Hong Kong to be cut off from the internet, the courage to speak out!! China is trapped in two vicious cycles, unable to escape! Just how poor have things gotten? It's beyond imagination! Qiqi Talk 'Refreshing 818' 20261103
In this episode, host Qiqi discusses rumors of possible internet blockades in Hong Kong and Kevin Tsai's remarks on the courage to speak out. She then shares and connects personal accounts from several netizens describing their extreme poverty, unemployment, and inability to make ends meet this year. Finally, she analyzes the strange vicious cycles Chinese society faces—tightening wallets, wage rollbacks, and young people choosing to work at a loss or lie flat.
Video link:
Full transcript:
Hello everyone, welcome to Qiqi Baba, I'm Qiqi. Uh, I saw some rumors saying that Hong Kong is going to have an internet wall built. Of course, I only know that Hong Kong cannot use TikTok, but my own apps like YouTube and Instagram should still work normally. However, I think the next step will definitely be a gradual block, though maybe not all of a sudden.
Because the CCP authorities, whenever they do these self-deceiving things, they still look for an excuse. They rarely do it directly; even if they have to make up a lie, they will position themselves as absolutely invincible and standing on the side of justice. In short, they want to highlight that whatever they do is right. Moreover, an internet blockade in Hong Kong like this will probably happen gradually; they won't just straight up say, "I'm boxing Hong Kong inside the Great Firewall, and from now on your treatment is identical to mainland China."
They will likely use certain events or find a pretext of their own to propose temporarily disallowing people in Hong Kong from using the global internet for a period of time, say one month or three months. Then, through a series of maneuvers, they will gradually turn this "temporary" ban into a permanent one. Once enough time passes, friends living in Hong Kong might become just like Chinese friends inside the wall, no longer remembering what it was like when they could still use Google. Actually, compared to this news, what I really want to share with everyone is a snippet of what Kevin Tsai said in his latest interview.
Because he personally attended a campaign rally in Taiwan, he was softly banned inside the wall—losing his freedom to speak publicly. All his public activities, including some of his commercial endorsements, were canceled. They called him a Taiwanese independence supporter and hurled a bunch of nasty insults at him. When he himself responded to this matter—since the interview was quite long and covered a lot about why he stepped forward, mainly due to this reason—he said one sentence: He said if you don't care about this matter, are you going to let those seventeen or eighteen-year-old kids be oppressed to death, young people just like us?
Uh, this reminds me of something I saw inside the Great Firewall before. A guy was not allowed to enter a concert venue because he was wearing makeup, a skirt, and high heels. If you view him as a normal person, there was absolutely nothing wrong with his style. There was no nudity, no, uh, pornography, nor any kind of, uh, bloody or terrifying guidance. It wasn't cosplay either, just a very normal outfit. But because he wore a skirt and high heels, he was not allowed to go in.
In the end, it was only after he changed his high heels to slippers that they agreed to let him in. After some negotiation, they originally insisted that he wipe off his makeup and stuff. So like I said, in my view, as long as you don't affect others—meaning you don't force others to do things, or infringe upon people's personal space—I don't think anyone should point fingers at what others do. Even if you internally disagree or dislike it, that's completely normal, and indeed it's your right. You have the right to dislike him, you have the right to disagree with his actions, but you cannot forbid someone from existing on this earth just because you personally dislike it.
Right? If you say humans have encroached upon so much of wild animals' habitats, should wild animals just expect humans to go extinct? Internally, they probably hate humans to death. Asking why humans even exist—it's all about coexistence. This earth is a massive ecosystem, and I think it's big enough to accommodate all sorts of unique individuals among us. So you shouldn't forbid someone from existing or force them to change into what you like just because of your subjective preferences, right? You just be what you like, and let others be what they like.
The reason I'm taking the time to mention this specifically today is because I believe that no matter when it is and no matter who they are, as long as someone can stand up and speak out, that courage is always precious.
[Video Clip] I want to ask you all, how broke are you all this year? Is it just me who is broke, or is everyone broke? I just went to the street market to buy vegetables; I didn't even dare go to the supermarket. I bought a few apples and a few bunches of grapes from a roadside stall. It wasn't much in total, but it added up to 35 yuan. Ah, I looked at my phone balance, and there was less than 33.4 yuan left. I told the vendor lady to take one apple back because I couldn't afford it. Then she took an apple back. I don't know why I got this broke this year. And then there's the kid's kindergarten fee. It came out yesterday—or the day before yesterday—and I still haven't paid it yet. I don't have the money to pay it.
[Video Clip] There are also two kids' English tuition fees unpaid, over 1,000 yuan—also over 1,000 yuan—no money to pay. Every month, as soon as the salary is paid, it just passes through our pockets and then goes straight out. Then this month we have to borrow money to spend again. It's like this every single month. My kid is three and a half years old this year, and still hasn't gone to kindergarten. I'm not afraid of you laughing at me—we stay at home because we don't have money to go. I teach him to recognize characters by myself every day; there's no money to attend kindergarten. Last time a relative asked, shouldn't he be sent to kindergarten by now? I said let's send him next year; after all, kids in the junior class get colds every day anyway. Then they asked, is it really because you're afraid of spending money? I really wanted to say, yes! Ah, how could things get this broke? Is it just me who is broke, or is everyone broke?
