Recently, a shocking story went viral after being shared by the Dongcheng Yiqian account in Sichuan province. It centers on an 18-year-old guy who blew his entire savings of 50,000 yuan (around 194 million VND) on his favorite female streamer, only to be met with bitterness, mockery, and ultimately blocked.

The victim in this story is a young man with the social media handle Aihao

Just turning 18, an age when most should be focusing on high school finals or preparing for university, Aihao fell prey to the temptations of the digital age. His curiosity and lack of experience led him into the livestream room of a female streamer from Chongqing.

Notably, this online model wasn’t a big star. Her account had just over 6,000 followers, with average daily views and interactions. Her looks were far from outstanding, netizens pointed out obvious signs of heavy cosmetic surgery, stiff expressions, and an unnatural vibe. It’s baffling how such a visual could captivate an 18-year-old to the point of losing all reason.

Starting in December last year, Aihao began a spree of reckless spending. To keep the streamer’s attention, he regularly sent luxury gifts worth between 1,000 and 3,000 yuan (4-12 million VND). During PK battles (competitive challenges) between livestream rooms, he didn’t hesitate to throw out top-tier special effect gifts priced at 8,999 yuan each. In just over a month, Aihao’s total top-ups neared 50,000 yuan. For a young man without a steady income, this was an enormous and careless waste of money.

The psychological manipulation tactics

Anyone familiar with the livestream industry knows that “VIP customer care” is a carefully scripted process. To keep their “gold mines” hooked, female streamers often add top gift-givers as friends and privately message them after the stream ends.

Screenshots of private messages reveal the streamer’s professional and cunning manipulation of the young man’s emotions. She always initiated conversations, constantly finding topics to match his interests. She skillfully used tactics like playing the victim, showing vulnerability, complaining about hardships, and sending seductive selfies.

The sweet companionship and flattering words made naive Aihao believe it was true love. Beyond gifting on the app, he showed care by regularly ordering takeout and sending luxury presents to her home, hoping to build a real-life relationship.

The harsh truth comes out

However, the fake warmth of the online world couldn’t withstand real-world interests. This year, Aihao’s finances took a hit. Not from a wealthy family, he could no longer afford to keep up the expensive spending on the streamer’s room.

Once the gifts stopped, the gentle mask of the Chongqing diva dropped instantly. Her attitude flipped 180 degrees. From a sweet lover on screen, she turned cold and cruel, publicly insulting Aihao and blocking him completely.

Shocked by this harsh reality, Aihao used a secondary account to message her, hoping for an explanation. Instead, he was met with utter contempt. In their chat, she didn’t hesitate to use vulgar language, calling him a loser who pretended to be rich despite having no money.

Worse, she dragged up past details to hurt his pride. She mocked the takeout meals he ordered, saying they never exceeded 300 yuan, belittling his spending ability, and sarcastically claiming his previous gifts were insignificant compared to others. Her arrogance, coldness, and materialism cut deep into the heart of the 18-year-old.

Realizing he’d been scammed out of both love and money, Aihao publicly shared all chat records and payment receipts on social media forums, hoping public pressure would force her to return some money. But instead, the streamer remained defiant, bluntly refusing to refund a single cent and continuing to mock his naivety.

Legally, Aihao’s situation has almost no way out

Since he is legally an adult with full civil capacity, his spending on gifts and top-ups on the livestream platform is considered a voluntary civil act. The platform charges fees legally, and the streamer receives commissions lawfully. Without clear evidence of fraud or illegal inducement to spend, these online gifts are valid transactions, leaving Aihao with no legal grounds to reclaim his money.

Netizens now wonder where an 18-year-old got 50,000 yuan. It could be university tuition money painstakingly saved by his parents or his own hard-earned savings. Regardless of the source, wasting it all in a month on an artificial online beauty reflects a serious immaturity and flawed worldview among some young people.

Aihao’s foolish yet tragic story is a vivid example that livestreaming is ultimately a packaged industry with a slick label. The sweetness and care on the phone screen are just commodities priced in cash. When money flows, so does the fake affection, when it stops, only disgust and contempt remain. Those behind the screen never hold true sincerity. Their only goal is the thickness of their fans’ wallets.