Using Books as a Bridge, We Connect with Centuries Past — The Third Reading Group Concludes Successfully

On September 25, 2025, the company’s third book club session of the year was held as scheduled. Four presenters brought with them philosophical masterpieces, essays on contemporary reality, historical works, and science-fiction classics, guiding their colleagues through dimensions of time and space to explore profound themes—loneliness and abundance, reality and hope, human nature and ideals, friendship and responsibility—thereby infusing the autumn workplace with intellectual vitality.

1. Spiritual Abundance in Solitude: Life Lessons from “Walden”

The first participant kicked off the book club with the philosophical classic Walden, setting a serene yet profound tone for the entire event.

In keeping with the theme “Finding Abundance in Solitude,” the speaker shared the essence of Thoreau’s two-year solitary life by the lake: it was not an escape from the world, but rather a deliberate stripping away of material distractions in a minimalist setting, allowing for a profound dialogue with oneself. The book’s evocative portrayal of the relationship between nature and the inner self deeply resonated with colleagues accustomed to fast‑paced work—solitude is not a cage that isolates, but a vessel for thoughtful reflection. As one participant remarked during our discussion, “Isn’t focused, deep immersion in one’s work, after all, another kind of ‘Walden‑style’ abundance?”

2. The Gaze of Survival Amidst the Gap: A Realistic Inquiry in “We Live in a Vast Divide”

Yu Hua’s modern literary work, “We Live in a World of Vast Disparities,” has become the second focal point of discussion, shifting the lens from the inner world back to contemporary society.

Drawing on the book’s stark contrast between “a Beijing boy who dreams of a Boeing airplane” and “a girl from the northwest who longs for white sneakers,” the presenter interpreted Yu Hua’s incisive, unflinching observation of the fractures of our times: behind economic takeoff lies the twin forces of survival pressures and status‑driven anxiety, as well as a growing cognitive chasm that has divided different groups into distinct eras. Yet the work does not stop at critique; the admonition that “acknowledging disparity is not the end, but the starting point for reconstruction” resonated deeply, revealing a hidden thread of hope: only by confronting the unevenness of reality can we step forward with greater clarity and embrace our shared responsibility to address society’s ills. As one colleague remarked, this offers a fresh lens for understanding the diverse needs within the workplace.

3. A Portrait of Human Nature Amidst Historical Layers: The Timeless Resonance of “The Fall of the Ming Dynasty”

The third session focused on the historical essay series “The Ming Dynasty: Those Things,” shattering conventional stereotypes about historical works.

The sharer noted that the 276-year history of the Ming Dynasty, dissected with wit by the author Dangnian Mingyue, is in fact a textbook on human nature and power: Zhu Yuanzhang’s grassroots wisdom coexisted with suspicion and brutality; Yu Qian, though steadfast in his moral principles within a decaying system, ultimately met with tragedy; and Xu Jie, through decades of patient pragmatism, brought down Yan Song. These vivid personal stories make the truth—that “human nature never fades”—all the more evident. “There is only one kind of success—living life on your own terms,” the sharer concluded, echoing the book’s final line and striking a chord: from the workplace maneuvering of Ming‑era officials to the idealistic perseverance of people today, history has long offered us an answer to the question of how to find one’s place and purpose in the world.

4. The Persistence of Humanity in the Science-Fiction Maze: The Weight of Choices in “Steins;Gate”

The final presenter brought the sci-fi classic “Steins;Gate,” bringing the book club to a powerful close.

Using this work as a starting point, the presenter dissects the spectrum of human nature within the framework of time travel. At the heart of the narrative lies the “worldline convergence” theory: the “mad scientist,” Okabe Rintarō, repeatedly leaps across countless parallel timelines in an effort to save his closest friend. The presenter notes that what truly resonates in the book is not its hard‑science premises, but rather how, amid seemingly inescapable fate, friendship serves as an anchor against existential emptiness. Okabe evolves from a fanatical, experiment‑obsessed youth into a responsible figure willing to shoulder all consequences, thereby embodying the profound truth that “the very act of resistance is itself a source of meaning.” During the lively discussion, participants observed that this courage to push beyond established boundaries mirrors the mindset required for tackling complex challenges in the workplace.

Books inspire far-reaching horizons; thoughts walk together.

This reading group fostered a cross‑temporal dialogue through a diverse array of themes, ranging from the inner spiritual quest of the individual to humanistic concern for contemporary society, and from profound insights into human nature rooted in history to a sense of responsibility within the realm of science fiction—leaving every participant enriched by intellectual nourishment.

Looking ahead, the company will continue to build platforms for reading and dialogue, using words as a bridge to foster team-wide consensus and harness the power of reflection to drive professional growth.