I awaken to find myself in a vast labyrinth made of numbers. The walls shimmer with a cold fluorescence, constantly scrolling with various data: GDP, CPI, PMI… All of it revolves around a core number: 5%.
"5%," a voice echoes in my ear, low and mechanical, "This is the growth target for this year. You must find the path to 5%."
Li Ming received a letter, a letter from the tax bureau. The envelope was thin, light, as if it carried not paper, but a kind of void judgment. He opened the letter and read the words "tax refund," a feeling of inexplicable joy surged in his heart, immediately replaced by a deeper doubt.
"Beep beep," the phone screen lit up, with a New Year's blessing notification from the company's internal AI assistant, "Xiao Ling": [Dear Mr. Zhang, thank you for sticking to your post on New Year's Eve. Here is a custom AI blessing for you: Wishing you a new year with no bugs in your code, doubled performance, a sturdy hairline, and early financial freedom! - From the DeepSeek AI team].
Xiao Zhang looked at the slightly rigid blessing on the screen, and a self-deprecating smile stretched across his lips. This was the third consecutive year he was working overtime at the company on New Year's Eve. The office was empty, with only him and the "clatter" of the keyboard. The sounds of fireworks faintly carried in from outside, making the silence here feel even more like a tomb.
Since Ke Jie – oh no, he should now be called Old Ke – announced "I'm not competing anymore," his life has undergone tremendous changes. From a Go genius under the spotlight to an ordinary old man haggling in the farmers market, it took Old Ke a long time to adjust to this gap.
"Life is about being down-to-earth," Old Ke said to himself in the mirror. He set a goal for himself: learn to bargain within a week.
Old Jin, known as "Dr. Jin," was a well-known "Spring Festival expert" in the Ministry of Culture. From the Little New Year on the twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month to the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, he could tell you stories about anything related to the Spring Festival for three days and three nights. This time, the heavy responsibility of applying for UNESCO recognition for the Spring Festival fell on his shoulders.
But to his surprise, news came from UNESCO: to ensure fairness and impartiality, each application could only be introduced in 200 words.
Old Wang held his heavy "Annual Outstanding Employee" medal, his heart filled with mixed feelings. The medal was substantial, its metal cold to the touch, and on its face, a line of gilded lettering shone dazzlingly under the lights. In the office, his colleagues cast envious glances his way, showering him with compliments. Old Wang just smiled awkwardly, as if the medal was not a symbol of glory but a kind of heavy shackle.
"Another day full of energy!" Zhang Qiang muttered to himself, facing the company mascot on his computer screen – a gear always smiling. His company, "Efficiency First," had recently implemented a "Flexible Work System PLUS," which was beautifully named "Time Freedom, Efficiency First."
The core of this system was "invisible overtime": employees could handle work at any time as long as they completed their tasks on time. The company no longer had clear working hours; employees could use their own time to work. To encourage everyone to join, the company also launched an app called "Time Bank," which could record employees' working hours and give corresponding "time coin" rewards, which could be exchanged for goods in the company's welfare mall.
Old Li had been feeling that something was off lately.
It started with the way his colleagues looked at him, a mix of awe, envy, and a hint of barely perceptible fear. It was as if they were looking at a lucky guy who'd suddenly gotten a promotion and raise, and yet also like they were looking at a ticking time bomb. Old Li was just a regular programmer, coding diligently every day. His only hobby was having a bowl of steaming hot beef noodles at a small stall near his neighborhood entrance after work.