44 posts tagged with "absurdity"

Old Wang, in his forties, had been working at a company of moderate size for almost twenty years. He was like an old machine that had been running for years, following the routine day after day, a cog screwed tightly into his position. He considered himself to have seen through the tricks of the workplace, regarding promotions and pay raises as mere fleeting clouds. Only the year-end bonus was the real hope that could revitalize his old engine.

This year's year-end bonus was distributed in a rather special way. Not as cold, hard numbers, but as "surprises" packed in cardboard boxes. Old Wang received a heavy box, with a red paper label that read "Year-end welfare, wishing you a Happy New Year". He carefully carried the box, as if he was holding a box of gold.

Xiao Ai’s nail salon is located in the most bustling district of the CBD. Every day, she is like a diligent gardener, using colorful paints and sparkling decorations on the small plot of land that is the fingertip to create secret gardens for urban women. But recently, she has discovered some uninvited guests growing in her own "garden" - small, flesh-colored, like newly-emerged flower buds, yet somewhat grotesque. The doctor told her that they were warts caused by the HPV virus.

She was puzzled. She wears gloves and disinfects rigorously every day. How could this have happened? She began to pay attention to her customers. The urban white-collar workers who came and went, with slender or thick fingers, dressed in fashionable or simple attire. In their conversations, they would occasionally mention recent physical discomfort, or small bumps appearing on the edges of their nails. Xiao Ai's heart skipped a beat, a feeling of unease rising in her.

Old Wang's life after retirement was as bland as water. His only enjoyment was playing a few chess matches at the park entrance's chess stall every afternoon. Recently, Old Wang had something new to talk about: Apple phones, after national subsidies, had fallen below 3000, as cheap as street stall goods. Old Wang's five-year-old flip phone was long overdue for replacement, so he joined the buying frenzy.

That day, Old Wang got up early and squeezed into the crowded shopping mall. After much effort, he managed to grab a nationally subsidized iPhone 16. The phone was brand new, and the box had a strange QR code that prompted, "Scan to activate for first use and sign the User Experience Agreement." Old Wang didn't think much of it. He scanned, signed, and completed the process.

Xiao Wang is an ordinary waiter at a hotpot restaurant in Shanghai. His life goal is to save enough money to open a small convenience store back in his hometown. But recently, he has been swept into an unprecedented workplace storm.

It all started when a new group of Korean customers came to the restaurant. The boss excitedly announced at the meeting: "Now is the time to seize the opportunity! I heard that Korean tourists like APT, we must keep up with the trend!"

Old Wang got promoted.

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

Old Pi is the "ferryman" of this mountainous area, except that he ferries not people, but wildfires.

This job sounds mysterious, but it's actually very simple. It involves carrying a huge flamethrower and, when a wildfire spreads, spraying fire in a specific direction to divert the fire.

Wang Defa has been feeling a bit uneasy lately. It's not because of the new intern who keeps flirting with him, but because of the company's bizarre "Happiness Upgrade" program.

What they call "Happiness Upgrade" is actually forcing everyone to change their phones. The company has made a bulk purchase of new phones from a certain domestic brand, claiming that "technology empowers and improves employee happiness." Old phones are to be traded in, with the amount depending on the phone's condition and your relationship with your direct supervisor. Of course, the official explanation is "big data assessment."

Old Wang looked at the four bright red characters "Approved" on the computer screen and breathed a long sigh of relief. He had been working on these two words, “resignation,” for three whole weeks, filling out twenty-six forms and stamping thirty-seven seals. The hardships he'd endured could easily fill a book titled "The Bloody Tears of Resignation."

Old Wang was the neighborhood's renowned "Mr. Fix-It." Appliance repairs, plumbing unblocking – there was nothing he couldn't handle. Today, he took on a new job. Mrs. Li, his neighbor, had a broken smart scale. The display only showed a red dot, like an eye, staring eerily.

Mrs. Li complained, “This thing, they said it was so smart and accurate when I bought it. After only two years, it’s just a decoration. It's a real ghost!” Old Wang chuckled in response, he loved these kinds of challenges.

In the cubicles, the sound of keyboard clicks resembled the low hum of insects, interspersed with the subtle clicks of mice. At exactly noon, the digital clock on the screen turned red, signaling the start of “digital lunch” time.