Baidu VP Qu Jing’s attempt to showcase her strong leadership style through videos backfired, sparking a larger conversation about the demanding work culture in the tech industry, particularly among the younger generation in China.

Qu Jing, a Baidu VP, made a statement that resonated with many in the tech industry: "I'm not your mother-in-law. I'm not your mom. I only care about your results."

However, her criticism of her team's complaints about working weekends and her indifference to the impact of her late-night messages on a colleague's child's sleep, "Why should it be my business that your child was crying?", sparked outrage and led to her downfall.

When everyone started talking about it, Qu took down the videos from Douyin (that's China's TikTok) and said sorry. She admitted she was a bit too hasty and didn't handle it right.

But Robin Li, Baidu's big boss, was livid and fired her on Thursday. The higher-ups at Baidu told the crew that Qu's rant wasn't on and didn't show what Baidu was about. They're even going to look at the company's vibe and how things are done, which is odd, really, given that is what a PR manager's job is all about.

The tech scene in China is about this brutal "996" schedule – working from 9 in the morning to 9 at night, six days a week. A few years back, no one would've batted an eyelid at Qu's attitude. But now, the younger lot in China, like in the States, aren't keen on busting their guts for a pa cheque.