2026年4月19日，北京亦庄举行的人形机器人半程马拉松成为一场“科技华山论剑”。各家企业入局的机器人在21公里复杂的赛道上展开激烈竞技。最终，荣耀机器人的“闪电”以50分26秒夺冠，不仅刷新纪录，还首次超越人类半马成绩，并包揽比赛前三名。荣耀机器人团队表示，这一结果早在赛前测试中已如“探囊取物”。

与过去相比，今年参赛的机器人经过打磨后，整体技术进步明显。去年的冠军未能成功卫冕，但其全自主完赛成绩并没有令人失望。与此同时，赛事呈现出“科技嘉年华”的特征。一些企业通过造型设计吸引眼球，并且展示更贴近真实场景的应用能力。然而，机器人在赛道上仍然出现了多次摔倒甚至退赛的“名场面”。专家指出，实验室性能与真实环境之间存在差距，仍需持续优化。

对企业而言，马拉松成绩虽能带来关注，但也有人质疑其是否只是营销噱头。当…

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The Beijing Human and Humanoid Robot Half Marathon took place on April 19 in Yizhuang (亦庄), a district in the southeastern suburbs of the capital.

The Chinese name for the race is even more of a mouthful than the English: 半程马拉松暨人形机器人半程马拉松

It’s now in its second year, we discussed the first half marathon back in April 2025.

In that race, robots of all shapes and sizes lurched down the course, many falling before the finish line. The winner in 2025 was Tiangong Ultra (天工Ultra) which crossed the line in 2 hours 40 minutes.

One year on and the event looks almost unrecognisable:

This year’s competitors have seen marked gains in both efficiency and stability.

Their on-track performance is far more consistent, reflecting a leap in several fundamental capabilities.

今年参赛的机器人，其运行效率与稳定性均有提升，赛道表现更趋稳定，背后对应的是多项底层能力的同步进步。

102 teams competed in the race, with over 300 robots from 26 brands running alongside human competitors on the same course. Teams from 13 provinces across China, as well as overseas labs from Germany, France, and Brazil took part.

The 21-kilometre course was more challenging than last year’s. It took the competitors through different terrains including slopes, narrow sections, and sharp bends of almost 90 degrees.

Fewer than half of the robots made it to the finish line.

The pre-race favourite was the H1 by Unitree Robotics (宇树科技), which had clocked speeds of up to 7.51 metres per second in qualifying. But on the day, it fell near the finish line and was unable to complete the race.

The winner was a surprise to many, and a new entrant this year.

It was called Lightning (闪电), built by smartphone manufacturer Honor (荣耀). Lightning had its wobbles along the way, falling around 200 metres from the finish. But it managed to complete the race in 50 minutes and 26 seconds, smashing the human world record for that distance.

Second and third places were also taken by Honor-made robots.

In fact the mobile brand swept all six of the top places. That’s despite Honor’s robotics division only being established since mid-2025. With most of the core team drawn from its existing smartphone research and development unit.

While Honor’s dominance on the podium did come as a surprise to many, it was not such a shock to the Honor team. They went into the race with confidence as Lightning had completed the course in the pre-race dry run in around 50 minutes, without running at full speed:

After the robot from Honor shattered human records while “holding back” during pre-race testing, the team knew that the race was in the bag.

在开赛前一周的全要素路测中，荣耀机器人”收着跑”仅发挥七八成功力，就打破了人类最好半马纪录，团队内部当时就觉得，夺冠已是”探囊取物”。

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Although the team behind Lightning is new, this win has been much longer in the making.

Speaking in Beijing after the race, Honor’s Chief Strategy Officer for Embodied Intelligence, Wang Ai (王皑), explained:

“Why was Honor able to build ‘Lightning’ at lightning speed in just six months?

The answer lies in a decade of experience in the smartphone supply chain.”

The ecosystem we built for consumer electronics — from precision structural components and sensors to LiDAR and cooling systems— has all been repurposed for our robots.”

“为什么荣耀能够在6个月这样一个’闪电’的时间里做出’闪电’？这背后是我们在手机制造业供应链上十年经验的积累。”荣耀在消费电子领域沉淀的供应链体系，从精密结构件到传感器，从激光雷达到散热泵体等，都复用到了机器人身上。

In March last year, Honor CEO Li Jian (李健) launched the company’s “Alpha Plan”, setting out its transformation from a smartphone manufacturer into a “global leading AI device ecosystem company” (全球领先的 AI 终端生态公司).

He committed to an investment of $10 billion dollars over the next five years. And it’s already yielding results: in March this year, Honor launched its first “robot phone” (机器人手机) with a camera which apparently has the agility of a human neck!

The sudden dominance of Honor in this race is a sign of things to come in China’s embodied intelligence sector. “Embodied intelligence” (具身智能) is a phrase we’ll be hearing much in the coming months and years — which we first shared with you in November last year.

This is what's known as a “wind vent” (风口), which we translate as “the next big thing”. These are sectors which suddenly become hugely popular with investors who deploy massive amounts of cash into start-ups in the sector looking for quick returns.

And that’s certainly happening in China’s embodied intelligence industry. According to one research firm, over 50 funding rounds linked to these technologies were completed in the first quarter of 2026. That’s a cumulative financing of around 20 billion yuan (or nearly $3 billion USD) in just three months.

But, as we’ve seen in other wind vent sectors, funding can soon run dry, and “involuted” competition destroys many of the early movers. Which is why Honor and others are sprinting to gain a dominant position while they still can.

Many of the companies in that race will not survive. And it’s a reckoning which may not be far off, as one industry expert warns:

“In the next six to twelve months, the humanoid robots will have to step out of the show room and enter the examination hall.”

“未来6到12个月，人形机器人行业该从秀场进考场了。”

So that’s what we’re exploring this week!

