The Meaning of Overtime
The clatter of keyboard clicks echoed in the empty office. It was New Year's Eve, and the occasional sounds of firecrackers outside made the office seem even more silent. Lao Zhang, a senior programmer, was staring at the dense code on the screen, his brow furrowed. He wasn't working overtime voluntarily, but rather "voluntarily compelled" – the company, in response to the call for "triple pay," had arranged for a group of people to work overtime on New Year's Eve, under the guise of "contributing to the country's information technology."
Lao Zhang stared at the variables on the screen, but his mind was calculating today's overtime pay. Triple pay! All in all, this year wouldn't be a waste. He rubbed his hands together and continued to type code. Although he couldn't smell the fragrance of the New Year's Eve dinner at home, the constantly updating numbers on the screen gave him a sense of comfort.
Time ticked by, and Lao Zhang was the only one left in the office. He felt like a lighthouse keeper on a deserted island, the only proof of his existence being the flashing cursor of code.
Suddenly, the door was pushed open, and a man in a suit and leather shoes walked in. He was Vice President Li, the instigator of this "triple pay overtime" event. Li was holding a file bag, a stiff smile on his face.
"Lao Zhang, hard work! Sticking to your post on New Year's Eve, you're a model employee!" Li's voice had a hint of barely perceptible irony.
Lao Zhang quickly stood up, forcing a smile. "Mr. Li, you're working hard too, coming here personally."
Li walked over to him and placed the file bag on the desk. "This is your overtime pay, triple the amount, not a penny less. There's also a red envelope prepared by the company, it’s the New Year, let's have some festive cheer.”
Lao Zhang's heart skipped a beat. He sensed that Li's smile was a little off, as if he was hiding something. He opened the file bag with trembling hands. Inside, in addition to a thick red envelope, there was also a bank card.
"Here's the card and the password, see if there's any issue." Li said.
Lao Zhang picked up the bank card in confusion. There was no bank logo on the card, only an abstract black square pattern, and no magnetic strip on the back. He opened the red envelope, and inside, instead of cash, there were pieces of paper printed with the same black square pattern.
Lao Zhang was stunned. He looked up at Li. Li's smile was even brighter, and he said with an odd, slightly mocking tone, "Lao Zhang, what do you think is the meaning of overtime?"
Lao Zhang felt a chill run down his spine. He vaguely realized that he might have been drawn into a huge vortex.
He tried to calm himself and answered with forced composure, "Overtime is of course to complete work and contribute to the company."
Upon hearing this, Li burst into laughter. "Lao Zhang, you're still too naive! Our company doesn't need code anymore. We've been fully using DeepSeek since yesterday, do you know? DeepSeek flipped the US stock market overnight. Its computing power and logical reasoning have far surpassed humans, remember? I said at the meeting back then, the times have changed."
Lao Zhang's mind went blank. He remembered the meeting yesterday morning when Li excitedly announced that the company would adopt a new AI system. He had thought it was just a technical upgrade, but he never expected it to be a complete replacement! He looked at the pieces of paper printed with the black square in his hand, and seemed to understand something.
Li continued, "These black squares in the red envelope are 'virtual overtime vouchers,' which allow you to experience a virtual overtime process. The card? That's just a souvenir, proving that you once worked overtime here. As for the triple pay, do you think human labor is still needed now? The era of 'manpower' is over."
Lao Zhang looked at Li, whose face was full of an eerie smile. He suddenly realized that the meaning of his overtime wasn't for work, nor for the triple pay, but to witness the end of an era, to become an insignificant symbol in the face of changes in the times.
Lao Zhang held the card and the pieces of paper, and looked back at the computer in front of him. The code was still scrolling non-stop, as if mocking his efforts. He suddenly felt a strong sense of powerlessness, along with a hint of absurd humor. He had spent the whole New Year's Eve here for a non-existent overtime and a virtual red envelope.
The sound of firecrackers outside became more intense, and the New Year's bell was about to ring. Lao Zhang sighed, shut down the computer, got up, and took the bank card and the red envelope. He prepared to go home. This New Year's was so absurd, yet so real that it left him helpless. As he walked to the door, he looked back at the office that had once held his memories of working overtime, and all that was left was an unspeakable feeling.