The programmer and his woman

2008 was a year that the whole country was excited about. The quadrennial Olympic Games finally settled in our beloved City A. The whole city seemed to be shrouded in a special magic, full of excitement and anticipation. As the opening ceremony approached, the streets were filled with a strong festive atmosphere, colorful flags fluttered in the wind, and people's faces were filled with happy smiles, as if they were cheering for the upcoming event.

In the company's office, some subtle changes have also taken place. Unconsciously, some familiar old faces have gradually disappeared, and some new faces have replaced them.

The speed of the company's transformation was so fast that it really surprised many people. It seemed that overnight, the entire company focused on a new goal - to launch a disruptive product in a short period of time. This product, which we will call "Instant Messenger", is not just a simple chat software, but also a powerful communication platform.

The most striking feature of "Instant Messenger" is its powerful communication function. It breaks through the limitations of traditional chat software and allows you to easily connect with others whether you are online or not.

In such an era full of changes, the company's transformation is undoubtedly a brave attempt. The new manager Kong is said to have been working in this field for many years. With his arrival, the communication server part of the software was built in just one month. After the server was completed, this manager Kong came to me every day to urge the progress of the client. Under his constant urging, it took us less than a month to make an application similar to the largest instant messaging software in China. When he showed the finished product to the boss with great interest, he did not get the praise he imagined, but was scolded by the boss.

Obviously, the boss's goal was not just to develop an ordinary chat software. Although our team tried their best to make this software perfect, the boss's vision was far more than that. He wanted a product that could lead the market trend and have a far-reaching impact, not just a tool to meet daily communication needs. Unfortunately, Manager Kong seemed unable to fully understand the boss's deep and unique thinking world.

Just when I was confused about my boss's intention, I unexpectedly received a contact from the planner of the original school studio. He proposed a bold idea that shocked me. I felt that the vision he described coincided with the "instant connection" in my boss's mind. We seemed to be standing at the same intersection, just coming from different directions.

I eagerly asked him about his ideas and plans. He took a deep breath and began to elaborate on his ideas: "Imagine that mobile phones can access the Internet almost anytime and anywhere, which means that the ways people communicate with each other have become diversified and are no longer limited to traditional telephone communications. Our goal is to provide users with a more convenient and flexible way of communication on this basis."

I nodded to show my understanding, but I still had doubts in my heart: "You are right, but instant messaging software has been around for many years, and they have long realized the functions of being used on mobile phones. Can we really make any breakthroughs by making such software?" I expressed my doubts, and I think this was also the doubt of Manager Kong.

He smiled slightly, as if he had expected me to have such a question: "You are right, chat software is indeed very common. But its functions and size are too large now. I want to make a reduced version, a micro-communication software. I imagine that when users are online, they can communicate instantly through the Internet; and when the other party is not online, we can use VoIP technology to call the other party. In this way, whether the other party is online or not, users can communicate smoothly with each other through our software. And, most importantly, users will not be charged any phone charges when using this method to make calls. This is undoubtedly a huge blessing for those users who often need to make long-distance calls or cross-border calls."

I listened attentively and could not help but sigh at his novel and forward-looking ideas. He continued: "If we can successfully launch such a software and gain wide recognition and use from users, then we can accumulate a large user base. With such a user base, we will charge fees in the future, and the recharge fees from users will be a considerable amount of money. When we have the money from users' regular recharges, we can launch subsequent financial services, which will be a natural result and twice the result with half the effort. I am now looking for investors, but the investors want to see our prototype application. What do you think, Mr. Wang, are you interested?"

I was deeply moved by his idea, and I also realized that this was a project full of challenges and opportunities. However, the project he mentioned was basically an application of what our company was doing. Since I had already signed a technical confidentiality agreement with the company, I couldn't agree to his cooperation.

Manager Kong is a person who is very persistent in technology. He studies every day how to realize technology more perfectly and how to compete with the most powerful instant communication software in China. However, he ignores the real needs of the boss for this project. As the technical core of the company's new round of reforms, he has always treated his work with a rigorous and focused attitude. However, in this product development, he had a serious disagreement with the boss's ideas.

I tried more than once to persuade him to change his direction and focus more on the Changlian function that his boss expected. However, he always believed that he should be on par with the top instant messaging software in China, or even surpass them. Later, he seemed to have lost his way and didn't know where to start to improve. Instead, he came to me every day to adjust the font size, background color and other minor issues, which made me extremely annoyed.

Although he worked hard day and night, constantly upgrading and improving the instant messaging software, trying to maximize its functions, every hopeful attempt was ruthlessly denied by the boss. The boss always returned his carefully prepared results with a simple and cold reason of "not meeting expectations", which undoubtedly dealt a heavy blow to Manager Kong. Failure after failure made Manager Kong feel unprecedented pressure, and his patience and enthusiasm were gradually worn out in this endless setback. Finally, after another fierce argument with the boss, the depression and anger in Manager Kong's heart erupted like a volcano, and his emotions were completely out of control at that moment.

