Who to avoid — when you’re owed wages, fired unfairly, or scammed out of money — use complaints, arbitration, or lawsuits instead of taking revenge
Following legal channels means the worst outcome is simply not getting your money back. Choosing revenge yields the same result — no money recovered — plus you risk losing your own life. Take the Wuxi case: Xu failed his exams, didn’t receive his diploma, and was unhappy about his internship pay. He went on to kill 8 people and injure 17 others with a knife. He was sentenced to death and executed. Nationwide in 2024, complaints and arbitration helped 654,000 workers recover 8.65 billion yuan in unpaid wages.
There’s no monetary cost;
Official statistics back up legal action. In 2024, labor inspectors handled 137,000 cases, securing 8.65 billi…
There’s no monetary cost; filing complaints and arbitration is free. You’ll need to make one or two trips and wait several months. The hard part is resisting the urge to act violently during that time.
Official statistics back up legal action. In 2024, labor inspectors handled 137,000 cases, securing 8.65 billion yuan for 654,000 workers. Additionally, 998 individuals were convicted under laws against wage theft. For details on filing complaints or arbitration, see Section 7, Item 2. The legal consequences of revenge are laid out in Article 232 of the Criminal Law: “Whoever intentionally kills another shall be sentenced to death, life imprisonment, or fixed-term imprisonment of not less than ten years; if circumstances are relatively minor, to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than three years but not more than ten years.” In the Wuxi case, Xu’s dissatisfaction with his school and pay led him to attack fellow students with a knife, killing 8 and injuring 17. He was sentenced to death for intentional homicide, a verdict upheld by the Supreme People’s Court on January 20, 2025. He received no compensation whatsoever.
全国人大 (1997). 刑法（第二百三十二条）. https://www.spp.gov.cn/spp/fl/201802/t20180206_364975.shtml；新华社 (2024). 江苏宜兴一校园发生持刀伤人事件致 8 死 17 伤. http://www.news.cn/20241117/65a18fddb453469ebe91c78eda669893/c.html（转宜兴警方通报，含伤亡人数与动机原话）；最高人民检察院 (2025). 无锡校园持刀伤人案罪犯徐加金被执行死刑. https://www.spp.gov.cn/spp/zdgz/202501/t20250120_680197.shtml；人力资源社会保障部 (2025). 2024 年度人力资源和社会保障事业发展统计公报. https://www.mohrss.gov.cn/SYrlzyhshbzb/zwgk/szrs/tjgb/202506/W020250616518526345602.pdf；最高人民法院 (2025). 最高人民法院工作报告（「对驾车冲撞行人的樊维秋、校园持刀行凶的徐加金等判处死刑」）. https://www.gov.cn/yaowen/liebiao/202503/content_7013680.htm
Open source linkInterns still attending school generally don’t have a recognized employment relationship with their host organizations. If they’re denied internship pay, they can only seek mediation from their school or file a civil lawsuit — arbitration isn’t an option. For exact steps on filing complaints or arbitration, see Section 7, Item 2. The limits on debt collection are outlined in Section 9, Item 15 (no detaining or confining debtors). Opting for legal channels means the worst-case scenario is simply not recovering owed funds, since case closure doesn’t guarantee payment. Choosing revenge yields the same financial result, plus the risk of losing your own life.