WorkaHolic Simulator

You went on a Saturday evening after getting the invitation. The organizer was the girl in your class who used to be the best at talking—now a marketing director at an education company. After she posted "Reuniting with old classmates" online, people gradually showed up. When you pushed the door open, six or seven were already seated. Steam rose from the dishes on the table, and the room buzzed with overlapping voices. You were invited to sit down, and not even a minute later, someone patted your shoulder and asked: "Hey, what are you doing now? Still at your old company?" You said, "Yeah, still there." You thought the conversation would continue, but the person had already turned away and started discussing houses and school districts with someone else. It’s not that you’re unwelcome — you’re just not the center of the conversation. You decide: [[Take the initiative to chat with people and ask how everyone’s been doing]] [[Sit in the corner, eat quietly, and nod once in a while]] [[Leave halfway through by making an excuse and slipping out early]]

The next day, dragging your slightly damaged body and mind, you opened your company email. A fresh batch of "Talent Development Plans," "Organizational Optimization Initiatives," and "Employee Care Surveys" was quietly waiting in your inbox. And then it hit you: in this company, even "who HR invited to dinner" could end up written into some KPI appendix— you just happen to be someone who will never get to see that form. (display: "ContinueNextPhase")

The moment you closed the meeting slides, you suddenly felt the laptop screen was brighter than any mirror. You saw the second you were skipped. You also saw the version of you who chose not to speak. It was not that you did not care. You simply knew better than anyone that some things cannot be argued on the spot. But you will remember them. You opened the folder on your desktop and renamed the report: "File2fromMinefile1” (display: "ContinueNextPhase")

That night, you took the subway home alone. The car was crowded, but you stood by the door, staring at your reflection in the glass, zoning out until you almost missed your stop. Your parents took the high-speed train back home. Before they left, your mom sent you just one message on the app: "Take care of yourself." You replied, "Okay." But this time it wasn’t perfunctory—you really didn’t know what else to say. (display: "ContinueNextPhase")

{(set: $HP to $HP + 5) (set: $MP to $MP + 10) (set: $GR to $GR + 5) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set: $GR to 0)]} You said, "Come on, I’ll treat you to hotpot," left work a bit early, and took him for a walk around the old part of town. You talked about your student days and your current lives. He said you’ve become "more steady than before," and you laughed and said, "Yeah." You really didn’t prepare for the meeting, but you felt something you hadn’t felt in a long time — like life actually touched you. You had a great time talking with your friend, but good moments never last long. You don’t know if you’ll be able to find time again — maybe you’ll each get busier with your own circles, start families, whatever. Soon, work thoughts pull you back from this brief wave of sentimentality. HP +5：With hotpot in your stomach, that warmth feels like a real kind of recovery。 MP +10：You feel like you’ve gone back to the person you were years ago — someone who still looked forward to weekends after class. GR +5：You didn’t handle the meeting prep, and someone on your team filled in a data point for you — now you owe them a favor. [[Next week, You back to work still]]

{(set: $HP to $HP + 0) (set: $MP to $MP - 5) (set: $GR to $GR + 0) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set: $GR to 0)]} You told him, "This weekend is pretty full with company arrangements,” but you still squeezed out an hour at night to meet him at a bar near your office. You didn’t talk for long, and you didn’t laugh much, but at least you met. You were replying to messages while handling documents; everything still felt "on track.” You weren’t especially happy, but you didn’t really regret it either. You just went from friends to "somewhat distant acquaintances.” MP -5: It’s not that you didn’t want to stay longer, you just knew you couldn’t let your work slip. [[Next week, You back to work still]]

Today’s daily report was easy to write: "Completed planned tasks as scheduled, no issues.” You stared at that line for a long time, suddenly unsure whether you were living the day, or the day was living you. In the system, this day would be recorded as nothing more than an ordinary block of work hours. But in your own memory, it was a quiet blank space—calm, yet faintly frightening. (display: "ContinueNextPhase")

{(display: "EndCheck")  (set:$Year to $Year +1) (set:$ExpYear to $ExpYear +1)} As the company moves into the end-of-year cycle, management begins categorizing employees. You notice some colleagues quietly disappear, and soon after, new hires—people just like you—slowly trickle in. The pressure here is crushing, but the truth is: the company does make money. You grit your teeth, tell yourself to endure a little longer, and decide to keep going. (link: "Next Year")[ (go-to: (either: "Upper Year", "Upper Year 2", "Upper Year 3","Upper Year 4","Upper Year 5","Upper Year 6","Upper Year 7","Upper Year 8","Upper Year 9","Upper Year 10"))]

{(set: $HP to $HP - 15) (set: $MP to $MP - 15) (set: $GR to $GR - 5) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set: $GR to 0)]} You replied, "There’s a project going live this week, and I really might not have the time… Next time you come, I’ll treat you properly." There wasn’t much hesitation on the other end. Your mom simply said, "Then we won’t hold you up." You hung up and stared at the document on your screen, suddenly feeling a strange aversion to every blue cell in the spreadsheet. HP -15：You didn’t even spare the energy to meet them, yet your weekend ended up just as exhausting. MP -15：It’s not that you had no time—maybe you just weren’t ready for them to see "what your life looks like." You’re not sure yourself. GR -10：You worked overtime until eleven two days in a row. No one praised you, and you didn’t feel good about it either. [[After this weekend, you back to work]]

You paused for a moment and said, "What about you? Do you like it?" He gave a small smile and replied, "I’m not sure yet. I haven’t been here that long." You nodded and didn’t say anything else. The elevator stopped briefly on the 3rd floor; no one came in. And in that moment, you understood—he wasn’t really looking for an answer. He was just waiting for himself to believe something. [[Leave from Elevator]]

You didn’t agree right away. Instead, you replied: "Wow, I’m honored~ may I ask which colleagues will be joining?" A few minutes later, HR sent back a long list of names. You skimmed through it quickly: two newly promoted mid-level managers, and one senior employee who was rumored to be "hovering near the edge of the list." "Ohh… so this is one of those ecosystem observation dinners…" you thought. You knew exactly what kind of gathering it was. You decided to show up anyway—speak carefully, keep your presence "appropriately moderate." At the dinner, your smiles landed at just the right moments, and your glass was lifted neither too high nor too low. When leaving, HR looked at you in a way that felt like they were evaluating whether you were "smart," or "a bit too smart." { (set: $HP to $HP - 5) (set: $MP to $MP - 5) (set: $GR to $GR + 1) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set:$GR to 0)] } HP -5: The social load was slightly above your usual "play dead" baseline; your smile muscles are a little sore. MP -5: After a whole evening of real-time organizational ecosystem monitoring, your mind basically held a small overtime meeting. GR +1: HR took note of your "observant and appropriate" demeanor—your chances of being considered for future reshuffling went up a little. [[After dinner, you return to your desk]]

{(set: $HP to $HP - 15) (set: $MP to $MP + 5) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set: $GR to 0)]} You were on the grass, but your heart was already in bed. The whole time you avoided doing anything: no volunteering, no opinions. While others were learning how to tie knots, you were checking whether your phone signal had come back. During activities, if you could lie down, you never sat; if you could sit, you never stood. In group photos, you always positioned yourself at the very edge. You weren’t participating in team building — you were surviving. Surviving the rules of corporate society. On the night the event finally ended, you sat on the return bus, watching the highway lights pass by one after another. There were scratches on your arm, sand still stuck in your shoes, and your hair felt a bit sticky from not being washed properly. Your coworkers were discussing "who’s going to edit the videos from today,” and the leader was laughing, saying, "This really brought us closer together.” You leaned against the window with your eyes closed. A thought suddenly surfaced: So this is what "strengthening team cohesion” means — everyone gets exhausted together, and then no one dares to complain first. The wind made the bus window vibrate softly. You didn’t say anything— you just lowered your earphone volume by one notch. HP -15: Being forced into participation made you deeply uncomfortable. MP +5: But the little moments where you secretly spaced out felt strangely healing. [[Next week, you come back to work]]

Nothing happened, though zoning out did feel pretty liberating. [[Then, you back to your seat]]

{(set: $HP to $HP + 0) (set: $MP to $MP - 5) (set: $GR to $GR + 0) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set: $GR to 0)]} You didn’t take any time off—just went to meet them for dinner after work. You picked a chain restaurant near your office, one with decent lighting and a clean atmosphere. Halfway through the meal, your dad asked, "Where do you live now? Is it far from here?" You said, "It’s okay. About four stops away." MP -5：As you picked up another dish, you couldn’t help thinking: If my life is this tight and cramped, maybe there’s no space for anyone to get close to me. GR +0：You finished all your work, and you fulfilled the bare minimum of being a son/daughter. [[After this weekend, you back to work]]

{(set:$showStatus to false)} (align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[''GOOD ENDING'']] ''Is this the best choice?'' ------------ You did not join this company. You did not trigger any workflow. No system ID was created for you, your activity record remains empty, and your performance metrics are all zero. No evaluation, no assessment, no promotion, no elimination. You did not become anyone’s employee, and therefore owe nothing to anyone. But you escaped the company’s grasp. You believe life is more than work, and there are still countless things waiting to be explored. ------ ''So, my answer is, YES.'' [[Continue Next Page]]

On Thursday afternoon, while you were revising a report, a little red notification dot popped up on your phone. You opened it and saw the university group chat: "Let’s get together this Saturday! Everyone come! Whoever skips pays the bill!" The chat was already filled with dozens of new messages—people saying "It’s been so long," others posting old photos. You saw yourself in one of the group pictures and froze for a few seconds. Back then, your smile was huge. You hardly smile like that anymore. The gathering is set for this Saturday at 6:30 p.m., at a restaurant about forty minutes from your place. [[Accept Invitation]] [[Ignore it]]

At 8:52 on Wednesday morning, the office was still silent, the air filled with the faint sounds of printers and the time-clock machine. Quite early, huh? Barely holding onto your last shred of consciousness, you stood at the doorway of the pantry and reached out to press the coffee machine button. On the screen, a familiar, devastating line was flashing: (set: $showFlash to true) (live: 1s)[ (if: $showFlash)[ (text-colour:orange)[❗'' DO NOT OPERATE UNDER MAINTENANCE'' ❗] ] (set: $showFlash to not $showFlash) ] You froze. This wasn’t just a "no coffee today", this was an "is today even worth starting" problem. You stood there, thinking. [[Quietly switch to tea drinks]] [[Go downstairs to the convenience store and buy a new cup]] [[Return to your desk and rely on pure willpower]]

This Friday, the company arranged its annual health check. HR’s notice said, "Please plan your work reasonably and do not be late," and specifically highlighted that "the medical report will be synced to the system." You wanted to leave and do the annual health check on your own, you think yours are better, but you were forcibly added to the company’s group package. The night before, you stopped drinking coffee at eight, yet your heart was still beating fast. At eight the next morning, you were sitting in the overcrowded waiting area of the health center, a bottle of mineral water in your hand, your phone unable to connect to the WiFi. You suddenly realized that in a place like this, even such a quietness can feel stressful. [[Follow the procedure]] [[Do a few items half-heartedly and leave early]]

"We’re organizing a fun team-building activity this weekend: a wilderness survival experience in the outskirts of the city. It focuses on teamwork. Participation is not mandatory—feel free to sign up if interested!" When you saw this message, only one sentence appeared in your mind: "If they bother to say ‘not mandatory’, it’s basically mandatory." The team next door had already started gathering people. Your manager forwarded the announcement, @-mentioning you and a few others, adding: "Don’t stay home all day—come out and relax a bit, build some team spirit." You opened the sign-up sheet and saw your name was already checked by default. How should you respond to this "arrangement"? [[Join enthusiastically and be an active camper]] [[Make an excuse, pretend to be sick]] [[Be forced to participate, but mentally check out and coast through it]]

(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[Appendix: Employee Monitoring Metrics Explanation] In accordance with Article 4.2.1 of EverGrind’s Employee Monitoring System, the following core parameters will be tracked in real time: (text-colour:red)[''[HP｜Health Point]''] Used to reflect the employee’s basic physical condition, ability to withstand workload, and sustained performance. Common reasons for HP reduction include: continuous overtime, irregular eating habits, and sleep deprivation. The Company will provide social security and benefits appropriate to the employee’s level. If HP falls below the threshold, the system will automatically mark the employee as "replaceable status" and place them under health deterioration observation. When HP reaches zero, the employee will enter the exit process and be regarded as a non-normal termination. (text-colour:cyan)[''[MP｜Mental Point]''] Represents the employee’s emotional stability, cognitive responsiveness, and level of system adaptation. MP may fluctuate due to meeting content, meaningless tasks, interpersonal pressure, or continuous negative feedback. When MP reaches zero, the employee will trigger the exit mechanism. The Company does not provide recovery services for this state. Thank you for your understanding. (text-colour:orange)[''[GR｜Graduation Ratio]''] EverGrind Company regards all employees as dear students and hopes you can find a place in our collective workplace and ultimately serve society as talent. Therefore, a graduation mechanism will be introduced. As the system’s automatic layoff trigger parameter, GR is generated based on KPI, HR labeling, age milestones and other data. The higher the GR, the greater of being "optimized." At the full value of 100, the "Graduation Mechanism" is activated immediately. Employees over the age of 35 will by default enter the "high-frequency monitoring channel," with one performance review conducted each year. (align:"==>")[Special Notice] EverGrind reserves the right of final interpretation for all definitions above. By clicking "Agree," you acknowledge that you have clearly understood and consent to being connected to this system’s data tracking mechanism. (link: "Yes, I Agree")[(goto:(either:"VerifyNameTrue", "VerifyNameFalse") )] (link: "No, I Disagree")[(goto: "CancelEnding")]

