The Disappearing Badge

Lin Chenxi stared at his badge, his brow furrowed.

The blue badge, once a symbol of glory and status, was now becoming transparent at a visible rate. A week ago, it was only slightly blurred around the edges, as if lightly erased by an eraser. Now, the company logo in the center was so faint that it was almost invisible, leaving only the name and employee number barely legible.

"What the hell..." he muttered.

This was no illusion.

Lin Chenxi was well aware that "Giant Wave Technology," an internet giant known for its "wolf culture," was experiencing a bizarre "badge disappearance incident."

At first, only a few people noticed their badges fading and posted complaints on the company's internal forum, "Giant Wave Surging," only to be mocked as being "dumb from 996." But soon, more and more people found that their badges were experiencing the same problem, and panic began to spread.

"This is an omen, a metaphor." Old Wang, the product manager, pushed up his glasses and said mystically. Old Wang was the company's well-known "philosopher," always liking to elevate everything to a philosophical level. "The badge represents our identity in the company. The disappearance of the badge means that we are being 'erased' by the company."

"Don't be ridiculous," Lin Chenxi rolled his eyes. "I'm more concerned about how I'm going to clock in if the badge disappears. How will I get reimbursed? What about the year-end bonus?"

That was the key issue.

Giant Wave Technology was known for its strict KPI assessments and "last-place elimination system." Every quarter, employees with the lowest performance rankings would be "optimized," and the badge was the only proof of their existence in this huge machine.

The gradual disappearance of the badges made everyone feel uneasy. Those colleagues who were originally obsessed with "inner卷" (involution/internal competition) also began to become restless. They worked overtime frantically, trying to "save" their badges with higher performance, but everything seemed to be in vain.

Some speculated that this was a "black technology" used by the company to further "optimize" employees. Through some mysterious technology, the badges of those "unqualified" employees would gradually disappear, and they would eventually be "cleared" from the company.

Others said that this was a new type of PUA tactic. The company deliberately created panic to force employees to work harder.

Lin Chenxi was more inclined to the latter. After all, what methods had this company not used to make employees work overtime? From the initial "996 is a blessing" to the later "888 is the glory of strivers," and now the "disappearing badge," it was just old wine in new bottles.

He remembered a recent proposal by a representative of the National People's Congress for an "888 work system" and smiled bitterly. In companies like "Giant Wave," "996" was already the norm, and "888" was simply a luxury.

"We are like being trapped in a huge transparent cage," Old Wang began his philosophical lecture again. "The badge is the key to this cage. Now, the key is disappearing, and we will be trapped here forever."

Lin Chenxi ignored Old Wang. He decided to go to HR to ask for clarification.

The HR manager was a middle-aged woman with a beautiful face. Facing Lin Chenxi's inquiry, she just smiled faintly: "Badge disappearing? It might be a material problem. We are contacting the supplier to replace it. As for clocking in and reimbursement, it can be done temporarily through the internal system and will not affect everyone's normal work."

"What about the year-end bonus?" Lin Chenxi pressed.

"The distribution of the year-end bonus will be based on everyone's performance assessment results and has nothing to do with the badge." The HR manager's smile was still perfect, but her tone carried an undeniable chill.

Lin Chenxi walked out of the HR office, feeling even heavier. He knew that HR's words were not credible. In this company, everything was linked to "performance," and the disappearance of the badge was definitely not a simple "material problem."

A few days later, Lin Chenxi's badge completely disappeared.

He stood in front of the company building, looking at the empty space on his chest, and suddenly felt a sense of relief. He realized that he was finally free from this huge cage.

He took out his phone and posted a message on the "Giant Wave Surging" forum: "Goodbye, Giant Wave. Goodbye, badge."

Soon, countless replies flooded his post, all from "former Giant Wave employees" whose badges had also disappeared.

They decided to unite and demand an explanation from Giant Wave Technology.

But at this moment, a sudden piece of news shocked everyone: Giant Wave Technology declared bankruptcy, the CEO absconded with the funds, and all employees' salaries and year-end bonuses were gone.

It turned out that the disappearance of the badges was not some "black technology" or PUA, but a precursor to the company's bankruptcy. Those badges that once symbolized glory and status were ultimately just pieces of waste paper.

Those "Giant Wave people" who worked overtime frantically and competed fiercely were eventually swallowed by the "giant wave" they pursued.

Lin Chenxi looked at the news on his phone screen and suddenly felt a sense of absurdity. He remembered Old Wang's words: "We are like being trapped in a huge transparent cage..."

Except, this cage was not the company, but this era.

And we are all people in this era whose badges are gradually disappearing.