It was a hot summer afternoon. The sun shone through the windows of the corridor, like golden sand on the smooth floor, reflecting a dazzling light, making the entire corridor full of heat and restlessness. Manager Kong and the boss, two people who hold important positions in the company, were standing in the corridor at this moment, their faces full of anger and dissatisfaction.

Manager Kong's eyes were almost spitting fire. He clenched his fists and vented his dissatisfaction loudly: "I have revised so many versions for you, and you still tell me that it's not possible! Damn it, the best instant messaging software is only as good as this! You bastard, you just have a few stinky money to burn! If you call me an idiot again, I will smash your mouth!" His voice echoed in the empty corridor, every word was filled with anger and despair, as if he wanted to pour out all his dissatisfaction.

The boss's face was also very ugly. His usual calm and steady image was gone, replaced by a face full of impatience and anger. He fought back without showing any weakness: "How many times have I told you that these changes you made are not what I want, don't you understand? I tell you, if you don't change the product to what I want, I'll let you go!"

The argument between the two escalated and finally turned into a physical fight. They waved their fists and fought violently in the corridor, as if they wanted to vent all their dissatisfaction on each other. Sitting in the office, we could clearly hear their roars and the collisions during the fight. The tense atmosphere seemed to swallow up the entire company.

As the fight became more and more intense, colleagues from the company came out of their offices and tried to mediate. Some of them held Manager Kong, while others tried to persuade the boss to calm down the fierce conflict. With everyone's efforts, Manager Kong and the boss gradually calmed down and separated.

The boss walked into his office with a gloomy face, like a sky covered with dark clouds. Every step seemed extremely heavy. His face was paler than usual, and his eyes revealed an unspeakable anxiety and uneasiness. Manager Kong, who was always smiling on weekdays, slammed the door angrily and left the company in a hurry. Their sudden conflict was like a thunderbolt, breaking the company's previous tranquility and harmony.

The atmosphere in the office suddenly became tense, and employees put down their work and whispered to each other, speculating on the reasons behind the conflict. The entire company seemed to be shrouded in an invisible pressure, and everyone felt a sense of foreboding.

I stood quietly in a corner of the office, like a silent sculpture, silently staring at everything happening in front of me. I knew very well that this conflict was not simply a personal grudge, but more like a concentrated outbreak of internal conflicts in the company.

Recently, the company's operating conditions have been deteriorating, which is worrying. Although the chairman generously donated money to solve the urgent problem last time, it is only a stopgap measure and cannot fundamentally solve the problem. As the situation becomes more urgent, the boss's mood becomes heavier, as if he is being pressed by a huge rock and can't breathe. His originally resolute face now reveals a trace of fatigue and helplessness, which makes people feel pity.

The departure of Manager Kong became the fuse of this crisis. His departure not only caused the company to lose an important technician, but more importantly, his departure made people begin to have serious doubts about the company's future. Manager Kong has always been the backbone of the company's transformation, and his departure has undoubtedly exacerbated the panic and anxiety within the company.

As I expected, not long after Mr. Kong left, the company's financial situation fell into a huge crisis again. This morning, as soon as I stepped into the company's door, I saw a group of workers busy moving those redundant computers and servers and other equipment. These assets that once made the company proud have now become the last straw to help the company overcome difficulties.

I walked straight to Lei Zi and asked him about this sudden situation in a low voice. Lei Zi is not only my colleague, but also one of the people who has the most inside information in the company. He came close to my ear and whispered cautiously, "Teacher Wang, let me tell you, according to reliable sources, the company is extremely short of funds at the moment, and it is very likely that we will have to rely on selling some of our belongings to continue to operate normally."

I was shocked, my eyes widened, my mouth slightly open, "Ah? No way! How could it be so abrupt? Is this true or false?" I couldn't accept this fact at all, as if the end of the world had come. Lei Zi nodded silently, with a helpless smile on his face, "Yes, it is true, I didn't expect things to develop to such a serious level. I heard from others that even the boss's car has been sold..." From his words, I felt deep regret and helplessness.

After hearing the news, a chill instantly came over my heart. I couldn't help but shiver, and my heart was filled with uneasiness and worry.

Lei Zi took a deep breath, frowned, and said worriedly: "Teacher Wang, the current situation is really not optimistic. We can only hope that these computers and servers can be sold at a good price. Otherwise, it is unknown whether our salary this month can be paid on time. I also heard that the administrative department is worried about the unpaid air ticket fees. This is a considerable amount of money. The air ticket alone is as high as tens of thousands of yuan! If the company still cannot raise enough funds, I am afraid that more and more suppliers and partners will flock to it to ask for the debts owed."

As soon as he finished speaking, the news spread quickly like the wind. Not long after, several suppliers and partners came to the door. Some of them held thick contracts in their hands, while others held a stack of bills. Everyone had a serious and anxious look on their faces, demanding that the company settle the debts as soon as possible. It was as if they had known that this would happen, and everything was so logical.

The company's front desk and reception area suddenly became lively, but this liveliness was accompanied by a hint of tension and depression. Everyone understood that the arrival of these debt collectors had undoubtedly exacerbated the company's predicament. They were worried about whether their wages could be paid on time and whether the company could continue to survive in the future.