Salary Cut of 20k from Shanghai to Chongqing, Escaped in Less Than 2 Months, Advising People Who Want to Lie Flat

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Same World

Salary cut is not scary, what's scary is having even hope taken away. The following is from a friend's account.

I really didn't expect to become a typical case of "escaping back to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou."

At this time last year, I was still at a big Shanghai company earning 33,000 yuan/month, although working overtime every day, looking at bank balance and clear promotion path, felt the hard work was worth it.

Until one day, scrolling through WeChat moments seeing friends in Chongqing drinking tea on Nanshan on weekends, watching night views at Hongya Cave, then looking at my 2 AM office - the thought of "returning to Chongqing to lie flat" grew like weeds.

After "sufficient research" (actually just browsing Xiaohongshu for a few days), I was convinced Chongqing had low housing prices, low cost of living, less pressure, resolutely quit my job, joined a state-owned enterprise in Chongqing, salary 13,000 yuan/month.

Result? I submitted resignation before my probationary period ended, escaped back to Shanghai without looking back.

Ideals vs Reality

Salary Reduced but Workload Not, Value Trap

Before coming, I had beautiful thoughts: salary cut in half, workload should be halved too, right?

Reality taught me a lesson.

In Chongqing, I earned less than half my original salary, work didn't decrease at all, overtime didn't decrease at all. The only difference: in Shanghai overtime had overtime pay, in Chongqing overtime is "dedication."

More surreal was the work rhythm - meetings during day, work at night. Leader calls meeting at 5 PM, lasts 3 hours, after dispersing casually says: "I want to see what we discussed this morning by tomorrow."

I couldn't help asking colleague: "Isn't this just disguised overtime?"

Colleague patted me: "In Chongqing, this is called 'work attitude'."

##压抑的氛围，让人窒息的工作方式

Depressing atmosphere