The company's Annual Gala was coming up, and every employee was required to perform. I've been a corporate slave for a whole year, and I really didn't want to continue being treated like a circus monkey by the leadership. VP Johnson scolded me: "You ungrateful brat. This is a great opportunity to be seen by the C-suite. Since you don't want to advance, enjoy being a grunt for the rest of your life!" So, he assigned me to cover shifts for other departments while everyone else rehearsed for the Gala. When a client came to sign a contract, I sent them away: "The company is busy rehearsing for the Gala. No contracts today!" When the IRS came to audit, I blocked them at the door: "The company is busy rehearsing for the Gala. We can't host you!" Chapter 1 The Group executives were attending our Annual Gala. VP Johnson issued a command: "Everyone's priority for the end of the year is the Gala rehearsal. Everything else can wait." Besides that, everyone had to participate in a performance to ensure the executives saw a "united and energetic" team. When they were collecting program ideas, I said I had no talent. VP Johnson came to persuade me personally: "Ben, this is a golden opportunity to be seen by the higher-ups. The Group leaders are coming. This is one of the few chances you'll have to perform directly in front of them." "VP Johnson, I don't want to be seen by the higher-ups, nor do I want to perform. I'm just an ordinary employee. It's useless even if they see me." VP Johnson probably didn't expect me to be so unambitious. His "carrot on a stick" tactic failed, and he paused for a moment. "No, your mindset is dangerous! You're young, don't you want to climb the ladder?" "No!" I answered decisively. Out of ten people in our department, eight were nepo babies or friends of the boss. Even if I stripped on stage, the promotion and raise wouldn't be mine. VP Johnson shook his head in anger: "You're hopeless! You don't cherish such a good opportunity. You deserve to be a worker for life!" With that, he stormed off. Psycho. I'm here to work, not to sell my dignity. Department Manager Jessica saw that I pissed off VP Johnson and came to talk to me: "Ben, there's no need to offend VP Johnson. He's counting on this Gala to go well so the Group leaders will be happy and promote him to HQ." "So we have to act like monkeys to pave his way?" Jessica was choked by my retort. She paused and continued: "I... I'm doing this for your own good. After all, you still have to work here. There's no need to offend him." Psycho. When my mom says "it's for your own good," I suspect she's gaslighting me. Let alone you, a corporate lackey? Hilarious! "If you really want what's best for me, don't make me participate in this bullshit Gala." "Watch your language! I really mean well. Why are you so ungrateful?" Jessica's tone hardened, which directly caused the anger I had suppressed for a year to explode. "You want me to be blunt? Ten people in our department, eight are useless connections. All the work is dumped on me. I've worked my ass off for a year, just wanting a break, and you want me to work overtime for a rehearsal? For what?" Jessica was shocked by my directness, looking at me like I was a madman. "Connections? What nonsense. Our company speaks with results. I became a manager based on ability. Factors outside of ability are zero!" "Yeah, your brother-in-law said the same thing in the meeting!" Her brother-in-law is VP Johnson. Jessica's face turned purple instantly. Chapter 2 The next morning, I saw Jessica leading the whole department singing "We Are the World," complete with choreography. I wasn't sure what they were thankful for. Thankful that the company fed this group of parasites? Logically, that makes sense. I'm just a regular guy. I just want to work quietly and get paid what I deserve. Why do they keep forcing these "values" on me? Those executives should be the ones singing and dancing. After all, their million-dollar salaries are earned by the blood and sweat of us grunts. They should be more grateful. Besides, if you're going to paint a picture, make it realistic. Don't just draw a pile of shit and feed it to us: Singing and dancing for leaders, amusing them, and we'll have a future? Then just hire a professional troupe. If that worked, Enron wouldn't have collapsed. If they like thanking the leaders, let them. Whether they thank me or not, I do all the work anyway. Sometimes I really feel they are thanking the wrong gods. I used to think about keeping my head down and enduring it. But they crossed the line more and more: The nepo babies slacked off, I worked like a dog; year-end awards went to them; raises, I was always at the bottom. No fame, no fortune. Why should I swallow this anger? I've