Beginning
Lin Xiaoxi stood in front of the towering glass building of "Hongyao Group", clutching her slightly sweaty employment notice. The July sun blazed fiercely, making the air scorching hot, and the company's logo reflected a dazzling light—like a futuristic giant oven, with her as the ignorant little bun about to be stuffed inside and roasted.
"Congratulations, Lin Xiaoxi! You stood out from the crowd!" The congratulatory text from her counselor three days ago still lay in her phone. Stood out from the crowd? She thought back to her unremarkable resume and the straightforward question she'd asked during the interview: "Can your company guarantee statutory rest days?" She muttered to herself: Either Hongyao's HR has a unique eye for talent, or... they're blind.
Taking a deep breath, she stepped into the lobby—the air conditioning was cranked up as if it cost nothing, sending an instant shiver down her spine. Well-dressed office workers in sleek skirts hurried past, their anxious faces reflected in the polished floor tiles. A reception robot's emotionless electronic voice echoed: "New employees, please gather in the multi-function hall on B2 floor." Together, these scenes formed the standard configuration of a "modern workplace", exuding an indescribable sense of alienation. Lin Xiaoxi unconsciously shrank her neck, glancing at her light blue shirt printed with cartoon cats and her canvas bag. She felt utterly out of place, like an extra who'd wandered onto the wrong set.
The B2 multi-function hall, despite its impressive name, was just a windowless big box illuminated solely by LED lights. The air smelled of fresh printer ink, cheap perfume, and that indescribable nervousness unique to new employees. Dozens of young faces sat neatly, their eyes filled with either longing, anxiety, or unhidden ambition. Lin Xiaoxi found a seat at the back, deliberately choosing one near the emergency exit sign—subconsciously feeling safer there.
After a short while, a man in a suit stepped onto the podium. His suit fit impeccably, his hair was slicked back neatly, and his smile was as perfectly proportioned as if drawn with a compass. He introduced himself as Teacher Wang, the chief person in charge of the new employee training.
"Welcome, all elites, to the Hongyao family!" Teacher Wang's voice, amplified by the microphone, was brimming with incendiary enthusiasm. "From today onwards, you are no longer students—you are embarking on a brilliant journey of burning youth and realizing your value! Here, there is no lying flat, only forging ahead; no retreating, only forging ahead with courage!"
The audience erupted in applause. Lin Xiaoxi clapped along twice, but a thought crossed her mind: Burning youth? I just want to be a quiet little matchstick, occasionally lighting up the path under my feet. Burning nonstop would be way too painful.
"I know you may have heard many rumors about the intense overtime culture in internet giants," Teacher Wang suddenly changed his tone, his smile turning meaningful. "But I want to tell you—at Hongyao, we don't call it 'overtime'."
Oh? Lin Xiaoxi sat up slightly—could the rumors be wrong? "What we advocate is—" Teacher Wang suddenly raised his voice, and a glittering golden character popped up on the PPT behind him: "Struggle!"
"Overtime is passive; struggle is active! It's a heartfelt desire to become excellent, a passion for work!" He waved his arm as if conducting a symphony. "Racking your brains for a perfect plan, staying up late to outperform competitors—this isn't overtime! This is you and the company sweating together on the race track! The company has built such a big stage for you, and you repay it with struggle—what a wonderful mutual commitment!"
Lin Xiaoxi: "..."
She silently drew a little matchstick man in her notebook, wrote "Struggle" next to it, and added a big question mark. So it's just a name change? Packaging "having to stay late" as "voluntarily burning myself out"?
Teacher Wang was clearly an expert at this kind of "motivation"—in other words, brainwashing. He began citing "success stories": "Your senior brother Li Chao joined as a management trainee last year. He was the first to arrive and the last to leave every day, answering customer questions in the group chat at 2 AM. In just six months, he was independently in charge of key projects, got an S+ performance rating at the end of the year, and received a bonus this big!" He made an astonishing gesture. "And your senior sister Zhang Yue led a crucial project even when she was eight months pregnant—she was having a conference call right outside the delivery room! This kind of spirit is the backbone of Hongyao!"
Some people in the audience gasped in low voices, but most remained silent. The bespectacled boy next to Lin Xiaoxi's eyes lit up with fanaticism as he scribbled notes frantically. Another girl quietly frowned, looking disapproving.
