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."
"Welcome to the 'Teacher Title Evaluation Simulator'. In order to improve the efficiency of the evaluation and reduce human interference, we have launched this completely fair and objective system. Please enter your personal information."
On the screen, the cursor flickered, and Lao Wang typed on the keyboard with a slightly trembling hand. He is a veteran language teacher with twenty years of experience, and his eloquent speeches on the podium have long been replaced by clumsy keystrokes on the keyboard. He is at the critical juncture of title evaluation again this year. Although he is aware of the tricks of the trade, he still holds a sliver of hope and wants to see what score this "completely fair and objective" system will give him.
Zhang Qiang looked at the "Resignation Application Flow Chart" on his computer screen. It was densely packed with 26 steps, each step corresponding to a stamped circle, like a maze. He sighed, spread the printed resignation application form on his desk, and counted from the beginning with his finger, making sure he hadn't missed any "necessary steps."
Old Chen had worked at the aquarium for thirty years, transforming from a naive young man into a middle-aged man with thinning hair. He was familiar with the habits of every fish, knew which sea turtle liked to daydream in the corner, and which eel loved to hide behind the artificial rocks. Recently, the aquarium had introduced a new batch of sunfish, round creatures that looked adorable but were exceptionally delicate.
The red light in the ambulance flickered on and off, like a tired eye. Lao Li looked at his watch, the second hand stubbornly ticking forward. He wasn't racing against time to save lives, but to meet a deadline. More precisely, to meet a "time requirement."