A pyramid scheme mastermind has been uncovered, having transformed himself into a traditional Chinese culture guru who “educates” students through corporal punishment.
In July, a pre-recorded video by a 16-year-old Chinese girl named Lin went viral among her friends. In the video, Lin pleads for help: “I don’t want to be sent to an internet addiction treatment school or a behaviour boot camp. If you can’t reach me, please call the police and rescue me.”
Lin recorded the video just before the summer holiday, stating that her parents planned to send her to a summer camp at the Rushi Academy in Xinchang county, located in eastern China’s Zhejiang province.
Previously, she had spent a year at the academy in 2024 with her parents paying a tuition fee of 120,000 yuan (US$18,000) to allow the school to discipline her, as she had been refusing to attend school and had shown disrespect towards her parents.
In her video, Lin mentions that the academy is situated in a tourist area within a valley, housing over 20 students, most of whom were minors dealing with similar issues. The academy confiscated their phones and identity documents, requiring them to meditate, read scriptures, and attend lectures on traditional Chinese culture daily.
Students were allegedly subjected to regular physical punishment if they “did not listen” or even if they “failed to smile.”