Xiao Jin — Prototype

This character draws on a case in Tianjin. A teacher at a primary school was found to have been systematically abusing students in her class over a period of approximately one year. Several students disclosed the abuse to parents; parents reported to the school. An internal review was conducted. The teacher was placed on administrative leave for the duration of the review, after which she was reinstated with a formal warning and reassigned to a non-classroom administrative role — a resolution the parents of affected students considered inadequate.

The character of Xiao Jin occupies the role of the teacher who benefits from institutional protection: who knows what a colleague has done, or has done harmful things herself, and is shielded by the same logic that shields the school. The drug-company connection in the novel is fictional elaboration. What is not fictional is the basic structure: a person who leverages knowledge of others' wrongdoing as professional insurance, and a system that allows this leverage to function.

The Tianjin case attracted significant public attention. The teacher ultimately faced criminal charges, though the lengthy period of institutional protection before charges were filed became the focal point of coverage. Several school administrators were also disciplined.