Weekly #10: Chinese public's responses to Xi-Biden meeting; Middle East increase funds for China; BYD enlarges recruitment; Profile photos changed for workplace; University teacher as deliveryman

Chinese expert Chen Dongxiao talks about the future path for China-U.S. relations

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Nov 15, 2023

Our Weekly Roundups typically tell specific real-life stories, but this week it is definitely the APEC leaders' meeting that take up the center stage. The eyes of the whole world are fixed on the upcoming Xi-Biden meeting, so today's five stories will start from an interview with a Chinese expert interpreting the key meeting and the Sino-U.S. relations, with some Chinese public's responses to the meeting in San Francisco.

In terms of venture capital and funds, though, China seems to be cutting reliance off America and turning to Middle East. Domestically, the leading EV manufacturer BYD is also scaling up in the face of a competitive market.

Away from these "big" events, Chinese individuals are experiencing changes of mentality in their work life and creating their own stories, bitter or sweet.

An overview of today's pieces:

Chinese expert Chen Dongxiao talks about the future path for China-U.S. relations & Chinese public's responses to Xi-Biden meeting
Sovereign wealth funds in the Middle East are scouring for opportunities in China.
BYD scales up, advances towards wolf culture as market competition grows.
Young employees use silly profile photos to escape work assignment.
A university teacher experiences the life of a food deliveryman.

1. China and U.S. should adhere to "ambitious pragmatism" and strive to advance communication --- Views from Chinese expert Chen Dongxiao 陈东晓：中美应秉持“有雄心的务实主义”原则，努力推进交流

Overview: Since May of this year, there have been frequent high-level diplomatic engagement between China and the U.S., sending positive signals for China-U.S. relations. What impact might the Xi-Biden meeting this time have on the future trajectory of China-U.S. relations? What measures should the two countries take to stabilize their relationship? Can people-to-people exchanges and think tank communications play a greater role in stabilizing China-U.S. relations?

Prof. Chen Dongxiao is Senior Research Fellow and President of the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies (SIIS). This interview is sourced from 澎湃 The Paper, a Chinese digital newspaper owned and operated by the Shanghai United Media Group.

Highlights:

澎湃新闻：旧金山会晤将对下一阶段中美关系的走势产生什么影响?
The Paper: How will the San Francisco meeting impact the future trajectory of China-U.S. relations?
陈东晓：会晤本身可以对改善中美关系的整体气氛起到一定作用，如果双方能够为发展稳定健康的中美关系达成一些原则性、哪怕是阶段性共识，将对营造中美关系稳定走势的国际政治经济安全的“生态”发挥更大作用。但我们也清楚，我们的预期不会从一个极端转向另一个极端，即从“过度悲观”转向“过度乐观”。因为从整体上看，目前的中美关系仍处于“长期的结构性的低谷”阶段，目前的工作重心是如何为“止跌企稳”提供持续的动力。然而，面向未来，中美双方及各界仍应秉持“有雄心的务实主义” (ambitious pragmatism)原则，即杜绝不切实际的预期，但也要努力去推进各种可能的交流与合作，与美方的各种利益攸关方和有识之士一起，耐心持续地重建有助于稳定中美关系的国内及国际“生态”。
Chen Dongxiao: The meeting itself will play a role in improving the overall atmosphere of China-U.S. relations. If both sides can reach some fundamental or even phased consensus for a stable and healthy China-U.S. relationship, it will have greater contribution in shaping the international political, economic, and security ecology characterized by a stable trajectory of China-U.S. relations.
However, we are aware that our expectations will not shift from one extreme to another, namely from "excessive pessimism" to "excessive optimism." Given the overarching reality that China-U.S. relations still remain at a long-term structural low, the current focus is on providing continuous momentum for stabilizing the relationship from deterioration.
Looking ahead, China, the U.S., and various parties should adhere to the principle of "ambitious pragmatism," rejecting unrealistic expectations but striving to promote all possible exchanges and cooperation. Together with stakeholders and visionary individuals from the U.S., it is essential to patiently and persistently rebuild the ecology, both inside and outside of China, conducive to stabilizing China-U.S. relations.
....
澎湃新闻：您在中美学术交流、智库对话也有非常丰富的经验，如何让二轨外交，1.5轨外交成为稳定中美关系的另一发力点？
The Paper: You have rich experience in academic exchanges and think tank dialogues between China and the U.S. How can Track II diplomacy and Track 1.5 diplomacy become another driving force for stabilizing China-U.S. relations?
陈东晓：我认为智库学者应该要更有勇气和定力，突破自己的舒适区，并且敢于到西方国家的舆论主场积极发声。我个人的观察是，在外方包括美西方组织的一些重要论坛对话中，中国学者的出席是有作用的。目前中方在国外各公开的论坛对话上的身影和声音还不多。有中方专家在参与对话或辩论，一些极端和无端的指责就会得到及时的反驳和澄清。同时，外方发言人讲到涉及中国议题时，无论其措辞和发言内容上一般也会更加谨慎和有所顾忌。为鼓励更多中方专家学者在国际舆论场、包括美西方舆论场发声，国内主管部门也应该继续对智库和学界“走出去”提供更多的正向激励和支持。
Chen Dongxiao: I believe think tankers should demonstrate more courage and resilience, stepping out of their comfort zones and actively voicing their opinions on the Western stage. From my personal observation, the presence of Chinese scholars in some important forums and dialogues organized by overseas institutions, including American and Western institutions, has an impact.
Currently, Chinese scholars' visibility and voices in various open forums and dialogues abroad are still limited. When Chinese experts participate in dialogues or debates, prompt rebuttals and clarifications can counteract extreme and groundless accusations. At the same time, when spokespersons from other countries address China-related issues, they tend to be more cautious and reserved in both their choice of words and the content of their statements.
To encourage more Chinese experts and scholars to speak out on the international stage, including the American and Western public opinion stage, China's authorities in charge should provide more incentives and support for think tanks and academia to "go global."
至于二轨外交甚至1.5轨外交如何发挥作用，我认为一个可行的路径是中美双方的研究机构对当前一些重大的问题开展更多联合研究。中美两国的学者不仅可以各自表达自己的观点和立场，还能为两国政府探索未来新的合作领域提供具有建设性的意见。
As for how Track II diplomacy and even Track 1.5 diplomacy can play a role, I think a feasible approach is for research institutions from both China and the U.S. to conduct more joint research on current major issues, where scholars from both countries can not only express their viewpoints and positions but also provide constructive opinions for exploring new areas of cooperation between the two governments.
....
澎湃新闻：若要让中美关系“止跌回稳”的势头持续，未来还可以做什么?
The Paper: To sustain the momentum for stabilizing the relationship from deterioration, what else can be done in the future?
陈东晓：对我们称之为“底线”的原则性问题，美方应更加谨慎地处理。在我们不断向美方强调的前提下，双方虽然对台湾问题的认知差距很大，但美方至少知道我们的底线，并且对这个问题更加敏感和谨慎。所以通过不断沟通，促使对方在部分原则性问题更加谨言慎行，是有帮助的。
Chen Dongxiao: Regarding what we refer to as the "bottom-line" issue, the U.S. should handle it more cautiously. Despite significant differences in our perceptions of the Taiwan question, the U.S. at least knows our bottom line and is more sensitive and cautious about this question. For this reason, through continuous communication, urging the U.S. to be more cautious in handling some fundamental issues can be helpful.
另外，要尽可能推动地方交流。受到中美整体关系的影响以及联邦政府的干扰，双方地方政府层面的交流一度遭受严重挫折甚至中断。目前在双方共同努力下有所复苏，中方要加大在地方交流上的资源投入。
Also, efforts should be made to promote local-level government exchanges as much as possible. Influenced by the overall China-U.S. relationship and interference from the federal government, exchanges at the local government level between both sides have suffered severe setbacks and even interruptions. Currently, with joint efforts, there has been some recovery, and China should invest more resource in this regard.
最后，中美可以在一些可以合作的领域展开更多接触，例如芬太尼问题。美方设置了很多合作门槛，中方要不断敦促美国政府清除合作障碍，同时也向美方和国际社会进一步展示中国是国际反毒的积极负责任的大国。双方如果能相向而行，在合作反毒问题上有突破，也可减少明年美国大选中竞选人用芬太尼问题来“妖魔化”中国的可能性。
Last but not least, China and the U.S. can cooperate in more areas wherever possible. Regarding the fentanyl issue, for example, U.S. has set many thresholds for China's export of chemicals. In this case, China needs to continuously urge the U.S. government to remove obstacles for cooperations.
Meanwhile, China should further demonstrate to the U.S. and the international community that it is a proactive and responsible major country in the international endeavor against drug abuse. If both sides can make breakthroughs in anti-drug cooperations, it may reduce the likelihood of the fentanyl issue being used to "demonize" China in next year's U.S. elections.

