Former Foreign Company Manager Does Not Settle for a Salary of 30,000 RMB, Leaving the Country to Escape

From a rural temporary worker earning a monthly salary of 150 Chinese yuan, to a department manager in a large company in the industry earning 30,000 yuan per month, Zhang Zhenzhen’s “counterattack” journey is quite inspirational. Just as everyone thought he would be on a fast track to success, he made the surprising decision to leave Suzhou and come to the United States.

Although he did not have a flashy education, after graduating from high school, Zhang Zhenzhen went to work outside and quickly passed the English and technical exams through his excellent self-study ability. He became an outstanding management talent favored by headhunting companies and successively served as department head in several foreign companies. Looking back on his personal experience, Zhang Zhenzhen said, “I am just an ordinary person who benefited from China’s accession to the WTO.”

Born in rural Xuzhou, Jiangsu, Zhang Zhenzhen’s parents made a living by farming. Due to financial difficulties, after graduating from high school in 2002, he chose to drop out and worked as a temporary worker in a printing factory in Xuzhou, earning only 150 yuan per month. The work was unstable, and he slept in the workshop at night, surrounded by the strong smell of ink. However, he did not waste time, he studied while working, and after several months, he obtained an electrician certificate.

Subsequently, a construction company boss hired him. Although the monthly salary was only 200 yuan, he helped with plumbing and electrical work every day, accumulating experience in pipes and electrician work. In 2003, when people from his hometown came to recruit workers to go to big coastal cities, he decided to try his luck elsewhere. So, with the 1,200 yuan his father gave him, he embarked on a journey to Shanghai.

Arriving in Shanghai, after paying a 600 yuan intermediary fee, he got his first job at a private mold factory pressing bottle caps, earning 800 yuan a month. The job required working 12 hours a day, six days a week; lifting molds weighing 10 kilograms and lifting them every 30 seconds, causing aches and pains. Most people were unwilling to do it, but he persevered for several months, saving over 2,000 yuan before feeling that he couldn’t continue and quit.

After paying another intermediary fee, he got the opportunity to apply to Flex Ltd., a foreign company in China. During the interview, Zhang Zhenzhen, who understood both electrical engineering and English, stood out from dozens of candidates. At Flex Ltd., he felt the first shock brought by a foreign-funded enterprise.

In his first month, he worked only 20 days and earned 1,650 yuan, and in the second month, he earned 2,200 yuan for the entire month. This was nearly three times the income he had worked so hard for previously. The company also provided free lunch, including fish, shrimp, eggs, vegetables, and milk; with a work schedule of four days on and two days off, which was unimaginable in private enterprises.

The boss at Flex Ltd. was a foreigner, and English communication was required in the workplace. Zhang Zhenzhen memorized words and sentences from an English dictionary every day, almost wearing out half a dictionary, rapidly improving his listening and speaking skills. During his time at Flex Ltd., he met his current wife and settled a significant matter in his life.

The relaxed job allowed him more time for learning. He bought thousands of yuan worth of books from bookstores, covering English, computer technology, and electrical equipment, reading every day diligently.

In 2004, due to the company relocating, he switched to another company; after several twists and turns, he obtained an interview opportunity with a foreign intelligent equipment automation company cooperating with Microsoft. His comprehensive ability in “language and technology” made him stand out once again and he was hired. The office was in the bustling commercial center of Meiluo City in Shanghai, where he worked with Microsoft engineers daily. After a few months, he became a department manager, and his salary increased to 4,800 yuan; by October 2009, his team had grown to forty to fifty people.

Subsequently, until before his departure for abroad in 2023, he hopped to several other foreign large companies—from international footwear giants to real estate investment management companies; during which he also received the “Best Individual in the Asia-Pacific Region” award from a company. While working as a department manager at a certain company, his work contract ended due to the expiration of the contract with the collaborating party, and the company compensated him with a total of 130,000 yuan, equal to four months’ salary.

Instead of rushing to find a new job, he continued his routine of running 5 kilometers every morning, followed by studying in the library. Zhang Zhenzhen said, “It was a very beautiful time for me.”

Before going abroad, he worked as a technical manager in the equipment management department at a foreign capital company, earning 30,000 yuan per month. His daily work mainly involved project approvals, which took about an hour to complete, giving him more time to study and research.

Zhang Zhenzhen, who arrived in the United States via a detour through Japan and a journey from Mexico, made the decision to quit the Communist Youth League and the Young Pioneers organization. He said, “This evil party actually has poor work capabilities; they excel in summarizing their evil deeds—it is the culmination of evil.”

Zhang Zhenzhen is thrilled to be able to participate in democracy activities frequently in the United States, supporting mainland Chinese democracy activists and advocating for human rights. He also makes donations to active anti-Communist projects. “Life needs to be meaningful, and I hope more people will stand up together to uphold justice,” he said.