A prominent motorcycle company, founded by Zhang Xue, recently made waves during a campus recruitment event at Chongqing University, targeting recent graduates from top-tier institutions such as the “985” and “211” programs. The company offered annual salaries ranging from 120,000 to 150,000 yuan (RMB) for research and development positions, while non-R&D roles received offers between 100,000 to 120,000 yuan. This announcement sparked considerable debate among students and the public.
Critics pointed out that graduates from related fields like vehicle engineering and mechanical engineering at Chongqing University have opportunities to enter electric vehicle companies such as BYD and Seres, where annual salaries can soar to between 200,000 and 350,000 yuan. This notable disparity in salaries compared to what Zhang Xue’s company is offering has fueled discussions around the fairness of these compensation packages.
The backdrop of this controversy involves the company’s financial health. In 2025, Zhang Xue’s motorcycle company reported a total production value of 750 million yuan and invested nearly 70 million yuan into research and development. However, despite these investments, the company still incurred a loss of 22.78 million yuan for the year. It has been disclosed that Zhang Xue himself is personally in debt to the tune of nearly 100 million yuan. He later stated in July 2026 that he intends to repay this debt after selling part of his equity in the company.
On one side of the discussion, businesses like Zhang Xue’s must control costs while continuing to invest in research and development. On the other hand, recent graduates have expectations regarding salary, making the recruitment event a hot topic of discussion.
On the afternoon of October 26, Zhang Xue’s company conducted a recruitment presentation at Chongqing University.
According to videos shared by students on the ground and media reports, Zhang Xue communicated that for graduates from the “985” and “211” universities, the salaries for R&D positions would range from 120,000 to 150,000 yuan, while those in non-R&D roles could earn between 100,000 to 120,000 yuan, with overtime pay provided separately. As part of the benefits package, the company offers six social insurance contributions and one housing fund, as well as paid vacation time and employee dining facilities. Notably, employees who ranked in the top 10% of performance in their first year are eligible for a 50% salary increase, while the majority of employees can expect a 20% raise after one year of service. Additionally, research personnel are entitled to a 50% discount when purchasing motorcycles from the company.
As reported by Hunan Daily, Zhang’s motorcycle company plans to recruit approximately 100 individuals, with about 70% of those positions being in research and development.
Following the exposure of these salary offerings, a comparison emerged online, highlighting that graduates in vehicle and mechanical-related fields from Chongqing University could receive offers ranging from 200,000 to 350,000 yuan if they pursue positions in the new energy vehicle sector. This revelation led to trending topics on Weibo concerning “students snubbing Zhang Xue at the campus recruitment site.”
After the campus recruiting session, Zhang Xue posted a video on October 31, discussing how recent graduates could secure a position at his company.
He outlined several criteria for applicants: having ridden motorcycles during university, experience with long-distance motorcycle journeys, a solid understanding of user and market needs, the ability to disassemble and reassemble various motorcycle components, and proficiency in 3D software for design work.
Zhang expressed that graduates who meet these criteria have a chance of being hired merely by submitting their resumes, with the potential for salaries exceeding those of typical entry-level positions by 30% to 40%. He emphasized, “We need as many qualified individuals as we can find.”
A Weibo user known as “Tech Geek” commented on November 3, claiming that a salary of 120,000 to 150,000 yuan for R&D roles is insufficient in the eyes of students from premier vehicle engineering specialties. Graduates often receive offers from major new energy manufacturers in the range of 200,000 to 350,000 yuan. The aspiration for these graduates is not to benchmark against local manufacturing averages, but rather against the opportunities and salary trends of senior alumni from their own institution. Many of today’s graduates are placing greater value on the immediate cash they receive in their first year of employment.
However, there is a lack of comprehensive salary statistics for recent graduates from Chongqing University’s relevant departments to substantiate the claims of 200,000 to 350,000 yuan salary ranges being commonplace. No sufficient data has been found to confirm that these figures represent standard input for graduates in vehicle engineering or mechanical disciplines.
The article by “Tech Geek” noted that the profit structure within the niche motorcycle industry dictates the upper limit for salary offers. When business realities are starkly recorded in industry cycles, even the most sincere intentions must yield to low profit margins. The most disheartening aspect of this incident is not identifying a right or wrong perspective, but rather the sense of helplessness that comes from passively accepting outcomes: companies cannot offer salaries that meet expectations, and students are unable to attain the lifestyle they desire.
As the salary controversy garnered attention, Zhang Xue’s company operational data also became a topic of online discussion.
According to an exclusive interview published in Xinhua Finance on May 18, the motorcycle company reached a total production value of 750 million yuan for 2025, with total sales of 25,000 units and an R&D investment of approximately 69.58 million yuan. However, the company reported a loss of 22.78 million yuan for the year, primarily attributing this deficit to high levels of R&D investment.
In other words, the company continues to pour significant funds into product and technology development, with profitability expected to materialize only in the future. This has also prompted critics to link the campus recruitment salary offers with the operational costs of the manufacturing sector.
Beyond the corporate losses, commentary has also addressed Zhang Xue’s personal financial situation.
In July of this year, Zhang revealed via social media that he was facing personal debts close to 100 million yuan and had sold part of his shares in the company with plans to settle these debts within the month.
According to reports from domestic media, Zhang previously borrowed 30 million yuan and spent 20 million yuan to repurchase 10% equity from investors to motivate core employees. He explained that this stock had been allocated to critical personnel across various departments, including whole vehicle development, engine R&D, procurement, and manufacturing.
During the recruitment presentation at the university, Zhang highlighted the example of a former diploma student, Qin Pan, who has worked under him for ten years and is currently earning nearly 600,000 yuan annually while holding a company share valued at around 30 million yuan.
However, many critics argue that for recently graduated students, the salary and equity valuation ten years into their careers is a completely separate matter from the cash income they can expect in their first year. While performance-based salary adjustments and long-term incentives may factor into their decision-making process, they cannot directly replace a candidate’s evaluation of starting salaries.