Chongqing student owes delivery company money after summer job

A university student in Chongqing, China, named Xiao Peng, reportedly ended a summer job as a food delivery driver with a debt to the company rather than earned wages. Despite working in extreme heat exceeding 40 degrees Celsius and completing over 400 orders, the student was allegedly required to pay the company more than 200 yuan (approximately 820,000 VND) upon finishing the term.

Xiao Peng had accepted a seasonal position through a recruitment platform, which offered flexible hours and pay per order. Although initial verbal agreements suggested a rate of 6 yuan per delivery and timely weekly payments, the student signed a multi-page contract containing standard clauses without a thorough review, following advice from a recruiter that the document was a mere formality. The incident has drawn significant attention regarding the challenges and potential exploitation faced by gig economy workers.