{(set: $HP to $HP + 5) (set: $MP to $MP + 5) (set: $GR to $GR + 0) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set: $GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set: $GR to 0)]} You finally had one of those rare company days with no overtime. You clocked out right on time. You shut down your computer and stood up to stretch. Your body did not feel especially tired. Your mind was surprisingly empty too. You walked into the subway station, tapped your card, and waited. The train had not arrived yet. You glanced at the digital board on the platform and saw that it was frozen. "Next train: Estimated arrival time" And then nothing. You stood there for a bit. You were not in a hurry. You had nothing important today anyway. A random thought drifted into your head. "Real exhaustion is not running. It is staying still for too long." MP +5: The strange calm of doing nothing felt oddly nice. HP +5: When you got home, you slipped back into your usual little rituals and finally felt like you could breathe again. (display: "ContinueNextPhase")

{(set: $HP to $HP + 0) (set: $MP to $MP - 15) (set: $GR to $GR - 5) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set: $GR to 0)]} You quickly scrolled to the next post and even liked someone’s gym photo and someone else’s travel shot. You acted just like a normal social media user, scrolling through one numb update after another. Only you knew the truth. You added three spoons of sugar to your coffee that morning. And later that night, in the middle of everything, you still dragged yourself to a bar and ordered a Margarita. MP -15: You did not cry and you did not think. You just behaved unusually quiet today. GR -5: Your desktop was tidy, your emotions were not, yet your efficiency went up a little. Your boss even complimented you in a small meeting, saying you seemed to be doing well recently. [[Then, you go back to work]]

{(set:$showStatus to false)} (align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[''Thank You For Playing'']] (align:"=><=")[ (link: "Back To Main Menu")[ (reload:) ] ] (live: 2s)[{ (set: $popupVisible to true) } { (if: $popupVisible)[ <div style=" position: fixed; bottom: 20px; right: 20px; width: 300px; background-color: white; border: 1px solid #ddd; border-radius: 8px; box-shadow: 0 4px 12px rgba(0,0,0,0.15); font-family: sans-serif; color: #000; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4; z-index: 9999; ">  <div style="padding: 12px 16px; border-bottom: 1px solid #eee;"> <strong style="font-size: 14px;"> <span style="color: #0073b1;">LinkedIn</span>: 310 people have already applied for the job you missed </strong> </div>  <div style="padding: 12px 16px;"> <p style="margin: 0 0 6px;"> The position you viewed <strong style="font-size: 14px; color: #d9534f;">“Junior Undergrad Job”</strong> has already received <strong style="color: #d9534f; font-weight: bold; font-size: 14px;">310 applications</strong>, with over half from candidates with 2+ years of experience. </p> <p style="margin: 0 0 10px;"> This listing may be closing soon. What you missed was NOT just an opportunity. </p> <button style=" background-color: #000; color: white; border: none; padding: 6px 10px; border-radius: 4px; font-size: 13px; cursor: pointer; margin-right: 8px; "> Revisit Job Posting </button> <button style=" background-color: #f2f2f2; color: #666; border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 6px 10px; border-radius: 4px; font-size: 13px; cursor: pointer; font-size: 13px; "> Ignore </button> </div> </div> ] } ]

{(display: "EndCheck") (link: "Continue to Work")[ (if: $Phase is false)[ (set: $Phase to true) (go-to: (either: "Company social gathering", "a corporate drinking reception", "The leaders at the meeting kept making random demands", "Special Weekend", "Office Conversation", "a new intern asking for help", "Coffee Machine Down", "Meeting Call-out", "Late-night Reply", "Overtime at the Office", "Work Stolen by Others", "late-night food delivery", "Nothing Happens, Recovery", "Intern in Elevator", "Nothing Happens", "Company Medical Check", "MondayMorning", "HRDinner", "LuckyDay", "LuckyOverwork", "DayOff" )) ] (else-if: $Phase is true)[(set: $Phase to false)(goto:"Annual Performance Summary")]]}

(link: "Start to work this year")[ (if: $Year is 28)[(go-to:"Ex getting married")] (else-if:$Year is 38)[(go-to:"Parents visit")] (else-if:$Year is 48)[(go-to:"Classmate reunion")] (else-if:$Year is 30)[(go-to:"Meet with friend")] (else:)[(go-to: (either: "Company social gathering", "a corporate drinking reception", "The leaders at the meeting kept making random demands", "Special Weekend", "Office Conversation", "a new intern asking for help", "Coffee Machine Down", "Meeting Call-out", "Late-night Reply", "Overtime at the Office", "Work Stolen by Others", "late-night food delivery", "Nothing Happens, Recovery", "Intern in Elevator", "Nothing Happens", "Company Medical Check", "MondayMorning", "HRDinner", "LuckyDay", "LuckyOverwork", "DayOff" ))]]

(set: $realName to (prompt:"''EverGrind Information System''\n\n Please Enter Applicant ID", "WageSlave")) (align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[''EverGrind Employee Onboarding User Agreement''] Party A: EverGrind Unlimited Corporation (hereinafter referred to as "the Company") Party B: $realName (hereinafter referred to as "the Employee") In view of Party B’s voluntary decision to join the Company, recognition of the Company’s values, and ability to perform basic job responsibilities, both parties, under the principles of equality and free will, agree to sign the following onboarding agreement: --- Article 1 — Job Description Party B is assigned to the position of "Junior Striving Engineer." Responsibilities include but are not limited to: Completing all daily assigned tasks; Participating in non-directive working hours (such as extended meetings, instant messaging responses, and weekend coordination); Maintaining a stable performance record and consistently positive feedback posture. --- Article 2 — Working Hours & System The Company adopts a flexible working schedule. Actual attendance will fluctuate according to project pace, departmental arrangements, and real-time communication needs. The Employee must maintain continuous availability and avoid situations such as prolonged offline periods or "clustered negative emotional displays." --- Article 3 — Salary & Benefits The Employee will receive a base salary appropriate to the position, along with non-material incentives, including but not limited to: Above-industry salary level; Periodic verbal acknowledgements; Inclusion in annual recognition documents; Holiday-themed cultural merchandise (e.g. mugs, badges, mousepads); --- Article 4 — Personnel Adjustment Mechanism The Company reserves the right to adjust the Employee’s status based on system evaluation results. The Employee Student may enter the "Graduation Process" under any of the following circumstances: Abnormal emotional fluctuation patterns; Long-term sub-health conditions; (text-colour:orange)[''Failure to pass periodic assessments after the age of 35.''] --- Article 5 — Agreement Confirmation By signing this agreement, Party B acknowledges and accepts all related management rules. During the effective period of this agreement, the Company may adjust, reassign, or terminate cooperation as needed. Employee Name: $realName Date of Signing: 20xx / x / x (align:"==>")["Grind Never Dies."] (link: "Next Page")[(goto: "Confirmation")]

You returned to your seat and sat back down. The computer screen was still lit, but you couldn’t immediately remember what you were doing a minute ago. Trying to feel like you were doing something, you lowered your head, took a sip of your now-cold coffee, and a thought suddenly surfaced: “It feels like I’m not working hard to stay here — I’m working hard so I won’t get pulled into a talk." Then you opened the next to-do item and continued typing, as if the moment just now was nothing more than a routine reboot. (display: "ContinueNextPhase")

(set: $dissolve to (transition: "dissolve")) (set: $companyID to $realName) Hello, $realName ！ Your default employee ID at EverGrind is as follows: (align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[(live: 1s)[''$companyID'']] (live: 2s)[(set: $prevPassage to (passage:)'s name)By clicking below, you acknowledge that you have read and agree to the terms. See Details in [["EverGrind User Agreement"]] and [["EverGrind Privacy Policy"]].] (live: 3s)[ (link-goto: "Confirm, I am prepared to go into the EverGrind Company.", (either: "Intro", "PreIntro"))]

It was supposed to be a normal workday, but suddenly the boss wrote in the group chat: "Something came up at home. Everyone can take the day off today—just keep your phone reachable." There was a wave of cheering across the office building. You stared at the words "keep your phone reachable" on the screen, feeling a faint sense of unease behind the excitement. You decide to spend this day— [[Sleep in and do absolutely nothing, waking up naturally]] [[Go out and have fun, treat it like a mini holiday]] [[Enjoy the rare quiet and open your laptop to handle some work/study]]

Start FirstYearIntro Event: choiceABC 事件summary Event2 choiceABC 事件summary 年末Summary UpperYear Event...... ,"MondayMorning" xxx

{(set: $HP to $HP - 5) (set: $MP to $MP + 1) (set: $GR to $GR + 0) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set: $GR to 0)]} You greeted them briefly, said you "had work to finish," and left after only completing the basic tests. You knew it wasn’t reasonable, but you really didn’t want to hear the doctor ask again, "Do you stay up late often?" or "Do you exercise regularly?" When you walked out of the health center, the sun hadn’t fully risen overhead yet. Your breathing felt a little lighter—but it wasn’t health. It was escape. HP -5：At EveryGrind Company, it’s normal for your body to start showing signals like this. MP +1：You escaped the enclosed space, and with it, a certain kind of anxiety. [[Leave from Hospital]]

{ (set: $roll to (random: 1, 100))  (if: $HP <= 0)[(goto: "HPZeroEnding")] (elseif: $MP <= 0)[(goto: "MPZeroEnding")] (elseif: $roll <= $GR)[(goto: "LayoffEnding")] (elseif: $Year is 65)[(goto: "SpecialEnding")]}

You stared at the words "keep your phone reachable," feeling like something about it wasn’t quite right. So you still opened your laptop, cleared out your backlog of emails, watched two online course modules, and gave yourself a neat little label of "self-improvement." In the afternoon, the boss actually did send a message, asking a small question. You replied within ten minutes, and he responded with a "professional" thumbs-up. { (set: $HP to $HP - 5) (set: $MP to $MP - 5) (set: $GR to $GR - 2) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set:$GR to 0)] } HP -5: On a day you could’ve completely relaxed, you sat in front of your computer and used up what little energy you had. MP -5: Half studying, half working—you couldn’t shake the feeling you were basically doing unpaid overtime for the company. GR -2: In your boss’s mind, you’ve now been officially categorized as "reliable talent who can be summoned even during days off." [[The day off slips away just like that]]

(set: $companyID to (either: "Legendary Procrastination Scholar", "CyberSerf Lv.99", "Archmage of PowerPoint", "Monk of the Salary Path", "KPI Ascendant", "Overtime Dodger Elite", "prettyWorkvibesOnly", "Abyss Sewer Stalker", "vivianWorkxoxo_", "The Inverted Trickster", "Brewmaster of Caffeine", "Existential Beast of the Office Realm", "Blessing Karma Engine" )) (set: $showStatus to false) Hello, applicant $realName！Your submitted name has been rejected by the system. Your default employee ID at EverGrind is now assigned as follows: (align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[(live: 1s)[''$companyID'']] (live: 2s)[(set: $prevPassage to (passage:)'s name)Clicking "Confirm" indicates that you have read and agreed to the below.[["EverGrind User Agreement"]] and [["EverGrind Privacy Policy"]]. Once You're clicking, that means the system will refresh the user name due to the EverGrind.Inc's requirement.] (live: 3s)[ (link-goto: "Confirm, I am prepared to go into the EverGrind Company.", (either: "Intro", "PreIntro") ) ]

During a quiet moment at work, one day you casually unlocked your phone and started scrolling. A colleague’s 8 a.m. subway photo, a friend’s cat, and a new product from the convenience store downstairs slid past your screen. You weren’t really looking for anything, but then it popped up— a profile picture you hadn’t opened in a long time, though your mind never really forgot it. The photo was backlit: a patch of grass by the sea, a white dress, and a pair of eyes you knew all too well. You stared at the picture for five seconds, then swiped away. And then it’s up to you. [[Continue scrolling through your feed and pretend you didn’t see it]] [[Start tidying up the files on your desk]]

You hesitated for a moment before replying: "I’ve got something to take care of at home tonight, need to look after a few things—can we do another day?" A moment later, your phone rang. HR’s voice was as warm as always: "Oh, it’s no big deal! Just a casual dinner, just to get a sense of how things are going." You insisted a few more times and finally managed to decline. Before hanging up, they added, "Then you definitely have to come next time—we just want to take better care of you." You let out a quiet breath once the call ended. But the thought of HR possibly marking you in their Excel sheet with a tiny "high mobility risk" tag made your stomach twist a little. { (set: $HP to $HP + 5) (set: $MP to $MP - 5) (set: $GR to $GR + 2) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set:$GR to 0)] } HP +5: You successfully protected your evening, giving your body a brief glimpse of a "normal person’s" night. MP -5: You didn’t go to the dinner, but that line—"next time you must come"—kept echoing in your head. The pressure stayed with you anyway. GR +2: In HR’s eyes, you now seem a bit "less attached to the company," which might make you a preferred candidate for movement when the time comes. [[After dinner, you return to your desk]]