[Video Clip] Sigh, how hard has this year really been? Ah, let me take the first hit myself. I'm already 28 years old. Logically, at 28, uh, it's the prime age for a man to earn money and support a family, ah, but right now I can't even pull out 2,000 yuan. This is no exaggeration, nor am I crying poverty; I genuinely can't swipe a single card. Ah, if you ask me to open my phone now to show you the balance, I'd be too embarrassed to even tap that app. Ah, since New Year's until now, ah, I've been continuously unemployed. I haven't told my family either; not a single word.
[Video Clip] Ah, every morning I still leave home early in the morning, pretending to go to work, carrying that worn-out backpack. Ah, where can I go after leaving home? I just walk aimlessly like this. When I get tired of walking, I find a shopping mall to sit in. The shopping mall has air conditioning—warm in winter and cool in summer—and the main thing is it costs no money. Ah, sitting inside the mall, I can sit for a whole day, watching people walking back and forth carrying shopping bags, feeling like I belong to a completely different world.
[Video Clip] Ah, my phone is out of battery, so I found a corner in the mall to charge it. Sometimes when the cleaning lady comes over to mop the floor, I quickly unplug it and move to another spot, terrified that someone will notice and ask, "Hey, what is this young guy doing here? Not going to work?" Ah, I can't even make up an answer anymore. As for the car, I haven't driven it for a long time. At the beginning of the year, I was still hanging in there, filling up the gas a few times. But now gas prices have surged so fiercely; every time I pass a gas station, the numbers on the sign pierce into your eyes like nails. Filling up the tank costs two or three hundred yuan, which covers half a month of my current living expenses.
[Video Clip] I simply parked the car near the residential complex, bought a car cover for a dozen yuan, and wrapped it up—out of sight, out of mind. Now, when I go out, it's all public buses and shared bicycles. I used to think low-carbon travel was an environmental slogan; now, it is my only affordable way to get around. As for meals, ah, I compress my spending as much as humanly possible. I skip breakfast and combine it with lunch, ordering the cheapest takeout available or going to one of those roadside fast-food joints where rice is free to refill, and ordering just one cheap dish.
[Video Clip] Ah, I stuff myself with as much rice as possible, and as soon as I finish this meal, I start calculating the next one—can I hold out for a few more hours? Sometimes when I really can't take it anymore, I go to a convenience store to buy a few steamed buns for two or three yuan, squat by the roadside to eat them, wipe my mouth when I'm done, and keep walking. Ah, my son is four years old this year, and those of you with kids probably understand what I'm talking about. Ah, a four-year-old child wants everything he sees; when he goes to the supermarket and sees toy cars, he simply refuses to move, and when he sees other kids holding and eating snacks, he stares with eager eyes. The old me would have squatted down and asked him which one he liked.
[Video Clip] "Dad will buy it for you." But now I simply don't dare take him to the supermarket, terrified that he might say, "Dad, I want this," and that he would remember what I look like when I can't even afford a toy car for him. He's only four, ah, he doesn't need to know how pathetic his father currently is, ah, so I try my best to take him to parks and outdoor places like that, to walk around and stroll. My wife isn't working right now and stays home to take care of the kids, picking up and dropping off our child at kindergarten every day, cooking and washing clothes at home, ah, keeping the house spotless.
[Video Clip] Ah, of course she doesn't blame me; she never asks when I'm going to find a job, nor does she compare me to other people's husbands. But the more she says nothing, ah, the more painful it feels in my heart. When she married me, we quietly talked about living a good life, and now, instead of a good life, ah, she's enduring hardships with me first.
[Video Clip] As for my mom, her health isn't good either, and she had to stop working a couple of years ago. I don't want to go into the details of what specific illness she has. In short, she cannot be strained, uh, cannot worry, and needs to maintain a good mindset. Therefore, my dad is currently the only person in the family with an income. Ah, at his age, he is still carrying the burden for me and this family. Every morning, we also leave the house together. I pretend to go to work, and he actually goes to work. We walk downstairs together, ah, one turns left, one turns right. Um, looking at his back, ah, his shoulders are already a bit hunched, and his hair is already half white.
[Video Clip] I am twenty-eight years old, an age when I should be taking over the baton, yet, ah, I'm letting him carry it for me. Coming home every night is the most agonizing time. Before walking through the door, I stand at the entrance for a few minutes, take a deep breath, ah, put away all the fatigue and panic of the day, and then push the door open. [Child's name/pronoun] runs over to hug me. My wife asks today if I'm tired? Ah, my mom says dinner is ready and I can come eat. I just smile and say, "I'm alright, ah, work is alright, everything is alright." Um, I don't dare look into their eyes either, afraid of seeing my pathetic self in those eyes; uh, I'm afraid they'll notice, afraid they'll ask.