Lin Xiaoxi mentally lit a candle for the senior sister who had a conference call outside the delivery room: This backbone must be made of titanium alloy. She touched her own back, still preferring her original flesh-and-blood version.
"Next, let's have a little interaction," Teacher Wang said with a mysterious smile. "Take out your phones, open the company's internal communication app, and I'll add you to a group."
After a flurry of phone operations, Lin Xiaoxi was added to a group called "Hongyao New Stars - Struggler Alliance", with Teacher Wang as the group owner.
"This group will be an important communication platform for you during the three-month training period and even in future work," Teacher Wang explained. "Here, you can share work experiences, ask for help, and show off your achievements. More importantly—" He paused deliberately. "I and other mentors will be monitoring the group dynamics. Your enthusiasm and activity level will be part of the training assessment!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the group was instantly flooded with messages:
"Thank you for the opportunity, company! I will work hard and strive relentlessly!"
"Learning from senior brothers and sisters! Let's go all out!"
"Can't wait to create value for the company!"
Accompanied by various emojis of fists, cheering, and suns, the group was as lively as a Spring Festival Gala.
Lin Xiaoxi looked at the sudden 99+ messages, her finger hovering over the screen, unsure how to integrate into this "ocean of enthusiasm". She flipped through the company's "New Employee Handbook"—it didn't say anything about having to express determination in the group?
Just as she hesitated, Teacher Wang @ed everyone: "Everyone is very enthusiastic—excellent! Keep up this momentum! Remember, at Hongyao, **response speed is your attitude, and group activity is your passion**! This is the first step to integrating into the team!"
The pressure hit instantly. Lin Xiaoxi saw the bespectacled boy next to her already typing a 300-character essay, rhapsodizing about his understanding of "struggle". Someone in the front row also started sharing links to various "inspirational" articles.
She sighed: It seemed that silence wasn't golden here—it might even be evidence of "lack of enthusiasm". After thinking for a long time, she carefully typed a message and pressed send:
Lin Xiaoxi: "Received, I will study earnestly. Could you please tell me where to find the schedule and task arrangement for the training period? [Smile]"
A very practical question, even a bit of a "party pooper".
The message spamming in the group suddenly paused for half a second. Then Teacher Wang replied: "The schedule will be sent later. Lin Xiaoxi's question is very specific—good. Everyone should not only look up at the stars but also keep their feet on the ground!" Followed by a thumbs-up emoji.
But Lin Xiaoxi clearly felt that the next few messages shouting "struggle" were more intense, as if trying to push her "too practical" message down and pull the atmosphere back to that fanatical tone.
## Development
The subsequent training content hit the new employees like a barrage of cannonballs, leaving their heads buzzing.
"Hongyao's Development History and Corporate Culture"—filled with grand talk like "seizing opportunities", "disrupting the industry", and "who else but us". Stories of the founder eating instant noodles in the warehouse late at night and the core team working 72 consecutive hours without sleep were repeated over and over, making it sound like a myth worthy of worship.
"The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People"—forced into "The 7 Principles of Highly Effective Strugglers". "Proactivity" was infinitely exaggerated, eventually becoming "taking initiative to take on tasks", "taking initiative to work overtime", and "taking initiative to share worries with leaders".
"Workplace Communication and Emotional Intelligence"—focused on teaching "how to interact with leaders": when reporting work, only talk about achievements and minimize difficulties; when accepting tasks, be decisive and don't ask too many questions (euphemistically called "executive ability"); when getting along with colleagues, engage in "healthy competition" and know how to "showcase yourself".
Each module was interspersed with group discussions, impromptu speeches, and situational simulations. Teacher Wang and the other "mentors" scanned the audience like eagles, noting everyone's performance. The bespectacled boy (later known as Wu Kai), who spoke actively and kept repeating the company's slogans, had been publicly praised three times. Another girl, who showed a hint of hesitation when faced with "leaders assigning extra work" in the situational simulation, received a "gentle" comment: "You can improve your role immersion. Learn to fully embrace change."