Favourite Five

1. 包揽 bāo lǎn

to sweep, to win all

荣耀“包揽”胜利的现象，也引发了行业的冷静思考 - Honor’s clean sweep has also prompted sober reflection within the industry. [4]

2. 颤颤巍巍 chàn chàn wēi wēi

trembling, shaky

它自己又颤颤巍巍地爬起来完成了撞线 - It staggered back up and somehow managed to cross the finish line. [3]

3. 肉眼可见 ròu yǎn kě jiàn

visible to the naked eye, clearly noticeable

肉眼可见的是，今年参赛的机器人，其运行效率与稳定性均有提升 - There has been a tangible improvement in the efficiency and stability of this year’s robots. [1]

4. 探囊取物 tàn náng qǔ wù

as easy as taking something from a bag, effortless success

在开赛前一周的路测中，荣耀机器人“收着跑”仅发挥七八成功力，就打破了人类最好半马纪录，团队内部当时就觉得，夺冠已是“探囊取物” - After the robot from Honor shattered human records while “’holding back”’ during pre-race testing, the team knew that the race was in the bag. [2]

5. 华山论剑 huà shān lùn jiàn

The Great Sword Duel at Mount Hua; the ultimate showdown

有的队伍14公里就“下线”了，但大家依然很开心。这就是一场“华山论剑” - Some teams didn’t manage to cross the 14-kilometer mark, but everyone was still in high spirits. After all, this wasn’t just a race; it was a true clash of titans in this industry. [4]

• Note: From Louis Cha’s wuxia novels The Legend of the Condor Heroes (射雕英雄传) and The Return of the Condor Heroes (神雕侠侣)

Consuming the Conversation

Useful words

6. 入局 rù jú

to enter the game, to enter a field

手机厂商的入局，正在让竞争格局变得更有意思 - The arrival of the smartphone manufacturer is shaking up the competitive landscape.

7. 噱头 xué tóu

gimmick, publicity stunt

现阶段的赛事并非单纯的营销噱头，而是必要的技术压力测试 - At this stage, the competition is not merely a marketing gimmick, but a technical stress test that is absolutely necessary. [2]

8. 路演 lù yǎn

roadshow, promotional tour

机器人百亿“路演”，能带来什么？ - What can a billion-yuan robot roadshow bring? [4]

9. 竞技 jìng jì

competition, to compete

从隔离展示到同场竞技，人形机器人正在以肉眼可见的速度，走进现实生活 - From robot show at exhibitions to active contenders in the same race, humanoids are making the leap into reality faster than ever before. [1]

10. 打磨 dǎ mó

to polish, to refine

虽然从赛场表现来看，这些能力仍在持续打磨之中 - Although judging from their performance in the race, these capabilities are still being continuously refined. [1]

11. 攻克 gōng kè

to overcome, to tackle

这些也是各大机器人厂商需要重点攻克的课题 - These are also the key challenges that major robot manufacturers are tackling. [1]

12. 闭环 bì huán

closed loop

资本更看重的，是运动能力、操作能力与商业化落地之间能否形成闭环 - What investors really care about is whether locomotion, manipulation, and commercial viability can create a self-sustaining loop. [2]

13. 卫冕 wèi miǎn

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4月19日，在2026北京亦庄人形机器人半程马拉松赛场上，来自荣耀机器人的“闪电”以净用时50分26秒的成绩冲线，获得冠军。

这一成绩，不仅将去年首届赛事2小时40分钟的冠军纪录缩短了近三分之二，更直接超越了人类半程马拉松世界纪录。

过去一年来，人形机器人比拼的重点，正从实验室里的单项性能，开始转向真实开放环境下的整机能力验证。

有投资人在接受界面新闻记者采访时表示，如今当越来越多企业都能完成跑步、跳跃等动作时，单纯的运动能力已经逐渐成为基本功，资本更看重的，是运动能力、操作能力与商业化落地之间能否形成闭环。

换句话说，马拉松成绩可以带来关注度，却很难单独决定一家公司的估值和生存空间。

当机器人成绩首次越过人类纪录线，这场比赛的意义也变得比较复杂，不再只是谁是第一名这么简单。

对于马拉…

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Frank：大家好，我是Frank。你听过假装上班公司吗？

S：假装上班？是字面意思上的假装上班吗？

F：对，就是没有工作，但假装自己有个工作，然后每天早上去上班晚上再回来。

S：啊？这什么逻辑？没班硬上啊？

F：嗯，可以这么说。

S：嗯...当牛马上瘾是吗，不当牛马心理难受？

F：是这样吧，有些人可能被裁员了，但是还没跟家人说，所以每天还是要早上出门晚上回家，所以他们就去假装上班公司上班。

S：我以前听说过这种被裁员了然后每天去星巴克的，就是在星巴克坐一天，晚上再回家。不过你刚才说的是假装上班公司，公司？什么公司？

F：假装上班公司。就是现在假装上班已经产业化了，你可以去这个公司，租一个工位，为了让你全面体验上班的感觉，公司还安排了“经…

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最近，不少提供假装上班服务的公司在各地出现。这类公司按天或按月收工位费，却不发工资。来打卡的人形形色色，包括待业者、自由职业者，以及想感受上班氛围的人。他们大多处在职场空窗期，有的因裸辞离开了原来的公司，有的还从来没进入过职场。

凡是来“假装上班公司”的人，都是以一种表演式工作的方式重建生活秩序，并不是想虚度光阴。这些人宁可花钱租一个工位“上班”，也不愿在家中消沉，并且尽可能保持有规律的作息。尽管倒贴着钱上班，但这本质上是一种自我管理。

这些“假装上班公司”的服务五花八门，从基础工位到独立办公室，此外还能让人体验摸鱼与职场互动。对部分人而言，这样的环境十分惬意。相比孤立的居家状态，这里称得上是一个与人交流的桥梁。

许多人选择来到这里，是为了向家人隐瞒失业的尴尬。在传统观念中，人往往需要一份稳定的工作，因此“…

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A trend has been quietly emerging in China’s employment landscape.

There’s no official English name for it yet. So we came up with one which we’ll discuss below.

This new trend is unlike anything we’ve covered before. It’s nothing to do with the grind of the “side-hustle” (副业), or the soul-crushing feeling of the “office odour” (班味). Nor is it about the resigned self-mockery of calling yourself a “workhorse” (牛马) — one of our top phrases of 2024.

This new trend is totally different. The phrase describing it puts two unlikely words together: “to pretend” (假装) and “go to work” (上班). And since there’s no ready-made English translation for it, we invented one:

The “Mockupation” (假装上班).

This Chinese phrase began surfacing in late 2024, as videos of people documenting their mock occupations spread across Chinese social media.

And, as we’ve discussed many times in this newsletter over the years, whenever a new trend emerges in China, a new business model is never far behind to capitalise on it.

