In an incident that has astounded Chinese social media users, a squatter spent a fortnight in the vacant island villa of a popular influencer, freely savoring her stash of Chinese liquor, Maotai. The audacious intrusion took place in the city of Sanya, on the southern island of Hainan, and came to light when local police reported the arrest of the intruder last week.
The villa’s owner, a well-known blogger named Piyou on the social media platform Douyin, disclosed that the breached property belonged to her. She expressed her shock at learning about the break-in via a news report and narrated her surreal experience to her nearly 30 million followers on Douyin, saying, “Dear friends, do you know how a person feels when they find out a news event is about them?”
She elucidated in an online video, “A stranger climbed over a wall and broke into my home. He lived there for about half a month.” The intruder, a 30-year-old man surnamed Zhu, confessed to the police that he had ridden a stolen bicycle over 300km from Haikou to Sanya before trespassing into the unoccupied villa.
Once inside, Zhu evidently decided to make himself comfortable, drinking six bottles of the luxury liquor, Maotai, stored by Piyou in the villa. His unauthorized sojourn ended abruptly on June 24 when a housekeeper discovered the squatter and alerted the police.
Nicknaming the long-haired, shabby-looking intruder as “Maotai Savage Brother,” Piyou advised homeowners to install surveillance cameras to prevent such unusual break-ins. “Otherwise a Maotai Savage Brother could break into your house and drink the alcohol stored in your home,” she wittily added.
Chongqing-based lawyer, Cai Yaqi, noted on Douyin that Zhu’s jail term would be contingent on the total value of the six Maotai bottles consumed. He also stated that Zhu would have to compensate for the liquor consumed, and the property management company could be held accountable for negligence of duties.
Piyou’s video narration of the incident attracted significant attention, racking up 2.5 million likes and 400,000 comments online. The episode, teeming with elements of humor, audacity, and sheer disbelief, had one commenter exclaim, “It’s so dramatic! It could be turned into a movie.” Others humorously suggested that the intruder might be a fan of Piyou while advising her to inspect her home for any hidden surveillance devices left by the intruder. This event thus marked an unexpected chapter in the life of the influencer and offered an unusual cautionary tale for property owners.
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