I wrote:"Furthermore, you'd have great difficulty getting through airport customs if you decide to exit the country EARLY without sorting out your Z visa first, as your residence permit would still be in date."
Generally speaking, teachers are not issued with multi-entry Z visas in China. So if such a teacher tries to leave EARLY, he runs the risk of being questioned at the 'port of exit' as to why, and possibly detained; especially if the employer has reported without much delay that that teacher has done a bunk, thus breaking his teaching contact without paying the fine stipulated in it.
I'd have thought readers would have understood that leaving EARLY meant leaving well before the expiry date of the RP could lead to problems on attempted exit unless the RP is accompanied with documentation from the educational institution allowing that teacher to leave EARLY on grounds such as mutual agreement to cancel the teaching contract. But I was wrong, sorry for that.
In any case, walking out on your contracted job is DECEITFUL, especially so, as there is a clause in Chinese teaching contracts that expects either party to MEDIATE with the other in cases of dissatisfaction or disputes.
I did also say that it would be UNWISE to leave secretly. Anyone with a vestige of common sense would be able to appreciate roughly why that would be so, in any case.
From now on, YOU,if you like, can give us all advice on what to do if we happen to feel trapped and depressed in our contracted teaching jobs. I for one would welcome some, just in case I end up working for the likes of Shane some time in the future.