So with the rise of the “mockupation” a new kind of company has begun to appear. These are companies that like any other: large open-plan offices, rows of clean desks, printers, the low hum of a busy working day:

“There are seven or eight coworkers at their desks, each deep in their own tasks, some crunching numbers in Excel, others on sales calls, and a few buried in code.

Everyone is busy with their own work, and people chat occasionally, unlike in a quiet library.”

工位上有七八个同事正在工作，每个人都很忙碌，有人在处理excel表格，有人在打电话沟通业务，还有人在敲代码，大家在忙自己的工作，有时候互相会说说话，不像自习室一样特别安静。

But there’s one big difference.

The people sitting at those desks are not employees. They are customers, paying to be there.

“The pinnacle of professionalism might just be the ability to stay on duty when you have lost your job.

And that commitment has given birth to a new type of company popping up all across the country: Mockupation companies.”

上班的最高境界是什么？或许是：现实已无班可上，内心却始终”在岗”。最近全国各地冒出来了一批新的公司：假装上班公司。

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“Mockupation companies” (假装上班公司) have been springing up in cities across China, from Beijing to Shenzhen.

These businesses are mostly repurposed idle office space turned into a new source of revenue by the owners, such as empty desks in showrooms, or spare floors in commercial buildings.

A small desk in a mockupation company is rented out for as little as 100 yuan a month, and a larger one costs around 150 yuan. If you want to work overtime, there’s an additional charge of 10 yuan per hour.

It’s not just office space they provide. Mockupation companies offer “boss patrol” (老板定期巡视) services, with “managers” wandering the floor, so mock employees can experience the feeling of looking busy while doing nothing. And others offer “simulated interview services” (假装面试), which is a performative interview before the “applicant” can “join” the company.

The people who use these spaces fall into several categories.

Many are recent graduates struggling to find work. Others are burned-out veterans from China’s big tech companies using the space as a soft landing after being “optimised” out of a job.

Then there are those who are there purely to keep up appearances with family and friends, trying to avoid the social stigma attached to long-term unemployment.

They’re also popular with entrepreneurs and small business owners who are managing online shops, or building software, who simply need a place to work and make new contacts.

For these people, mockupation companies offer structure, routine, and a psychological anchor of people “coming together to support each other” (抱团取暖).

Which, in the current job market in China, is a much needed relief from the otherwise grim outlook:

“These spaces serve as a layover on one’s journey.

Whether they are graduates looking for their first job or professionals navigating the void of a layoff…

These individuals take a short break here to catch their breath before heading towards the next destination.”

假装上班公司就像人生旅途中的一个中转站。每个来到这里的人都处在生活的某个过渡期——无论是从校园到职场，从失业到就业，还是从一种生活状态转向另一种。他们在这里稍作停留，调整状态，为的是更好地奔赴下一个目的地。

So, will this trend last?

That’s what we’re exploring this week!

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Favourite Five

1. 空窗期 kōng chuāng qī

gap period, career break

失业或职业空窗期，不会被视为正常的人生调整，只会被老一辈简单等同于个人的失败与挫折 - For the older generation, temporary unemployment or a career gap is not seen as a chance to recalibrate, but as personal failure and setbacks. [2]

• Related:

  • 过渡期 guò dù qī – transition period

  • 缓冲带 huǎn chōng dài – buffer zone

  • 低谷期 dī gǔ qī – rock bottom

2. 形形色色 xíng xíng sè sè

all kinds of, a wide variety of

来的人形形色色，上到五六十岁，下到刚成年 - The people who came were of all ages, ranging from those in their fifties or sixties to those who had just reached adulthood. [1]

3. 虚度光阴 xū dù guāng yīn

waste time, idle away time

只要你仔细观察这些“假装上班族”，就会发现他们都没有在虚度光阴 - If you take a closer look at those who engage in “mockupation”, you’ll find that none of them are wasting their time. [2]

4. 假装上班 jiǎ zhuāng shàng bān

pretend to go to work, mockupation

上班的最高境界是什么？或许是：现实已无班可上，内心却始终“在岗”。最近全国各地冒出来了一批新的公司：假装上班公司 - The pinnacle of professionalism might just be the ability to stay on duty when you have lost your job. Their commitment has given birth to a new type of company that is popping up all across the country: Mockupation startups. [2]

5. 抱团取暖 bào tuán qǔ nuǎn

huddle together for warmth, support each other

他们通过“抱团取暖”重建社会连接，用“自嘲”化解身份转变的阵痛，以微小的经济代价换取一个物理上的“喘息空间” - The unemployed find a collective refuge in “mockupation offices”, where they utilize self-deprecating wit to mask the trauma of their displaced status while paying a small premium for a temporary sanctuary from the pressures of reality. [3]

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In every RTM Advanced post you unlock content and tools to inspire you, and help you get fluent.

So, ready to finally get started and wave goodbye to that nagging rusty feeling?

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Useful words

6. 副业 fù yè

side job, side hustle

搞副业是祝潇颖眼中体现个人直接能力的方法 - In Zhu Xiaoying’s view, having a side job is the way to demonstrate the direct impact one can create. [3]

• Related:

  • 待业 dài yè – unemployed, between jobs

7. 裸辞 luǒ cí

quit without a backup plan, resign before receiving another offer

时间长了，人际交往的压力也越来越大，于是干脆裸辞，靠自媒体带货谋生 - Eventually, the social toll of the corporate life just became too much. So she decided to simply quit her job and pivot to selling products on social media. [1]

8. 瞎忙 xiā máng

be busy for nothing, busy without direction

每天排得满满当当，但是瞎忙，没有主心骨 - Every day is fully packed, but I was just going through the motions and didn’t have a sense of where I was going. [1]

9. 沉淀 chén diàn

accumulate, settle and reflect

一开始大家都是觉得自己不赚钱，想着接下来多沉淀 - At the beginning, everyone felt they weren’t making money, so they believed that they should take time to upskill and hone their craft. [1]

• Related:

  • 沉下心 chén xià xīn – calm down, focus oneself

10. 惬意 qiè yì

comfortable, at ease

那这段“上班”时光就更多了几分温暖，自然也更惬意 - This period of “working” thus felt a bit warmer and naturally more comfortable. [2]

11. 摸鱼 mō yú

slack off, goof off at work

然后是“闲聊、摸鱼”，最后一项是“职业规划” - Then comes “chatting and slacking off”, and the last item is “career planning”. [3]