made up my mind. I won't spoil anyone anymore. If anyone dares to gaslight me, I'll diss them to their face. Zero tolerance! Since you don't want dignity, I'll help you lose it. I've had enough of this life. Give me a severance package and let me go. I'm a slave during the year, a monkey during holidays, and a pig to be slaughtered when profits are down. But Jessica didn't want to let me off that easily. As soon as I got to my desk, I saw the Year-End Performance Review was out. I clicked it. My rating was a C. According to company policy, a C rating means no year-end bonus and immediate probation. Which means I'm on the chopping block, ready to be fired at any time. These bastards. Not only are they ungrateful, they bite the hand that feeds them. I was furious. I couldn't take it anymore and kicked open the conference room door. Just as they were singing "We make a brighter day," eyes misty with emotion, I appeared before them like a vengeful spirit. Right. After doing their work for years, I deserve that lyric too. Chapter 3 Jessica saw I was hostile and tried to strike first: "What are you doing? Can't you see we're rehearsing?" Rehearse my ass. My bonus is gone, do I care about your bullshit Gala? "Screw the rehearsal! I'm here to ask Manager Jessica why my rating is a C?" Jessica seemed to have expected me. She walked up to me: "I thought something huge happened. It's just this? Go out and wait, I'll explain after rehearsal." I don't know what's in her brain. A corporate slave losing his bonus is "not a big deal"? For a worker, this is the sky falling! No, it's more urgent than the sky falling! "I can't wait a second. I worked hard all year, why is my bonus gone? If you can't explain it, stop your gratitude act!" Even at this point, Jessica didn't seem to realize I was out for blood. "Ben, have some perspective, okay? Do you know how important the Gala is to the company? I'll explain your little issue later. Why the rush? Honestly!" I learned in my first year: when a company tells you to have "perspective," the subtext is: Attention, I'm about to gaslight you! "Perspective? Are you brain-dead? My bonus is gone and you tell me to have perspective?" Seeing the tension rising, everyone gathered to watch. Jessica didn't care and continued her sarcasm: "Don't you know your own performance? The C rating went through the review process and was approved by company leadership!" "Come on. Everyone in our department is here today. Who did more work than me? Who had better numbers? I did most of the work for ten people. I'd love to know how your review process works!" "Go check the HR file yourself! It's very clear!" "I can't understand it. You tell me right now, in front of everyone, where did I fail?" "Do you even need to ask? It's so obvious." Seeing her so confident, I was a bit confused until she opened my review form on her phone. Reading it, I was trembling with rage, while she looked triumphant. Chapter 4 "Our assessment mechanism changed this year. Both quantitative KPIs and qualitative competencies are evaluated. The final result is the lower of the two scores." I looked at the big C under "Core Competencies" and exploded. KPIs are quantitative, objective data. She couldn't fudge that, so my KPI score was an A. But this so-called "Competency" is entirely subjective, depending on the manager's mood. Even if subjective, I didn't expect such a ridiculous result. In all my years here, I've never seen a C rating. "Jessica, tell me now. What is wrong with my competency? Am I incompetent? Why is my KPI an A but competency a C? Isn't that contradictory?" Seeing I was serious, Jessica said slowly: "Other competencies are fine, but your team spirit is lacking..." "Team spirit lacking? What do you mean?" "What do I mean? You have the nerve to ask? Why aren't you participating in the Annual Gala? This one thing proves you lack the big picture and team spirit!" My head buzzed. So I lost my bonus because I didn't dance at the party? I felt my blood pressure spiking: "Jessica, hand on your heart, did I achieve most of the department's results this year? Did I do the most overtime? You give me a C for not going to a party?" "I know, but attitude matters. No collaboration spirit, disobeying company arrangements, not participating in team efforts. Even with good results, that's not competence, right?" I laughed in anger: "Just because I skipped the Gala, you deny my bonus? So you didn't see my hard work all year?" "Why haven't you realized your problem? VP Johnson emphasized the importance of the Gala. The whole company is focused on this. You dropped the ball on such a major event, and you're not convinced by a C?" "I am not convinced. Why?!"
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