Comments: In addition to The Paper, other Chinese media outlet such as Xinhua and China's Daily published a couple of commentary and opinion pieces on China-U.S. relations this week.

A Xinhua commentary published on Tuesday:

Xinhua Commentary: Don't squander chance to restore China-U.S. ties -- Xinhua

However, like two colossal ships sailing side by side in the Pacific, for China and the United States to avoid a collision, communication and collaboration are imperative.
As the Chinese leader sets off on his journey to the United States, it is necessary to remind the U.S. side to learn from the past mistakes that have frayed bilateral relations. This is a crucial opportunity to repair ties and should not be squandered.
First and foremost, the United States must be sincere. China has put in a lot of effort to strengthen the relationship between the two countries. Now, it is the United States' responsibility to reciprocate. This involves shedding any unwarranted feelings of superiority, abandoning perceived advantageous positions and preconditions, and genuinely implementing the agreements reached by the leaders of both nations.

China Daily on Wednesday posted a guest opinion piece written by Laurence Brahm, a US documentary filmmaker and a senior international fellow at the Center for China and Globalization, the headline of which reminds your Ginger River Professor Chen's interview.

China-America reset at APEC: When pragmatism overrides ideology -- China Daily

It is heartening that President Xi Jinping is visiting the US to attend the APEC meeting, more significantly, to meet with counterpart US President Joe Biden. It is time for direct discourse to solve issues of mutual concern rather than mutual guessing and posturing. This meeting offers the possibility to establish a new reset for China-US relations. Many of us are hopeful.
For many of us who have lived through the years of building positive China-US relations, this offers a glimmer of optimism after a period of foreboding concern. The message is that pragmatism must override ideology. If we are not approaching the challenges of climate, poverty, inequality and conflict with pragmatism, then we will not have a world to live on. Then what use is ideology?
This bilateral meeting occurs on the stage of the APEC meeting. Asia-Pacific is the most dynamic area of the world today in terms of economics, culture and creativity. The two most powerful economic players in this equation are China and the US. If both countries can work together rationally and intelligently to solve challenges and achieve goals shared by the region, then it is in the interest of all, and the Asia-Pacific region will thrive in the years ahead in a way that no other region has in the history of mankind. For many of us committed to this region, we have been waiting for this reset for a long time. Now it is time to prioritize pragmatism over ideology.

The upcoming Xi-Biden meeting also became top trending topic on Weibo (the Chinese equivalent of Twitter) on Wednesday.

#1 中美元首旧金山会晤 Xi's meeting with Biden in San Francisco
#3 共创共享亚太和世界更加美好的未来 Create and share a brighter future for the Asia-Pacific and the world together

Some other lines from individual WeChat blog your Ginger River finds interesting:

The comments below are from a piece posted on Wednesday on 明叔杂谈 Uncle Ming's Tittle-tattle, a personal WeChat blog mainly focusing on China-U.S relations

拜登政府在旧金山准备好谈判桌，是他的团队在寻求遏制和打压中国三年中不断碰壁、处处失利之后，不得不做出的选择。
The Biden administration's readiness to come to the negotiation table in San Francisco is a choice they had to make after facing repeated setbacks and failures in their efforts to contain and suppress China over the past three years.
当美国政府和美国人民终于意识到，跟中国进行协调与合作，能远比跟中国进行“恶斗”，给美国带来更多利益的时候，就是中美关系有望根本性好转的时候。
When the U.S. government and the American people finally realize that coordinating and cooperating with China can bring more benefits to the United States than engaging in 'confrontation' with China, it is a time when there is hope for a fundamental improvement in U.S.-China relations."

2. Funds in the Middle East are actively looking for opportunities in China 中东豪门正在招人

Overview: Venture capitalists in China that once relied on U.S. dollar funds are now turning to Middle Eastern money as the Internet wave ebbs and oil funds flow. Longing for China's hard & core technology and growing renminbi-denominated assets, sovereign wealth funds in the Middle East are actively looking for opportunities in China and investing massively on behalf of their governments to generate long-term returns. The two-way demands set off a new craze in the primary and secondary markets, opening up potential investments in the coming future.

This article comes from 投资界 Investment Community, an information platform for business startups and investment under the Zero2IPO Ventures.

