I'm sorry to hear you will be leaving China soon, but I can understand why. As for you having been forced by your prospective 'employer' to do an HK visa run given it had to be at your expense, that I cannot understand. It's a shame they didn't allow you to do a UB run - we could have met up in Hohhot twice had they allowed you to visit Mongolia to get your Chinese Z visa.
It's indeed great news, and not unexpected in my view, that you will continue to post on ESLTB. As for me, I've returned recently to Hohhot from Shanxi for the last time, and will only be available for local employment as an FT in the future. Like you, I'll continue to post on the board.
I hope things will work out well for you in L - surely they will. It's not in China, that's of paramount importance - employers in the field of education in the US have INTEGRITY. But that's often not so behind the Great Wall!