From Small-Town Stability to a Fall in Shanghai
The main figure in this case is Ms. Chu, who came from a small county, worked hard to get into university, and secured a stable government teaching job at a vocational school in Shanghai. In China, this kind of job is known as a “steel rice bowl”, a lifelong stable career many dream of.
But between September 2023 and May 2024, she destroyed it all by producing 33 explicit videos, earning an illegal profit of 240,000 yuan (about 950 million VND). In smaller counties, it’s common for teachers to take on extra work like tutoring or weekend jobs to boost income. However, instead of choosing a legitimate side hustle, Ms. Chu took the shortest and riskiest path.
The Illusion of “Disappearing” Online
Her biggest mistake was naively trusting WeChat’s “view then delete” feature and believing she was safe behind the screen. She didn’t realize that in the digital age, every trace leaves a permanent mark. Police recovered all data from buyers’ devices, proving that once something is online, it never truly disappears.
The Costly Economic Miscalculation: Is 30,000 Yuan a Month Worth It?
Doing the math, 240,000 yuan over 8 months means about 30,000 yuan (roughly 105 million VND) per month. That’s a lot compared to a teacher’s salary, but when weighed against:
A stable lifetime pension.
The social status of being an educator.
Personal freedom and honor.
…it’s clear this was a huge loss. The price she pays is a lifelong criminal record and a permanent ban from the education sector, including private schools.
Technology: The Unbiased Judge
This case also serves as a warning about how quickly surveillance tech is advancing. China’s Institute of Technology recently launched a new image-tracing system that can pinpoint the source of illegal videos with incredible accuracy. Thanks to Blockchain and AI, online crimes are easier to catch and harder to hide than ever.
Final thoughts: Ms. Chu’s story is a painful lesson for young people. The internet isn’t a trash bin to dump personal mistakes, and technology isn’t a shield for illegal acts. A moment of poor judgment for a few months of flashy gains can cost a lifetime of regret, and that price is way too high.