[Video Clip] And even more afraid that they won't ask, ah, if they ask I don't know how to reply, and if they don't ask it means they already know everything, ah, they just can't bear to pierce the illusion. Um, it's not that I haven't been looking for a job; it's just that these past few months, I've worn out all kinds of recruitment apps at home, and the resumes I've sent out either get ignored or there's no follow-up after the interview. Ah, once I went to an interview for a position, and when I arrived, I saw twenty or thirty people all crammed into a small conference room filling out a form, ah, and I sat in this corner watching this crowd.
[Video Clip] There are fresh graduates younger than me, ah, and middle-aged people older than me. Everyone has the same expression on their face, ah, that look of trying to maintain composure while actually being panicked inside. At that moment, it suddenly felt very absurd. Ah, more than thirty people fighting for one position; if someone is rejected, it's not because they aren't good enough, but because there is only one spot. Ah, saying this isn't about playing the victim; I want those in a similar situation to me to know that you are not alone. Those people you see on the street every day, rushing by with expressionless faces, might be just like you, with the last bit of money in their pockets, not knowing how to make it to next month.
[Video Clip] Those people dozing off on the bus, hey, might be just as anxious as you, unable to sleep all night. Those buying cheap boxed lunches at convenience stores might be just like you, combining breakfast and lunch into one. Given the situation this year, not many people have it easy. But after saying these things out loud, ah, I actually feel less tightness in my chest. I no longer need to pretend on social media that I'm doing fine, ah, I don't need to force myself to hold on in front of my family. Admitting that I'm having a hard time right now, admitting that I'm going through a low point, ah, actually feels like I've unloaded some burdens. If you are like me, ah, or even worse off, never feel ashamed. Anyone who can hold on and not collapse this year is a winner.
[Video Clip] Ah, treat this place as a tree hole; say whatever you want to say. Let's support each other, ah, and get through these hardest days together. Hey, I truly believe that after hitting rock bottom, every step forward is an upward one. As long as you keep moving forward, there is a chance for a comeback.
Everyone's pockets are tightening; I think this point is already very obvious, ah! Most Chinese people are experiencing consumption downgrading; this is not an isolated phenomenon. I think this strong feeling among friends must be very profound, ah. Actually, if many people look it up, you will find a very strange phenomenon: the CCP claims its GDP is still growing at a high speed, but if you are a fresh graduate looking for a job now, you will find that the base salary is at the level of ten or even fifteen years ago. It's been like this for so many years; this base salary hasn't grown at all, and that's not even the worst part—it's actually regressing. You earn less and less, the cost of living gets higher and higher, and most importantly, there are fewer and fewer job openings while the number of job seekers is increasing.
Besides this vicious cycle, there is another one: the harder you work to try to increase your income, the more money, time, and health you might actually lose. Lying flat might actually lead to a fairly decent life. Because I haven't just seen one or two people say that if they go out to work, they need their parents to subsidize them, otherwise they can't survive. Because they might be getting a salary of four or five thousand, or even slightly higher, five or six thousand, ah, this really is already...
This is a common salary, and it's already a slightly higher income. For a fresh graduate, rent alone is two thousand in a big city; for a shared apartment, it's about the same price. Then, because there are utilities, plus the rent, even if you share, this housing expense of two thousand is already very low. For food, two thousand is also already very low, because it's basically impossible to cook for yourself while working, so you definitely have to eat takeout all the time; two thousand is already very low, plus the commuting costs.
It's simply not enough; you can't live. Are you saying you don't buy daily necessities? And in your work, you don't engage in any social activities with colleagues? You can't even afford to treat clients to a meal; that's definitely impossible, right? So, for many people, they are actually paying to work every month. Later, many people figured it out: if I'm working myself to death and still have to pay out of pocket, why bother? So they went home to lie flat. After going home to lie flat, they found they didn't have to pay rent, there were no commuting costs, and they didn't have to pay for takeout because they were eating at home. Then the monthly living expenses might really only be a few hundred yuan. Not working is actually more cost-effective, and you can save time, and you won't lose your health.
So now, more and more people are choosing this kind of life. This is not just one or two people; it's almost becoming a very common phenomenon. It's like, I'm not looking for a job anymore. As long as their parents are working-class, many of them might really just go lie flat. Unless it's a family in extreme difficulty and they urgently need a job, then they might really end up delivering food or working in a factory if they can't find a job.
All college students are coming out to look for jobs, but they can't find any, which makes the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) very worried. If all college students go back and give up looking for work, the CCP will likely be even more worried, because if no one works and makes money, it means they have no tax revenue. I think if this fiscal problem of the CCP still cannot be filled—because it has been hollowed out by them left and right—if things go on like this, I feel a poll tax is truly not far off, or perhaps it is already being planned.