Three Times Speed Life

Old Wang, with a stopwatch in hand, confirmed that he had been working continuously for twelve hours, three minutes, and twenty-seven seconds. He stared at the densely packed code on his computer screen, the jumping characters resembling ants mocking him, never stopping, never tiring.

The news of triple pay for overtime during the Spring Festival was like a shot of adrenaline, piercing the pre-holiday slump in the company's morale. Everyone was like a wound-up toy, mechanically operating in the office. Old Wang was no exception. It wasn't that he didn't yearn to go home, but the temptation of "triple" was just too great. He had to pay off his mortgage, buy gifts for his parents, and enroll his child in tutoring classes; all of which required money, a lot of money.

The coffee machine at the company entrance had already broken down, overwhelmed by the continuous work. Old Wang pulled out a packet of instant coffee from his pocket, poured it into his repeatedly used mug, and the hot water released a strong artificial aroma. He thought of the old coffee pot at home, the one he bought when he got married, which hadn’t been used in a long time.

"Old Wang, your speed is not up to par; you've only completed one-third today." The team leader, with bloodshot eyes, walked to his workstation, holding a thermos that was bigger than his face. "Look at Little Li; he’s almost halfway done. If it weren't for the triple pay, who would be willing to suffer here? Buckle down, young man!"

Old Wang didn't say anything, he just silently copied and pasted the code, repeating the things he did every day. The triple pay was like an invisible whip, lashing at the nerves of every person working overtime. Everyone was calculating, today's income, this month's income, even next year's income. It was as if all the value of life was condensed into these few numbers.

He looked up at the window, the night was deep, and outside were only the flickering streetlights, like eyes unwilling to rest. He couldn't remember how long it had been since he had seen the stars; perhaps they had long been obscured by the city's dazzling lights.

At midnight, Old Wang finally completed his task for the day. He stretched, feeling like his bones were about to fall apart. He packed up his things, ready to go home.

The company's corridor was empty, with only echoes reverberating in the silence. The elevator door opened, but inside stood a stranger. The person was wearing a black uniform, black sunglasses, and was holding something that looked like a tablet.

"Please show your employee ID," the person said coldly.

Old Wang doubtfully took out his employee ID, and the person scanned it with the tablet. The screen displayed Old Wang's basic information, along with a red number: 3.0.

"Hello, Mr. Wang, your work efficiency for today has been fulfilled. Please take C301 home."

"C301? What's that?" Old Wang asked, puzzled.

"This is a personalized commuting method matched to your work efficiency today, at triple speed. Have a pleasant journey." With that, the person gestured towards Old Wang, pointing to an inconspicuous door next to the elevator.

Old Wang hesitated for a moment but still walked in. Behind the door was an enclosed space similar to a rollercoaster car, containing only a seat and a seatbelt. He fastened the seatbelt and heard a mechanical voice: "Please confirm destination."

"My home, Wanda Residential Area," Old Wang said.

"Destination confirmed, triple speed activated."

Before Old Wang could react, the car suddenly accelerated. He felt like a bullet being shot out, the surrounding scenery rapidly receding, so fast that it made him dizzy. He felt like he was being compressed, disassembled, and then reassembled. He remembered the poetry and faraway places he and his wife had once talked about, but now he was being swept forward by this triple-speed life.

A few minutes later, the car stopped, and the door opened. Old Wang felt like he had woken from a dream. He stepped out of the car and found himself standing at his front door. He took out his keys, opened the door, and a familiar aroma of food wafted towards him.

"Old Wang, you're back!" His wife walked out of the kitchen, smiling, with a plate of steaming dumplings in her hand. "Go wash your hands and eat; the children have been waiting anxiously."

Old Wang looked at the wall clock; it was only two in the morning. He washed his hands and sat down at the dining table. The children excitedly surrounded him, asking various questions.

"Dad, did you earn a lot of money today?" asked his eldest daughter.

Old Wang smiled without answering. He picked up a dumpling and put it in his mouth. He chewed, but today's dumplings seemed to lack some flavor.

He thought that maybe tomorrow, he should slow down, look at the scenery by the roadside, look at the stars above, even if he could only glance at them.

What he didn't know was that he had already been drawn into a deeper, more irreversible acceleration. After he fell asleep, a piece of code was added to his brain, and that code was modifying his perception of time, making him feel that each day was passing by faster.

Just like now, he had only just closed his eyes, and he felt like he was in the next day, it was time to go to work again, and he was starting another round of his "triple speed" life. And he, oblivious to it all.