{(set: $HP to $HP + 10) (set: $MP to $MP + 10) (set: $GR to $GR + 0) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set: $GR to 0)]} You closed your laptop for ten minutes and focused on finishing the meal, even drinking all the soup. You rested for ten minutes — and only ten minutes. The company won’t care. In that moment after eating, you weren’t a corporate worker or a spreadsheet slave. You were simply a living person. HP +10: Your stomach finally calmed down, and your body stopped sending out alarms. MP +10: You didn’t feel as angry anymore, and for a brief moment, you even thought, "Being alive isn’t so bad." [[You back to work]]

{(set:$showStatus to true)} This is your first year at work! You’ve become a full-time employee at last. You start your tasks, stay busy every day, and hold onto the belief that everything will get better from here. (display: "ContinueToEvent")

{(set: $HP to $HP - 5) (set: $MP to $MP - 5) (set: $GR to $GR + 0) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set: $GR to 0)]} You went through the routine: blood pressure, blood test, ultrasound, ECG. Each item scanned, checked, and stamped like clockwork. The doctor didn’t say much, but you noticed an extra line added under "suggested follow-up." You saw the line that said "elevated liver function," but you didn’t dare to ask. You’re not an "anxious type." You just—suddenly felt you didn’t want to gamble on "I’m probably fine" anymore. You didn’t ask anything. You simply nodded. HP -5：Your body really is starting to show small, scattered warning signs. MP -5：You’re not afraid of the results—you’re afraid they’ll prove you’re no longer someone who can "still push through." [[Leave from Hospital]]

{(set: $HP to $HP - 5) (set: $MP to $MP - 10) (set: $GR to $GR - 5) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set: $GR to 0)]} You straightened your back, took a quick glance at the big screen, and started repeating bits of the last meeting you remembered, mixing in universal filler phrases like “I think," “overall it seems," and “this can be further optimized." You had no idea what you were saying, but you sounded very much like someone who knew exactly what they were talking about. HP -5: Cold sweat slid down your back—your body stretched thin between “hold it together" and “public humiliation." MP -10: You were so nervous your voice was trembling; by the end of the meeting, you felt like you’d just stepped out of a boxing ring. GR -5: You said a lot, but your logic was scattered. The boss frowned slightly, as if taking mental notes. [[When meeting ends, you back to work.]]

{(set: $HP to $HP + 5) (set: $MP to $MP + 5) (set: $GR to $GR + 0) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR > 100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set:$GR to 0)]} The meeting room fell silent for three seconds. The boss gave an awkward smile. "Let’s not get too caught up in the details. We need to focus on the bigger direction." Then he continued talking. The room returned to silence—except for the boss continuing to speak, then the team lead, then R&D. Eventually, it ended. As everyone left, the boss praised you for your "critical thinking." You personally think it was just that everyone was still half-asleep on a Monday morning—anyone could’ve snapped. Maybe next week it’ll be the boss. You were pretty punk about it. HP +5, MP +5: Punk behavior achieved—your body and mind feel refreshed. GR +0: Surprisingly, the boss didn’t seem to care. [[Then, you back to your seat]]

{(set: $HP to $HP + 0) (set: $MP to $MP - 15) (set: $GR to $GR - 10) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set: $GR to 0)]} You put down your mouse and forced out a smile: “It’s okay, I’ll show you." You walked him through every step—where to click, how many times, what common pitfalls to avoid. He nodded repeatedly, thanking you over and over. You smiled and said “no problem," while silently calculating how much your own project would now be delayed. You know this shouldn’t be your responsibility,but your sense of kindness wouldn’t let you stop. MP -15: In your head you cursed a thousand times—“Isn’t this what training is for?"—but your voice stayed gentle. GR -10: HR notes you as “helpful and supportive," and coworkers quietly agree that you’re now the unofficial “senior mentor," which means you’re temporarily safer from layoffs. [[Then, you back to work]]

{(set: $HP to $HP + 5) (set: $MP to $MP + 5) (set: $GR to $GR + 10) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set: $GR to 0)]} You paused for a few seconds, then said with a slightly apologetic tone, “Sorry, I haven’t fully followed this part yet. I’m probably not the right person to speak on it right now." The room went a little cold. The boss gave a short “mm," then turned to call on someone else. You didn’t make a mistake, but after the meeting you still felt a lingering chill from how awkward the moment had been. HP MP +5: You didn’t force yourself, and you even felt a small sense of relief. GR +10: The boss has started adding notes next to your name—your performance is probably being weighed now. [[When meeting ends, you back to work.]]

{(set: $HP to $HP + 5) (set: $MP to $MP + 5) (set: $GR to $GR + 5) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set: $GR to 0)]} You didn’t hesitate—you grabbed your things and rushed downstairs. Ten minutes later, you were standing in the elevator with a hot latte in your hands. The smell of coffee hit you instantly, and your soul finally started returning to your body. You were three minutes late, but your confidence was back; even your clock-in felt a little bolder than usual. HP +5: With both sugar and caffeine kicking in, your body finally booted up properly. MP +5: You fought for yourself with real action, and your mental state recovered a little. GR +5: Even though you technically clocked in early, the strict team lead from another group happened to walk by when you returned— they glanced at you and quietly took note. [[You have to work when coffee machine is broken]]

{(set: $HP to $HP + 10) (set: $MP to $MP + 10) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set: $GR to 0)]} You grabbed your water bottle, put on your sneakers, and walked the entire green trail up to the peak. You took plenty of photos, posted one on TikTok with the caption “loving life." On the way down your legs were a little shaky, but your mood was solid. HP, MP +10: The wind in nature blew away a good chunk of your pressure. Your body and mind both felt refreshed. [[Weekends ends, back to the Office]]

{(set: $HP to $HP - 5) (set: $GR to $GR - 5) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set: $GR to 0)]} You didn’t prepare deliberately. You treated this conversation as just another routine check-in. When you walked into the meeting room, latte in hand, you made a quick comment about the weather, then used phrases like “things have been a bit rushed recently” and “resource coordination was indeed complicated” to glide smoothly past the awkward moments. You didn’t brag, and you didn’t apologize. You simply stated the facts. You were just trying to maintain a version of yourself that still looked “fine enough.” The boss nodded after listening and said, “Try to be more proactive in the coming days.” You kept a polite, tight smile in the meeting room, but once you returned to your desk, you started doubting whether your performance was “enough.” Yet after working in this company for so long, your mind has developed a numbness toward situations like this. HP -5: No major physical exertion, but your shoulders tightened, your back began to ache. GR -5: At least you met the minimum expectations— your supervisor won’t be watching you too closely for a while. [[Conversation Ends, back to work]]

You immediately grabbed a few coworkers who were also off for the day and headed to the mall together. You ate a lot, watched a movie, wandered around, and kept ordering things like you were trying to save the entire consumer economy by yourself. You soaked up the sun during the day and walked in the night breeze. By the time you got home, your legs felt like they were about to fall off. But you realized you had gone at least half a day without thinking about weekly reports or review meetings. { (set: $HP to $HP - 1) (set: $MP to $MP + 10) (set: $GR to $GR + 0) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set:$GR to 0)] } HP -1: You had a little too much fun and pushed your body past its limit. Your legs will probably take their revenge tomorrow. MP +10: A burst of socializing and mindless spending wiped your work memories clean for a while. Mentally, you actually got yourself a mini-vacation. [[The day off slips away just like that]]

You turned down every invitation to eat, drink, or chat, rushing toward the subway like a freed corporate animal. When you got home, the first thing you did was shower, change into loose pajamas, toss your phone in the living room to charge, and dive straight into bed without looking back. You set your alarm, happily disconnected from the world, as if escaping from some invisible attendance system. { (set: $HP to $HP + 10) (set: $MP to $MP + 5) (set: $GR to $GR - 1) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set:$GR to 0)] } HP +10：Sleeping until your body naturally feels tired again—your physical self finally experiences something close to real rest. MP +5：You briefly believe that going to bed early might help you hold on a little longer against reality. GR -1：No drinking, no careless words—you dropped one decibel on the organization’s risk radar. [[The evening after work unfolds slowly]]

You found a well-reviewed little restaurant nearby, ordered dishes you normally wouldn’t splurge on, and even added a drink that was almost too sweet. No meetings, no group messages—only the waiter asking, "Anything else for you?" You finished slowly, took a walk at the entrance of your apartment complex with a full stomach, and suddenly realized: people can have an evening after work. { (set: $HP to $HP + 5) (set: $MP to $MP + 5) (set: $GR to $GR + 0) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set:$GR to 0)] } HP +5：A proper hot meal gently restores a bit of your health. MP +5：Being treated kindly by life, even briefly, makes you believe the world might still be worth something. [[The evening after work unfolds slowly]]

You and a few coworkers headed to that familiar little bar next to the office. In less than ten minutes, the conversation naturally shifted from "Finally no overtime today” to "Who the hell approved this terrible project?” Beer flowed glass after glass, and the complaints expanded from workflow to organizational structure, then from organizational structure to the fate of the entire era. On the way home, your steps were a little unsteady, but your mind felt unusually clear: tomorrow, you still have to show up for work. { (set: $HP to $HP - 5) (set: $MP to $MP + 10) (set: $GR to $GR + 1) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set:$GR to 0)] } HP -5：You drank too much—your body will file a complaint about yesterday’s indulgence tomorrow morning. MP +10：Pouring all your frustrations into the beer left your mind surprisingly lighter. GR +1：Someone at the table is always recording a little video; who knows whether that bit of venting might someday drift into the leader’s ears. [[The evening after work unfolds slowly]]

This day didn’t bring any special tasks, and no particular conflicts either. You got up as usual, commuted as usual, logged in, started working— sending emails, filling forms, editing documents. You grabbed some fast food for lunch, had a coffee in the afternoon, and stayed in front of the screen for ten extra minutes in the evening, just to make it look like you still had “a bit of strength left.” But deep down, you already knew: you’re close to breaking. You didn’t faint, didn’t snap, didn’t cry. You just sat there, like an old machine that has been running overloaded for far too long— the cursor still blinking, your mind no longer sending commands. You looked at the screen but forgot what you were looking at. You could hear a faint ringing in your ears, spreading in slow, widening circles. Someone walked past you and said something. You didn’t catch it. You nodded anyway. Then continued sitting, completely still. Thirty minutes passed like that. The office lights dimmed little by little, and suddenly you realized you’d forgotten what you were even waiting for. Going home? Dinner? A report? Someone asking, “Are you okay?” You couldn’t remember. You stood up, backpack in hand, but didn’t walk in any direction. Somewhere in your awareness, you stared out at the night— as if looking at a world you could no longer enter. The night made everything quiet, gentle, almost beautiful. You weren’t “unable to hold on.” You were simply… completely silent. (link: "Next Page")[ (go-to: "HPnext")]

''GAME OVER'' ''You died because HP drains.'' ------------ (align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[''Notification''] To all concerned colleagues: With a complex yet quiet sentiment, we hereby announce the following personnel update: Formerly known as $realName, employee ID $companyID， has, within this cycle, completed all workflow items and behavioral records. (align:"=><=")+(box:"X")['Following medical assessment, the individual’s status monitoring has been terminated.''] Accordingly, they will no longer participate in any subsequent system operations. Since joining the company, this employee has consistently demonstrated stable performance, high cooperation, and full compliance with all procedures. Across multiple cycles, they successfully completed key milestones and maintained an impeccable online record. Thank you for the $ExpYear years you spent with this company. All of us extend to you our highest respect. (align:"==>")[Department of Human Resource] (align:"==>")[“Grind Never Dies.”] ------------------------------All rights EverGrind.inc---------------------------------------------- [[Continue Next Page]]

One afternoon on a regular workday, HR suddenly sent you a message: "Are you free tonight? Let’s grab dinner and chat a bit about your future development plans~" You stared at the chat window, feeling an inexplicable chill run through you. You decide— [[Politely agree right away]] [[Find a reason to politely decline]] [[Ask who else will be there first]]

{(set: $MP to $MP +5) (set: $GR to $GR +10) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set: $GR to 0)]} You used ChatPTT to generate the reading reflection in one click. The structure was flawless, the quotes were abundant, and even your manager gave it a thumbs-up. Until the sixth day, when he suddenly called you out and asked for your thoughts on Chapter 13. Your mind went completely blank, and all you could squeeze out was an awkward: "KPI is life." MP +5: Writing the reflection wasn’t tiring at all — it was actually kind of fun. GR +10: You’ve been added to the "coping-style employee" list. HR says AI isn’t omnipotent, but someone is clearly abusing it. [[after the meeting, everyone goes back to the seats]]

{(set: $MP to $MP -5) (set: $GR to $GR +5) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set: $GR to 0)]} You acted it out perfectly:respectful without being submissive, hesitant just enough to justify later saying you "don’t really drink." You moved like a seasoned actor straight out of a workplace drama — one sip of alcohol bought you a safe exit from the spotlight. MP -5: A small sip, a big retreat — the mental drain was light, but you know the game isn’t over. GR +5: The boss noticed everything; he just chose not to call it out. Your hand still smelled faintly of alcohol. [[Toast ends, and you go home.]]

{(set: $HP to $HP + 0) (set: $MP to $MP - 5) (set: $GR to $GR - 5) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set: $GR to 0)]} You gave a small smile and glanced at your teammate beside you. “This part was actually led by him," you said. “I can just add a few points after he explains." Your coworker froze for a moment, but quickly picked up the thread. You nodded at the right times, wearing the perfect “team collaboration" expression, successfully slipping past this round of spotlight. MP -5: You avoided speaking, but you still felt uneasy—and shifting the responsibility onto a teammate made your reputation a bit… delicate. This tactic can’t be used too often. GR -5: The boss now remembers you as someone “good at collaboration," while HR thinks your emotional intelligence is decent and your approach flexible rather than confrontational. [[When meeting ends, you back to work.]]

