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What's the 996 debate now raging among Chinese netizens got to do with toys that even adults love to play with? Let me explain.

For the uninitiated, 996 refers to a method of working 9 am to 9 pm, six days a week, or a 72-hour slogging through the week as against the global norm of 40-hour workweeks.

When Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma endorsed the controversial concept, some critics underlined its implications for the quality of life. They argued many 996 workers don't get paid overtime. Worse, some of them, stressed out and strained, end up in hospital.