Highlights:

我们正在见证历史。过去二十多年间，美元基金是当之无愧的拓荒者，他们漂洋过海远道而来，并在持续押注中成为中国互联网浪潮最大的赢家。
We are witnessing history in the making. Over the past two decades, U.S. venture firms made a pioneering move into China. With a string of investments, U.S. dollar funds became the biggest winner during the Internet wave in China.
那是一个群星闪耀的时代。当人民币基金埋头研究不性感的制造业、甚至经历人民币募资寒冬时，美元基金上演了一幕幕投资神话。那段时期里，美元基金不但在投资上出手阔绰，给投资人的薪水也高出人民币同行几倍。
That was a star-studded era. While renminbi (RMB) funds placing their bets on the non-eye-catching manufacturing sector faced fundraising struggles, U.S. dollar funds scored stellar performances with generous investments. At the same time, they offered investors a salary several times higher than their RMB fund counterparts.
但这一切渐渐远去。2019年，科创板登场，硬科技掀起了IPO浪潮，人民币基金迎来久违的热闹景象，美元基金所擅长的互联网时代落下帷幕。
Well, that was a thing of the past. In 2019, China launched the Science and Technology Innovation Board, known as the STAR market, ushering in a wave of initial public offerings (IPO) in the hard & core technology sector. RMB funds enjoyed a long-awaited boom, and the curtail fell on the Internet era dominated by U.S. dollar funds.
时至今日，美元基金的生存面临着种种拷问。当硬科技成为最确定的时代主题，美元基金不得不全面转舵，却又无奈陷入“看不懂、投不进”的尴尬境地。叠加着赴美IPO大环境的变化，退出受阻，募资雪上加霜。
Today, U.S. dollar funds are struggling with survival challenges. Investors have to shift to hard & core technology, the most definitive trend at present, but that creates a dilemma since they lack relevant knowledge and find it hard to get in. Other challenges include changes in the macro environment for listing in the U.S., exit obstacles, and fundraising problems.
最近两年，美元基金一线投资人的不适感愈发强烈。“投资人开始要求坐班了”、“投资人开始卡出差了”……如果你也在关注创投圈，社交平台上分享的类似话题一定没有少见。
In the past two years, an uneasy sentiment has grown among first-rate U.S. dollar fund investors. “Investors are now required to work office hours” and “investors are now required to avoid unnecessary business travels” are among the trending topics in the venture capital circle on social media platforms.
......
与此同时，越来越多熟悉的企业名字背后出现了中东财团的身影，例如字节跳动、SHEIN、京东工业、英雄体育……值得一提的是，中东财团正密集出手中国新能源汽车——蔚来汽车、BeyonCa（宾理汽车）、前途汽车、吉利等等。最近小马智行也宣布获得了沙特阿拉伯王国新未来城旗下投资基金的1亿美元融资。
At the same time, Middle East consortia are springing up behind Chinese giants like ByteDance, SHEIN, JD Industrials, and VSPO. They are particularly investing big in China’s electric carmakers, including NIO, Dongfeng-backed BeyonCa, Qiantu Motor, and Geely. Recently, autonomous driving company Pony.ai announced it had secured a 100 million U.S. dollars investment from Saudi Arabian smart city developer Neom, through the NEOM Investment Fund (NIF).
长期以来，中东国家依托丰富的石油和天然气资源，堪称富得流油。虽是自然的馈赠，但难免对未来生存充满担忧：一旦石油枯竭了，该怎么办？因此，中东国家的经济多元化转型迫在眉睫，而他山之石可攻玉，当代表着政府意志的中东财团把目光转向全球，中国是重要的一站。
For a long time, abundant oil and natural gas resources have made Middle East countries extraordinarily wealthy. But they also worry about what the future holds for them once oil runs out. The need for economic diversification is therefore urgent, and to achieve that goal, they can rely on other countries. When Middle East consortia acting at the will of the government direct their sights at the world, China is an important market.
正如一个普遍的看法：“中国企业具备中东目前所需要的产能和技术，而中东凭借过去几十年的财富积累，可以提供中国企业需求的市场和资金。”
Their choice echoes a generally accepted view: Chinese enterprises possess the production capacity and technology Middle East countries currently need, while the latter can provide market and capital needed by the former through the wealth they have accumulated over the past several decades.

Comments: The increased investment is a confluence of diplomatic, financial and economic developments as China's ties with the Middle East have warmed since this year. The trend is set to continue as Middle Eastern funds gain a deeper understanding of China's economy and financial market against a backdrop of the country's deepening bilateral cooperation with the Middle East for production capacity, investment and innovation, said Calvin Fu, chairman of the China Innovation Finance Institute.

