In late November 2023, I went through a layoff, becoming one of the many affected. Overnight, 80% of the company’s staff were let go. The following day, we returned to the office to discuss compensation with the boss. In the meeting room, I captured the expressions of both the boss and the employees. People reacted to the situation with a wide range of emotions. That year, besides startups like ours, many employees at major internet companies also faced layoffs, which they referred to as "graduation." It seemed as though employees were always just perpetual students, never fully grown up.