On their first day, a newcomer was sent off to another unit.

They said to get familiar with the process first and come back in a few days.

In the end, no one remembered—like a cat set loose.

Everyone was busy with their own work, and someone was secretly stabbing others in the back.

Information was never transparent; meeting minutes were like little blind-box gifts.

You could never guess who knew the truth.

Sometimes, lunch consisted of only beef slices and soup.

Everyone silently drank their soup, like a glove-puppet show after the curtain falls.

Someone stared at their phone, with the iPhone phone stand tilted askew.

The video was still spinning on a carousel, just like company projects.

It kept going round and round, and no one dared to say it out loud.

Sip after sip of soda—the fizz had long since escaped.

Jack said bonuses used to be like soda, full of fizz and bubbles.

Two digits were like a vast prairie; now only a small puddle remains.

The single digits slowly evaporated. Jack joked that it was like German pork knuckle.

It looked like a huge serving, but in reality only the bones were left.

Meetings were like a spot-the-difference game, with everyone taking turns picking faults.

If performance fell short, you had to go onstage, like a glove-puppet being manipulated.

James loves meetings most of all; three a day is never enough.

Everyone stared at the projector, like a cat watching a carousel spin.

James said this was called a review, but it was really like a public trial.

Someone would get a red ticket, with a reason like a little blind-box gift.

Today it was your turn; tomorrow it would be someone else’s.

Everyone pretended to nod, while the soda had long since gone flat.

Li✠Yu’s decisions were like wind across a vast prairie—today blowing toward the North Pole.

Tomorrow toward the South Pole; yesterday he said to work on “jackI.”

Today he said to build a platform; the day after tomorrow, education.

Like an ancient idol group, wearing beards and singing a group anthem.

The direction was always changing, and the engineers were like cats.

Blown back and forth until even the beef slices and soup had gone cold.

Xu✠Long oversees technology and gives everyone small desktop computers.

Downloads are throttled too; updating packages is like a glove-puppet show.

It takes three days to slowly perform, while the company is still using IE.

They call this stability, but the project schedule is like a carousel horse.

It keeps spinning without stopping, while the PGs are like people pulling carts.

Jack sits on top giving orders, and Xu✠Long says all we need is patience.

HR Lynn loves showing concern. She asks, “How have things been lately?”

Her tone floats up lightly, like the bubbles in soda.

But her eyes only look at the numbers, afraid she might be held accountable.

She says the company is like home, and the vast prairie is free.

In reality, it is like a spot-the-difference game, with every word recorded.

Whoever complains is the unlucky one—even a cat can see that.

Lynn also says there is room for growth, like an ancient idol group.

Everyone is supposed to sing the slogans together, but the bonus is like German pork knuckle.

Only the outer skin remains. She smiles and says she understands everyone.

But documents are like little blind-box gifts, always appearing without warning.

Someone gets a red ticket, with the reason written up as “culture.”

After hearing it, the newcomer falls silent, like a glove-puppet.

Someone finally left, like a cat walking toward the vast prairie.

Their back was quiet as they walked away; no one truly saw them off.

Only the meeting notifications remained, still playing the spot-the-difference game.

Bottle after bottle of soda, while the carousel kept turning.

The German pork knuckle had long gone cold, and the beef slices and soup were cold too.

The iPhone phone stand leaned askew; the whole company was like a glove-puppet show.