The article is a first hand account of the reunion of the survivors of the Zhili Factory Fire in January 2013 nearly twenty years after the fire took place in 2003 in Shenzhen China and killed more than eighty-eight workers. The article highlights how one of the survivors has transformed from a helpless victim to an active organizer. In rapidly changing China, where millions of workers face new challenges especially due to exposure to hazardous substances, this article depicts how leadership from victims is driving change.