12. 倒贴 dào tiē

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最近全国各地冒出来了一批新的公司：假装上班公司。

从表面看，这里和任何一家普通公司并无二致：朝九晚五的作息，整齐划一的工位，此起彼伏的键盘声，俨然一个秩序井然的办公空间。但稍作观察便会发现，这里的“员工”之间几乎没有工作交流，每个人都沉浸在自己的世界里，安静地处理着完全属于个人的事务。

选择来到这里的人，各有各的缘由：失业、转职、备考、自由职业……他们是暂时游离于主流职场之外的人。

而在这场精心维持的上班模拟中，他们努力守护着生活的节奏感，也维系着那份在外人看来不可或缺的体面。

假装上班公司成了他们的避风港，是对外界的温柔伪装，也是对自己的认真交代。

今天不上班

早上八九点，城市的上班族正有条不紊地进入他们的工作领域。在这股人流中，有一群特殊的通勤…

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Frank：大家好，我是Frank。你平时会看直播带货吗？

S：最近看得少了，但有一段时间我经常看。

F：那你买东西吗？

S：买啊，有时候本来没什么东西想买，看着看着就觉得这个也挺好，那个也不错，就会忍不住下单。

F：那你平时看董宇辉的直播吗？

S：不看，我不喜欢他。

F：这么直接吗？

S：对啊，就是有的主播风格你喜欢，有的就不喜欢，我就不喜欢董宇辉的风格，总觉得有点为了秀自己有文化而故意讲很多诗句呀，典故啊什么的，还在直播间里教大家学英语。

F：这是因为他没有办法降维打击你。他最近又翻车了，你听说了吗？

S：是因为卖的保健品有问题，对吧？

F：对，其实按道理来说，他翻车不止一次了，只不过每次都是停一段时间，然后再回来。

S：好像以前卖过的鸡肉…

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近年来，保健品市场出现了不少乱象。以最近翻车的假澳洲品牌优思益为例，所谓海外公司的地址不过是一个修车厂。这类洋马甲的套路并不新鲜：企业在国内代工，再到海外注册公司，让产品摇身一变成为“进口高端品牌”。

保健品的效果难以短期验证，其价值无非是建立在信任之上。当消费者获得正面体验时就会向别人推荐。优思益正是靠消费者口碑一年卖出数百万瓶，背后却是严重的品控问题。连带货主播董宇辉也受到了影响。部分人认为应对其“网开一面”，甚至出现了“法不责辉”的说法。

董宇辉曾被视为行业中的“一股清流”，被人们推上神坛。然而，一旦带货有失误，消费者的信任便会迅速动摇。面对危机，董宇辉的公司若试图免责，公信力只会被削弱。相反，更应该主动对消费者进行赔偿，借此机会重塑品牌形象。当问题曝光时，立即回应并采取措施才能让消费者相信这个公司…

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One of China’s most famous livestream hosts, Dong Yuhui (董宇辉), is facing a consumer backlash.

It began in early April, when a CCTV reporter exposed a health supplement sold by Dong called “Youthit” (优思益) which claimed to be an Australian brand. Priced at 293–434 yuan per bottle, it was marketed as a premium eye supplement made by Australian company, Yarra Vibe.

But the reporter discovered a very different reality: the products were made in China, owned by a Chinese shell company registered at an Australian address, which turned out to be a car repair warehouse in the outskirts of Melbourne.

And its brand story, including international awards, and expert endorsements, were all concocted by a marketing company based in Hangzhou.

This kind of fake foreign brand is common in China. It’s know as a “Western vest” (洋马甲) in Chinese slang, where a domestic product is dressed up with a foreign identity to command a premium price.

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Soon after the story broke, Youthit delisted all products across every platform and suspended all sales activity, and multiple government departments launched investigations into its operations. The outcome is still pending.

Dong Yuhui’s channel, Time with Hui (与辉同行) was the single largest sales platform for Youthit, accounting for an estimated 40% of total sales, and between 10–25 million yuan ($1.4-3.4 million USD) in revenue.

When the story broke, other influencers who had promoted the product quickly issued apologies and offered full refunds — known as “triple damages” (退一赔三) under Chinese consumer law. Which means for every purchase of a fake, customers get three times the price paid as compensation from the seller.

But Dong Yuhui’s team was notably slow to respond, issuing three statements which didn’t address the problem:

“On day one, they said they were ‘looking into it’.

On day two, they said they were ‘closely monitoring it’.

And only on day three did they reluctantly issue a statement offering ‘out-of-pocket refund’ to consumers.”

第一天在”关注”，第二天在”重点关注”，直到第三天才不情愿地发声明说”垫付退款”。 [2]

These lukewarm responses caused even more consternation online.

Because “looking into it” (关注) and “closely monitoring it” (重点关注) are classic Chinese corporate non-responses. And the word “out-of-pocket” (垫付) frames the refund as a favour to the consumer rather than an admission of liability. The repayment offered also fell well short of the standard “triple damages” paid Dong’s competitors.

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Doing Yuhui is a familiar name to long-time readers of this newsletter.

He became the face of East Buy (东方甄选), a live-streaming channel born out of the ashes of embattled education business, New Oriental (新东方) in 2022, whose private tutoring business was decimated by China’s Double Reduction policy (双减政策) the year before.

In December 2023, Dong became the CEO of East Buy. Then in July, 2024, Dong quit the platform to build his own channel, Time with Hui (与辉同行). And since then he’s become one of the top earners in the industry. Last year alone Time with Hui recorded over 21 billion yuan in sales (USD 2.9 billion).

But in recent months, Dong has been been hit by a series of fake product controversies, Youthit being the third this year.

In January 2026, his channel sold “Dabie Mountain Butter Hen” (大别山黄油母鸡) for 84 yuan for a pack of three. An industry association challenged its authenticity because the numbers didn’t add up — that breed of chicken costs over 150 yuan per hen raise. The product was quietly delisted from Dong’s channel.

Then in March 2026, the annual CCTV 315 Consumer Rights Broadcast (央视3·15晚会) exposed a brand of bleached chicken feet (漂白鸡爪) for being produced in unsanitary conditions. The product was also sold through Dong’s channel, but his team deflected the issue saying that the products he had sold came from a different production line.

Each time, Dong Yuhui used carefully worded language to distance himself from the problem product, and any liability.

