novelraw Chapter 12 Taking Down the Alarm Clock
Chapter 12 Taking Down the Alarm Clock
The father continued, "Shen Shen, it's not that I'm against you going to Shenzhen or Tencent. I'm afraid you'll become like that, with only code, performance, and climbing the ladder in your eyes. When you look back, you'll find that you can't do anything except write programs."
The room remained quiet for a long time.
The setting sun slanted in through the window, casting a long shadow of my father.
Lin Shen suddenly understood that his father was never some kind of old fogey; he was progressive. His opposition was never directed at the internet, Tencent, or even risk. What he opposed was a possible form of "alienation."
A kind of alienation that turns people into tools and life into metrics.
"Dad," Lin Shen said softly, "do you remember what I liked to do most when I was little?"
The father turned around.
"Take things apart." Lin Shen laughed. "Radios, alarm clocks, flashlights... You always scold me for being wasteful. But I'm taking them apart because I want to know how they work. I want to know how electricity flows, how gears turn, and why pressing this button turns on that light."
He stood up and walked to his father's side: "Writing code now is like taking apart an alarm clock back in the day. I'm not just doing it for money, or for a promotion. I'm genuinely curious: how can two people thousands of kilometers apart receive each other's messages in a second? How can software used by hundreds of millions of people run smoothly without lagging, crashing, or losing data?"
His eyes lit up dramatically: "Dad, this is so much fun! A million times more fun than taking apart an alarm clock back then!"
His father looked at him for a long time.
"What if you get tired?" the father finally asked. "What if one day you feel it's meaningless?"
"Then I'll stop and think about it," Lin Shen said. "It's like when I took apart the alarm clock and couldn't put it back together. I just stood there holding those parts, waiting for you to come back and help me. But I knew you would help me."
The mother, standing beside him, shed tears.
Father sighed deeply. It was a deep sigh, as if he had finally released something he had been holding back for a long time.
He turned and went into the bedroom. A few minutes later, he came out with a brown paper bag and placed it on the table.
"This is two hundred thousand," the father said. "It's what your mother and I saved for you. We originally planned to use it to buy a house when you got married."
Lin Shen looked at the bulging bag, his throat tightening.
"Dad, this money..."
"Let me finish," his father interrupted. "This money isn't for you to spend right now. It's to give you confidence. If you get tired in Shenzhen, or if you don't want to work anymore, don't force yourself. Take this money, come back, rest for a few months, think things through, and then move forward."
He looked at Lin Shen: "But I want you to promise me one thing: don't be like Wang Li, burning yourself out before you realize you need to turn back. People are more important than work. Got it?"
Lin Shen's eyes reddened. He picked up the bag, feeling its heavy weight, and then gently pushed it back.
"Dad, please keep this money for now," he said. "I'll ask you for it again when I really need it."
"You child!" the mother cried out in alarm, "Your father..."
"Mom, listen to me," Lin Shen said steadily. "It's not that I don't want it. It's that I don't need it right now. I still have a little over ten thousand in my account, enough to last for a while. Once I'm settled, once I really need to settle down," he looked at his father, "you can take out this money to buy me furniture and pay for my down payment. I'll definitely accept it then, not a penny less."
His father stared at him: "And what about now? You go to Shenzhen, rent a place, food, transportation—all of that costs money!"
"So I'd like to borrow 50,000 first," Lin Shen said frankly, but he had his own plans in mind: "30,000 for rent and clothes, and 20,000 for living expenses. Consider it a loan, and I'll pay it back slowly once I have a stable job."
The room fell silent again.
His father looked at him for a full minute, then suddenly laughed: "Just like your mother, stubborn."
He pulled a bank card from his wallet and slammed it on the table: "There's over 50,000 in here, and the PIN is your birthday. Consider it a loan, but don't rush to pay it back. We'll talk about it once you're more settled."
This time, Lin Shen didn't refuse. He picked up the bank card and solemnly put it in his pocket: "Thank you, Dad."
Tuesday afternoon, kitchen
Lin Shen, wearing his mother's floral apron, stood in front of the stove, his expression focused.
He had just used [Bullet Time - Beginner] 5 minutes earlier.