3. China's BYD is to become the world's most populous car company 40万人涌入比亚迪

Overview: China’s leading EV maker, BYD, is to become the world's most populous car company. With more than 20 factories and over 600,000 employees in China, it is much larger than the average car company. Thus BYD's campuses have created several functional, self-contained community, with residential buildings and schools in addition to factories and canteens. In 2021, the priority of "family" in BYD's corporate culture was gradually give way to "competition", an adjustment which was believed to be made because the company is facing growing competitive market pressures.

The article is from 定焦 Dingjiao, a WeChat blog covering consumption and technology news.

Highlights:

加入比亚迪，就像被扔进了一个巨大的工厂。这里的员工和车辆川流不息，但又井然有序。
Joining BYD is like being thrown into a giant factory. People and vehicles come and go all the time, but everything works in fine order.
园区周边通常很荒凉，没有什么消遣购物的地方，比如从坪山工业园去深圳市区，地铁加公交得一个半小时。但比亚迪自成一体，加入比亚迪的新人，会被分配员工宿舍，吃饭有食堂，交通有公司班车和比亚迪自己研发的云巴，需求都能内部消化。
BYD has its own industrial parks. The area around an industrial park usually looks desolate, without places like shopping malls for employees to spend their spare time. If someone works at Pingshan Industrial Park in Shenzhen, the current location of BYD’s headquarters, for example, it takes them one and a half hours to go to the downtown of Shenzhen, taking a subway and then a bus. But inside the industrial park, BYD has everything its employees need: dormitories, canteens, shuttle buses, and SkyShuttle rail transit developed by BYD.
比亚迪重庆工厂的员工厉飞雨，在正式上班的第二天，打了一辆顺风车回宿舍取东西，来去都是比亚迪公司的员工开车接单。有一次他打到一辆奔驰，打开车门看到司机是一位穿着蓝色工服的一线操作工，让他大为震撼。
Li Yunfei is an employee at BYD’s factory in Chongqing. He remembered using a hitch riding service to fetch a thing from his dorm on the second day of his work. Both orders were taken by BYD employees. Another time, he got into a Benz car and was shocked to find that the driver was a BYD first-line operator in a blue uniform.
甚至员工出差，都可能是在体系之内循环。据员工讲述，比亚迪在各大工厂都有员工宿舍，还建了一些招待所，员工出差一般就住在这里。至于吃饭，可以在园区刷饭卡，饭卡直接从工资里扣，比亚迪的地盘通用。“比亚迪出差，就是换个地方办公。”一位比亚迪前员工对定焦说。
BYD even has its own facilities for employees on business trips. In addition to employee dorms, BYD has guest houses for employees on business trips. And employees are able to dine with their employee meal card in any industrial park. “For BYD employees, a business travel just means working in another place,” said a former BYD employee.
这里又像一所学校。有员工称，食堂和高校食堂很像，早餐是四块钱的套餐，工作餐两荤两素不到十块钱，宿舍-厂房-餐厅三点一线。
Working at BYD is a lot like being in school. Its employee canteens are similar to dining halls in university. Employees can buy breakfast for less than four yuan, and a two meats and two vegetables type working lunch costs less than 10 yuan. Every day, employees leave their dorm, work in the factory, then go to the canteen, just like what they do at school.
今年7月入职比亚迪的应届生布易，感觉毕业后生活似乎没有发生太大改变。大学时住宿舍，工作了继续，大学宿舍的四个兄弟，都加入了比亚迪，大家还是在一起。
Bu Yi is a fresh graduate who joined BYD this July. Not much has changed for him compared with his university life. As a student, he lived in the dorm with his roommates; now an employee, he stills lives in the dorm with them. They all joined BYD.
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对于一些老员工而言，在比亚迪一直干到退休，似乎是一件理所当然的事情——在比亚迪上班，买比亚迪的房，开比亚迪的车，子女在比亚迪的学校上学。这样的民营企业不多。
For some senior employees, staying in BYD until retirement seemed to be a matter of course — working in BYD, buying a house from BYD, driving a BYD car, and sending children to a BYD school. Such private firms are rare.
变化发生在2021年。公司开始施行“比学赶帮超”的竞争文化，比亚迪核心价值观中的“平等”二字，被“竞争”替代。
A change occurred in 2021, when the company shifted to a culture of competitive benchmarking, which replaced equality regarded as one of the core values of BYD.
王传福要将比亚迪改造成一个更具狼性的组织，以应对激烈的市场竞争。特斯拉、“蔚小理”、吉利、长城，甚至华为，都对比亚迪的市场份额虎视眈眈。今年4月，长城汽车公开举报比亚迪，引发一波舆论风暴。比亚迪无法掉以轻心。
BYD chairman Wang Chuanfu said the company will promote a “wolf culture” as it faces fierce competition. Competitors, including Tesla, NIO, Xpeng, Li Auto, Geely, Great Wall Motor, and even Huawei, are eyeing the company’s market share. This April, Great Wall Motor publicly alleged that BYD failed to comply with pollutant emissions standards in two plug-in hybrid models, triggering a public spat. BYD can’t afford to let down its guard.
[Note: "wolf culture" is a corporate culture that believes that wolves have a keen sense of smell, hard work and a sense of group struggle, and that these qualities are the key to helping a company grow.]

