The story of Wei Huixiao, a highly intelligent and beautiful woman who gave up her well-paid white-collar job to serve as a military officer on China's first aircraft carrier, has aroused a heated discussion among Chinese netizens.

Wei was born in 1977 in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. After graduating from Nanjing University, Wei served as Secretary to the Senior Vice-President and then as an executive assistant at Huawei Technologies. Her outstanding work at Huawei won her many accolades, but despite her promising career, she wanted to pursue something that would give her more spiritual fulfillment.

After working for four years, she enrolled at Sun Yat-sen University to obtain her master's and PhD in Earth Sciences.

In the midst of her studies, Wei wrote a letter recommending herself for service on China's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning. "This aircraft carrier is the biggest stage for Chinese naval officers. My dream is simply to be an ordinary crew member, spending my days fighting the wind and waves," she wrote.

Wei's choice surprised many people because, given her rich work experience and academic achievements, she had many opportunities. Some even told her she was crazy, to which she retorted that she knew exactly what she wanted to do and working on an aircraft carrier was it.

Eventually, her wish was granted and Wei became the first female officer on the Liaoning with a PhD.

Wei Huixiao