This novel follows three middle-aged men, ranging from their thirties to their fifties, as they navigate the workplace. It portrays the hardships of middle age, along with the desires and lingering ambitions that remain. They struggle against life’s pressures, time and again falling down and picking themselves back up. Some make it through, some give up, and some reach a dead end.
The three friends known as the “Three Baos” go from strangers to close companions. Their lives are different, yet similar. Though their relationships may seem loose, they reflect the mutual admiration and solidarity of ordinary middle-aged people at the bottom of the workplace, banding together to keep one another warm.
They are all ordinary people, with all the joys and sorrows of human life, as well as a taste for high-minded ideals. They each have their own principles and lines they will not cross. They are imperfect, but they are also real.
The most talented of them, Huang Debao, ultimately refuses to let his gifts go to waste. Even as a middle manager at a company where he’s just biding his time to get by, he keeps himself ready and waits for an opportunity. Lin Fang, however, can only remain quietly by his side as a lifelong confidante.
The most world-weary, Li Guobao, finally settles down. His life is free of risks and surprises, and is the most stable of all.
The most energetic, Yang Zongbao, repeatedly turns the tide against the odds, but ultimately suffers a crushing defeat because of his own arrogance, nearly losing his family and everything he owns.
Life is neither fair nor predictable. We strive for what we want, and the ending may not be perfect, but at least we can have a clear conscience.