{(set: $HP to $HP + 0) (set: $MP to $MP + 5) (set: $GR to $GR + 5) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set: $GR to 0)]} It was too late, and you truly couldn’t hold on anymore, so you headed home. No one said you weren’t trying, but no one praised you for contributing either. You caught the last subway train and slipped back home unnoticed. You didn’t sleep well, but you still forced yourself to go to bed. MP +5: You at least protected a grown-up’s minimum six hours of sleep. GR +5: You didn’t shirk your responsibilities, but you’re no longer seen as someone who can always "hold the line" in critical moments. [[Next day, you wake up, and go to work]]

{(set: $HP to $HP + 0) (set: $MP to $MP + 5) (set: $GR to $GR + 0) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set: $GR to 0)]} At this age, class reunions don't quite feel like the ones we imagined back in our youth. MP +5: You feel that not participating is also a form of participation [[Whatever, you have to back to work.]]

On the first day of my early internship, HR smiled and said, "We treat every student here like family," then handed me a blue access card, two coffees that weren’t mine, and a blank timesheet. My mentor asked about my career plan. I said, "I want to learn something real." He nodded and assigned me to the Real Things Backup Team. Every day, I changed yesterday’s date on the PPT to today, then changed today’s date back to yesterday, just to make sure the project looked "continuously progressing." After 6 p.m., everyone lined up to clock in for "voluntary overtime," like donating blood to the company. When I asked how my pay would be calculated, Finance said, "Internships are about growth," and renamed my payslip to a Growth Record Sheet. Before leaving, my mentor patted my shoulder: "Don’t overthink it, you’re already just like us." I looked in the mirror and saw the blue intern badge on my chest—like a free sample with an expiration date: the day I get converted… or earlier. I couldn’t even grab snacks from the pantry because the snack room only accepted green access cards. Three months passed quickly. And next… what awaits me? (goto: (either:"Intro","LayoffEnding2"))

It was Wednesday evening. You were about to head downstairs to the convenience store to grab dinner before working overtime. When the elevator doors opened, an intern was standing inside, carrying his laptop bag with a cup of milk tea in his hand. He saw you, nodded, and said, "Heading off work too?" You shook your head, then nodded again. The elevator moved down slowly. Then he suddenly turned toward you and quietly asked: "Do you like your job?" In that moment, the elevator lights seemed a little too bright. You hadn’t expected the question to be this direct, or to come without warning. You paused for a second in your mind before answering: [[Nod and say "It’s okay, I guess."]] [[Shake your head and smile]] [[Ask back: "What about you?"]] [[Stay silent and pretend you didn’t hear]]

You—name as $realName, though inside the company you’re known as $companyID —are a fresh graduate who squeezed into this job after several rounds of interviews. You were genuinely happy that you managed to land a position in such a harsh job market. Your probation period passed quickly. Your coworkers seemed a bit strange, but fortunately, you still made it to a full-time role. You start looking forward to the future, ready to prove yourself and make something happen here. (link: "Next")[(goto: "First Year")]

{(set: $HP to $HP - 5) (set: $GR to $GR - 5) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set: $GR to 0)]} You felt yourself stand up, searching for anything that could wake you up. You went to the restroom, filled your hands with cold water, splashed your face twice, then walked back to your desk to keep working. As you typed, you told yourself, "Finish early, get free early." The office was still filled with the sound of keyboards and clicking mice. Finally, late into the night, everyone headed home. You rushed back to your place, washed up, and collapsed into bed without moving another inch. In your dream, you dreamed you were still working overtime. And in the dream, you said again, "Finish early, get free early." But some things never end — like how tired you’ll be tomorrow. HP -5: Your eyes burned, your neck was stiff, and your blood pressure rose and fell like an elevator. GR -5: The boss might notice the timestamp on your late-night submission, but he’ll never see how exhausted you are right now. [[Next day, you wake up, and go to work]]

11:42 p.m. You’ve just finished showering and were about to unwind with a couple of episodes of a show. Your phone suddenly lights up—it’s the company group chat. The boss has sent a screenshot of a project, followed by a single line: “Who handled this interface? There seems to be an issue. We need it first thing tomorrow morning.” Right after that, a blinding @you jumps onto the screen. You stare at the message. The show is stuck on its loading screen, and even the air seems to go still. Technically, you’re off work. But you know your company—EverGrind has never been one to let people rest. Your choices: [[Reply immediately: "I’ll handle it."]] [[Send a quick "Got it," planning to deal with it tomorrow morning]] [[Pretend you didn’t see it]]

''GAME OVER'' ''You have been removed due to potential Risk from GR system.'' ------------ (align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[''Notification''] To employee $realName（ID $companyID）： Following continuous system monitoring and performance evaluation, your current-cycle Graduation Ratio (GR) has exceeded the upper critical threshold. To ensure organizational structure optimization and team-wide operational stability, the management team, in accordance with EverGrind · Lifecycle Process Guidelines §7.3.2, hereby issues the following formal decision: (align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[''Effective immediately, all of your behavioral permissions within this system are terminated.''] --- This decision is the result of an automated workflow, and has been fully logged and archived. No review is required, and no appeal channel is provided. Your performance records over the past $ExpYear years have been securely stored. We thank you for all efforts you have contributed to maintaining group stability. (align:"==>")[Department of Risk Management] (align:"==>")["Grind Never Dies."] (align:"==>")[All rights EverGrind.inc] [[Continue Next Page]]

''INTERNSHIP FAILED'' ''You did not pass the EverGrind Company internship-to-fulltime evaluation.'' ------------ (align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[''Notification''] To Intern $realName（ID $companyID）： Based on the comprehensive monitoring and performance evaluation of this internship cycle, your composite index across the dimensions of “role competence score,” “overtime stability,” and “team political adaptability” has not met the EverGrind Company threshold for full-time employment. To ensure organizational role allocation and human-resource cost structure remain aligned, the management team, in accordance with Article 4.2.1 of EverGrind · Internship Management Guidelines, has reached the following formal resolution:： (align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[''You have not passed the internship-to-full-time evaluation.''] --- Effective from the date of this notice, you will no longer appear in this system as a “full-time employee candidate,” and all related internal accounts and permissions will be automatically revoked after the system’s settlement day. This result was generated by the EverGrind Talent Engine™, and has been recorded and archived. No review is required, and no personnel appeal channel is provided. (align:"==>")[Department of Talent Calibration] (align:"==>")[“Grind Never Hires Everyone.”] (align:"==>")[All rights EverGrind.inc] [[Continue Next Page]]

You bought dinner, went upstairs, and sat back down at your desk. The document on your computer screen was still open at the spot before your edits, the cursor blinking on and off. That question—"Do you like your job?"—didn’t follow you here. But you knew it was still somewhere behind you. Some questions aren’t unanswerable. You’ve just gone too long without remembering what your answer used to be. (display: "ContinueNextPhase")

The full medical report would be sent to HR in two weeks. You weren’t sure if anything was wrong. But you knew this much: from that day on, you never ate late-night fried chicken again, and you stopped feeling so confident about "how late you can work." You even considered switching your coffee to hot tea. Not for health reasons, but because—you finally realized: Your results look a little too different from when you first started this job. (display: "ContinueNextPhase")

{(set: $HP to $HP + 5) (set: $MP to $MP + 5) (set: $GR to $GR + 0) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set: $GR to 0)]} You excused yourself by saying you had "something to take care of at home” and left early. No one especially asked you to stay, and no one especially walked you out. Only when you stepped out of the restaurant did you realize it had rained—not too heavy, not too light. You didn’t bring an umbrella, but you didn’t feel like getting a taxi either, so you walked slowly for a while. HP +5：he breeze on the street felt a little gentler than the restaurant’s warm lights. MP +5：You realized that choosing not to participate is also a way of participating. [[Whatever, you have to back to work.]]

{(set: $HP to $HP + 5) (set: $MP to $MP + 5) (set: $GR to $GR + 10) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set: $GR to 0)]} When you saw HR’s message, you hesitated for ten seconds and didn’t reply. At the end of the workday, you quietly closed the chat window, left the message sitting in “unhandled" status, and spent the whole evening scrolling videos, ordering takeout, and taking a long shower—without a ripple of guilt. The next morning, you pretended you had just noticed it. You opened the chat and replied politely, vaguely: “Sorry, I happened to be busy yesterday and didn’t see this. Is it possible to schedule it next week?" But you knew: the boss never brought it up again, and HR simply said “no problem." Maybe they forgot; maybe they found someone else. Either way, you didn’t think too hard about it—trying to guess other people’s thoughts isn’t part of your job description. It looked like the matter was over. But in reality, there would still be consequences later. HP +5: You finally had a dinner without anxiety, and even slept well enough to dream. MP +5: You won a pocket of freedom, and the whole next day felt like a low-key vacation. GR +10: HR quietly moved your score up a notch—not because you did poorly, but because you “left absolutely no impression." [[Conversation Ends, back to work]]

Today was unusually quiet. No surprise inspections, no last-minute meetings, and none of those long voice messages your manager likes to send late at night. The emails were ordinary, the chats stayed quiet, and even the coworker across from you didn’t sigh once. It really felt like nothing happened. [[Yeah, just like that]]

Today’s work went unusually smoothly. No sudden project changes, and—miraculously—your manager didn’t send any late-night emails. The moment the clock hit six, everyone leapt from their desks like they’d been released from a cage. For the first time, the office was already half-empty before the sky even got dark. You also received that long-lost message: "No overtime today. Head home early." You feel like tonight you should— [[Go treat yourself to a nice meal]] [[Grab drinks with coworkers and complain about the company]] [[Go straight home, shower, and sleep without seeing anyone]]

There wasn’t anything in particular that bothered you today. No colleague messed up a requirement, no client called by mistake, and the boss didn’t suddenly look for you. You woke up earlier than your alarm, turned on your computer, looked at the to-do list, your heartbeat steady and your breathing light. You went through each task, one after another, without saying a single word. At noon you ordered the simplest takeout, the kind you’ve eaten too many times, and you didn’t finish it. You sat at your desk as usual, your hand on the mouse, but today you only clicked through three windows. Not because you were lazy, and not because you were tired. You just didn’t want to participate anymore. You didn’t feel pain, you didn’t feel anxiety — you simply felt that nothing was worth responding to. That night after work, you shut down your computer on time, walked out of the company with the same expressionless face as always, and no one noticed anything different about you. You felt reality becoming harder to bear, your thoughts slipping further away, your sense of reason quietly fading in the background. Soon, whether in your small rented room, on a silent subway platform, or by some rooftop railing, someone noticed your absence. You were gone. Was any of this worth it? Deep down, you already knew the answer. (link: "Next Page")[ (go-to: "MPnext")]

''GAME OVER'' ''You failed due to MP exhaustion.'' ------------ (align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[''Notification''] To all concerned colleagues: After system monitoring and multiple emotional-model evaluations, the individual formerly known as $realName（Employee ID $companyID） has, within this cycle, voluntarily ceased their behavior-execution process. (align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[''Reason for status termination: prolonged mental exhaustion and cognitive discontinuity.''] Their final decision has been classified by the system as an “automatic exit,” and they are no longer part of the active employee sequence. This employee spent $ExpYear years in the company, maintaining stable performance, consistently high adaptability, and a strong task-completion record. System evaluation: no violations, no disruptions. We acknowledge their choice and respect their decision. All related files and activity logs will be properly archived in the backend. (align:"==>")[Department of Human Resource] (align:"==>")[“Grind Never Dies.”] ------------------------------All rights EverGrind.inc---------------------------------------------- [[Continue Next Page]]

{(set: $GR to $GR + 1) (set: $MP to $MP + 5) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set: $GR to 0)]} You started planning three days in advance. You took off your smart wristband so your daily steps would stay under 200, all to perfectly set up the message you’d send on Friday: "Throat feels a bit swollen… might be an infection." You even attached a 37.9°C temperature screenshot (found online). To the outside world, you were "really wanting to join but so sorry I can’t." Inside, you were already curled up on the couch, food delivery ordered, drama queued up — ready to enjoy a weekend full of human dignity. What you said wasn’t entirely a lie — you were sick. But since you still showed up for work afterward, HR now believes you faked it just to avoid bonding with the team. MP +5: You weren’t disturbed by work at all this weekend, and your spirit feels wonderfully restored. GR +1: HR’s eagle eyes are now firmly fixed on you. [[Next week, you come back to work]]

Friday afternoon, you’ve just finished dealing with a late monthly report and are ready to take a break. Your phone lights up — it’s a message from a friend from your university days: "I’m on a business trip in your area this weekend and staying downtown for a night. It's been a long time — wanna grab a dinner?" You glance at your schedule. You were supposed to attend a small training session later, and you still have next week’s team meeting to prep for. But you also know this friend was the closest one from those years when you hadn’t yet become a "company machine." You stare at the words "Are you free tonight?" and suddenly realize: Back then, you would hang out until midnight whenever you had time. But now, even meeting a friend has become something you need to weigh like a cost. [[Agree to meet immediately and treat him to dinner tonight]] [[Agree to meet, but only for a late-night drink at the bar.]] [[Suggest meeting next time instead]]

