World-Class Mega-Project

Old Wang got promoted.

Not to team leader, nor a small department manager, but directly in charge of a "world-class mega-project."

This news exploded like a torpedo in his tranquil office life. His colleagues’ eyes were filled with envy, jealousy, and a hint of unnoticed sympathy.

"World-class mega-project," how magnificent it sounded. Old Wang himself felt like his life had instantly gone from a small stream to a vast ocean.

"Old Wang, work hard. This is a top priority concerning our company, even our national image!" The boss patted him on the shoulder, his eyes narrowed into slits with a smile.

Old Wang rubbed his hands excitedly, feeling full of energy. He couldn't wait to open the project folder to see the true face of this "world-class mega-project."

There was only one A4 paper in the folder, with a huge QR code printed on it.

Old Wang was stunned. This… was the "world-class mega-project"?

He scanned the QR code with his phone, confused. A short video popped up on the screen.

In the video, a chubby man wearing a chef's uniform was flipping a wok. The dishes in the wok were steaming and emitting an enticing aroma. The text accompanying the video read: [Old Wang's Braised Pork, a world-class delicacy, no rebuttal accepted!]

Old Wang was stunned again. What was going on? Braised pork? What did this have to do with the "world-class mega-project"?

Unwilling to give up, he looked through the other files and found that, apart from this braised pork video, everything else was empty. He felt like he was being tricked, but he wasn't sure.

He cautiously went to ask the boss, who burst out laughing, tears welling in his eyes.

"Old Wang, oh Old Wang, you're taking it too seriously! Shouldn't a ‘world-class mega-project’ start with the small things we eat, drink, and use every day?"

Old Wang felt that what the boss said made sense, yet something felt off.

"Look, our company's cafeteria has always been criticized by the employees. This time, with the ‘world-class mega-project,’ we want to improve the quality of the cafeteria food, starting with braised pork, so that the employees can feel that our company’s care for them is ‘world-class’!"

Old Wang opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but felt powerless to refute. He felt that something was not right, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

Since being in charge of the "world-class mega-project," Old Wang's daily task was to provide the head chef with suggestions for improving the braised pork. For example, the meat was a bit dry today, and too much soy sauce was used tomorrow. Every day, he had to taste various flavors of braised pork and then write detailed reports.

He felt like he had become a braised pork connoisseur, rather than the person in charge of a "world-class mega-project."

He told his old mother about it, who laughed heartily, "Silly son, what kind of world-class mega-project are you doing?"

Old Wang laughed as well, his laughter tinged with a hint of helplessness. He knew his mother was right; this wasn't a "world-class mega-project" at all, but an absurd farce.

But what could he do? Every day, he still had to go to the cafeteria, taste the various flavors of braised pork, and then write meaningless reports. His colleagues were still envious of his "promotion," unaware that he was tasting absurdity every day.

A month later, the company held another meeting. The boss once again took the stage, his face still beaming.

"Comrades! After a month of Old Wang's efforts, our company's braised pork has received 'world-class' praise! This fully demonstrates that our company has the capability and the strength to do any ‘world-class’ undertaking!"

The audience applauded thunderously. Old Wang also applauded, but his heart felt hollow.

The boss continued, "Now, I announce that to further enhance the happiness of our employees, the company has decided to upgrade the ‘world-class mega-project.’ The next project will be ‘world-class’ tea eggs!"

Old Wang felt a wave of dizziness. He thought of the several boxes of braised pork that were still uneaten in his fridge. He seemed to see the future, a future surrounded by tea eggs.

He suddenly remembered that he hadn't opened the "world-class mega-project" folder for a long time. He cautiously opened the folder and found that the QR code on the A4 paper had been replaced with a new QR code.

His hands trembled as he scanned it with his phone. A brand-new video popped up on the screen. In the video, a person wearing a white coat was giving a chicken a physical examination. The chicken had a golden necklace around its neck.

The text accompanying the video read: [World-class chicken, to ensure the quality of world-class tea eggs!]

Old Wang looked at the screen and laughed. This time, he laughed genuinely. He felt like he understood something, and yet he didn't understand anything at all. He knew that his "world-class mega-project" journey was still long. He started to look forward to what the next "world-class" thing would be. Maybe it would be scrambled eggs with tomatoes? Maybe it would be Kung Pao Chicken?

Who knew? Anyway, it would all be "world-class."