A Chinese woman found herself caught in a troubling addiction to tipping young male “models” during live-stream sessions, who affectionately referred to her as “sister.”
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This obsession ultimately drove her to embezzle an astonishing 4.5 million yuan (US$620,000) from her company in just three months.
The accountant, known by her surname Zhou, aged 43, was originally from Shanghai and earned a modest monthly salary of 6,000 yuan (US$830). Following the death of her mother, she found herself struggling to cope with life’s challenges.
Her family had depleted their funds on her mother’s medical bills, her parents-in-law turned unsympathetic, and her husband, engrossed in his career, was seldom home to provide support.
In the depths of her loneliness, Zhou developed an addiction to watching live-streaming shows, where she began tipping male streamers in a desperate bid for emotional connection.
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“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.”