This paper reports the findings of an eight-month ethnographic study of a small group of at-risk youths in a school of a southern coastal city in China. The process leading to the young students being marginalised by the school system and how they developed a "muddling through" subculture to counteract this marginalisation is revealed. It is argued that this small group of at-risk youths has capitalised on their subculture and used it to resist authorities, to acquire social skills and to safeguard their psychological well-being. The present study contributes to the literature in several ways. First, the in-depth description of the subculture of a group of at-risk youths in a Chinese school provides a Chinese angle for youth (post-) subculture studies. Second, the critical discussion about the "empowerment" role that the "deviant" subculture plays enriches the literature about the functions of youth culture.