Visas are a Waiting Game

As mentioned in a previous post, I have been trying to get my Chinese Work Visa since June. I had to give notarized documents to my school and we found out that my background check was deemed "too old" even though I got it in December. Currently still waiting for my new background check to be sent back.
My school decided that they will get me a travel visa for orientation, go to Hong Kong, and get my work visa from there. A great plan as a travel visa didn't need any of the document notarization but it did need an invite from the school. I express mailed the visa and the other documents to my firm yesterday and they got it today. Got back from work with a phone call saying that there was an error on the forms and they would email me the details.
It's been four hours and I didn't receive the email. I emailed the firm and this time I CC'd my employers. While they understand it was their fault for not knowing about the 6 month background check rule and they understand I can't come to China until I get a visa, they are freaking out. I get an email from them at least once a day asking if the forms have come yet, when they might come, and what I expect to do about the flight. They have clearly never played the American Paper Work Game AKA the waiting game. I explained to my school that there was no report from the consulate, I can't do anything about it, and had no clue what to do about the flight. Also that I did in fact write down I wanted an express visa but that was up to the consulate to decide if they should grant me that or not.

Honestly, I feel exasperated and frustrated. I am also annoyed with the fact that my school is freaking out and bothering me with a thousand questions that I don't know the answer to.

I have emailed my firm, my school's HR, and principal about it.

Now We Wait.

UPDATE: So the firm called me again (8 hours later: Thought they would be closed by now?) and that lady was freaking out too! The part I filled out incorrectly was my current employer. I wrote down the school (because they are my boss) but that was wrong apparently. They wanted my summer job. When they asked what it was I explained that the company worked with corn.
"What do they do? Sell? Farm? Teach? We need to know what to label it under."
"Uh, uh, they genetically modify corn?!"
"What? What is that?!"
"They work with corn!"
"Corn? You work with corn?"
I know it is a stereotype for a Nebraskan to be in the corn but I legit do. I pollinate (yes, like a bee) corn so that the corn has the desired traits the breeders want. I have no idea how the firm will file that under but I told them it was agriculture. They are probably really confused right now.
Sorry I work in a corn field with a difficult job to explain to someone who hasn't done it before. I have even tried to explain what I do to my farmer relatives and they are confused by it. If you are interested here is our training video.