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.

After retiring, Lao Li's favorite thing every day was to open his tablet after dinner and browse Taobao. He wasn't looking to buy anything; he just felt that the whole world seemed to be contained in that small screen, with new things happening every day, which was quite lively.

Before the Spring Festival this year, an advertisement popped up on the Taobao homepage: "Get your Spring Festival Gala Cloud Performance Certificate and become part of the hundreds of millions of viewers!" Lao Li's eyes lit up. The Spring Festival Gala was the taste of the New Year from his youth. He tremblingly clicked on it, and a cartoon character appeared on the page, wearing a festive red mandarin jacket and holding a golden certificate that read "2025 Spring Festival Gala Cloud Performance Certificate."

Old Li had been out of "Singularity Interconnect" for three months. This company was known for its "disruptive innovation," but also for its strict confidentiality system. Before leaving, Old Li signed a thick confidentiality agreement. At the time, he found the terms cumbersome, skimmed through them, and signed his name.

Lately, Old Li found himself having strange dreams. In his dreams, he was surrounded by countless black cameras, and a cold, mechanical voice echoed in his ears: "Article 37 of the agreement prohibits the disclosure of company secrets in dreams." He would wake up startled, his back always soaked with sweat.

Zhang Wei received a special invitation, with black lettering that read "Ms. Yang Tianzhen's Fortieth Birthday Farewell Ceremony."

She thought she was mistaken, rubbed her eyes, and confirmed it was correct. The invitation also stated the location and time, which was actually in the company's top-floor conference room.

Old Wang was driving his smart car, live-streaming using the in-car camera. Today, his challenge was to complete an "untouched steering wheel" self-driving challenge during rush hour on the Third Ring Road.

"Hey everyone, today we're going to try something exciting!" Old Wang grinned at the camera, revealing his two signature gold teeth. "Full self-driving, I'm just here to chat with you guys, it's completely safe!"

"The atmosphere in the live stream today feels a bit off, is it just me?" Lin Fei forced a professional smile at her phone screen. She saw a few comments like "lagging" and "seems like AI" drift across the screen, and her heart tightened.

She is a mid-tier streamer under Wuyou Media. With her sweet appearance and slightly goofy live streaming style, she has accumulated a fairly stable fanbase. Recently, the company has been promoting "AI replication" technology, claiming that it can allow streamers' "clones" to broadcast 24/7, freeing up the real person's time and energy. Lin Fei was initially quite happy, feeling that she could finally get some good sleep, as the constant rotation was really exhausting.

Old Wang is the CEO of the "All-Sugar Cola Project," a middle-aged man with a bald head and a beer belly. Every morning, he would say to his reflection in the mirror, "Today, is another day to strive for the sweet cause of humanity."

What is the "All-Sugar Cola Project"? Simply put, it is to make every human being fall in love with all-sugar cola through an implantable device called the "Sweet Chip." Old Wang firmly believes this is the ultimate solution to social anxiety and the way to improve the happiness index. He preached this logic to his subordinates with a loud voice, like a missionary, while they nodded mechanically, their eyes devoid of any emotion.

In the duty room of the police station, the newly arrived Xiao Li sits upright. On the table in front of him is a brand-new "Duty Officer Regulations."

The most prominent rule on the regulations is: "When members of the public come for consultation or help, the duty officer must say the four words 'I am a police officer,' and the tone must be firm and full of strength, so as to enhance the public's sense of security."

At eight in the morning, Li Mei hurried to the mall, as was her daily routine as a luxury goods saleswoman. She skillfully turned on the counter lights, arranging the newly arrived bags as if preparing for a grand ceremony. Today, she was wearing a dark blue professional suit, trying to look more professional and refined. After all, in this glamorous battlefield, any imperfection would be magnified infinitely.