[Moyu Coin Balance: 1.6]
At that moment, he looked at the pork belly he took out of the refrigerator, the spices in the cupboard, and the cleaver next to the cutting board, and quickly calculated in his mind.
Tomorrow, he will be returning to Shenzhen. He wants to cook a decent dinner for his parents, not just a couple of simple stir-fries, but something that will make them remember the taste and put their minds at ease, so that their son won't go hungry in Shenzhen.
In those five minutes, countless moments of his mother cooking over the years, those scenes he had casually observed but never consciously remembered, were forcibly retrieved, cleaned, and pieced together from the depths of his memory by this "processor".
One Spring Festival, on the blue flame of the gas stove, the rock sugar in the iron pot melted into an amber liquid. My mother said, "Wait until it turns dark red and small bubbles appear, like this..." — The specific color of that "dark red" is infinitely magnified and calibrated in my memory.
One summer vacation, before the stir-fried cabbage with vinegar was ready, my mother flicked her wrist, and the white vinegar poured down the hot pot wall with a "sizzle" sound, and the sour and fragrant steam rose up—the texture of that sound and the feeling of that steam hitting my face became exceptionally clear.
He also recalled that during his student days, his mother would add a small spoonful of water to the bowl when beating eggs: "That way, they'll turn out tender when fried."
In those five minutes, he mentally "finished" the meal.
Then turn on the fire and pour in the oil.
Although it was a bit of a mishap, after all, I can use my brain, but cooking is not like coding where you can just use your hands.
But this was enough to surprise the mother.
Her mother came in once in the middle of the night, stood at the door for a few seconds, and then her eyes widened: "Shen Shen, the way you're acting..."
"Mom, just sit and wait to eat." Lin Shen didn't even turn his head. With a flick of his wrist, he turned the pieces of meat in the pot evenly. "I'm in Shenzhen, so I always cook for myself."
The mother opened her mouth, but ultimately said nothing. She simply whispered to the father in the living room, "Old Lin, go and see, Shen Shen can cook now."
When the father walked to the kitchen door in surprise, Lin Shen was preparing stir-fried cabbage with vinegar.
The knife skills were poor, but the quick stir-frying in the hot pan, with the "sizzle" sound of white vinegar being poured in the side of the pan, was done with great skill.
When the last four dishes and soup were served, the braised pork was glossy and reddish-brown, and it fell apart with just a gentle touch of chopsticks; the stir-fried cabbage with vinegar was tangy, crisp, and tender, with the broth just right; the scrambled eggs with tomatoes were golden with bright red accents, and the egg pieces were fluffy; the cucumber salad was refreshingly garlicky; and the egg drop soup with seaweed and eggs had egg flowers scattered like clouds.
The three people sat down.
My mother first tasted a piece of braised pork, chewed it a few times, and then suddenly stopped eating.
"This tastes..." she looked at Lin Shen, "exactly the same as what I made. No, it tastes even better than mine."
The father didn't say anything, but he ate three pieces of meat, then picked up a piece of cabbage, and finally ladled out a bowl of soup. He ate very slowly, as if he were savoring something.
Looking at his parents' expressions, Lin Shen felt the dizziness from overexertion dissipate. He grinned, "How about it, Dad, Mom? With this cooking skill, I definitely won't starve in Shenzhen."
The mother finally couldn't hold back her tears: "My child...when did you learn that?"
"I figured it out myself in Shenzhen," Lin Shen said casually. "Sometimes when I came home late from work and didn't want to order takeout, I would look at the recipes and try them out. After trying a lot, I got the hang of it."
He didn't analyze the bonuses that [Bullet Time] gave him too much, nor did he regret whether the "slacking off coin" was worth using. He just kept putting food on his parents' plates, saying, "Eat more. I'll make you something new next time I come back."
My parents ate more than usual during the meal.
After dinner, Lin Shen's mother washed the dishes in the kitchen while Lin Shen cleared the table. His father, sitting on the sofa, suddenly spoke up: "Shen Shen, come here."
Lin Shen walked over.
His father looked at him for a long time before saying, "You're really different this time you came back."
"What's different?"