But his fans are getting fed up, as this comment on social media suggests:

“This isn’t a mistake. He is treating consumers like idiots.”

这不是失误，这是把消费者的智商摁在地上摩擦。 [2]

• The phrase, “rubbing into the dirt” (摁在地上摩擦) is vivid Chinese internet slang meaning to utterly humiliate or disrespect someone, which captures how many of Dong’s fans are starting to feel.

The “fake Western vest” (洋马甲) foreign brand playbook is nothing new in China.

But this is a new problem for Dong who has built his reputation as a “cultural figure” (文化人), and educator. He’s even known affectionately by fans as “Teacher Dong” (董老师) — a reference to his earlier career as an English teacher at New Oriental before he became a superstar seller. His viewers and fans trust him, and they are willing to pay a premium for the products he promotes because of it.

But that deep trust is being eroded with these recent controversies. And there’s a new idiomatic phrase to explain why:

Recently, the catchphrase “Dong Yuhui keeps getting away with it” has gone viral.

A play on the old adage “the law does not punish the masses”, the four-character phrase highlights the seemingly untouchable status of Dong Yuhui and his team amidst a string of recent live-streaming controversies.

最近，”法不责辉”成了网络流行语。这四个字借用了老话”法不责众”的壳，指向了主播董宇辉及其团队在多起带货争议中的处境。

Trust is Dong’s single most valuable commercial asset. Unlike other live-streamers who sell on price or entertainment, Dong’s entire operation runs on this credibility.

And now that credibility is beginning to crack, rebuilding it will be far harder that it was to create.

So that’s what we’re discussing this week!

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Favourite Five

1. 情怀 qíng huái

sentiment, emotional attachment

他的流量和口碑，大多建立在“情怀”和“信任”之上 - His massive following and reputation are largely built on emotional resonance and trust. [3]

2. 洋马甲 yáng mǎ jiǎ

fake foreign branding, domestic product labelled as imported

成本30块，国内代工，全靠洋马甲忽悠人 - The product is a thirty-yuan domestic white-label disguised with a foreign-sounding name. [2]

• Related:

  • 洋牌 yáng pái – foreign brand label

  • 假洋货 jiǎ yáng huò – fake foreign brand

3. 摇身一变 yáo shēn yí biàn

to transform instantly, to turn into overnight

于是国产货，就摇身一变成为了高大上的洋货了 - Domestic products are then instantly transformed into high-end foreign goods. [4]

4. 法不责辉 fǎ bù zé huī

Dong Yuhui keeps getting away with it; selective accountability

最近，“法不责辉”成了网络流行语。这四个字借用了老话“法不责众”的壳，指向了主播董宇辉及其团队在多起带货争议中的处境 - Recently, the catchphrase “Dong Yuhui keeps getting away with it” has gone viral. A play on the old adage “the law does not punish the masses,” the four-character phrase highlights the seemingly untouchable status of influencer Dong Yuhui and his team amidst a string of recent livestreaming controversies. [1]

• Note: wordplay on “The law does not punish the masses” (法不责众)

• Related:

  • 法外之地 fǎ wài zhī dì – the Wild West, legal vacuum

5. 人红是非多 rén hóng shì fēi duō

the more famous you are, the more trouble you attract

人红是非多，顶流主播也逃不过舆论审判 - As the saying goes, fame always invites trouble: even the top live-streamer cannot escape public scrutiny. [3]

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Useful words

6. 恶意 è yì

malicious intent, bad faith

违法事实清楚，责任主体明确，主观恶意明显 - There is a clear violation, a defined liable party, and unmistakable willful misconduct. [1]

7. 欺诈 qī zhà

fraud, deception

两位被官方定性为虚假宣传或消费欺诈 - The two were accused by the authorities to be engaging in false advertising or consumer fraud. [1]

8. 翻车 fān chē

to mess up, to fail badly

董宇辉又翻车了 - Dong Yuhui messed it up again. [2]

• Related:

  • 出事 chū shì – something went wrong, an incident occurred

9. 神坛 shén tán

altar, place of reverence

董宇辉，是时候被拉下神坛了 - It’s time for Dong Yuhui to be pulled down from the altar (meaning: to be held accountable). [2]

10. 贪婪 tān lán

greedy, greed

不能用情怀来掩盖贪婪和虚伪，欺骗你的粉丝和用户 - You can’t use emotional appeal to sanitise greed and hypocrisy as you deceive your fans and users. [2]

11. 乱象 luàn xiàng

chaotic situation, disorderly phenomenon

希望他能守住行业的底线，成为乱象中的一束光 - Hopefully he can hold the line and become a ray of light amid industry-wide misconducts. [3]

12. 镀金 dù jīn

to gild, to embellish credentials

注册个品牌，最好再找个共享办公位，就算完成身份镀金了 - All it takes is a registered brand name and a desk at a co-working space to give yourself a veneer of legitimacy. [4]

13. 疙瘩 gē da

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这回栽在澳洲优思益身上，一个号称澳洲进口的假洋货。

当央视记者顺着地址摸过去，才发现是个修车厂。成本30块，国内代工，全靠洋马甲忽悠人。

与辉同行卖了1000万到2500万，占这个品牌近四成销量。

董宇辉曾信誓旦旦地宣称，他们选品严格，审核52项文件，每月光检测费用就近百万。

可百万检测费，却检测不出包装上的地址是个修车铺，检测不出基本的保健食品资质都没有。

这不是失误，这是把消费者的智商摁在地上摩擦。

在利益面前，所谓的严格选品，早已成了一块遮羞布。

出事后，大半个娱乐圈都在道歉、退款、赔付。

可他呢？第一天在“关注”，第二天在“重点关注”，直到第三天才不情愿地发声明说“垫付退款”。

不是退一赔三，仅仅是退款，还是需要你们感恩戴德的垫付。

那个满嘴情怀的董老师，自始至终都没看到他出来低个头，道个歉。

赚钱…

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Frank：大家好，我是Frank。看到张雪峰老师去世的新闻了吗？

