The programmer and his woman

Finally, after a long struggle, I walked into my boss' office and told him frankly that I wanted to resign. After listening to me, my boss did not give me a clear response as I expected. Instead, his eyes showed a trace of contemplation, as if he was thinking about something important. After a moment of silence, he just said lightly: "You go back to your workstation first, I will think about it."

I quietly left my boss' office and returned to my workstation, feeling anxious and uneasy. I really couldn't guess what my boss was thinking at this moment, let alone where my future would go. Just as I was in endless worry, the current product director came towards me quietly. With a gentle smile on his face, he whispered to me, "Come on, let's go to the lounge and chat." His words revealed a kind and caring feeling, which made my originally tense nerves relax a little.

I followed him to the company's lounge area, where the environment was elegant and pleasant, making people feel comfortable and relaxed. As soon as we entered the lounge area, he skillfully brought two cups of steaming hot drinks and gently placed them on the coffee table. After we both sat down, he took a deep breath, as if ready to start a meaningful conversation.

"Actually, you really don't have to resign!" He said sincerely, his tone full of sincerity. "The company has always highly recognized your work performance. I have heard that the position of product director was originally yours. However, you chose to give up at that time. Although it is a bit regrettable, it is not a big deal. Your current salary remains the same, and the work pressure has been reduced a lot. Isn't this the state that many people dream of? What exactly caused you to want to resign?"

After a moment of silence, I asked, "Did the boss send you to talk to me about this?"

He nodded slightly to show his agreement, and then continued, "That's right, but I personally also sincerely hope to communicate with you. Within the company, I have heard many colleagues praising you, and of course there are also some opposing voices. During this period of time, I have also gotten to know you to a certain extent. You are undoubtedly a very talented person, and I admire you deeply. However, I have a question I want to ask you."

I nodded slightly and let him continue. He gently picked up the teacup, blew away the hot steam on the surface, then took a sip of tea and slowly said, "I wonder if you have noticed that there seems to be some problems with the product our company is developing."

I was stunned when I heard this. I had never expected him to mention this. "What are the specific aspects?" I asked with a puzzled look on my face. I was really a little surprised by the question he pointed out.

He put the cup aside, stared at me, and answered calmly, "What I'm worried about is the future market promotion. Even if this product can be successfully developed, its promotion in the market will probably encounter many difficulties and challenges."

I looked at him in surprise. I didn't expect him to point out the problem so directly. I immediately asked, "You also noticed it? Then do you also know that the leading e-commerce giants in the market are also trying similar products, but the results are not ideal?"

He nodded, confirming what I said. "Yes, these giants have a huge user base and financial strength, but they have not been able to make a breakthrough in this field. What does this show? It shows that this market is not so easy to occupy."

I fell into deep thought. After a moment, I looked up and asked with a hint of doubt: "However, I always believe that our company must have other unique and distinctive strategies or methods, and will never be limited to these existing ideas. What do you think about this?"

He frowned slightly, shook his head slowly, and continued, "Those top e-commerce giants in the industry have not been able to achieve this. For a company like us that has just started, our core products are not yet fully mature and finalized. It is not easy to achieve success easily! Why don't you examine the company's current R&D progress, and then observe the cooperation attitude and work efficiency between various departments. Can't you find out where the problem lies?"

His words were like a wake-up call to me, which shocked me. From his words, I could sense his concern about the current situation of the company.

So I asked, "Have you ever told your boss about this situation? What's his attitude toward it?"

He raised his mouth slightly, revealing a sneer, and asked back: "Do you think the boss doesn't know this? He knows the company's current situation and the latest market trends better than any of us! However, the crux of the problem is not here. Even if he knows everything, I'm afraid it will be difficult for him to do anything." Hearing this, I couldn't help but frown and asked with a puzzled look on my face: "I'm sorry, I don't think I understand what you mean. Do you mean that the boss is helpless?"

He slowly picked up the teacup on the table again, took a sip, and his eyes became more profound, as if he was thinking about how to organize words to explain his point of view. After a moment, he gently put the teacup back to its original place, took a deep breath, and then said in a firm tone: "According to my inference, when the boss first contacted this investor, this project was still in a vast blue ocean in the market, and there were not many competitors. Unfortunately, the good times did not last long. Not long after, those industry giants smelled the business opportunity and plunged into it, trying to get a piece of the pie. As a result, the pressure we face is much greater! As for whether the investor understands the current market situation, we have no way of knowing for the time being. But one thing is certain, that is, after this period of observation and analysis, I have understood some things!"

He paused, as if waiting for my reaction, and then continued, "Considering the current market and competitive situation, even if our product can be successfully launched, the probability of its success has been greatly reduced. The boss should also understand this."