"I can't quite put my finger on it," the father shook his head. "It's just... like an adult now. Not in terms of age, but in terms of mindset."
Lin Shen didn't speak.
"Take care of yourself when you go to Shenzhen." The father paused. "Don't rush to pay back the 50,000 yuan. The family doesn't need that money."
"I know, Dad."
That evening, the parents talked about Lin Shen in their bedroom.
"Old Lin, have you noticed?" Wang Xiuying said in a low voice while folding clothes, "Shen Shen seems different this time when she came back."
Lin Guodong leaned against the headboard, reading the newspaper, without looking up: "What's different?"
"I can't quite put my finger on it," the mother thought for a moment. "It's just... he's become more composed. Before, when he talked about work, he'd either be incredibly excited or complain incessantly. This time, look at him, his eyes lit up when he talked about that special approval channel at Tencent, but he spoke calmly. And—"
She paused for a moment, then continued, "The way he looks at us is different now. It's a bit like... like he feels sorry for us."
The father put down the newspaper.
"And the way he cooks," the mother continued, "he's definitely not a novice. His chopping skills are a bit lacking, but his seasoning is precise, and he controls the heat well. Including his internship, that's equivalent to working in Shenzhen for half a year. Where did he learn all that?"
After a moment of silence, the father suddenly said, "Yesterday he went to the supermarket to buy groceries. I saw him on the balcony chatting with Old Liu, the vegetable vendor, for a long time. Old Liu said his computer was broken, and Shen Shen went to fix it without saying a word that afternoon, without charging him."
"This child..." The mother smiled, then wiped away tears, "I'm truly relieved, yet truly worried."
"What's there to worry about?" The father picked up the newspaper again, his voice muffled. "He understands things better than we do. He doesn't want 200,000, he only wants 50,000—this is leaving room for himself and for us. He's thoughtful, but his heart isn't crooked."
"You mean..." the mother hesitated, "Did something happen to Shen Shen in Shenzhen? I mean, something good. Did it make him... grow up all of a sudden?"
The father did not answer.
He looked out the window; the setting sun was slowly sinking below the horizon.
After a long silence, she whispered, "It's good to grow up. Only when you grow up can you fly far."
The next morning, his parents took time off work to take him to the airport.
Lin Shen dragged his suitcase, his backpack stuffed with things his mother had prepared: dried radishes from Weifang, homemade sausages, and a bag of dried dandelions.
At the security checkpoint, Lin Shen's parents stood side by side. His mother kept wiping away tears, while his father stood ramrod straight, like a silent statue. Just before going in, Lin Shen turned back and saw his father raise his hand and wave. It was a small gesture, but to Lin Shen, it was enough.
-----------------
It was raining in Shenzhen when the plane landed at Bao'an Airport.
The July rain came suddenly, large raindrops pounding against the glass curtain wall of the terminal, forming hurried streaks of water. Lin Shen dragged his suitcase into the subway station, the damp air filled with the smells of disinfectant, sweat, and fried food from fast food restaurants.
He leaned against the car door, watching Shenzhen in 2010 rushing past the window, and the tension in his heart eased slightly. He was back, with over 50,000 yuan and a future to start anew.
Over the next few days, he worked like a cautious worker ant, building his nest for himself.
Instead of using an agent, he used the most basic method: door-to-door canvassing.
After searching high and low among the old stairwell buildings around Kexing Science Park, I finally rented a one-bedroom apartment on the fifth floor in a small alley behind Daxin Metro Station.
The monthly rent was 2,200 yuan, with a deposit of two months' rent and one month's rent paid in advance. The landlady was a local auntie who readily gave him the key when she heard he was going to Tencent. Holding that somewhat old brass key, Lin Shen felt for the first time that he had become a nail that belonged to him embedded in the fabric of this vast city.
After settling into his accommodation and buying basic necessities, it was time for Lin to begin his work at Tencent.
At 8:40 a.m. on Monday, Lin Shen stood downstairs at Building C of Kexing Science Park.
He explained his purpose to the receptionist, and HR specialist Yang Lu quickly came out to greet him.
"Lin Shen, right? Welcome, welcome!" Yang Lu spoke quickly, with the standard enthusiasm of someone guiding a new employee. "I'll take you to complete the onboarding procedures first."
