Company Spring and Autumn

Author: Li Junhu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-05-01
Features: Life is simple, but human hearts are complex. Due to the unpredictability of human nature, ordinary life is filled with uncertainties. A toy called "Rogue Rabbit," rumored to be from Korea, was popular among countless fashionable girls who cherished and played with it. Who could have imagined that when it was mentioned by one of these girls at a specific moment, the seemingly calm company turned turbulent, and life revealed its hidden dramatic truth, starting a game of tricks. The "butterfly effect" went beyond nature, stirring a storm in people's lives, changing the fate of many, including Shao'er, the general manager's assistant, who believed he had seen through the pursuit of profit and love. He remained loyal to his boss, riding the waves of power struggles and romantic entanglements in the company, thinking he was clear-headed but unable to understand anything, watching everything grow more suspicious, only to realize later that the years he had spent in the company were but a dream of spring and autumn.
In contemporary society, companies are as fundamental as families, embodying symbols of livelihood, ideals, money, cunning, human relationships, and spirituality. Everything beyond business seems like an afterthought, including love. In Shao'er's heart, Liu Xiaoshan was a beautiful yet regrettable memory. When he was working in a state-owned unit, he became entangled in a romantic affair with an older female colleague. It was the youthful and lovely Liu Xiaoshan, entering his life as an intern, who stirred his longing and pursuit of pure love. Regrettably, Liu Xiaoshan left disappointed before Shao'er made a choice, and it was she who made him realize the absurdity of his situation. Ultimately, he chose to leave as well. Before joining the company in Beijing, Shao'er met Li Mei, who brought him a relatively normal love in life. Li Mei adapted to and mastered society swiftly. She had planned to develop with her lover but discovered his fatal weakness—his kindness and loyalty. She "abandoned" him, became the boss's mistress, and her roles shifted until everyone became her "Rogue Rabbit."
Faced with Li Mei's dazzling and enigmatic transformations, Shao'er remained like a still stone, undeterred by the surging undercurrents of life. When Liu Xiaoshan reappeared in Shao'er's life, a vibrant and dazzling scene of life unfolded, yet it quickly descended into decline and oblivion. Shao'er could not see through not only the special relationship between Liu Xiaoshan and Li Mei but also the profound and inscrutable changes that had occurred in both girls. To prove the existence of love, he searched for it among high-class courtesans, housewives, and study-abroad girls, only to find that love was as fragile and suspicious as ever. Just as he was about to lose all hope, the "love ninja" Li Mei revealed her unwavering true love to him. Yet at the same time, he saw the depths of human nature in her and abandoned her love, still holding fast to his life's beliefs.
The boss was powerful, no one could match his cunning; he was wise yet deceptively simple, watching the adorable antics of his mistresses silently; he was tolerant, allowing his wife to seek comfort from Shao'er; and he was humanistic, always treating Shao'er as his own brother. The story of "Rogue Rabbit" can be told in two ways: as a human toy or as a rabbit that can play others to death. In the first, the boss is human; in the second, the boss is that terrifying rabbit. In either case, the boss is invincible, seemingly controlling everything related to the company. Everyone has their own hidden agenda—the deputy general managers, Li Mei, and others in the company—but all these small schemes are merely beads on the boss's great calculation. Only Shao'er was different; he stood alone, becoming an outsider and a witness to the boss's eventual helpless and tragic ending.
Love and hate, prosperity and decline, dreams and reality—these life codes remain unsolvable, and Shao'er became a (insomniac). This over-ten-thousand-word novel took the author three years to write intermittently, a process of exploration and reflection that made it seem overly arduous. Fortunately, he received continuous warm encouragement and help along the way. Chapters like "Rogue Rabbit," "The Outsider," and "Love Games" were published in short form in renowned journals such as People's Literature, Greats, and Monthly Novel Report in different years and were included in authoritative selections like The 21st Century Novel Annual Selection published by People's Literature Press. He also won a literary award, which cannot be said to have been the driving force behind his completion of this novel.
In the spring of 2004, Company Spring and Autumn was finally finished. Before it was published, it gained immense popularity online, completing the journey from industry recognition to the hearts of ordinary readers. May it have the fortune to become your bedside companion, accompanying you in contemplating life's tender themes of doubt, fate, and more.