What Remains After the Final Return Statement?

Developers as Consumables

In large Chinese tech firms, employees are regarded as expendable supplies. Over the past decade, developers have endured physical strain (neck curvature, receding hairline) in exchange for high salaries, but the compensation is described as half “mental loss fee” and half “future buy‑out fee”. When HR frames hiring as “supplying talent to society” and newcomers accept lower wages out of duty, the author observes that the real competitive edge is “endurance” rather than technical skill. A 32‑year‑old colleague who died after being pulled into a work group chat illustrates that as long as a person is alive they are a bug‑producing and bug‑fixing asset; once they are no longer cost‑effective they become a liability.

Post‑Coding Survival Paths

If a developer stops writing code, senior engineers have already mapped several fallback routes:

“Triathlon” jobs: ride‑hailing, food delivery, courier work.

“Three‑treasure” jobs: security guard, cleaner, nanny.

Self‑media or teaching courses, described as a crowded single‑plank bridge for those expelled from big tech.

These options are pursued under the pressure of mortgage payments and stagnant bank accounts, making dignity feel cheap.

Younger Generation’s “Low Desire” vs. Older Generation’s “High Debt”

The author contrasts the post‑2000 generation, which adopts “low desire” to cope with high housing prices and has clear exit strategies, with the current cohort that bought homes at peak prices, carries thirty‑year mortgages, and supports elderly parents. This financial burden prevents them from pausing, falling ill, or resigning. When code becomes unwriteable, the immediate concerns are the next month’s mortgage bill and children’s tutoring fees, and fear of dying before debts are cleared.

Identity Beyond Code

For ten years the author describes living like a function: input requirements, output code, with a black‑box middle. Social circles consist of colleagues, conversation topics are frameworks, and personal value is tied to KPI metrics. When the labels “x‑engineer”, “x‑brother”, “x‑guru” fade, the author questions who remains—a father who repairs computers, a husband who orders takeout, or an obsolete component discarded by the times.

Final Reflection

The author suggests a “disenchantment” that recognizes code as a means of livelihood rather than the entirety of life, and accepts that most people will end up ordinary or mediocre. Possible post‑coding activities mentioned include selling bland starch sausages at a stall or planting a tree that does not require overtime. The concluding sentiment emphasizes that personal worth is not tied to rank, commit count, or 24‑hour group‑chat demands; life truly begins when the screen goes dark.