Lin Shen nodded and followed her towards the human resources office area. His pace was unhurried, his gaze sweeping across the area as if assessing something. Yang Lu subconsciously quickened her pace, then realized she shouldn't and adjusted back to her normal speed.
"This way, please." She pushed open a glass door.
The onboarding process was as efficient as an assembly line. Registration, submitting materials, taking photos, and signing a confidentiality agreement. Lin Shen took the agreement, but instead of reading it word for word like most new employees, he quickly flipped to the signature page and signed his name. The sound of the pen gliding across the paper was crisp and clean.
Yang Lu couldn't help but glance at him again. Usually, newcomers hesitate when signing such important documents, asking questions and repeatedly confirming the terms. But this Lin Shen... his movements were as practiced as if he had signed countless times.
"Pen." Lin Shen finished signing and handed the pen back, his voice steady.
Yang Lu took the pen, and for some reason felt that for those few seconds just now, she was the one being interviewed. She cleared her throat: "Okay, next we'll go take photos and make employee badges. The badges will be sent to your project team before the end of the workday this morning."
The entire process took less than half an hour.
Finally, Yang Lu led him into the Light project team's office area.
"This is your team." She pointed to a workstation area. Lin Shen's gaze passed over her and landed on the whiteboard in the team's office, where a bold 99 was impossible to ignore. "Your mentor is Chen Mo."
Chen Mo stood up from his workstation and waved to Lin Shen.
"Mr. Chen, I'm entrusting the new person to you," Yang Lu said with a smile, her tone becoming more relaxed as she turned to Lin Shen. "Lin Shen, feel free to contact the HR department if you have any questions. Best of luck with your work!"
"Thank you." Lin Shen's voice wasn't loud, but it had a strange penetrating quality. Yang Lu breathed a sigh of relief as she left. In the short half hour she spent with this newcomer, she had felt an inexplicable sense of pressure. It wasn't because he had done anything, but because he hadn't done anything... an overly composed calmness.
Chen Mo glanced at Lin Shen: "Pretty punctual."
"It's an honor to join Tencent," Lin Shen replied simply, appearing somewhat humble this time.
Chen Mo led him to a workstation by the window: "This is your seat. The computer is already set up, dual monitors, and the development environment should be installed. If you need any tools, install them yourself. Account permissions have been activated, and you can use your email, internal communication tools, and code repository."
Lin Shen sat down and then stood up again. He tested the chair height; it was good.
"This morning, you should familiarize yourself with the environment." Chen Mo ignored Lin Shen's actions and proceeded quickly and methodically, outlining a few things: First, read the documentation. I'll send you some documents about the team introduction, project background, and technical architecture; read them today. Second, set up the environment. Although it's pre-installed, you need to make sure you can compile and run the code. Third, I have a requirement for you this afternoon—a small feature—to practice with first.
"Okay." Lin Shen nodded.
"The team now has 23 people in total." Chen Mo gestured for Lin Shen to follow him and gave a brief introduction. "They are divided into several areas: client-side (Android/iOS), backend, testing, and product. I am the client-side lead, and you will mainly be working with me from now on. Zhou Botao is the overall project manager, and Zhang Xiaolong is the overall product manager, but he is not here often; he is mainly in Guangzhou."
He pointed around: "The one wearing the red T-shirt is Wang Hao from the back-end team, the one wearing glasses is Zhang Wei from the testing team, and the one with long hair is product manager Li Ting. We need to get to know them for now, and we'll get to know the others gradually."
"clear."
"The work pace is very fast." Chen Mo suddenly turned around, his tone serious: "We are racing against Xiaomi, and we have to race against time for every beta version so that the product can be launched as soon as possible. But I don't encourage meaningless overtime; efficiency is key. If you complete your tasks well, leaving on time is no problem; but if you delay the progress, you have to finish it no matter how late you have to work."
"Understood." Lin Shen nodded again.
"Okay, take a look at the document first. Feel free to ask me any questions, or ask your colleague next to you." After saying that, Chen Mo returned to his workstation and continued working.
Lin Shen was still very interested in the WeChat project proposal...