Lin Xiaoxi tried to keep a low profile: during discussions, she focused on organizing logic and taking notes; in speeches, her content was practical and her tone calm, never being overly emotional; in situational simulations, she would complete tasks within reasonable limits, but would also "spoil the mood" by asking: "Will this additional work affect the progress of my already approved Project A? How should priorities be set?"
Her performance wasn't outstanding, but there were no major flaws. However, that calm, even slightly critical attitude seemed to irritate Teacher Wang, who was used to being echoed and stirring up enthusiasm. It was like dropping a drop of cool mint oil into a pot of boiling chili oil—not a big impact, but that "difference" was immediately noticeable.
During lunch break, the new employees were taken to the staff canteen. The canteen was spacious and bright, with a wide variety of dishes at affordable prices after subsidies—probably the most satisfying part of the day for Lin Xiaoxi. She was quietly eating sweet and sour pork ribs when a girl sat opposite her—the one who had hesitated in the situational simulation, named Zhang Ya.
"You seemed really calm this morning," Zhang Ya said softly, her eyes filled with curiosity and unease.
Lin Xiaoxi swallowed the meat in her mouth: "Did I? Maybe I haven't fully gotten into the groove yet."
"I think you're too into the groove," Zhang Ya smiled bitterly. "Your clarity is terrifying. Aren't you nervous? About the group, and all the assessments..."
"I am nervous," Lin Xiaoxi admitted. "But being nervous doesn't mean I have to join in shouting slogans." She glanced around at her new colleagues—some scrolling through their phones while eating, others whispering about the training content. "I just think work is work. It's too tiring to turn yourself into a tool, even having to feel emotions according to a unified template."
Zhang Ya widened her eyes, looking at her as if she were a monster, then couldn't help but chuckle: "Don't let Teacher Wang hear you say that." After a pause, she lowered her voice: "But... you're right. It really is exhausting. I didn't sleep well last night because of the pressure."
A subtle sense of resonance spread between them. They didn't say much more, just finished their meal quietly. Compared to the other tables where people were enthusiastically discussing "struggle methods", their corner was unusually peaceful.
The afternoon training was "team building", featuring the classic "desert survival" ranking game: assuming a plane crash in the desert, participants had to rank more than a dozen items by importance and reach a group consensus.
Lin Xiaoxi's group quickly descended into chaos. Wu Kai insisted that "compass" and "pistol" should be at the top, arguing that "proactively finding a way and self-defense are the most important", exuding aggression and a desire to be the leader. Another girl thought "drinking water" and "thick clothes" were the fundamentals of survival. Everyone talked over each other, no one willing to back down, all eager to show their "decision-making ability" and "leadership" within the limited time.
As time ticked away, the discussion became more chaotic, with no structure at all.
After listening for a long time, Lin Xiaoxi finally spoke up: "Shouldn't we first clarify our goal? Is this ranking for 'extending time to wait for rescue' or 'proactively walking out of the desert'? Depending on the premise, the chosen items will definitely be very different."
The arguing stopped instantly.
She continued: "And aren't we too fixated on 'which item is more important' and forgetting 'how to combine these items to survive longer'? For example, with compressed biscuits, is the need for water not as urgent? A signal mirror has different uses during the day and night—shouldn't we consider that?"
Her tone was calm, just posing a few questions without directly denying anyone. But those few words immediately set the tone for the chaotic discussion. The group quickly unified on the premise—waiting for rescue—then began to think about the combination of items.
In the end, although their group wasn't the fastest to reach a conclusion, their presentation was logically clear and well-considered, earning a good evaluation. When Wu Kai summarized, he generously mentioned: "Classmate Lin Xiaoxi helped everyone clarify their thinking", but there was a hint of complexity in his eyes—probably feeling that his thunder had been stolen a little, and he wasn't very happy about it.
When Teacher Wang commented, he specifically looked at Lin Xiaoxi: "Some students have excellent analytical skills and are very calm—that's a strength. But you should also note that in a team, **the ability to make bold decisions and lead everyone forward is equally important, if not more so**. Don't get too caught up in details and miss the opportunity to be a leader."
His words sounded like praise, but they were actually a subtle warning—hinting that she lacked "wolfish instinct" and "leadership".
Lin Xiaoxi nodded, her expression unchanged, but she saw through it clearly: She didn't want to be a leader; she just didn't want her teammates to fall into obvious traps.