In addition to finishing school assignments and the arduous task of passing tests over the following five years, he engaged in more than 30 miscellaneous internships and jobs off campus. These included working as a computer salesperson and a Happy Valley theme park performer－donning a ghost costume to scare people in a "haunted house".

In 2014, he even started up his own internet company that helped people train for their target certificates. His business got an angel investment of 1 million yuan ($155,096), and at its peak, he had more than 30 employees.

"Perhaps I had too much discipline at home with strict parents, I really wanted to follow my instincts, learn things my way as much as possible and see what I could do then," Li says.

However, the business only lasted about a year, and Li attributed its failure to his own immaturity and other limitations.

That was when he decided to take a break and travel around the country, hoping it could bring him some inspiration about what to do next.

He joined an extreme budget travel program, where most of the participants kept costs on the road to a minimum, and accepting offers of lifts and bartering was allowed.

"We could take a free ride offered by drivers going our way, and provide such services as taking photos for a hotel in exchange for a night's accommodation," he explains.

Li visited Qinghai Lake in Northwest China's Qinghai province and Xishuangbanna Dai autonomous prefecture in Southwest China's Yunnan province.