Micro-story: Overtime and Ho Ho Ha  (by Tonkabean)

Ah Bing has a Laughter Yoga class every evening. It’s the only time she can give her body an "internal jogging." Scientists say laughter massages internal organs, improves blood circulation, and activates the diaphragm—which in turn stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system (the part of us responsible for relaxation).

At 5:30 PM, Ah Bing stands up to leave. Supervisor Ah Nga stares at her again. In this office, leaving on time feels like breaking a school rule. Ah Bing tried staying until 7:00 PM;  Supervisor stopped staring and even chatted with her. But Ah Bing felt exhausted—her chest was tight, her shoulders were stiff, and she couldn't laugh.  She remembered the 40 Foundation Exercises manual: *Practice laughter for 40 days, and your brain will create new neural pathways, making laughter an automatic response.* But with all this overtime, she didn't even have the chance to start her 40 days.

One day, she left on time and waited at the elevator. Sister Nga ran over and demanded, "Have you finished your work?" There were other people around. Ah Bing felt extremely embarrassed and could only say, "My 'finished' might be different from your 'finished'." Someone nearby laughed. From that day on, life at work became hard for her.

One day, her boss sent her to the warehouse for an inventory check. She pushed open a door she had never noticed and walked into a dark corridor. The people inside had lifeless eyes and dark circles so deep they looked like smoky eye makeup. She remembered her notes: *Stress makes breathing shallow, causing carbon dioxide to build up and trigger anxiety.* She began to take deep breaths from her diaphragm—the very first thing she learned in Laughter Yoga.

She pushed open another door. An old man sat there with deep, soulful eyes. "Another poor soul," he said.

"How many minutes do you laugh every day?" the old man asked.

Ah Bing was shocked. Someone here was actually talking about *laughing*! In this office culture, even one second of joy was considered wasteful. People worked like machines, every minute producing, every face serious.

Ah Bing didn't know how to answer at first.

"People here wait until they 'finish everything' before they laugh," the old man said. "Are you the same?"

Finish...? "My 'finished,' your 'finished,' and her 'finished' might all be different!" This was the first thing Ah Bing said to him.

Then, Ah Bing turned to face the wall and did a "Silent Laughter."

Suddenly, the old man raised both hands, palms to palms, fingers to fingers, and started: "Ho Ho Ha Ha Ha... Ho Ho Ha Ha Ha!"

Ah Bing was stunned. Someone here actually knew "Ho Ho Ha Ha Ha"! Who was this man? Before she could ask, the old man vanished. It was a long corridor; even walking fast would take five minutes, so how could an old man disappear so quickly?

She felt a moment of panic, but the "Ho Ho Ha Ha" echoed in her mind, calming her down. She remembered the rule of "Fake it until you make it"—the body cannot tell the difference between real and fake laughter. As long as she laughed, she would release endorphins. She didn't need to wait until the work was "finished" to be happy.

She closed her eyes and suddenly did the "Lion Laughter." Like a little girl, she clawed her hands, stuck out her tongue, and let out a roar! Then, "Ho Ho Ha Ha!" The sound echoed through the warehouse. When she opened her eyes, the mysterious, dim light in the corridor seemed to fade away, washed out by the sound of her laughter.

She turned and ran, pushing through door after door. When she got back to the office, her watch said 10:00 PM. She had clearly only been gone for fifteen minutes.

Ah Bing felt a bit flustered, but she smiled as she packed her things and left the pitch-black office. Although she missed her Laughter Yoga class today, she had learned a lesson: even if you have to work overtime, you can still laugh it off.

Date：15 May 2026

Time: 14:34pm

Picture: Ai-Bean

Write: Tonkabean

Besides writing micro-stories, I also create audio books. I hope we can get to know each other.

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