I was stunned when I heard this. I was shocked. Such speculation was unbelievable! I couldn't wait to ask, "You mean, the boss has foreseen the difficulties of product promotion, but he still chose to continue to promote this project. Why?"

He smiled slightly, as if he had expected my reaction. However, he did not answer my question directly, but deliberately kept me in suspense. His eyes flickered with mystery, and he asked softly, "I specifically asked the HR department the other day when the first employee arrived."

I looked at him suspiciously, wondering why he suddenly mentioned this. How did this relate to the issue we were discussing? I couldn't help but ask back in confusion: "Why are you asking this? What does this have to do with what we are talking about now?"

He shook his head slowly, and then said in an unusually serious tone: "It does matter, and it matters a lot."

My heart was lifted up instantly, and I couldn't wait to ask: "Then tell me quickly, what is going on?"

He continued, "I have carefully calculated that it has been quite a long time since our company was founded. Combined with some recent information I have learned, I seriously suspect that the company's first round of funding may be running out."

He took a deep breath and paused for a moment to calm himself down, then continued, "I think the reason why the boss is so eager to see the product go online is not because he is really confident and expectant about the product, but because he intends to use it as an important bargaining chip to attract investors and strive to get a second round of investment. Only in this way can the company continue to operate."

Listening to his words, the doubts and worries in my heart gradually disappeared as if blown away by a breeze. Instead, I gained a deeper understanding of the current situation. Before this, I had never thought that the difficulties faced by the company would be so closely related to the actions of the boss. However, after listening to his clear analysis, I suddenly realized that everything seemed to become clear.

"If the boss is really eager to launch this product just to find a second round of investment, then the whole company will become a complete scam?" I asked worriedly. He shook his head gently and replied in an unusually firm tone: "Actually, it is not accurate to say that. The reason why the boss wants you to stay here is because he knows that you are a capable and motivated person who can really bring real value to the company. At the same time, he also hopes that I can retain you, which is also to keep a glimmer of hope for those investors. If everyone in the company is just doing superficial work, then this product will probably completely lose all hope."

I suddenly realized that the boss was not completely motivated by deception, but was just forced to do so. After all, keeping more people like me who really want to work can also rekindle a glimmer of hope for the company's future.

I was filled with emotion and whispered to myself, "I was wondering why you were just drawing the interface and not doing any substantive work. It turns out you had already guessed this!"

He nodded silently, as if he was relieved that I understood him. Then, he explained in a heavy tone: "In fact, it's not me or the boss who wants to do this. It's just that time is too tight. I don't know how much money the boss has left, but judging from the emergency situation the company is facing, I estimate that the funds are already quite tight. So, this is why we have no choice but to adopt this strategy."

I admired his career experience and keen insight. He could analyze the company's current situation and future development trend so accurately. So I couldn't help asking, "So, are other people in the company aware of this reality?" He was silent for a while, and then responded, "As for other people, I dare not speculate, but Lao Gao is very cunning and sophisticated. He may have noticed something. Besides, he is almost retired, so you can't expect him to work hard."

After hearing his answer, I fell into deep thought. I was surprised and amazed by his frankness. After thinking for a while, I couldn't help but ask curiously: "Since you have seen through the true face of this company, why did you resolutely leave such an excellent company and join this one?"

He sighed and said helplessly, "In fact, I didn't know the real situation here at first. I only gradually guessed it after a few days in the company. However, the salary offered here is indeed very attractive, and I was not satisfied with my work in the previous company, so I decided to come here. Now that it has come to this, I can only cooperate with the boss and try my best to deceive the investors. After all, I can't face unemployment right after arriving at this company."

I could sense the helplessness and self-mockery in his words, but I also admired his honesty and courage. I was deeply moved by his tenacity and optimism in facing the company's difficulties and still choosing to stay and work hard.

He suddenly turned to look at me, his eyes firm and sincere, and asked seriously: "These words are not what the boss asked me to say, but I want to share them with you from the bottom of my heart. When I saw you, I couldn't help but think of the fighting spirit when I was young. The boss sincerely wants to keep you, hoping that we can fight side by side and create a better future for the company together. Now that I have told you all the truth, what are your plans next?"

After listening to what he said, I took a deep breath, calmed down the ups and downs in my heart, and then responded: "Everything you said shocked me deeply. I really need time to think carefully. You know, this is a crucial decision, and I must not act rashly. Let me give you a clear answer tomorrow." He nodded slightly, showing his understanding. At this point, our conversation ended, but I couldn't calm down for a long time. I began to concentrate on thinking about my future, and at the same time, I repeatedly weighed whether I should continue to stay in this company.