In Search of the Dao in the Deep Mountains

Ren Mingcheng stared at the email on his computer screen, his fingers tapping the desk unconsciously. He had read the notice from Human Resources three times already, and every word felt like a needle stabbing his eyes.

“Due to adjustments in the company’s business operations, your position will be optimized…”

“Optimized.” What a classy way to put it. After five years at this internet company, working overtime without a single complaint, all he had to show for it was this farewell letter of fewer than two hundred words.

The office air conditioner hummed, but it did nothing to dispel the heat rising in his chest. Ren Mingcheng loosened his tie and suddenly felt that his cubicle was just like a cage. Beyond the glass walls, the neon lights of the urban jungle glittered, while traffic surged endlessly.

“Mingcheng, are you okay?” His colleague Xiao Wang leaned over, speaking in a hushed voice. “I heard they laid off a third of the tech department…”

“I’m fine.” Ren Mingcheng managed a smile and quickly closed the email. “I’ve been wanting to take a break for a while anyway.”

On the subway ride home, Ren Mingcheng watched the billboards streak past outside the window. A thought took root and grew wildly in his heart: Get out of here. Leave for good.