At 10:30 on Friday morning, the weekly department meeting was underway, the lights in the meeting room as bright and harsh as ever. You sat in the corner, half listening to the reports, half scrolling through group-buy deals on your phone. The boss was wrapping up the sixth agenda item when he suddenly glanced at the screen and—casually, yet fatally—said: “For this part… let’s have $companyID say a few words." You froze on the spot. Your mind went completely blank. The PPT was open, but your soul had already left your body. What can you do now? [[Force yourself to speak and improvise on the spot]] [[Hesitate for a few seconds and push the question to a teammate]] [[Give an awkward smile and say "I’m actually not very familiar with this part…"]]

At 9 a.m. on Monday, the entire department was pulled into the meeting room. The boss stood in front of the Power Point with a laser pointer, passionately explaining the "valuable lessons" from last week’s project— which was, in reality, a well-packaged postmortem of a failure. You sat in the last row, so sleepy your eyes felt gritty. [[Pretend to be serious: take frantic notes and nod from time to time]] [[Gently but directly point out errors on the PowerPoint: the data is literally calculated wrong]] [[Be invisible: get through the meeting without making a ripple]]

You showed up at the office on time the next day. The group chat had already moved on, and no one mentioned that late-night tag anymore. But deep down, you knew the truth. Some things do not need anyone to force you. Once you do it once, everyone quietly assumes you will keep doing it. You opened your task list and started a brand-new day, as if nothing had happened last night. Even though you still had to deal with it. But you knew better. It was not that you forgot. You just learned how to pretend you did. (display: "ContinueNextPhase")

At 6:40 a.m., you opened your eyes, your mind feeling like it had been soaked in cotton — dull and slow. You dismissed the first alarm. Then the second. By the time the third went off, you were already sitting at the edge of your bed, staring into nothing. You were awake. But it didn’t feel much different from being asleep. 9:15 a.m. When you arrived at your desk, you noticed a few coworkers had sticky notes on their monitors that said "Finish before 10 p.m." You looked at them like you were looking at a version of yourself from last night. You didn’t think too hard about it. You just made yourself a cup of instant coffee out of habit, then sat down in front of the screen. You began to work, your movements stiff but precise. (display: "ContinueNextPhase")

After the weekend ended, you were back in the same familiar cubicle. The cursor blinked on your document, your phone stayed quiet, and only the keyboard sounded like it was fighting for its life. During a short break, you checked your phone and saw a friend’s post. It was a photo of the city at night with a caption: “It is always good to see an old friend." You stared at the sentence for a few seconds, then put your phone away and kept typing. You suddenly realized that you did not really believe in the words “see you next time" anymore. (display: "ContinueNextPhase")

The next week arrived quickly, and everyone got busy again, while your boss remained as stern as ever. (display: "ContinueNextPhase")

{(set: $HP to $HP + 0) (set: $MP to $MP - 5) (set: $GR to $GR - 5) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set: $GR to 0)]} You gave a small smile and said, "It’s alright, I guess. Hard to find a job these days anyway." He nodded and replied, "Yeah, true," then fell silent. You didn’t reveal anything in your expression. When the elevator doors opened, you suddenly felt a bit envious of his innocence—he still believed that someone could just answer that kind of question. You weren’t tired; it was just a smile that felt even more perfunctory than usual. MP -5：You kept thinking about it the whole way, but you didn’t tell the truth—nor did you dare to. GR -5：A small shiver ran through you. After that, you simply continued working as normal, and nothing else happened. [[Leave from Elevator]]

You clocked in, turned on your computer, and saw no red "urgent" tags on your desktop. No one called on you in the morning meeting, there was no line at lunch, and the afternoon meeting was canceled. There weren’t many emails, not many messages. Even the coworker who usually annoys you wasn’t around today. You finished what you needed to do for today, and even got a bit of tomorrow’s work done. No one praised you, and no one criticized you. You left work on time, got on the subway, scrolled through your phone, and spaced out while looking out the window. You weren’t especially happy, and you weren’t especially tired. You were simply—carried along by the flow of time. You didn’t get angry today, didn’t show up late, didn’t say anything useless. You didn’t feel joy, didn’t look forward to anything, didn’t zone out for long either. You just went through the day like a pen lying on a desk—still, untouched, neither used nor needed. You even found yourself missing yesterday’s problems a little. HP MP GR +0：No fluctuations of any kind. Just another calm, uneventful day. (display: "ContinueNextPhase")"

You clocked in on time, ate breakfast, and sat down to turn on your computer. The project wasn’t delayed, the meeting ended on schedule, and lunch was decent. Your boss didn’t message you, no one @-mentioned you in the group chat, and HR didn’t send out any new policies. You listened to music, worked, drank water, went to the restroom, and replied to emails. Your coworkers whispered a few things to each other now and then, but the room quickly fell back into silence. At around 2:30 in the afternoon, you suddenly paused, staring blankly at your screen. You weren’t stuck. You weren’t tired. You just suddenly realized: nothing happened today. No scolding, no being scolded, no surprises, no accidents. You’re alive, working, quietly being worn down in a perfectly normal way. HP MP GR +0：No fluctuations of any kind. Just another calm, uneventful day. [[Continue]]

You were just about to shut down your computer and head home when a private message from HR popped up: “The boss wants a one-on-one chat with you. Tomorrow at 3 p.m., Meeting Room B." No explanation. No emojis. Just that. You stared at the sentence, and your mind immediately hit fast-forward: Did I come in late last week? Did I send the wrong slides version? Is the project delay somehow being pinned on me? This kind of "chat" is often nothing more than a polite prelude to something much less polite. [[Prepare in advance — bring data, timelines, and proof of your work]] [[Go in cold — act normal, improvise on the spot]] [[Leave the message on read — pretend you never saw it]]

You had planned to leave work on time today. Your bag was already packed, your earphones wrapped up, and your computer just about to shut down. Then a new message popped up in the group chat. "[PM]: There’s an issue right now. We need to go through everything again tonight. There were quite a few front-end errors, and the product goes live at 9 a.m. tomorrow." You froze for a second. She didn’t @ anyone. But she posted it in the group. And you are… in the group. You stared at the faint glow of the screen, listening as most of your coworkers quietly sat back down, opened their laptops, and the clicking of mice began again. What should you do? [[Reply proactively and prepare to work overtime]] [[Pretend you didn’t see it, grab your bag, and walk out]]

It was Friday noon when your phone rang. It was your mother. "We happen to be free this weekend and want to drop by and see you. Is it convenient for you?" You froze for a second. It wasn’t that it wasn’t convenient — it was the sudden realization: You’ve worked in this city for three years, yet you’ve never brought them to the place where you live. Not because you were hiding anything on purpose, but because… you can’t quite explain why. You glanced at your work schedule for the weekend, then thought about your small rented apartment. [[Take half a day off and show them around the neighborhood]] [[Book them a hotel and have dinner together in the evening]] [[Apologize and say "I’m really busy lately," and let them arrange things themselves]]

{(set: $HP to $HP + 5) (set: $MP to $MP + 0) (set: $GR to $GR - 5) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set: $GR to 0)]} You didn’t stop working — typing with one hand while shoveling food with the other. You didn’t taste anything. After seven or eight rushed minutes, the container went back into the bag and straight into the trash. You were full, but you couldn’t remember what you’d eaten. HP +5: You refueled enough to stop feeling weak. No emotional recovery — just avoiding collapse. GR -5: Your output stayed on track, and you stayed silent. [[You back to work]]

You replied in seconds: "Yes, I’m free, thank you for taking care of me!" Right after you sent the message, you were added into a mysterious dinner group chat named "Talent Care Group 1." At the dinner, HR was unusually gentle, starting with small talk about your work status, then slowly circling toward topics like "your long-term plans with the company." You carefully hopped back and forth between "I’m loyal" and "I don’t actually want to die here," terrified that one wrong sentence might expose you. By the time you got home, it was already late, and there was an 8 a.m. morning meeting the next day. The good news: HR has clearly categorized you as "temporarily stable talent who can be sustainably squeezed." { (set: $HP to $HP - 10) (set: $MP to $MP - 5) (set: $GR to $GR - 2) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR > 100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set:$GR to 0)] } HP -10: Toasting, small talk, and overtime back-to-back—your body has officially entered "pre-overwork" mode. MP -5: After being "cared for" interrogatively all night, you start wondering if your career planning should begin with deleting HR from your contacts. GR -2: In HR’s spreadsheet, you’ve been filed under "stable and squeezable," slightly lowering your chances of being laid off first. [[After dinner, you return to your desk]]

{(set:$showStatus to false)} This round of job hunting… you’re not sure whether it’s just everyone spreading anxiety online, or if fresh graduates really are treated worse than stray dogs this year. You’d already heard from Little Sweet Potato and TokLook that the job market wasn’t looking good. As a new graduate, when you signed the company documents, HR gave you a strange smile and said: "Hello, student. Would you be okay starting with an internship? Our headcount will be decided based on your performance after three months." You knew you didn’t have many choices. Getting a job these days isn’t easy, right? [(link: "You accept the early internship, even though it feels suspiciously like empty promises.")[(goto: "Intern")]] [(link: "You decline the internship and give up the offer.")[(goto: "CancelEnding")]]

{(set: $HP to $HP - 10) (set: $MP to $MP - 10) (set: $GR to $GR - 10) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set: $GR to 0)]} When you got home, you sat down immediately and started organizing materials— every version of every document since the start of the year, the latest requirement lists, even those tiny tasks that got abruptly canceled mid-way, all carefully labeled with “Interrupted due to unplanned changes." The next day, you dressed more formally than on a normal workday, arrived ten minutes early, and when the boss walked into the meeting room and sat down, you handed over a neatly printed briefing sheet before he even spoke. Throughout the meeting you were composed, orderly, and sincere. Your pacing was steady, your phrasing polished, and when you talked about “challenges," your eyes carried just the right amount of determination. The boss listened carefully, and the frequency of his nodding kept increasing. HP -10: Two consecutive nights of working past midnight—today you’re surviving purely on coffee and pain patches. MP -10: Your emotions are stretched thin, like a violin string pulled tight just to avoid making a sound. GR -10: Your “reliable, controllable, able to take hits" label has quietly been re-confirmed; you’ve temporarily escaped the danger zone. [[Conversation Ends, back to work]]

{(set: $HP to $HP - 5) (set: $MP to $MP - 5) (set: $GR to $GR - 1) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR > 100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set:$GR to 0)]} The boss called your name with satisfaction, praising your "excellent learning attitude." The price: your brain has already generated three pages of useless mental noise. Are you sure doing this doesn’t exhaust you? HP -5: Your eyes sting, your back stiffens, and when you sit back down, your neck and lower back ache. MP -5: Your mind feels taken over by the company—your personal time completely shut off. GR -1: The boss is very pleased. [[Then, you back to your seat]]

{(set: $HP to $HP + 5) (set: $MP to $MP + 5) (set: $GR to $GR + 5) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set: $GR to 0)]} You shut your phone off completely. No matter who tried to call, nothing would get through. You put in your earplugs and chose not to respond to this late-night "psychological ambush." You knew you weren’t the project owner, and a random @ at this hour was exactly the kind of trap that would lock you in if you replied too fast. So you went to bed as usual, woke up as usual, and only when you sat down at your desk the next morning did you open the chat and casually type: "Not my interface, but I’ll help make sure it gets resolved." HP MP +5: You slept well, ate well, and weren’t disturbed all night — a brief taste of freedom gave you a surprisingly good mood. GR +5: The boss didn’t say anything, but your “disappearance" that night earned you a little question mark in their mental notes. [[Next day, you have to go to work still.]]

{(set: $HP to $HP + 5) (set: $MP to $MP + 5) (set: $GR to $GR + 10) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set: $GR to 0)]} As you stepped out of the office, you glanced back at the lights and noticed someone had silently sat back down and reopened their IDE. You left. No one stopped you. You’re not a supervisor, and you’re not the only firefighter on the team. The next day, you arrived an hour early. The first thing you said as you walked in was: "I missed the message last night — is there anything I need to catch up on?" The launch went smoothly, and the client accepted everything without issue. But you could feel the way people looked at you had changed. (live: 2s)[ HP MP +5: The pressure had been suffocating, but after one full night of sleep, you woke up actually feeling human. GR +10: You’re no longer "trusted" as the kind of person who will stay at crucial moments — even though no one actually wants to be that person. [[Next day, you wake up, and go to work]] ]

{(set: $HP to $HP - 5) (set: $MP to $MP - 15) (set: $GR to $GR - 5) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set: $GR to 0)]} You sent a WeChat message:"The report was actually partly organized by me too — could we include both our names next time?" He replied:"Ah sorry, I was rushing and forgot to add yours. Next time for sure." You deleted the draft reply saying "It’s okay," and replaced it with a single 👍. HP -5: You didn’t argue or explode, but your body knew you had just swallowed a fire. MP -15: It’s not that you’re not hurt — you’re just too tired to explain "why I’m upset" yet again. GR -5: You handled it gracefully, and HR would label you as "emotionally stable and highly cooperative." [[After meeting]]

{(set: $HP to $HP + 0) (set: $MP to $MP - 5) (set: $GR to $GR + 0) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set: $GR to 0)]} You looked at the tea drawer and sighed, pulling out a flattened, soulless-looking green tea bag. You thought of the older relatives at home who always drank tea—except theirs came from a metal tin, not a sad little hotel-style sachet. You poured hot water, carried it back to your desk, closed your eyes, and took a small sip—the bitterness hit instantly. The tea didn’t wake you up; it just woke your mood up. The flavor was so faint it was basically hot water, and the whole day felt like a computer stuck on the loading screen. MP -5: You’re used to the bitterness of coffee, but this accidental cup of tea somehow made everything taste even more bitter—like a corporate worker dragging their exhausted body into the office before they’ve even fully woken up. [[You have to work when coffee machine is broken]]

{(set: $HP to $HP - 5) (set: $MP to $MP - 10) (set: $GR to $GR - 5) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set: $GR to 0)]} You picked up your laptop, reconnected to the company’s internal VPN, and opened the project files you thought you could finally ignore tonight. You spent 25 minutes retesting the logic, adjusting the code, fixing the issue, and then sent a message: "It’s done. Should be working now." Thirty minutes later, the boss replied with a 👍, and the group chat immediately fell silent again. But the notification sound had scared you fully awake, and you didn’t fall asleep until almost 2 a.m. HP -5: Your eyes stung, your back stiffened, and even lying in bed you couldn’t fall asleep. MP -10: You solved the issue, but your mind felt hijacked by the system — your personal time completely shut down. GR -5: The boss was pleased, but your “always online" response also silently turned you into a default on-call tool. [[Next day, you have to go to work still.]]