S：当然看到了，我记得当时好像还是你发给我的。

F：哦对，我看到这个新闻就发给你了。

S：其实你发给我之前，我就看到了一些消息，说张雪峰老师去世了什么的，但是没当真，以为是谣言。

F：理解，因为以前也总有谣言说他要退网了啊什么的。

S：对 ，所以这次直到他的工作室发讣告出来的时候我才反应过来，当时一瞬间还是有点儿蒙。

F：你熟悉张雪峰吗？

S：其实他这些年帮助中国家庭和学生选大学选专业的事情，我不是非常了解。主要是我离这个话题太远了，和我的生活没什么关系，所以不太看。

F：我也是，但是看过一些他的直播和视频切片。就是他那些非常知名的言论，比如“文科就是舔”，“我的孩子要是…

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2026年3月，一则讣告传来，张雪峰因过度劳累而不幸离世。这位长期透支身体健康的人没有逃过这场死亡厄运，人生却在事业巅峰期戛然而止。

张雪峰一度成为无数寒门子弟心中的指路人。他的讲解风格十分接地气，以独特甚至略显功利的视角分析专业与就业。当家长和学生为选择专业感到迷茫时，张雪峰就是那棵他们能抓住的救命稻草。他理解普通家庭的焦虑，况且这种焦虑正是他事业的基础。

从走红网络到建立商业版图，他几乎凭借一己之力打造出了庞大的教育事业。长期以来，他对自己要求极为苛刻，工作状态近乎玩命。正值事业高速发展的阶段，他每天都在高强度地工作，这也使他的身体持续被消耗。哪怕他多次表示自己长期处于疲惫的状态，也不敢停下来，仍然坚持输出内容。因为流量、公司与信任都依赖于他一个人。

人们习惯用更努力来解决一切问题，却忽视了身体的极限。…

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On March 24, education influencer Zhang Xuefeng (张雪峰) died suddenly in Suzhou from cardiac arrest. He was only 41 years old.

On the morning of the day he died, he’d already broadcast a livestream and completed a run. His March running total had already passed 70km, according to his WeChat Moments.

For readers of this newsletter, Zhang Xuefeng is a familiar name. He is one of China’s most recognisable internet celebrities, and has made a name for himself as a “gaokao college application planning advisor” (高考志愿规划师).

On Weibo, one post captured what many were feeling about his sudden death:

“A life of such theatrical flair ended by a sudden and brutal blow.

Whatever you thought of him, you cannot help but shudder at this grim fate.”

“富有戏剧色彩的人生，最终以决然而突兀的一击结束。无论对这个人观感如何，都不能不为命运之严酷森冷而战栗。”

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Zhang came from modest beginnings.

He grew up in a small town in Heilongjiang Province, called Fuyu County (富裕县). Fuyu in Chinese means rich, but ironically this town was very poor. At his family’s most strapped, their combined monthly income was just 600 yuan when Zhang was growing up.

After finding fame and wealth, Zhang often joked of just how poor his childhood was:

“Some struggle to put food on the table…

But back then my family didn’t even have a table to put food on!”

有人穷得叮当响，那时我是穷到响都没有！

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Zhang attended Zhengzhou University, which is not one of China’s most prestigious but an achievement for Zhang to get into given where he came from. He studied water supply and drainage engineering (给排水工程). Which was completely irrelevant to the rest of his career. After graduating, he began his career in postgraduate entrance exam tutoring.

He got his first taste of online fame in 2016, when he produced the video “Understanding China’s 34 Top Universities in Seven Minutes” (七分钟解读34所985高校).

It went viral, garnering millions of views. Speaking in his distinctive northeastern accent, Zhang took the boring and confusing topic of university profiles and broke it down into a string of jokes and one-liners with the timing and delivery of a stand-up comic.

That formula of straight-talking, simple, entertaining, and helpful transformed him from an ordinary exam tutor into an internet celebrity.

In the years that followed, Zhang capitalised on that fame and built a successful education business. Many criticised him for “making money off people’s anxieties” (靠焦虑来赚钱). But for millions of parents he offered a lifeline to navigate the pressures of academic results, university choices, and graduate employment.

He encouraged students to opt for employability, high pay, and job security over personal interest, passion, or ideals. Niche subjects, according to Zhang, had narrow career prospects, low wages, and were “dead-end” fields to be avoided.

So Zhang was no stranger to controversy.

In 2024, he caused an uproar when he discouraged students from majoring in humanities, saying:

“If my child insists on studying journalism, I’ll knock them out cold.”

“孩子非要报新闻学，我一定把他打晕”

…

“Every humanities degree will lead to a job in the service industry. At the end of the day, what you do is just sucking up to people. “

“所有文科都是服务业，总结为一个舔字”

He famously dismissed biology, chemistry, environmental science, and materials science as “pitfall majors” (天坑专业). And he even discouraged youngsters from becoming diplomats.

But behind the provocative online persona was a man who couldn’t stop. Back in June 2023, Zhang was admitted to hospital with symptoms of extreme exhaustion, chest tightness, and heart palpitations.

He led an intense life of overwork, poor diet, and lack of sleep, while also being a keen runner, putting his body under immense and sustained stress.

He often shared on social media how tired he felt, like this post in April 2021:

“Am I tired? Of course. Can I take a break? Of course not. Am I afraid of overworking to death?

No. Why do I push myself like this? Because go big or go home. I owe it to everyone who put their faith in me.”

“累么？累！不能休息么？不能！你就不怕猝死么？不怕！为什么要这样？做事情，要么就不做，要做，就做好！对得起每一个信任你的人！”

Despite the controversies of Zhang and what’s he’s said over the years, the outpouring on social media following his death was overwhelming, and mostly positive.

According to the excellent and timely Bumingbai (不明白播客), Zhang’s death generated over 1 billion posts on Weibo, over 5 billion on Douyin, and over 80,000 articles on WeChat. And on the day of his funeral in Suzhou, tens of thousands of people reportedly turned up to pay their respects in person — images of which were quickly censored online.

So for all the people Zhang upset, there were many more who were grateful for his honesty, directness, and help in navigating China’s competitive and unforgiving education system.

And that’s what we’re discussing this week.

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Favourite Five

1. 透支 tòu zhī

overdraw, overextend

他无限透支自己的身体，却偏偏不敢停 - He was burning the candle at both ends, yet he didn’t dare to take a break. [1]

• Related:
  疲惫 pí bèi – tired, exhausted

2. 玩命 wán mìng

risk one’s life, go all out recklessly

长期这么干，等于玩命 - Doing this long-term is basically committing slow suicide.

