The Price of Sleeping In

　 The alarm went off.

　　Not just any alarm, but the kind with a siren and a countdown timer, as if the end of the world was imminent. Zhang Qiang groggily turned it off. He knew all too well that it was just the signal for a new day to begin, the end of the world playing out every day, just with a different script.

　　He glanced at the time – exactly seven in the morning. He rolled over, intending to catch a few more winks. Although the company stipulated that work started at nine, he knew that as long as he got to his workstation before nine-thirty, he wouldn't have his pay docked. At most, he'd get a "gentle" reminder from his supervisor, nothing more than clichés like "young people need to be diligent" and "cherish the opportunity."

　　He squinted, recalling last night’s dream. In it, he was an astronaut, floating freely in the boundless space, no KPIs, no PPTs, and no life-threatening calls from the boss.

　　But reality was harsh. He opened his eyes again, and the time had slipped to eight-thirty. He bolted upright, realizing he couldn't delay any longer. He went through his morning routine with the speed of a 100-meter sprint, grabbed a piece of bread from the table, and rushed out.

　　He arrived at the company, panting, and checked the time: nine twenty-nine. He breathed a sigh of relief, glad that today's attendance bonus was still secure. As soon as he sat down, the supervisor approached with a friendly smile, but a cold tone. "Zhang Qiang, please come to my office for a moment."

　　Zhang Qiang's heart sank. He couldn't think of what he'd done wrong. He walked into the office, where the supervisor pointed to the computer screen. "Look at this yourself."

　　The screen displayed a newly issued “Employee Code of Conduct,” which included a rule: "To cultivate employees' positive spirit, the company will launch a 'Early Bird Check-in' campaign. Employees who arrive before 7:00 AM every day will receive an additional 'Diligence Bonus'; conversely, those who arrive after 7:00 AM will have a corresponding 'Laziness Fine' deducted."

　　Zhang Qiang was stunned. He looked at his watch, then back at the glaring "7:00" on the screen. He felt a wave of helplessness wash over him. He was already trying hard to squeeze in as much sleep as he could, only to achieve nothing and even get penalized for sleeping in a bit longer.

　　He asked his supervisor, “Why seven o’clock? Why not eight or nine? Is there any scientific basis for this?”

　　The supervisor shrugged. “This is what the management decided. I don't know why either. We just implement it.”

　　Zhang Qiang returned to his workstation. He thought for a long time, then decided to resist. He started to study the “Employee Code of Conduct,” and found many other inexplicable rules, such as "lunch must be completed within 15 minutes," "daydreaming during work hours is prohibited," and "a work summary must be uploaded every day."

　　He began to compile a list of these unreasonable points and wrote a lengthy report to reflect to the management. He stayed up late writing the report and woke up at five in the morning. He looked at his watch – it was only five. He could still sleep in a bit, but thinking of the “Diligence Bonus,” he decided to get up.

　　He arrived at the company at five-thirty. The office was empty. He sat down at his workstation, waiting for the manager to come to work so he could give them the report.

　　Finally, the manager arrived. She was surprised to see Zhang Qiang sitting there so early. "Zhang Qiang, why are you here so early today?"

　　Excitedly, Zhang Qiang took out his report and began to present his views. After listening, the manager showed no surprise or dissatisfaction, only saying calmly, "I have received your report, but... let me tell you a secret."

　　"What secret?" Zhang Qiang asked curiously.

　　The manager smiled. "Actually, the ‘Early Bird Check-in’ campaign is just a gimmick. There's no such thing as a ‘Diligence Bonus,’ nor is there a ‘Laziness Fine.’ Our only goal is to get you to work earlier.”

　　Zhang Qiang was completely stunned. He couldn't understand it. He felt like he'd been played. He had worked so hard to write the report, stayed up late, and woken up early, only to find that it was all a farce.

　　He didn’t say anything. He just silently returned to his workstation.

　　The next morning, he still arrived at the company before seven. He started work as usual, but with a little more fatigue in his face and a little more confusion in his eyes. He didn’t know why he was doing this. He was just mechanically repeating his daily actions, like a robot that had been programmed.

　　One day, Zhang Qiang suddenly disappeared from work. No one ever saw him again, and no one knew where he went. His colleagues speculated, some said he had quit, others said he had been transferred to another department, and still others said he had contracted a strange illness. In short, they said all kinds of things, but no one knew the truth.

　　Only the supervisor sat in the office, looking at the computer screen. The screen displayed the newly issued “Employee Code of Conduct,” but at the end, there was a small addition: 　　 　　"In view of the possibility of unpredictable employee departures, in order to avoid waste of human resources, employees who check in early for three consecutive days will be eligible for the company's ‘Voluntary Sleep Pod’ program to ensure their physical health and provide them with more rest time."

　　And in the "Voluntary Sleep Pods," no one ever wakes up.