{(set: $HP to $HP - 5) (set: $MP to $MP - 10) (set: $GR to $GR - 5) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set: $GR to 0)]} 6:05 p.m. You replied, "Got it, we’ll start checking now." The PM sent back 2'' big thumbs''👍👍. You put your backpack down, plugged in your charger again, put on your glasses, opened the code folder, and tried to switch into "work mode." Your brain immediately started to blur—not because you weren’t focused, but because the exhaustion had arrived ahead of schedule... --------------- [HP -5: Your shoulders tightened with a dull ache. MP -10: You felt like a script running while half awake. GR -5: Your automatic overtime was silently noted by the boss. ---------------- ] (live: 2s)[9:48 p.m. And by this time, everyone was still fixing things. The product team’s copy update had been delayed. You went to ask, and she replied, "I just found out too—we’re still updating it." You were starving, so you ordered McDonald’s. In the combo section, you swapped the soda for coffee. But traffic was terrible today. By the time it arrived, both the burger and the coffee were cold. It wasn’t that you had no appetite — you just felt like you didn’t have time for a hot meal. ---------------- ] (live: 4s)[10:30 p.m. Everyone was still working, the entire office building glowing bright. But your coffee did nothing; your circadian rhythm simply refused to cooperate at this hour. Now your choice is? [[I can’t take it anymore — slip out quietly]] [[Keep working overtime]] ]

{(set: $HP to $HP - 15) (set: $MP to $MP - 15) (set: $GR to $GR - 10) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set: $GR to 0)]} You forced yourself to finish that self-published book. It was filled from start to finish with your manager’s own quotes, reflections, charts, selfies, and screenshots from PPT slides of speeches he gave at his friend’s company. At 3 a.m., you typed up a 2,000-word reflection, even quoted Buffett, and received praise for it. HP -15: Three nights of poor sleep left you hearing things that weren’t there. MP -15: You have no idea where your manager found the time to write all this — you finished it with your brain throbbing. GR -10: For now, you slipped under HR’s radar. [[after the meeting, everyone goes back to the seats]]

{(set: $HP to $HP - 5) (set: $MP to $MP - 10) (set:$GR to $GR - 5) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set: $GR to 0)]} You turned around, went back to your desk, put on your headphones, opened your laptop, and drank nothing. You told yourself you could power through, but by ten you had a headache, by eleven your vision was blurring, and by noon you wanted to curse at everything. You didn’t snap, and you didn’t collapse—but you knew you weren’t working today. You were fighting the spiritual withdrawal symptoms of missing your morning coffee. HP -5: Fatigue spread through your body like a low-pressure cloud. It’s not that you didn’t want to move—you simply couldn’t. MP -10: You tried to focus, but your brain felt like it was sinking in a swamp. You stared at the screen, unsure what you’d been doing a moment ago. You sat there all day, looking like someone on the verge of falling apart. A coworker walked past and frowned. GR -5: For some reason, the boss happened to walk by and caught a glimpse of you— the sigh that followed was… complicated. [[You have to work when coffee machine is broken]]

{(set: $HP to $HP + 0) (set: $MP to $MP + 5) (set: $GR to $GR + 5) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set: $GR to 0)]} You didn’t even look up, your tone flat: “I don’t really remember this. Go ask XX, he knows it better." The person froze for a moment. “Oh… okay…" They stood there for two seconds before slowly walking away. You finally got some peace and casually continued pushing your tasks forward, even feeling a little satisfied: for once, you’re not the one cleaning up the system mess. You know some people are good at leaving a nice impression, and some people are good at protecting themselves. You chose the latter. You’re not overly kind—and you’re not stupid. MP +5: You made a choice that served only yourself, and that flash of decisiveness felt refreshingly liberating. GR +5: HR quietly updated your profile notes: “Collaboration attitude requires observation." [[Then, you back to work]]

{(set: $HP to $HP + 5) (set: $MP to $MP - 5) (set: $GR to $GR + 5) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set: $GR to 0)]} You replied with "Got it," then casually turned off WeChat notifications. You made up your mind: it’s not working hours — you’re not feeding this habit. You still watched a bit of your show, but your mind kept circling back to that “there’s a problem" message. No matter how funny the scene was, you couldn’t laugh. HP +5: You protected your rest time, but your whole body stayed in low-pressure standby mode. MP -5: You couldn’t help wondering if the boss would be “disappointed" when you fixed it tomorrow — whether this waiting was already a tiny mark against you. GR +5: The boss thinks you’re responsible… just not necessarily in the way he wants. [[Next day, you have to go to work still.]]

{(set: $HP to $HP + 5) (set: $MP to $MP - 5) (set: $GR to $GR + 0) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set: $GR to 0)]} You didn’t get up. You simply said, “There’s documentation—I’ll send it to you.” You dug through the archive, found the old PDF, and dropped the link into chat. He glanced at it while standing there, nodded, and thanked you with a slightly cautious tone. When the newbie tried to ask a follow-up question, you happened to put on your headphones. You didn’t look up, didn’t respond, just continued working. He slipped away soon after. This wasn’t the first time you’d encountered something like this. You know: those who can self-learn survive; those who can’t even read documentation don’t last long. HP +5: You reminded yourself that in the workplace you must put yourself first. You helped just enough, nothing more, and strangely that made your workflow feel clearer. MP -5: The newbie didn’t walk far before pausing, leaving behind a faint sense of “not very friendly, but not exactly wrong either.” [[Then, you back to work]]

{(set: $HP to $HP +5) (set: $MP to $MP +5) (set: $GR to $GR +5) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set: $GR to 0)]} You smiled—not humble, not aggressive. One hand holding the cup, the other blocking the alcohol, your voice steady but unmistakably firm: "I’m allergic to alcohol. I really can’t drink. Let me toast you with tea instead." The boss paused for a moment, then laughed and waved it off: "Health comes first." The scene, thankfully, didn’t become awkward. And you didn’t back down at all. HP +5: Skipping alcohol protects your body; tea actually helps your digestion. MP +5: In the moment you refused, you felt a rare clarity and sense of self—like carving out a small air pocket to breathe in the dense jungle of office politics. GR +5: Older coworkers quietly admired your courage, while HR secretly tagged you as "a bit too clear-headed." But you also know this kind of confidence isn’t something everyone has—and you can’t guarantee you’ll always have it either. [[Toast ends, and you go home.]]

{(set: $HP to $HP + 0) (set: $MP to $MP - 5) (set: $GR to $GR + 5) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set: $GR to 0)]} You didn’t say anything—just gave a small shake of your head and a light smile. It wasn’t a yes or a no. It was simply a way to let the topic end on its own. The intern smiled too, but didn’t ask again. The elevator arrived quickly. You walked a few steps side by side—he went to pick up his milk tea, and you headed toward the cold shelf in the convenience store. You weren’t forcing yourself to act strong, nor were you revealing any weakness. Physically, you barely felt a thing. MP -5：You’ve grown so used to this kind of "smile without answering" exhaustion that it’s become numbness. GR +5：A sudden shiver ran through you, and you couldn’t shake the feeling that your luck might go bad afterward. [[Leave from Elevator]]

You didn’t jump into conversations, didn’t interrupt, and didn’t try to make yourself noticeable. You simply ate quietly, chiming in once in a while. Someone shared an embarrassing story from years ago, and the whole table burst into laughter. You laughed too, but quickly lowered your head again. In your heart, you knew: you came here just to avoid being absent, not to truly take part. [[Whatever, you have to back to work.]]

You turned off your alarm without hesitation and switched your phone to silent, leaving only emergency contacts able to get through. You slept from noon to afternoon, then drifted from afternoon back into the evening. Every now and then you woke up halfway, saw the 99+ notifications in the group chat, and realized most of them were just coworkers sending stickers and “holiday selfies." By the time you finally got out of bed, you felt like your whole system had rebooted. Your body felt lighter, and your anxiety had crawled back into its cave for a while. { (set: $HP to $HP + 10) (set: $MP to $MP + 5) (set: $GR to $GR + 0) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set:$GR to 0)] } HP +10: A full day of interrupted naps brought your health back a little. At least you will not fall asleep the moment you sit down. MP +5: With notifications off for once, you briefly forgot what the three letters K P I even look like. [[The day off slips away just like that]]

{(set: $HP to $HP + 10) (set: $MP to $MP + 10) (set: $GR to $GR + 5) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set: $GR to 0)]} "Just to clarify—this part of the report was done by X and me together. I organized the workflow section. Let’s sync the attribution next time~" The group went silent for three minutes. Then he replied:"True! $companyID did a lot of the heavy lifting this time!" But you knew the reply came too late — and felt too weightless. (live: 2s)[HP +10: You stood up for yourself. Even if it was only getting your name mentioned, you earned it. MP +10: You didn’t feel lighter, but you also didn’t let yourself be quietly erased. GR +5: Some people think you were trying to claim credit — but others now know you’re not a "transparent person." [[After meeting]] ]

(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[GAME OVER, YOU REACHED A SPECIAL ENDING ] (align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[''CONGRATS''] You didn't break any rules. You didn't make any mistakes. You simply reached your natural endpoint within the system's process. Your journey was complete, your path compliant. No significant fluctuations. No unusual records. You were once marked as "special," and now you're labeled as "completed." [[Continue Next Page]]

A rare weekend with no team-building, no overtime, and no clients hunting you down. The weather’s nice, and—for once—the time actually belongs to you. How do you want to spend these two precious days? [[Stay home for two days and go absolutely nowhere]] [[Go hiking in the suburbs with a friend]] [[Wander around the mall]]

Today isn't different from any other. In the morning, you clock in as usual and brew your usual cup of tea. At noon, you have the usual set meal downstairs. Around 3 PM, you shut down your computer and tidy up your desk. There's no farewell party, no special goodbyes. A few colleagues pat you on the shoulder, saying, "Get some rest, take care." You nod, smiling politely: "Thanks, I will." You return your employee badge at reception, then step into the elevator. When the doors open on the ground floor, a chilly breeze rushes in, and you instinctively pull your coat tighter. As you step out of the building, the sky is turning gray, and rows of streetlights gradually flicker on. Standing at the street corner, watching the traffic light change from red to green, you suddenly realize: You don't have to come back tomorrow. You're officially retired. You head into a nearby diner that's still open and order two random dishes. You eat slowly, with no rush at all. There's no one sending you tasks, no one checking in. After finishing, you sit still for a moment. Then, suddenly, a thought crosses your mind: ''"…Besides this job, was there another way to live?" "Do you still remember why you came here in the first place?" Perhaps the answers are hidden in your bankcard or cheque, or blow it in the wind.'' (link: "Next Page")[ (go-to: "Special")]

{(set: $HP to $HP -20) (set: $MP to $MP -5) (set: $GR to $GR -5) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set: $GR to 0)]} You kept a smile on your face while your stomach churned like a storm. One shot down, vision dimming, the boss laughing with that "promising young man" approval. You know you won this round — but you also know your stomach will lose the second half of the night. HP -20: Your gut is on fire; your head swims. You feel like a walking barrel of high-proof liquor. MP -5: Whatever passion you had for life just got diluted into 53% clear alcohol. GR -5: Everyone watched you chug too fast and instinctively took half a step back, terrified they might be next. [[Toast ends, and you go home.]]

