A Chinese woman became caught in an unhealthy addiction to tipping young male “models” during live-stream sessions, with the models affectionately calling her “sister.”
Her obsession eventually led her to embezzle a staggering 4.5 million yuan (US$620,000) from her company in just three months.
Lei Tianrao, a police officer from the Songnan police station under the Baoshan public security bureau, explained, “She spent 16,000 yuan during her initial visit, entirely funded by her salary. The bar’s drink packages were priced between 10,000 yuan and upwards of 100,000 yuan.”
The Chinese woman’s reason
The 43-year-old accountant, whose last name was Zhou, was originally from Shanghai and received meager 6,000 yuan (US$830) a month. She found it difficult to handle life’s obstacles when her mother passed away.
Her husband, preoccupied with his work, was rarely home to assist her, her parents-in-law had become insensitive, and her family had spent all of their money on her mother’s medical expenditures.
Zhou became addicted to watching live-streaming shows while she was really lonely, and in an attempt to find emotional connection, she started tipping male streamers.
She recalled, “At that time, I was feeling quite bored. I noticed a young man who was charming and significantly younger, perhaps in his 20s. He called me ‘sister’ and inquired, ‘Sister, why are you still awake so late?’ That was how our conversations began.”
Her increasing tipping behavior quickly drained her savings and left her drowning in debt, which led her husband to file for divorce.
After the divorce, Zhou realized that live-streaming no longer met her emotional needs, so she turned to a male model club, hoping to find some “emotional value.”
Zhou is under police custody
The male “bartenders” were all incredibly handsome, charming, and attentive, giving Zhou the emotional fulfillment she craved.
Even though she knew these interactions were purely transactional, she couldn’t resist and eventually embezzled 4.5 million yuan from her employer over three months to fund her spending.
“When I was feeling low, I would transfer funds from the company account. I would then spend it on two men at the bar. What I truly craved was for someone to genuinely care for me,” Zhou admitted.
“In truth, I was committing theft, but to my son, I appeared to be a devoted, hardworking mother.”
Zhou is currently in police custody and is under investigation for suspected theft.
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