Yang Luo

  "Better get a check-up at the hospital tomorrow... and after that, get some medication. This way, I'll be in a better state to work and earn in the future."

  Turning back, Yang Luo gazed at the towering company building.

  At the very top of the building facade, two characters, "盛意," written in grand and exquisite calligraphy stretching over ten meters, shone brilliantly in the cold night. They radiated an intense glow as they met his eyes.

  That was the name of his current company.

  Shengyi.

  One of the top game giants in the country, with annual revenue and profits both surpassing ten billion.

  Since Yang Luo graduated from a university with a degree in Communications, he had been working in this company, specifically in the server group. Eight years had passed since.

  Eight years, even longer than his school years. This company had become something of a second home for him.

  In Yang Luo's eyes, Shengyi was a company filled with warmth.

  Upon graduation, the company's training was systematic. Mentors patiently guided them. The colleagues he joined with had become close friends, laughing and sharing memories together.

  After the initial training, he and a few close friends joined an as-of-yet unlaunched project. They worked on it for five years. Despite the project eventually failing due to licensing issues, the company valued Yang Luo's skills and attitude. Instead of laying him off, they transferred him internally to another successful project where he became a member of the server group. Three years had passed since.

  Even in that group, being the eldest, his team leader was a young man, just two years out of college. Yet, the camaraderie was strong, and even the team leader and others respectfully addressed him as "Bro Luo." Every time he heard it, it brought warmth to his heart.

  Moreover, since joining this project, his income had been steadily rising. Not to mention monthly bonuses, just his basic monthly salary exceeded 30k. In a city like Qingxia, considered almost a tier-one city, this placed him within the top 5% of earners.

  For Yang Luo, who came from an impoverished rural family, he was undeniably grateful for the company's generous treatment.

  "I've already bought a house in the city for my parents. I've also settled down in Qingxia and bought a 100-square meter apartment in the suburbs. Though the down payment had emptied my savings, and every month I'm paying back 15k for the mortgage... as long as I work diligently and do some overtime, I can cover the mortgage and even save a bit... In time, I'll buy another house in Qingxia, bring my parents over, perhaps find a girlfriend, get married, have a child, and give them a life far superior to my childhood."

  As he hailed a late-night taxi, provided by the company for those working overtime, Yang Luo's face was still adorned with a smile.

  Envisioning a distant future, his heart brimmed with joy.

  However, once he returned home and lay on the narrow bed of his rented apartment, a slight pain resurfaced in his heart, interrupting his joyful imaginations.

  "Ugh..."

  Yang Luo pouted in displeasure.

  "...Why is it hurting again?"

  With the resurgence of this pain, some distressing memories flooded back.

  It was from when his former project failed to launch, leading to mass layoffs.

  A friend who had joined the project with him failed to secure another position within the company. After being laid off, he grew resentful, frequently venting his frustrations on Shengyi, trying to drag Yang Luo into his circle of negativity.

  Such pessimism always left Yang Luo frowning.

  Due to being constantly exposed to these rants, Yang Luo eventually distanced himself from that friend.

  Moreover, he always felt that the friend was envious because Yang Luo's skills were recognized by another project while his weren't.

  Subsequent events vindicated Yang Luo's judgment.

  After leaving the company, that friend not only pursued labor arbitration but also leaked negative news about the company, costing Shengyi both money and reputation.

  As a result, Shengyi blacklisted him through the "Sunshine Integrity Alliance," making him persona non grata amongst major gaming companies. The friend had since disappeared from the scene.

  Yang Luo found his actions incomprehensible.

  Why? Even if the company had to compensate, why not just take the severance package and find a new job? Maintain good relations, so future background checks would be positive. Why destroy everything?

  As for his friend's assertion that "Shengyi will kick you out when you're no longer of use...", Yang Luo never took it to heart.

  As long as he honed his skills, how could he become redundant? And he believed that a warm-hearted company like Shengyi would surely treat its old employees well.

  With these thoughts, the pain in his heart slowly faded.

  Due to exhaustion, Yang Luo didn't even have the energy to shower. He just bundled himself up and drifted into a deep sleep.

  As his consciousness blurred, in a half-dream state, Yang Luo murmured, as if answering his old friend:

  "If you don't treat the company as family... how can you expect the company to treat you as one?"