day. When cooking, he had to use chopsticks to carefully pick up the food, afraid that he might accidentally make a "smacking" sound, which might be interpreted as "disdain" for the company. He even held his breath when going to the toilet, because he felt that the sound of "farting" might also be considered a subtle form of "protest."

This kind of life lasted for a month. Old Wang felt like he was going crazy.

Finally, on a sunny morning, Old Wang decided to completely rebel against this absurd confidentiality agreement. He put on his favorite red T-shirt, a flamboyant yellow hat, and walked to the mirror, taking a deep breath.

He made a face at himself in the mirror, squeezing out a slightly comical smile. Then he said loudly, "I'm going to laugh today! I'm going to be happy! No one can take away my right to be happy!"

He rushed out of the house and ran all the way to the community square. There, some old people were playing chess, and some children were playing and laughing.

Old Wang stood in the center of the square, opened his arms, and laughed heartily. His laughter started out stiff, but gradually, it became more and more natural, more and more cheerful. His laughter echoed in the square, drawing curious glances from people.

An old lady came over and asked concernedly, "Young man, what's wrong? Did something good happen?"

Old Wang wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes and said with a smile, "Nothing, I just... I just think the world is so funny!"

He started laughing again, laughing so hard that he bent over, laughing until tears came out.

The people in the square were infected by him, and they started laughing along, filling the whole square with joyful laughter.

While laughing, Old Wang suddenly realized that his phone was ringing. He took out his phone and saw an unfamiliar number. He answered it.

"Hello, is this Mr. Wang? Hello, I'm from the Human Resources Department of 'Tech Vanguard'. We are very sorry to inform you that the reason you were 'optimized' may have been due to a misjudgment by our system. After review, you are actually an indispensable talent in our company. We sincerely invite you to return to work, with your salary increased by 30% on the original basis, and..."

The person on the phone was rambling on, but Old Wang could no longer listen.

He hung up the phone, looked at the people around him who were still laughing, and burst out laughing again.

This time, his laughter was full of irony and absurdity.

He knew that he was not laughing at the sincerity of "Tech Vanguard", but at the absurd world wrapped in a "confidentiality agreement."

He knew that even if he went back to "Tech Vanguard," he would still be careful, he would live wearing a mask, but he would also maintain that rebellious "smile" in the depths of his heart.

After all, in this absurd world, laughter is the best weapon.