Previous research on party-society relationships in autocracies identifies the benefits of being a party member, neglecting the reasons non-members refuse to join the party ranks. To overcome this literature gap, I collected novel data between 2019 and 2021 featuring 65 in-depth interviews with young Chinese professionals working in four Chinese megacities. I find that their levels of engagement are lower than expected and, more interestingly, that their attitude towards the ruling party is silently hostile. Young professionals face a trade-off: a stable job in the public sector with party membership or a career in the private sector without party affiliation and risking the so-called “996 working culture.” I argue that their personal decision pivots around their political attitudes. I find that a more robust political behavior drives those choosing the second path to actively avoid engaging with the ruling party. I define this political attitude as “semi-contentious,” where the lack of an open conflict with the regime is complemented by personal refusal of political institutions.