[Beijing Diary] The Final Fate of China's Salary Thief, 'Mowi'

Recently, the behavior of a Chinese employee working at Wellington Water, a New Zealand public enterprise, sparked controversy online in both countries. This Chinese employee, who joined the company in May last year, revealed on his home country's social networking service (SNS) Xiaohongshu that he was slacking off at work.

The incident began on the 5th. According to Hong Kong's South China Morning Post (SCMP), he posted on Xiaohongshu, "I will take on the challenge of not working all day. Earning money while playing!" He then uploaded real-time updates of the situation. When he just arrived at work, the office was almost empty, and besides him, only one other employee had already come in.

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The employee seemed to check his emails and then shared, "Most companies are on holiday, and work was finished before Christmas," adding, "It seems like I have nothing to do except reply to emails." He stayed at the company until 11:40 a.m., then visited a movie theater, a gym, and a car wash in succession. Afterwards, he reported, "I stayed in the office for only two and a half hours, so the actual working time was basically zero."

The post quickly spread across social media in New Zealand and China, drawing criticism. People argued, "While you were playing, your colleagues must have done the work," and the employee further provoked public anger by posting mockingly, "2024, I hope nothing changes and I keep getting paid without working."

In China, employees who earn a salary without doing any work and their behavior are referred to as 'moyu (摸魚).' The term originates from the four-character idiom 'hunshui moyu (渾水摸魚),' which means stirring up muddy water to catch fish easily. Initially, 'moyu' implied gaining benefits with little effort. However, since around 2021, it has been used to describe people who slack off or put work aside at their companies. It corresponds to the Korean term 'wolggeup lupang (월급루팡),' which appeared about ten years earlier, around 2011.

As a result, the employee who engaged in 'moyu' found himself in a difficult situation. When New Zealand media covered the controversy, his employer, Wellington Water, launched an internal investigation. Moreover, the timing of the post's spread coincided with the region struggling with water shortages and quality issues, which could lead to harsher penalties. The perspective from China, where youth unemployment is soaring and the government is loudly advocating for job creation, is also unfavorable.

'Moyu' can be interpreted as a protest against China's wage polarization and chronic overtime culture. However, due to crossing the line with his 'moyu,' the employee is likely to end up playing off the clock without pay instead of receiving a salary.

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