'Even if I die, I want to die with my family': Iranian leaves job in China to return home, boss pays for flight ticket

An Iranian man resigned from his "stable" job as a Muay Thai coach in China to return home after war broke out.

"Even if I die, I want to die with my family," 33-year-old Saeed reportedly said to his boss, Huang Zhaoxin (transliteration).

Accepting his resignation, Huang decided to purchase a flight ticket from Beijing to Turkey for Saeed and accompanied the martial art coach to the high-speed rail station on March 5 to say goodbye.

A video he shared on Douyin shows a smiling Saeed arriving at the rail station and hugging the boss before going through a security checkpoint.

@asiaone Huang Zhaoxin (transliteration) told reporters about his employee Saeed: "He told me that returning now would be very dangerous, but that he is still choosing to go back to be with family. "I hope that they can overcome this, and he can come again to China to work." #Iran #Chinaa #family #kindness #home ♬ original sound - AsiaOne

"Iranian Muay Thai fighter Saeed ultimately gave up his stable job in China to return to Iran to be with his family," Huang wrote in his post. 

Speaking to local media, Huang said he has known Saeed since 2016 and hired him as a coach in 2024.

The Iranian would keep just three or four hundred yuan of his monthly salary and send the remaining to his family living in the capital of Tehran, Huang added.

When Saeed learnt that the US and Israel had launched attacks on Tehran on Feb 28, he told Huang that he wanted to go back as he was worried about his family.

"He had told me that returning now will be very dangerous, but that he is still choosing to go back to be with family," Huang told reporters.

"I hope that they can overcome this, and he can come again to China to work."

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lim.kewei@asiaone.com