Comments: The rapid development of BYD employees reflects the trend of China's electric vehicle industry continuously expanding into the global market. At the same time, it has brought many job opportunities to Chinese youth facing a tough employment year.

4. Will boss stops assigning work after I change my profile photo? 学了职场头像学，领导再不给我派活了？

Overview: A number of young employees are changing their profile photos on social medias into absurd, dumb avatars, which are intended to make themselves look so silly that their boss would not trust them with any important tasks. Is their goal achieved? What differences does such a profile photo make to their bosses' attitudes, to their identity at work, and to their work life?

You can check out more amusing illustrations in this article chosen from 每日人物 [Daily Person], a WeChat blog that explores individual stories and trendy topics.

Highlights:

如果非要用一句话来概括这类头像的特点，那大概就是——周身散发出一股“清澈而愚蠢”的气质，对使用者的智商水平起到一个充分暴露的作用。
Today some young Chinese workers are using quirky profile photos on messaging apps in the hope that their boss won’t assign work to them. These profile photos, looking “pure yet dumb”, are meant to let the boss question their capabilities to do jobs.
这犀利的双眸，这抽象的画风，好家伙，这下谁还分得清你们和大学生啊。
Look at the sharp eyes and abstract style. My goodness. Who can tell you from a naive university student?

很难想象当领导面对这批头像时的心情，毕竟光看头像，很难判断屏幕对面的人是不是真的能听懂人话。可能你动员了半天士气，对方开口就是一句“阿巴阿巴”。又或者想给对方布置点任务，结果收到一句：“啊？我吗？”字里行间都透露出一种脑干缺失的美，很难不让领导怀疑这个决定的正确性。
It’s very hard to imagine how a boss feels when he looks at such a profile photo. He may find it difficult to know whether the person behind the screen could really understand his words. When he peps the employee up or gives him some work, chances are that the boss could only get a reply so foolish that he would start thinking whether he has assigned the job to the right person.

平时如果说工作有难度，领导会觉得你在推脱。换上头像后，同样的说辞瞬间变得有理有据，让人觉得十分合理。毕竟看起来，确实不太聪明。
In usual times, when you tell your boss that a task is difficult, he may think you’re shirking your responsibility. But with the profile photo, your reply would make more sense to him. After all, a person using such a profile photo doesn’t look very smart.
时间久了，领导甚至不再有点开对话框和你交流的欲望。于是，打工人试图“降低存在感，防止工作量增加”的终极目的也随之达成。
Over time, your boss would no longer be willing to open the dialogue box and talk to you. Then, the worker finally achieves his goal of “getting more invisible at work and easing his burdens”.
...
在换上新头像的一个多月里，李静没有感知到来自工作的任何变化。她不确定领导是否注意到了自己的头像变化，一切一如既往。李静唯一可以肯定的是：领导并不关心你，他只关心你是否完成了工作。另一名换上“派大星蠢头像”的男生，也有着类似的看法。他甚至怀疑，身为60后的领导，并不能真正理解他用这个头像的涵义。
But can this really work? Li Jing is among those who changed their profile photo as an outlet for the work pressures they are facing. But one month after that, she didn’t feel any change in her work. Everything goes on as usual. She is not even sure whether her boss has noticed her new profile image. But the only thing for sure is: your boss doesn’t care about you; he only cares if you have finished your work. A young man who changed to a “silly profile photo” has a similar view. He even doubts his leader, from the post-60s generation, could really understand the meaning of his new profile photo.
一位在国企中担任中层管理者的90后男生则表示：“头像确实会影响周围人对你的看法，但不影响领导给你派活儿。如果需要他做事的话，不管他换成啥我也要给他安排工作。”
“Profile photos indeed affect how people look at you, but they can’t stop your boss from assigning work to you. If I need someone to do a job, I’ll ask him to do it no matter what profile photo he uses,” said a post-90s man who serves as a middle manager in a state-owned enterprise.
“蠢头像”很难在客观世界里真正起到作用。几乎每个打工人内心都深谙这一点，但微小的改变仍然在发生。
Almost every young worker is keen aware of the fact that “silly profile photos” can hardly make a difference in real life. Still, minor changes are taking place in other ways.
在过去，李静很少和单位中的同事产生交流。人与人之间的沟通仅限于工作上的汇报，没有人在意坐在屏幕另一边的是个怎样的人。换上“蠢头像”后，她觉得和同事间的关系拉近了不少。理解的摆锤，似乎在那道阻隔在双方间的屏障上，制造出了一丝裂痕。不多，但醒目。
In the past, Li Jing barely communicated with her colleagues except when she needed to do that for work. No one seemed to care what their colleagues are like in real life. But the new “silly profile photo” has brought them closer. Clearly, a feeling of mutual understanding has helped break down the barrier between them a little bit. Changes are scarce, but conspicuous.
也许是心态上的转变，让她不再事事以工作为中心。李静开始更关注每个“人”本身。现在，她的头像传递出的情绪，反而被同事共情，现在，偶尔她也和同事唠唠家常。
Perhaps because of a change in mentality, Li no longer puts work at the center of everything and starts to pay more attention to individuals around. Her new profile photo conveys a sentiment her colleagues empathize with. Now, she would sometimes chat with them about daily lives.

