This story might seem mundane, but it's actually a dialogue about human nature, power, and autonomy. English readers should be aware that in Shao Bin's world, it isn't like he can just apply for a new apartment like Americans do, nor can he just quit his job and find another one. Because of the Communism in China, Shao Bin is disenfranchised from changing his situation. That means that this novel is essentially a response to the injustice that comes when middle management mistreats the employees, but where Shao Bin cannot fix his situation without legal action.
When he starts to respond to the injustice, he goes straight for their throats—but not by violence! By humor. He tells jokes that point to the obvious truth about Liu and Ma, like that they are disorganized and neglectful, and then when they cut his pay, he draws another cartoon pointing to their greed, showing that they are cutting his pay to keep it themselves. This humor undercuts their authority because it humanizes them, showing the other employees that they are being mistreated.
He becomes like a hero for the lower class, and the public responds powerfully to the case when he takes it to legal authorities. In other words, he made use of both his limited legal rights and his sense of humor. In the end, he proves his worth to higher leaders in his company and his reward is that he will help them as a propaganda artist. That is weird because it means that perhaps, he will not be a hero of the lower class anymore, since he is joining the propaganda machine, but in a way, he still is a hero, because he is finding a way to become socially mobile, even in his communistic environment.