(text-style:"bold","emboss","expand","buoy")[Workaholic Simulator: Countdown To 35] (align:"=><=")+(box:"X=")[(align:"<==")+(box:"=XX=")[(link: "Play Game")[(goto: "ContractScene")]]]

{(set: $HP to $HP + 0) (set: $MP to $MP - 15) (set: $GR to $GR - 5) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set: $GR to 0)]} You turn off your phone and suddenly feel compelled to organize all the messy temporary files cluttering your desktop. You name each folder clearly and set up a meticulous sorting system. You tell yourself: Tidying things up is a way to rebuild a sense of order. MP -15: But deep down, you know that when you find yourself inexplicably engrossed in work, it's not that you're "in a good state of mind". it's just that you're "escaping faster." GR -5: Your computer is tidy, your emotions are messy, yet your efficiency somehow spikes. Later, you get unexpectedly praised by your boss in a small meeting for your recent good performance. [[Then, you go back to work]]

{(set: $HP to $HP + 5) (set: $MP to $MP + 15) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set: $GR to 0)]} You wake up at 11 a.m., scroll on your phone a bit, then fall back asleep. You order takeout, rewatch a show you’ve already seen three times, and the whole day passes in silent mode. At night, you catch your reflection in the mirror—your eyes look a little empty, but your mood is strangely steady. MP +15: You didn’t speak a single full sentence today. It feels like someone rebooted your entire brain. HP +5: No one noticed you, no one talked about you. You lived like an invisible person. All the accumulated exhaustion quietly reset itself. You feel… lighter. [[Weekends ends, back to the Office]]

{(set: $HP to $HP + 0) (set: $MP to $MP - 10) (set: $GR to $GR + 0) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set: $GR to 0)]} You didn’t respond at all. After the meeting, you simply stood up and went to pour yourself a cup of very bitter coffee. Someone said, "The logic of this case is really clear," and you nodded with a small smile, even adding a few compliments of your own. You handled everything flawlessly — as if you had never worked on the project in the first place. HP +0: Your body didn’t react, but it felt like a door in your chest quietly shut. MP -10: You’re not not angry — you just don’t know what anger would accomplish. GR +0: No one noticed any change in your mood, and no one remembered that you were supposed to be credited. [[After meeting]]

{(set: $HP to $HP - 5) (set: $MP to $MP - 5) (set: $GR to $GR - 5) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set: $GR to 0)]} You didn’t respond. You just watched the elevator numbers slowly count down, as if you were staring at some invisible progress bar. He didn’t ask a second time. When the doors opened, you stepped out first, and only when the breeze hit you did you realize you felt a little cold. HP MP -5：You barely moved, yet your whole body tightened, as if his question had hit a weak spot. It’s not that you didn’t want to answer—you just didn’t even have the strength to pretend you loved your job. GR -5：A sudden shiver went through you. After that, you simply kept working as usual, and nothing happened. [[Leave from Elevator]]

{(set: $HP to $HP - 5) (set: $MP to $MP - 10) (set: $GR to $GR - 5) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set: $GR to 0)]} You glanced at the calendar and said, "I really don’t think I can make time this week. Next time you come, stay a few more days." He replied, "It’s okay, I understand," and even added a smaile emoji. You don’t know if you’ll ever find time again — maybe you’ll each get busy with your own circles, start families, and so on. Soon, work pulls you back from that moment of sentimentality. You keep pushing through company documents, but your efficiency barely improves, and your mind drifts off several times.。 HP -5：You didn’t rest better over the weekend — your mood dragged out the meeting prep instead. MP -10：It’s not that you didn’t want to meet — you just didn’t dare face someone who still remembers the old you. GR -5：You submitted everything on time, the workflow was fine, but you can’t shake the feeling that you’re becoming more and more like a machine. [[Next week, You back to work still]]

{(set: $HP to $HP + 20) (set: $MP to $MP - 5) (set: $GR to $GR + 5) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set: $GR to 0)]} You finished the leave request before three in the afternoon and took the subway for two stops to meet them. You walked around a mall in the city center together and grabbed a simple meal. You didn’t take them to your company, nor did you tell them where your desk was. In the evening, you dropped them off at a budget hotel. Your mom said, "This is nice, the subway’s convenient." HP +20：You were tired all day, but you stayed more energized than anyone just to keep them company. MP -5：Watching them walk a little stiffly through the mall, you suddenly wanted to say "I’m sorry," but the words never came out. GR +5：You missed the department’s dry run. The manager didn’t call your name, but someone else ended up taking over your document. [[After this weekend, you back to work]]

{(set: $HP to $HP - 5) (set: $MP to $MP + 5) (set: $GR to $GR + 0) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set: $GR to 0)]} You lifted your tea cup and smiled as you asked, "Do you all still remember so-and-so? Is he still at that company?" You’re not the warm, sociable type, but you tried your best to make the night feel somewhat like a "reunion." Some people echoed you, some nodded, and some were clearly uninterested. Deep down, you knew—everyone wasn’t here to reminisce; they were here to compare the updated versions of their lives. HP - 5: Sitting for so long made your back ache a little. After smiling for too long, your face felt stiff. MP +5：You weren’t trying to please anyone; you were just afraid that being too quiet would make your presence even easier to overlook. GR +0：It’s not a workplace setting, but instinctively, you still felt the need to "maintain your image." [[Whatever, you have to back to work.]]

The day passed quickly. Whether you slept until you lost track of time, played until your battery died, or quietly worked overtime, this "boss-given day off" still ended up neatly recorded by the company as a line of data: attendance 0, overtime 0, a handful of online responses. When you looked at the schedule for the next day, you noticed a new line added: a last-minute meeting titled "Discussion on Flexible Work Arrangements." You suddenly found yourself missing the era when taking a day off didn’t need justification and didn’t affect your pay. Though, to be fair, that habit disappeared sometime after the 2000s. (display: "ContinueNextPhase")

No matter whether you treated yourself to a good meal, drank just enough to feel warm, or dove straight into bed, this overtime-free evening felt like a short commercial break slipped into your week. The next morning, you would still return to that familiar spot on time, facing the same desk, the same badge, the same beep at the entrance gate. The only difference was that your body and mind had been gently steadied by this brief taste of normal life—just enough that, for now, you didn’t feel the urge to open the job-hunting apps. (display: "ContinueNextPhase")

Your manager suddenly created a group chat called "High-Performance Reading Club." He announced that he had written an e-book titled "You’re Not Working Overtime — You’re Leveling Up" and uploaded it online. Everyone is required to clock in at 8 a.m. this week, read the whole thing, and submit a 1,000-word reflection. Anyone who doesn’t participate will have their "team culture score" affected. For the sake of your future, you decide— [[Respond enthusiastically and stay up late to read it]] [[Handle it smartly — use AI to write the reflection]] [[Refuse to participate and claim you only believe in paper books]]

You keep your head down and continue working. The sound of the air conditioner hums in your ears, and that sentence still echoes in your mind: “Do you know how to handle this?" You don’t hate helping people—you’re just tired. You were once a newcomer too, but no one ever cleared the path for you. Yet somehow, there’s always someone expecting you to “be more patient." There’s a lot you want to say, but in the end, you only sigh quietly to yourself: “The company never gave me a mentor, but somehow I’ve become one for everyone else." Then you press Enter and move on to the next line of code, the next email, the next spreadsheet. (display: "ContinueNextPhase")

Maybe this is what working life really is. You finally understood the secret. Meetings are simply a way to keep you social enough to function as a human being. (display: "ContinueNextPhase")

That day was uneventful. You finished work early and took the subway without checking your phone, staring out the window at the darkness the whole way. You didn't delete anyone, block anyone, or leave any messages. You just stopped clicking on that profile picture. You got home quickly, opened the fridge, took out the leftover food you hadn't finished, and scraped off the residue floating on the surface with a fork. After dinner, you suddenly started watching an old TV series, your favorite show back in your student days. You didn't know why you did it, but you just did. (display: "ContinueNextPhase")

The dinner wrapped up fast and quietly. Everyone stood up, exchanged a few polite lines, and slipped away as if they had rehearsed it. What was left was a table full of empty bottles and dishes that had already gone cold. You stood by the door for a moment, letting the wind hit your face before heading toward the subway. You felt a little dizzy. You were not sure if it was the alcohol or the atmosphere that was too thick. You remembered the line your boss said to a coworker. "This is not drinking. This is attitude." At that moment, you realized that no one here was ever drinking the alcohol. They were drinking the expectation that you can understand what the boss wants. And if you do not, you pretend you do. You pulled your coat tighter and walked into the station with your head down. The lights above you felt like they did not allow you to have an expression. (display: "ContinueNextPhase")

{(if: $Year is 25)["You're feeling lucky because most of your peers online are stuck freelancing or hopping between gigs."] (elseif: $Year is 30)["Your company starts calling you a 'veteran' and expects you to mentor newcomers. Yeah, but the salary doesn't increse too much. Meanwhile, your family keeps asking when you'll finally settle down."] (elseif: $Year is 35)[ "You're 35 now. The HR rep smiles gently, offers you a cup of coffee, and casually asks what time you usually head home and how your kid is doing in school. After your answers for no kids and partner. Then, as if it's no big deal, they ask, 'Do you know how the GR system works after 35? From today onward, your GR automatically increases by ''2%'' each year. Your age is now officially a KPI.' What else can you do after 35? Too many people, too few spots. You're starting to resent that society even allows this many people to exist. But what choice do you have? You get back to work."] (elseif: $Year is 40)["You start abandoning old habits, sometimes opting to relax with a hot cup of tea."] (elseif: $Year is 45)["You discover some former colleagues who were 'graduated' from EverGrind have launched their own company, which suddenly went viral nationwide. They're now financially independent."] (elseif: $Year is 50)["After years of late nights, you've started taking vitamins regularly."] (elseif: $Year is 60)["After more years of late nights, you've started taking more vitamins irregularly."]} (if: $Year >= 35)[(set: $GR to $GR + 2)"Due to company policy, your GR increases by 2 each year."]

(display: "UpdateAnnualStatus") (display: "EndCheck") You are now $Year years old. You notice that every year, more and more new graduates flood into the job market, and the competition for every position grows tighter. You begin to realize that being able to stay in your current role for just a few more years is already something to be grateful for. (display: "ContinueToEvent")

(display: "UpdateAnnualStatus") (display: "EndCheck") You are now $Year years old, working day after day, year after year, pouring your effort into the job without pause. (display: "ContinueToEvent")

(display: "UpdateAnnualStatus") (display: "EndCheck") You are now $Year years old, still performing impeccably: no lateness, no emotional fluctuations, no unrealistic expectations. (display: "ContinueToEvent")

(display: "UpdateAnnualStatus") (display: "EndCheck") You are now $Year years old. The seasons outside continue their quiet cycle, and you prepare to spend another year silently moving between keyboards and meetings. (display: "ContinueToEvent")

(set: $dissolve to (transition: "dissolve")) Verifying name information… please wait. (live: 3s)[Name check failed. Illegal characters detected… please wait.] (live: 5s)[(link: "Click me to change")[(goto: "ErrorNameResult")]]

(set: $dissolve to (transition: "dissolve")) Verifying name information… please wait. (live: 3s)[Name check complete. Your name complies with company values… please proceed to the next step] (live: 5s)[(link: "Next Step")[(goto: "CorrectNameResult")]]

{ (set: $MP to $MP + 5) (set: $GR to $GR - 5) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set: $GR to 0)]} You headed to the biggest mall in the city center, wandered through the gift shops, bought a few discounted clothes, and picked up a pair of soft, comfortable slippers. You thought, "Sure, I spent money… but I’m genuinely happy." In the evening you treated yourself to hotpot. The oily richness of the broth and the quiet emptiness of a weekend complemented each other surprisingly well. MP +5: The core principle of consumerism—spend money, buy peace of mind. You won. The money’s gone, but your mood is lighter. Isn’t that a fair trade? GR -5: You spotted something perfect in the gift shop and bought it on instinct, planning to give it to your supervisor. They’ll probably be pleased when they receive it. [[Weekends ends, back to the Office]]

The bright weekend came to an end. Short as it was, you still clung to it, because ever since you started this job, weekends became the only thing you count down to. Week after week. Like a tiny lighthouse you can barely see, but still look for anyway. (display: "ContinueNextPhase")

When you got home that night, changed clothes, and swiped past the group chat message about the "group photo collage" without liking it. You suddenly realized that many people hadn't changed. It was just that we no longer shared the same lives. You turned on the TV, muted it, and poured yourself a cup of warm water. You're old enough for that Monopoly Company, you cannot sleep with budlights fresh from the fridge any more. The hot tea and hot coffee becomes your daily. (display: "ContinueNextPhase")

The meeting finally ended, and you returned to your desk, still not fully recovered. Your heartbeat kept going like an alarm, all the way from the conference room to lunchtime. You knew that aside from the secretary, almost no one would actually remember what you said today. But the moment was still painfully awkward. So you opened your calendar for next week and wondered if you should create a special emergency folder called something like “In Case I Get Called On Again.” (display: "ContinueNextPhase")

At Monday’s morning meeting, the leader displayed a slide titled "Last Week’s Outstanding Case Share." The moment you saw the title, you knew it was yours. The project structure, the design logic, even the color choices — you knew every part of it by heart. Except the presenter wasn’t you. It was your project partner. He’d rearranged the cover page and, in the report email, listed only his own name. No one mentioned you. You sat in the corner, saying nothing, even forgetting to sip your water. [[Privately message him afterward with a gentle reminder]] [[Stay silent and pretend it doesn’t bother you]] [[Speak up in the team group chat and publicly add your contributions]]

You went to work as usual, clocked in as usual, and filled in numbers on spreadsheets as usual. During lunch break, someone was talking about a variety show. In the afternoon, someone else was rushing to grab a coffee coupon. Instinctively, you stayed alert, half-expecting a notification to pop up at any moment and tell you that all this was just the calm before a storm. But even when you shut down your computer and got ready to leave, the entire day still felt like a glass of plain water—so ordinary it almost didn’t feel real. { (set: $HP to $HP + 0) (set: $MP to $MP + 0) (set: $GR to $GR + 0) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set:$GR to 0)] } [[An ordinary day drifts by slowly]]

