Your shopping receipt is now a paycheck

Buying something and pocketing the receipt is a universal, forgettable ritual. But across China, that small slip of paper is being weaponized for the economy. Dozens of cities are transforming routine purchases into a nationwide policy experiment, using receipts as a direct lever to stimulate consumer spending and modernize how taxes are tracked. / There's no such thing as "hangry" (17:32). On the show: Niu Honglin, Steve & Yushan

There was a time when a clear blue sky in Beijing felt like a fleeting miracle, a spectacle you had to capture before it vanished. Today, clean air is no longer a rare event. It is an expectation, documented by data and defined by policy. This fundamental change reveals a powerful truth: even the most daunting urban environmental challenges can be reversed with sustained commitment. On the show: Niu Honglin, Steve & Yushan

The Soapbox: The "Admin Night" trend / We think of e-sports as a young person's game. But in China, the fastest-growing players are in their 60s and 70s. They are forming teams, winning competitions, and turning gaming into a new kind of retirement. This is not just a pastime. It is a new path for the silver economy (17:49). On the show: Steve, Yushun & Xingyu

China built the world's largest housing market by chasing one thing: more. But the finish line has moved. The urgent new question is no longer "How many?" but "How good?" What are we searching for when a home must be more than just space, when it needs to be the foundation for a good life? On the show: Steve, Yushun & Xingyu

The Full Circle: Wedding e-invites, microshifting, subway shopping / Knitting isn't just for your grandma anymore! Gen Z and Millennials have reclaimed it, turning quiet needles and yarn into a loud, viral movement. We tug on the thread of the modern knitting takeover (15:33). On the show: Steve, Yushun & Yushan.

What if the newest trend in shopping isn't buying, but trying? Free tastes, test drives, and no-questions-asked returns are reshaping malls into showrooms for a growing trial economy. For consumers, the risk feels almost nonexistent. For brands, trust becomes the currency. But when does trying stop functioning as a preview and start replacing purchase altogether? And what happens when the free samples run out? On the show: Steve, Yushun & Yushan.

Winter is the ultimate stress test for our energy system. As temperatures plunge nationwide in China, the demand for electricity surges. From heating millions of northern homes to powering the non-stop factories in the south, this seasonal surge creates a complex, high-stakes challenge that is unmatched in scale and intensity anywhere on Earth. On the show: Niu Honglin, Steve & Fei Fei.

Markets are seen as rational systems driven by data, while weather seems purely physical and unpredictable. China's meteorological authorities and the Fudan University are now bridging this divide. They have unveiled "Shangji," a pioneering AI model designed to decode the hidden patterns that connect weather forecasts directly to stock market moves. / Can your workout actually be hurting you (18:02)? On the show: Niu Honglin, Steve & Fei Fei.

When a public transit system must find new revenue, innovation follows. In China, subway operators are answering the call with a radical solution: transforming stations from simple transit points into vibrant, multi-purpose commercial hubs. This nationwide facelift is redefining the very purpose of urban infrastructure, turning subterranean spaces into the heart of community and commerce. / The invisible threat of third-hand smoke (13:39). On the show: Steve, Niu Honglin & Yushan

Loyalty can be expensive. For years, digital platforms have used your personal data to quietly test the limits of what you will pay. Now, a global crackdown has begun. From China to the U.S., new laws are prying open the algorithmic black box. This emerging transparency promises to challenge the secret math of personalized pricing, a hidden economy built on data. On the show: Steve, Niu Honglin & Yushan