Very good of you to help him out.

I did an early morning visa run from a crappy school with a crappy FAO and I suspect an even crappier management in Guangdong after seeing that the apartment was terrible (right next to the school playground....anyone who is an old china hand FT knows what this means!!!!!), and the locale also very dangerous/seedy at night. I was on the first bus into the nearest big city in the morning which took under an hour, and then a bus ticket to a neighbouring city where my friend was, whom I stayed with until I secured a job elsewhere. They didn't even know I left as the security guard was asleep when I left or making tea or something as I left before 7 am. Serves these crappy FAO's/recruiters right!!!!!

I felt that in the circumstances it was encumbent on me to help him out.

I'm glad you managed to extricate yourself from a very bad situation. Well done, mate!

Please explain the bit about 'anyone being an old China hand FT knowing what it means', for the benefit of those readers who aren't old China hand FTs.