For Jiang Jiang, who works at one of the hospitals in southern China, the company’s year-ending party seemed like a stroke of incredible luck. As the master of ceremonies had announced the winner of the evening’s most coveted prize a high-end iPhone 17 Pro Max Jiang’s name reverberated through the hall. He received a professionally sealed iPhone box, a branded shopping bag, and even an invoice that printed the full retail price.
Jiang took the gift onto the stage, and his jealous colleagues cheered on. Wanting to spend the time with the family, though, he wasn’t tempted to open the box at the venue and took the box home with him to let his wife know how much joy he found in the process.
The Unboxing Disappointment
The joy was short-lived. In a video that later went viral on social media, Jiang recorded the “unboxing” process at home. The box had, instead of the sleek, high-tech equipment he was expecting:
- Two ceramic tiles (each of which was carefully weighted to mimic a real phone).
- Two chocolates and three lollipops.
- A fake invoice.
Jiang reportedly was dumbfounded. “I truly believed I was the lucky winner,” he said in the video. “I thought 2026 would start out really well, but they converted the year-end party to be an April Fools’ Day event for me.”
A “Management Prank” Gone Wrong
The incident went viral on Chinese platforms like Weibo, sparking a fight over workplace ethics. Later, it was noted that the "prank" was coordinated by a team manager. The hospital management hadn't actually approved purchasing an actual iPhone and gave its prize for the night just a pillow in exchange.
The organizer said the swap was a “harmless joke” meant to create some enthusiasm. But Jiang didn't view the situation through a comedic lens. He said he didn’t “need” the phone necessarily, but it was humiliating to be deceived in front of everyone.
Cultural Backlash
The story has resonated with Chinese social media users, many of whom offered their own “horror stories” of company rewards they found disappointing. “Our top prize was a one-on-one meeting with the boss,” one user commented, and another obtained an “autographed photo of the manager.”
Critics said these types of pranks demonstrate a fundamental disdain for employees’ hard work and lack of respect for the employees’ hard work, especially during year-end celebrations meant to express gratitude. The incident led to an outcry from the public but it seems the company eventually apologized and gave Jiang an actual iPhone 17 Pro Max to correct the "misunderstanding."
