Inspiring Viral Video Tells You to Work Less and Drink More Tea

The most popular exercise that many Gen X, Millennial, and Gen Z Chinese workers have been practicing for the past few years is neither a morning jog nor after-work CrossFit, but 内卷 nèijuǎn, the “internal curl” that happens in so many offices. If you're not familiar with this weibo buzzword, it refers to the phenomenon of employees feeling compelled to overwork themselves as they see their coworkers doing the same. (In economics, neijuan translates as involution, or the shrinking of per capita wealth as the population grows – a phenomenon that may or may not be related to this struggle).

With the exception, perhaps, of your boss and this capitalist world, this never-ending internal competition has no winner. As unfair as this most certainly is, many people can only mumble their complaints as they finally crawl into bed at 3am and then wake up for a dreaded new day of torture.

But recently in April, while everyone was browsing social media during their precious lunch break as usual, a short, simple video popped up on Bilibili, and soon went viral across Chinese social media. There was no gimmick to the video, nor were there any special visual effects, or even a well-scripted joke. There was only a Malaysian man in large glasses bearing a vague resemblance to a middle-aged Elvis, standing on a street in Singapore and holding a bag of milk tea while speaking fluent Cantonese into the camera.

The translation of the tea-powered pep talk is as follows:

"Hey! It’s 3 o’clock already! Why the hell are you still working?! Drink some tea first!" 

"There is no point in overworking yourself! You'll get no sympathy from your boss! Hey, drink some tea first!" 

"It’s already 3 o’clock. Put your damn work down!"

Even if you can’t speak Cantonese, it’s touching to hear someone thousands of miles away from you care about your life and insist that you not push yourself too hard. This video has stirred up so much discussion about the work ethic and living conditions of new generations of Chinese workers. After all, in growing up in an age where you have to whip yourself to avoid being left behind, Chinese youth have not been able to take a break without feeling guilty for quite some time – and perhaps you've found yourself in the same boat.

 The way the man in the video showed his care was down-to-earth and sincere, and the contrast between his appearance and the language he spoke, along with the bag of milk tea in his hand, added a more genuine sense of humor that resonated with Chinese netizens, especially Cantonese-speaking audiences. The video also burst the bubble, if only for a moment, that many workers have long-lived within – the thinking that the relationship between employers and employees is reciprocal. When all is said and done, only you truly care how well your life is going. 

Some curious and resourceful people online went a bit further in their mission to figure out exactly who this “Indian Elvis” was, and after a bit of digging, they discovered a marine technician named Gurdip Singh. Singh, who has a YouTube channel where he goes by the stage name of “Elvis Robin,” was born in Malaysia, but left and moved to Singapore at age 16, and has been living there for almost four decades. In contrast to what some may assume upon watching his video, Singh himmself exhibits a strong work ethic and regularly works from 7am to 9pm. He responds to the call of his duty when needed, even when that means he can’t enjoy a normal weekend like others. However, he believes in the "work hard, play hard” philosophy, which gives him the confidence to prove that he can earn a living with his bare hands, and allows him to stand strong when exerting the right to take the rest he deserves. 

Even though most people who have watched Singh’s video live far from Singapore and may never meet him in person, his upright attitude and words still boost the courage of countless working-class people, in a world where working overtime for free has been described as a sort of "privilege." And to see Cantonese appearing in an international backdrop sure has inspired many people to embrace Cantonese and other dialects in their recreation of this video. But anyway, it’s 3pm somewhere, so grab a bag o' tea and chant Singh's mantra together! 

READ: Wudian Road: Boulevard of Broken Rubbish Bags Caught in a Limbo of Forsaken Responsibility

Images and Videos: Gurdp Singh, 马克西姆MaximYuan, Net Ease