• Related:
  拼命 pīn mìng – to give it your all, desperately

3. 戛然而止 jiá rán ér zhǐ

an abrupt end, stop suddenly

也有人被这种“戛然而止”击中——”原来人不是到老了才会死，人是随时都会死的” - Others were struck by how his life was brought to an abrupt end — “So it turns out people don’t only die when they’re old. People can die at any moment.” [1]

• Related:

  • 戛然收场 jiá rán shōu chǎng – come to an abrupt end

4. 救命稻草 jiù mìng dào cǎo

lifesaving straw, last resort

从被学生看不起的愣头青老师，变成数百万家长的救命稻草 - He went from an inexperienced teacher looked down on by his own students to the last hope for millions of parents. [3]

5. 语不惊人死不休 yǔ bù jīng rén sǐ bù xiū

won’t stop until something shocking is said, always says something striking

张雪峰有时语不惊人死不休，例如，“孩子非要报新闻学，我一定把他打晕” - Zhang Xuefeng would sometimes pick the most outrageous thing to say. Take his stance on journalism: “If my child insists on majoring in journalism, I would knock him out.” [2]

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So, ready to finally get started and wave goodbye to that nagging rusty feeling?

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Useful words

6. 猝然 cù rán

suddenly, abruptly

谁也不曾想到，这个始终以精力充沛的形象出现在镜头前、直播间里的人，会以这样猝然的方式告别 - No one could have imagined that a man who always appeared so full of life on camera and in his livestreams would bid the world such a sudden and final farewell. [2]

• Related:

  • 猝死 cù sǐ – sudden death

7. 消耗 xiāo hào

to consume, to drain

高强度的工作与运动叠加，对他的身体造成了巨大的消耗 - The compounded stress of a demanding job and intense workouts took a massive toll on his body. [1]

• Related:
  耗尽 hào jìn – to exhaust, to use up completely

8. 拧巴 nǐng ba

conflicted, internally torn

他那种想停下却不敢停下的拧巴，却让人感到具体而熟悉 - His inner struggle of being stuck between burnout and the fear of letting go feels strikingly real and all too common. [1]

9. 功利 gōng lì

utilitarian, driven by self-interest

有人说他功利短视，把教育讲成了“找工作指南” - Some criticised him for being short-sighted and overly utilitarian, as he reduced education to a tool for job-hunting. [1]

• Related:
  功利化 gōng lì huà – to approach sth in a utilitarian way

10. 苛刻 kē kè

harsh, strict

相较之下，张雪峰对自己却很苛刻 - In comparison, Zhang Xuefeng is very strict with himself. [1]

11. 讣告 fù gào

obituary, death notice

直到晚上，头像灰了，讣告来了 - When the evening arrived, his profile picture turned grey with the posting of the obituary. [3]

12. 厄运 è yùn

misfortune, bad luck

所以这一次，厄运还是出手了 - So this time, the stroke of fate hit him. [3]

13. 胡诌 hú zhōu

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他曾在微博上说过，如果让他选一种死法，最希望是猝死；如果定个时间，希望是不久的将来。

从2016年到2026年，张雪峰的事业一路狂飙。公司年营收上亿的他，把自己活成了一台高速运转的机器。

据不完全统计，这10年来，张雪峰发了16条与“凌晨加班”有关的微博，80条诉苦“累”的帖子。但几乎每一次，情绪刚冒头，就被他自己按了回去：再坚持一下，还不够努力。

他曾自嘲是 “生产队的驴”。为了赶路、讲课，他能40小时不合眼，直播近4小时不起身不喝水。他无限透支自己的身体，却偏偏不敢停。

2026年3月24日，张雪峰因心源性猝死抢救无效在苏州逝世，年仅41岁。就在2天前，张雪峰还在朋友圈打卡跑步。当日，他跑了7公里。

他的猝然离世瞬间引爆全网，无数声音交织在一起：有人感叹穷人需要张雪峰，他告…

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Frank：大家好，我是Frank。你有AI焦虑吗？

S：又是AI，天天都是AI，我耳朵都起茧子了。

F：没办法啊，现在就是这样，关于AI的讨论不绝于耳，你要习惯。

S：我习惯，我怎么习惯，我都有AI焦虑了。

F：你说说怎么个焦虑法？

S：这个焦虑，主要分两种，一种是感觉自己的工作要被AI替代的焦虑，一种是AI更新速度太快了，真的跟不上，跟不上又担心自己被落下的那种焦虑。

F：再加上很多公司都在裁员，社交媒体上不断炒作新的AI应用，大家就更忐忑了。

S：对呀，很多没裁员的公司都开始有风声说要裁员了。

F：最近就有传言说科大讯飞和网易都要大规模裁员。

S：不过这两家公司都发表声明说，不会裁员，说只是公司正常的人事变动。

F：而且他们还发明了一个…

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前两年，人们谈起AI时感到兴奋，如今却变得十分忐忑，因为身边越来越多的人因AI被清退。网络上到处是裁员的消息，有人说这是经济周期，有人说是行业洗牌。先前我们以为AI只是有趣的工具。但AI发展得如此之快，以至于很多基础工作被逐渐取代。

19世纪初英国纺织工人发动的卢德运动，在后来的历史书中常被当作笑话——一群害怕失业的工人，不过是螳臂当车。固然工业革命最终创造了更多就业，但是那段过渡期充满阵痛。经济学家称之为“技术性失业”，而当事人却感到无能为力。

AI会写文章、画图、写代码乃至分析数据，能够帮助企业降本增效。因此，企业无需保留大量昂贵的人力，这使得许多岗位被取代。就业不只是提供收入来源，更是身份认同的标志。一旦失业，失去的不仅是一份收入，还有生活的动力和社会地位。

机械式的学习已经没有价值，创造力、批判性思维

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On March 17, rumours began circulating in Chinese tech industry group chats that iFlytek (科大讯飞), a leading AI and speech recognition company, was planning large-scale layoffs of software engineers.

As speculation spread, iFlytek’s Vice President, Han Yucheng (韩煜尘) denied it as “fake news.”

The following day, similar rumours swirled about NetEase (网易), one of China’s largest internet and gaming companies, which was also allegedly planning a large-scale “clear-out of all contract staff” (全面清退外包).

NetEase Games has a total workforce of around 20,000. The majority of those are game developers, of which 10-15% are outsourced. According to these latest rumours, the “clear out” would be done by removing 30% of outsourced contractors by April, and the rest of them would be removed by May.