Comments: By changing silly profile photos, these young employees are trying to construct an incapable self image and escape from the demanding or even unrealistic tasks assigned to them. Their funny way of protest against heavy workload in essence reveals the young workers' insecurity at the volatile workplace and their desire for invisibility in such a quick-changing world.

However, it seems that these virtual avatars can hardly stop the boss from giving you work, and this protest is very likely to remain silent. The good thing is, on the other hand, some employees are improving their relationships with colleagues, enjoying the tacit understanding and empathy brought by the "silly profiles".

5. University teacher's month-gong journey as a food delivery worker 一个大学老师决定去送外卖

Overview: University teacher Xing Bin became famous on the Internet for experiencing the life of a deliveryman for a month. His action made the public pay more attention to grassroots workers, and made them expect intellectuals to do something for them. For Xing himself, he experienced the intense work of delivery workers and the addictive system of the delivery platform. For him, it's a month of self-education. After years in the ivory tower, he wanted to break out of his closure, ego and sense of superiority.

This article comes from 人物 [People], a magazine delving into topics that may not be mainstream but carry significance, providing in-depth analysis of individuals through sensitive and thorough interviews.

Highlights：

但最终支撑这份工作的，还是超额付出的体力，尤其在严寒的12月。邢斌平均每天骑摩托超过200公里、行走3万多步、爬100多层楼。他半夜送单去过偏僻的村子和沂南山里，都是乡间小路。「一过长春路，夜里都是大货车，擦身而过，心里也打怵。送完货，骑车回来，才觉得手麻，冻得不行。」
Working as a delivery man is hugely demanding physically, especially in the cold December air. Last December, Xing Bin, a university lecturer in Linyi, Shandong province, experienced the life of food delivery drivers for a month. At a sharing session held by Dongyi Shuyuan (Study House) in Shandong, he talked about his experience. Every day, he rode more than 200 kilometers in his motorcycle, walked over 30,000 steps, and climbed more than 100 storeys. He delivered orders at midnight to a remote village at one time and even a mountainous village at another. “At night, once you leave the Changchun Road, you’ll come to a road full of large trucks. I felt scared every time they passed by. I didn’t notice my hands went numb from cold until I got home.”
十来天后，妻子聂真有意见了。她觉得丈夫干得太卖力，晚上她经常睡醒一觉，他才裹着一身冷气回到家，累得倒头就睡，「人都皱巴了」。邢斌已经47岁，三年多前还得过心梗，聂真担心他的身体。「我坚持完一个月」，邢斌向妻子承诺。
Ten days later, Xing’s wife Nie Zhen complained that he was working too hard. Often she woke up at midnight and sensed the cold as he returned home. He was so tired that he fell asleep immediately. “He looked more wrinkled.” Nie worried about his health, as Xing is already 47 years old and had a myocardial infarction three years ago. Xing promised he would only do the job for a month.
跑到第20天，邢斌上升到众包骑手的最高级别。市区的小区和周边乡镇的路线他都记牢了，不需要看导航。看得更真切的，是作为底层劳作者面对的世态人情。「没有人拿正眼看送外卖的，商家，顾客，尤其是保安。」特别是去那些卖简易炒饭、炒粉的摊位取餐时，「老板（对骑手）像赶苍蝇。」有时订单快超时了，邢斌请老板快些出餐，老板把炒勺重重一磕，投来一个不满的眼神。「你就像烂泥一样。」
On the 20th day, Xing reached the highest level for part-time delivery drivers. He could find the location of residential communities in the city and the routes to surrounding towns and villages, without using navigation apps. What became clearer to him, however, was the plight of workers living at the bottom of the society. “No one looks delivery drivers in the eye and treats them equally, business owners, customers, and especially security guards.” That feeling got stronger when picking up meals from stands selling simple meals like fried rice and fried rice noodles, as the vendors chased away delivery drivers in the same way as they kept flies away. Sometimes when time was running out for an order to be delivered and he urged the vendor to prepare the meal more quickly, the latter just cast a dissatisfied look. “You’re just worthless.”