It was 10:30 at night, and the office was down to just you and the cleaning. You tossed your lunch box into the trash, stretched, and felt the yellow glow of the streetlights fall through the window. You suddenly realized that the bowl of hot soup you had earlier felt more sincere than anything said in all the meetings today. (display: "ContinueNextPhase")

You made it through the day. With tea, with convenience-store snacks, with sheer willpower, or maybe just with one long sigh—you still sat at your desk and finished everything you had to type. No one asked if you were tired. No one noticed whether you had coffee. The only thing keeping you going, the only thing you were holding on for, was getting off work. (display: "ContinueNextPhase")

This afternoon, your boss suddenly stopped by your desk and invited you to his dinner gathering. That evening, you arrived on time. The drinks hadn’t even been opened yet, but the toasting had already begun. An older employee was forced to drink three shots in a row; his voice started to tremble as he spoke. The boss laughed, patted him on the shoulder, and said: "You can’t refuse. A little alcohol is good for the mood. This isn’t liquor — it’s attitude." Then your name was called: "Hey, I heard your performance hasn’t been great lately, yeah?" You knew this wasn’t a drink anymore — it was yet another obedience test. You wondered why this company has so many kinds of obedience tests. But right now, what you need to handle is this toast. Your choices: [[Stand up and down the whole drink in one go]] [[Hesitate a moment, lightly clink glasses, and take a small sip]] [[Shake your head and refuse, saying you’re allergic to alcohol and will toast with tea instead]]

You’re drowning in project deadlines, barely holding things together, when the new colleague—after failing to get help from everyone else—taps gently on your desk: “Sorry to bother you… I couldn’t find the input path for XXX in the system. Do you have a moment to show me?" You stare at the interface in his hand. That question was answered clearly on page one of the onboarding PPT. But his expression is sincere, and HR just happens to be walking by. You look up, debating whether you should help.。 [[Give a detailed explanation and walk him through it]] [[Send him the documentation to read on his own]] [[Say impatiently, Please ask others]]

You didn’t become more cultured, and you definitely didn’t "level up." You simply learned yet another new format of endurance. Using every trick available, you filled in every required check-in. And you began to wonder: Maybe every "optional" activity ends up being even harder to refuse than the mandatory ones. (display: "ContinueNextPhase")

(if: $showStatus)[ <div id="sidebar"> <div class="card-title">''EMPLOYEE ID CARD''</div> Name: $companyID<br> Age: $Year<br> (text-colour:red)[HP]: $HP  (text-colour:cyan)[MP]: $MP<br> (text-colour:orange)[GR]: $GR%<br> <div class="card-footer">All rights EverGrind.inc</div> </div> ]

It’s the fourth hour of overtime. You finally lift your head from the document and place a hand on your stomach. You’re hungry — not because you want to eat, but because you need to. You open the food delivery app and instinctively tap on "Nearby · High Rating · Open Late." You pick a familiar old restaurant and order their full set of signature dishes. The food arrives quickly, well-packed and steaming hot. Sitting in the corner of the meeting room, you take a sip of the soup, and something inside you loosens. It’s not "the best meal," but that warmth — unlike the coldness of this company — made you breathe a little easier. So you decide: [[Finish it properly, even savor it for a moment]] [[Pick at it while revising the proposal, leaving most of it unfinished]]

(set: $HP to 100) (set: $MP to 100) (set: $GR to 0) (set: $Year to 22) (set: $ExpYear to 0) (set: $Phase to false) (set: $realName to "Null") (set: $companyID to "Niuma") (set: $showStatus to false)

(display: "UpdateAnnualStatus") (display: "EndCheck") You are now $Year years old. At this point, you are starting to suspect that someone, somewhere, is increasing this number without your consent. Each year, a fresh wave of graduates enters the workforce with glowing résumés and cheaper salary expectations. You watch them spawn like NPCs with higher stats but fewer responsibilities. You begin to accept that your biggest achievement might simply be existing in the system long enough that the system itself forgets to delete you. (display: "ContinueToEvent")

(display: "UpdateAnnualStatus") (display: "EndCheck") You are now $Year years old. The HR emails about “campus recruitment" feel less and less related to you, like ads for a game you stopped playing years ago. You watch another batch of fresh graduates join with bright eyes and new laptops. They talk about “finding themselves," while you are still trying not to lose yourself in this job. You begin to understand that sometimes survival is already a kind of success, even if no one gives you a promotion for it. (display: "ContinueToEvent")

(display: "UpdateAnnualStatus") (display: "EndCheck") You are now $Year years old. The game insists on reminding you of this every year, as if aging were a feature instead of a bug. Meanwhile, new hires keep appearing with the enthusiasm of side characters who do not know how the story ends. They treat every task like a main quest, while you are just trying to avoid a bad ending. You start to realize that staying employed is not career progression. It is simply you holding down the “continue" button so the game does not kick you back to the title screen. (display: "ContinueToEvent")

(display: "UpdateAnnualStatus") (display: "EndCheck") You are now $Year years old. The number keeps increasing, even though nothing else seems to. Every year, new graduates arrive with optimistic smiles and ergonomic chairs. You wonder how long it will take before they start sitting like you, as if their soul has already filed for resignation. You begin to understand that in this workplace, aging is not a timeline. It is just a loading bar no one asked for. (display: "ContinueToEvent")

(display: "UpdateAnnualStatus") (display: "EndCheck") You are now $Year years old. You can feel your ambitions shrinking, like files being compressed to save space. New hires appear every year, full of excitement and potential. You used to see them as colleagues. Now they look more like replacements waiting politely for their turn. You realize that the longer you stay, the more the office feels like a slow-moving elevator that no one remembers stepping into. (display: "ContinueToEvent")

(display: "UpdateAnnualStatus") (display: "EndCheck") You are now $Year years old. At some point, you popped out an idea, that you stopped wishing for promotions and started wishing for a pause button. The newcomers are everywhere, bright and loud, talking about career goals like they still believe in them. You envy that kind of innocence. You also know it will leave their body soon. You begin to suspect that survival in this company is not about talent or effort. It is simply about who gives up the slowest. (display: "ContinueToEvent")

Party A: EverGrind Unlimited Corporation (hereinafter referred to as "the Company") Party B: $realName (hereinafter referred to as "the Employee Student") In view of Party B’s willingness to join the Company, recognition of the Company’s values, and ability to perform the basic duties of the position, the two parties, on the basis of equality and voluntary cooperation, agree to sign the following onboarding agreement: --- Article 1 — Job Description Party B is appointed as a "Junior Struggling Applicant." Responsibilities include, but are not limited to: Completing all assigned daily tasks; Participating in non-directive working hours (including extended meetings, instant chat responses, and weekend coordination); Maintaining a stable performance record and positive feedback posture. --- Article 2 — Working Hours & System The Company adopts a flexible working schedule. Actual working hours will shift based on project pace, departmental arrangements, and real-time communication needs. The Employee shall maintain continuous availability and avoid situations such as "long offline periods" or "concentrated emotional negativity". --- Article 3 — Salary & Benefits The Employee will receive a base salary matching the role, as well as non-material incentives, including but not limited to: Above-industry salary level; Periodic verbal recognition; Inclusion in annual commendation materials; Holiday-themed corporate gifts； --- Article 4 — Personnel Adjustment Mechanism The Company reserves the right to adjust the Employee’s status based on internal evaluation results. The Employee Student may enter the "Graduation Process" under any of the following circumstances: Abnormal emotional fluctuations; Long-term sub-health conditions; Failure to pass periodic assessments after the age of (text-colour:orange)[''35'']. --- Article 5 — Agreement Confirmation By signing this agreement, Party B acknowledges and accepts all related management rules. During the validity period, the Company may adjust, reassign, or terminate cooperation as needed. Party B (Employee Name): $realName Date of Signing: 20xx / xx / xx (align:"==>")["Grind Never Dies."] (align:"<==")[(link-goto:"« Back To Last Step", $prevPassage)]

(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[''EverGrind Privacy Policy''] EverGrind.inc (hereinafter referred to as "the Company") values the data and privacy you generate within this system. This Privacy Policy explains how EverGrind handles, records, uses, and protects your information when you access the EverGrind Career Lifecycle System (hereinafter "the System") as an Intern or Employee. I. Scope of Application 1. This policy applies to all **behavioral and status data**you generate within the System, including but not limited to: - Department placement, role transitions, promotion/demotion results; - Decision logs from events, dialogues, and choice nodes; - Numerical data and labels related to performance and risk assessment. 2. This policy governs only how data flows within the internal structure of EverGrind. II. Types of Data We Record During your use of the System, EverGrind may record the following categories of information related to "you" (collectively referred to as "Employee Data"): 1. **Identity & Label Information** - Basic identifiers: such as variable（$realName）、employee ID（$companyID）etc.； - Role labels: e.g., "Full-time Candidate", "Key Monitoring Target", etc. 2. **Status & Numerical Information** - HP (Health Point), MP (Mental Point), GR (Group Ratio, Risk of Layoff) and related fluctuations; - Performance ratings, assessment outcomes, and System-triggered events such as "Intern Conversion", "Promotion Failed", "GAME OVER", etc. 3. **Behavior & Path Information** - Choices you make in events (e.g., whether you work overtime, take the blame, participate in workplace politics); - Departments you enter, projects you engage in, and System-constructed logs of meetings and activities. All data is used solely to model and compute your career trajectory within the EverGrind ecosystem. III. How We Use Your Data The Company uses Employee Data under the following circumstances: 1. **System Operation & Outcome Calculation** - To compute risk indicators such as GR, triggering or preventing layoff, conversion, promotion, etc.; - To determine which content, scenarios, and endings you experience. 2. **Organizational Optimization** - To analyze anonymized aggregated data, evaluating whether certain policies are "too humane" or "not competitive enough"; - To adjust weightings, thresholds, or narrative styles in future cycles. 3. **Story & Immersive Presentation** - To generate notifications, emails, evaluations that reference variables (such as $realName、$companyID）， creating realistic internal communication experiences. IV. Data Storage & Retention 1. Employee Data will be retained throughout your active lifecycle until one of the following conditions is met: - You complete your lifecycle and exit the EverGrind System; - You are marked as "long-term inactive" and archived; - Higher-level processes clean historical cycle data according to Company policy. 2. Archived data is for statistical and model referencing only, and no longer influences current-cycle outcomes. V. Internal Data Sharing & Flow 1. Within EverGrind, your data may circulate among the following subsystems: - Performance Evaluation Engine - GR Risk Control Module - Departmental & Organizational Structure Allocation Module - Narrative & Event Scheduling Engine 2. Such circulation is strictly internal; data is not shared with any entity outside the EverGrind organization. VI. Your Choices & System Feedback 1. Your behavior choices within the System affect HP / MP / GR and corresponding narrative outcomes. 2. At certain stages, the System may allow you to reselect paths (e.g. "Restart Cycle", "Enter Alternate Route"). Such selection does not delete past records—it produces new calculated results. 3. Once the System issues decisions such as "Termination", "Intern Conversion Failure", or "GAME OVER", such decisions will be logged as the final record for the current cycle. VII. Policy Updates 1. This policy may be updated as EverGrind’s rules, processes, or modules evolve. 2. Updated versions will be displayed within the System; continued use implies acceptance. 3. If you feel discomfort regarding updates, options may include: - Continued observation within the current cycle; - Choosing to exit the System and end your relationship with EverGrind. VIII. Supplementary Provisions 1. Section titles are for convenience only and do not affect the validity of policy terms. 2. In case of inconsistency between this Policy and higher-level documents (such as EverGrind · Lifecycle Process Manual), the higher-level document shall prevail. (align:"==>")[Department of Data & Ratio Management] (align:"==>")["Grind Never Dies."] --- (align:"<==")[(link-goto:"« Back To Last Step", $prevPassage)]

{(set: $HP to $HP -10) (set: $MP to $MP -10) (set: $GR to $GR -5) (if: $HP > 100)[(set: $HP to 100)] (if: $HP < 0)[(set: $HP to 0)] (if: $MP > 100)[(set: $MP to 100)] (if: $MP < 0)[(set: $MP to 0)] (if: $GR >100)[(set:$GR to 100)] (if: $GR < 0)[(set: $GR to 0)]} Even though you hated it, you still signed up enthusiastically. You volunteered yourself as an "outdoor enthusiast," and you were the first to reply in the group chat. Every time the leader said "teamwork," you nodded on cue — the perfect template employee for team building. But you didn’t enjoy the event at all. You were simply performing in front of your superiors. On the night the activity ended, you sat on the return bus, watching the highway lights pass by one after another. There were scratches on your arm, sand still in your shoes, and your hair felt sticky from not being washed properly. Your coworkers were discussing who should edit the videos from today, and the leader was laughing, saying, "This really brought us closer together." You leaned against the window and closed your eyes. A thought suddenly popped into your mind: So this is what "enhancing team cohesion" means — everyone gets exhausted together, and no one dares to be the first to complain. If keeping your job weren’t part of the equation, who would choose to spend their weekend with their boss? HP MP -10: You brought your forced enthusiasm into the wilderness and your body and mind paid the price. GR -5: You performed flawlessly in front of the higher-ups, successfully passing the obedience test. [[Next week, you come back to work]]