In a bustling corner of the city, Leo Lin, like an insignificant screw, was embedded in the huge social machinery, living a dull and uneventful life. Every morning, he was rudely awakened by the harsh ringing of the alarm clock. With sleepy eyes, he struggled to get out of bed, mechanically washed up and got dressed, and then merged into the surging crowd, squeezing onto the subway that always smelled stuffy. In the cramped carriage, people were packed tightly together like sardines. Leo stared blankly at the ceiling of the carriage, while his thoughts had already drifted to the distant historical river and the mysterious world of mythology.
He worked for an ordinary company and was engaged in a boring copywriting job. Every day, sitting in front of the computer screen with the blinking cursor, he racked his brains to write those stereotyped commercial copy. His boss was a rigid and strict person, who only cared about performance and efficiency and showed no concern for the creativity and enthusiasm of the employees. Leo often felt like a little bird trapped in a cage. Although he yearned for the blue sky, he was bound by the shackles of reality and couldn't move.
However, deep in his heart burned a passionate flame for history and mythology. Whenever he had free time, he would plunge into the ancient books section of the library or search for various historical and cultural materials on the Internet, immersing himself in the glory and mystery of ancient civilizations. He was particularly fascinated by Western European history and mythology. The stories about knights, magicians, elves, dwarves and various mythological creatures attracted him like a magnet. He often fantasized that he could travel through time and space and experience those magnificent historical events in person, fighting side by side with the heroes in mythology.
This inner longing clashed strongly with the dullness of his real life. His friends didn't understand him and thought he was wasting his time. They advised him to focus more on work and socializing so that he could achieve success in this realistic world. His parents were also worried about his "unproductive hobby" and hoped that he could settle down, get married and have children, and live a happy life in the eyes of ordinary people. But Leo couldn't part with his love for history and mythology. He felt that it was the true sustenance of his soul.
At a company party, Leo was once again caught in this dilemma of inner struggle. The colleagues around were chatting and laughing, talking about the latest fashion trends, popular TV shows and stock investments, while he sat alone in the corner, quietly thinking about the Western European medieval religious mythology he was researching recently. At this time, a colleague came over, patted him on the shoulder and joked, "Leo, you're lost in thought about those old things again? Don't you think these have nothing to do with our current life?" Leo raised his head and forced a smile, answering, "I think these histories and mythologies contain the wisdom and spirit of human civilization and have a profound meaning for us." The colleague sneered and said, "You're really a weirdo. You'd better think about how to get a promotion and a raise instead." Leo was speechless, and the sense of loneliness in his heart grew stronger.
Just when Leo was hovering on the edge between the ordinary and his dreams, the gears of fate quietly began to turn. There was news in the company that there would be an important opportunity for career promotion. This opportunity meant a higher salary, broader development space and an improvement in social status. Leo's colleagues were all gearing up, actively preparing various materials and participating in internal training, hoping to stand out in the competition. Leo was also recommended by his boss to participate in this selection, which was undoubtedly a crucial moment for him to change his fate.
Faced with this rare opportunity for promotion, Leo was deeply conflicted. On the one hand, he knew that if he grasped this opportunity, he could improve his living conditions, reassure his parents and gain more recognition in society. On the other hand, he clearly realized that once he chose the path of career promotion, he would have to give up his pursuit of history and mythology and devote a lot of time and energy to the busy work and complicated workplace interpersonal relationships. It seemed as if two voices were arguing fiercely in his heart. One voice said, "Seize this opportunity. This is the only way for you to succeed." The other voice shouted, "Don't give up your dream. That's your true destination."
After several sleepless nights, Leo finally made a decision. At the interview for the promotion selection, when the interviewers asked him about his views on future career planning, Leo took a deep breath and said firmly, "I'm very grateful to the company for giving me this opportunity, but I've found that what I truly love in my heart is the study of history and mythology. I don't want to give up my dream for the pursuit of material success, so I've decided to give up this promotion opportunity." His answer shocked everyone present. The interviewers looked at each other in astonishment. They couldn't understand why Leo would give up such a precious opportunity in their eyes.
Leo's decision was like a huge stone thrown into a calm lake, causing ripples in his life. When his parents learned about it, they rushed to his place in a hurry and had a fierce quarrel with him. His father was so angry that his face turned red and he shouted loudly, "You silly child! How could you be so thoughtless? You've given up such a good opportunity. What will you do in the future?" His mother was wiping her tears beside him, crying, "We've worked so hard to support you in your studies, hoping that you could have a good future. Why don't you understand?" Leo looked at his sad and disappointed parents, feeling full of guilt in his heart, but he still said firmly, "Mom and Dad, I know you're doing this for my good, but I don't want to do something I don't like for the rest of my life. I believe that as long as I stick to my dream, I'll always find my own way."
In the company, Leo also became the focus of everyone's discussion. Some colleagues admired him, thinking that he had the courage to pursue his heart, but more people laughed at him behind his back, saying that he was an unrealistic fool. His boss, who had high hopes for him before, became cold towards him, no longer gave him important work tasks and even deliberately made things difficult for him at some meetings. Leo felt the pressure from all directions, but he didn't regret his choice. He knew that this was the price he had to pay for pursuing his dream.
During this difficult period, Leo's only comfort was his research on history and mythology. He devoted all his spare time to this field, flipping through thick ancient books in the library and communicating and discussing with history enthusiasts from all over the world on the Internet. Although his life was full of difficulties and challenges, his heart had never been so firm and fulfilling. He believed that in this ordinary world, there must be a door leading to the mysterious and fantastical world hidden, and he was working hard to find the key to open that door.
This persistent pursuit of his dream also gradually changed Leo. He was no longer as confused and hesitant as before, but became more confident and brave. He began to take the initiative to participate in various historical and cultural lectures and seminars. At these activities, he met some like-minded friends. They shared their love and insights for history and mythology together, encouraging and supporting each other. Leo's vision also became broader. His understanding of history and mythology was no longer limited to books and materials, but he began to try to think and explore from different perspectives.
By chance, Leo learned the news of an upcoming Western European historical relics exhibition. Many precious relics that had never been shown to the public would be exhibited in this exhibition, and some of them were said to be closely related to Western European mythology. Leo was so excited that he thought this might be an important opportunity for him to find the answer to his dream. So, he began to prepare carefully, looking up various relevant materials and looking forward to the arrival of the exhibition, and his fate was about to undergo earth-shaking changes at this exhibition.