邢斌家住在高档小区，路人经过时拍张照都会引来保安的盘问。见邢斌每天半夜骑着摩托，身上满是尘泥，保安不让他进门。直到邢斌刷脸进入小区，保安跟着他到自家楼下，看他上了楼，才相信他是业主，赞许他：你送外卖能在这儿买房，是个人物。
Xing lives in a high-end residential community where the security guard would interrogate a passerby who takes photos there. When Xing, who rode his motorcycle covered in dust and mud, the security guard would stop him from entering. Even after Xing swiped up with his face and entered, the security guard followed him and didn’t believe he really lives there until he went upstairs. Then he lauded Xing as somebody who is able to buy a house in such a high-end residential community working as a delivery man.
身心俱疲，但设计精密、反馈即时的外卖系统拥有强大的向心力，渐渐将邢斌卷挟进去。有时刚回到家躺下，一看有好单，他忍不住又起来去送。
Xing felt burned out. But takeaway system precisely designed to take an order in real time seemed to have a strong force to draw him in. Sometimes, after he got home, he could not help but go out when he saw a big order.
直到大年初二，邢斌在阳台上抽烟，系统的提示音响了，抢到了一个不错的单。下意识地，他又想出门，发现摩托车钥匙被妻子藏了起来。过年期间路上车多人多，他知道妻子的担忧日益加重。想到已经干满一个月，邢斌没再坚持。
On the second day of the Chinese Lunar New Year 2023, Xing was smoking on his balcony when he heard his phone beep with a message from the takeaway ordering system. There was a big order. Subconsciously, he wanted to take it. But he found his wife had hidden the motorcycle key. He knew she was getting more worried, especially given the flow of people and vehicles during the Spring Festival holiday. And he had promised he would only do the job for a month. So he didn’t insist.
由此发散的思考却没有停止，像邢斌手上磨出的茧一样结实。分享会上，他讲了很多：送外卖的劳动强度、骑手的困境、内卷、繁重而单调的工作对人的磨损、知识分子的信息茧房。东夷书院把文字稿发到平时只有几百阅读量的公众号上，出人意料地一下传播开来。
But Xing didn’t stop thinking about this experience. At the sharing session, he talked a lot about the intensity of work in the food delivery sector, the plight of delivery drivers and the rat race among them. He also talked about how heavy and monotonous work can burn people out and the information cocoon intellectuals are living in. After the sharing session, Dongyi Shuyuan posted his speech on its WeChat Official Account that usually gets only hundreds of reads. Unexpectedly, however, the post went viral.
「苦难的过度和缺失，对于人生都是不利的。」为分享会作总结时，东夷书院创办人、邢斌的朋友王兆军说。而邢斌主动找苦吃的举动在他看来，就像俄罗斯文学里写的「勇敢地把醋和胆汁喝下去，用来验证自己的味觉」。
“Suffering too much or too less in life is not a good thing,” said Wang Zhaojun, founder of Dongyi Shuyuan and a friend of Xing, when wrapping up the sharing session. He thinks Xing is brave enough to get himself out of the comfort zone and seek hardship voluntarily.

Comments: It's not the first article that reveals the real life of delivery men, in 2020, the magazine 人物 [People] have already published an article called 外卖员，困在系统里 Delivery man, trapped in the system which shows how in the platform's big data algorithms are squeezing the delivery time of the delivery man, leaving them exhausted. The article caused a lot of discussion in China at the time, and the platforms have made some changes to make the system more humane, but three years towards the life of grassroots groups like delivery person is still under pressure. But at least it's comforting to know that we have a magazine that is willing to repeat its coverage of delivery men and didn't choose to ditch the topic once the news fizzled out.

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