Following the playbook of iFlytek, NetEase released a statement saying the rumours were false, and that any recent personnel changes were normal “replacements” (汰换) through routine staff rotation in the business.

But rather than use the neutral word for “replace” (which is 替换 in Chinese), NetEase used a more loaded term, which suggests the rumours might well be true.

The expression used in the statement was “remove and replace” (汰换), which combines the word for “eliminate” (淘汰) and “replace” (替换). In corporate speak this means getting rid of underperforming staff and replacing them — either with higher quality talent, or AI.

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The rumours emanating from NetEase and iFlytek have hit a nerve with many employees precisely because of the impact that AI is now having on China’s tech sector.

One employee tech sector employee quoted in the media captures this sentiment:

“Two years ago, it was ‘AI is here — how exciting’.

This year, it’s ‘AI is here — how terrifying’.

It’s not some distant, abstract terror, but the kind of immediate terror where people around you are actually getting laid off.”

前两年是”AI来了，好激动”，今年变成了”AI来了，好焦虑”。不是那种遥远的、跟我不相干的焦虑，是那种——身边真有人被裁了的焦虑。

The writer also drew a parallel between tech employees today and the Luddites — textile workers in early 19th century Britain who faced being replaced by machines that were faster, cheaper, and never needed to sleep.

Their resistance against change at that time was futile, just like those anxious tech employees in China today — which in Chinese can be expressed with a beautifully visual idiom:

“Like a mantis trying to stop a chariot”

螳臂当车

The concern among tech and gaming workers is real. And the consensus is that this round of personnel “optimisations” (优化) is linked to the accelerated adoption of AI.

“It’s an industry-wide consensus that the use of AI has become pretty much ubiquitous across game publishing.”

几乎所有公司在发行这块对AI的使用都比较泛滥，这早就是行业内的共识。

Employees believe major tech companies are actively "replacing humans with AI" (AI替代人类), not just encouraging its use as a support tool. These ongoing fears are why rumours of large-scale layoffs have caused such a strong reaction.

Because for many workers, the question is no longer whether AI will change their industry, but whether there will be a place for them in it at all. Just like the mantis raising its arms against the chariot, they feel powerless in the face of an unstoppable force.

So that’s what we’re exploring this week!

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Favourite Five

1. 清退 qīng tuì

dismiss, lay off

网易旗下多个部门都或多或少地开始了外包清退工作 - Many departments in NetEase have started to lay off contractors. [1]

2. 汰换 tài huàn

replace, upgrade

近期发生的人员变动仅为部分项目的正常业务调整与人员汰换 - The recent personnel changes reflect normal operational realignments and routine talent optimization within specific projects. [1]

3. 螳臂当车 táng bì dāng chē

a mantis trying to stop a chariot, overestimate one’s ability

历史书把他们写成笑话：一群害怕进步的落后分子，螳臂当车 - History books wrote them off as a joke: a bunch of Luddites clinging to the past, like a mantis trying to stop a chariot. [2]

4. 不寒而栗 bù hán ér lì

shudder with fear, tremble involuntarily

如果我们不采取行动，未来的场景可能令人不寒而栗 - If we don’t take action, what might happen in the future could make us shudder with fear. [2]

5. 两极分化 liǎng jí fēn huà

polarisation, extreme divide

这就导致了一个两极分化的局面 - This has created two vastly different results. [3]

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Useful words

6. 忐忑 tǎn tè

uneasy, anxious

他们因此“很忐忑，怕拿不到赔偿” - There was great uncertainty and they were afraid that they wouldn’t receive their severance package. [1]

7. 征兆 zhēng zhào

sign, indication

阿乐告诉触乐，清退外包并非毫无征兆 - Ale told Chuapp that the layoff of contractors didn’t come exactly as a surprise. [1]

8. 风声 fēng shēng

rumour, news

清退外包并非毫无征兆，早在去年就有了些风声 - The layoff of contractors didn’t come out of the blue, as there were already signs of it a year ago. [1]

9. 端倪 duān ní

clue, trace

公布了（对AI介入工作流的具体要求后）才察觉之前就有端倪 - Only after they announced the AI requirements did we start connecting the dots about those earlier signs. [1]

10. 焦虑 jiāo lǜ

anxious, worried

今年变成了“AI来了，好焦虑” - This year, it’s “AI is here — how terrifying”. [2]

• Related:

  • 绝望 jué wàng – despair

11. 阵痛 zhèn tòng

growing pains, temporary pain

它巧妙地映射了当下整个科技行业正在发生的真实阵痛 - It encapsulates the growing pains that are clearly felt by the entire tech industry. [3]

12. 优化 yōu huà

optimize, streamline

很多人还没反应过来，就发现自己的工作已经被“优化”了 - Before most people realised what had happen, they found that their roles had been “optimised away”. [2]

Three-character phrases

13. 斩杀线 zhǎn shā xiàn

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林淼在网易某款游戏内工作。他觉得公司计划用AI替换人力的部分“一眼真”。但对于传闻的细节，他并不太相信。“每年都在传裁人，真的每年（都在传），只是理由不同罢了”，林淼告诉触乐，“优化外包的前提是（外包工作）能用AI代替，现在前提都不存在。”

虽然业界普遍认为本次裁员的直接原因是“用AI取代人工”的技术已经趋于成熟。但在林淼看来， 至少在他所在的组，AI介入工作流程的程度还不太深…

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Frank：大家好，我是Frank。你大学的时候学的什么专业？

S：说来话长，我读的第一个专业和食品有关系，可以理解成食品科学吧。

F：啊？这个我还真不知道，我一直以为你读的是和教育相关的专业。

S：后来换成教育了，所以我换过专业。

F：当初为什么读跟食品有关的专业呢？

S：中国不是有句老话吗，“民以食为天”。所以当时就觉得，学食品比较容易找工作也不容易失业，而且我自己也挺喜欢化学啊、生物啊这些东西的。

F：后来呢？怎么换了？

S：后来发现，说不上是天坑专业吧，但也是理想很丰满，现实很残酷啊！我不知道现在怎么样，不过当时这个行业挺辛苦的，本科毕业想找个好工作不容易。

F：一几年的时候，比较好就业的专业应该是计算机。

S：嗯，很多80末，90…

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