In Chinese chess, a pawn can only move forward and can never retreat. Once it crosses the river, it can also move sideways, making it more powerful. The image carries three meanings: 1. A person has no say and takes orders from others. 2. There is no way back. 3. Someone who once seemed insignificant can now play an important role.
Fu Sheng once compared himself to “a pawn that had crossed the river.”