Elephant Diet: the May 2026 Edition
- May 28
- 6 min read
Biyi’s dish—
on beng Laotou/崩老头, aka “Crashing the Old Man”—
“Undercover Inside a Beng Laotou group” (卧底了一个崩老头群组)
by 真实故事计划
“I Pretended to Be a ‘Hustler Girl’ and Infiltrated a ‘Beng Laotou’ Group for a Month. Here Are 5 Disturbing Truths I Found. “(我假扮精神小妹，卧底崩老头群组30天，发现了5条惊人内幕)
by 王小七Fire(Bilibili)
A new slang term has taken over Chinese social media — “Bēng Lǎotóu” (Crashing the Old Man). It refers to a stealthy online hustle where young women (often called “spirit girls” or jingshen xiaomei/精神小妹) — and even men using voice changers — systematically extract small sums of money from middle-aged men through feigned affection. On platforms like Douyin and Xiaohongshu, the playbook is simple: project a wholesome image, shower targets with daily “good morning” messages, sympathetic ears, and flirtatious “gege” (big brother) remarks, then softly ask for “奶茶钱” (milk tea money) or taxi fares — typically 20 to 50 yuan.
But the deeper intrigue lies with the “old men” — not elderly pensioners, but the heavily burdened post-80s and post-90s generation often carrying mortgages, stuck between workplace pressures and family obligations, with little emotional support. Strikingly, many knowingly participate, leaving comments asking to be targeted. A leading social commentary describes this as an “emotional needs commodity” — lonely souls paying small fees to hear “I understand you”.
Sociologists view this as a “crisscrossing of generational supply and demand”: on one side, Gen Z youth struggling in a tough job market opting for emotional labor over physical work; on the other side, emotionally-starved middle-aged men seeking “spiritual massages.” Crucially, the system is heavily industrialized, featuring standardized scripts, client tiers, and even dedicated trainers teaching the trade. As “Crash the Old Man” evolves from online oddity to systematic exploitation, while online platforms and authorities mull stricter regulations, the deeper-rooted problem of China’s pervasive “emotional desert” among its middle classes remains a festering wound that no single crackdown can heal.
Biyi’s photo of the month—
Kat’s dish —
Soumission Chimique: Full Record of the Transnational Drug-Facilitated Rape Case Involving Telegram Group ( “化学驯服”：“德国老司机驾校”跨国迷奸案全纪录)
By The Aquarian (水瓶纪元)
This article from The Aquarian exposes a transnational sexual assault network centered on a Telegram group, spanning Frankfurt, Munich, and Berlin in Germany, as well as the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. It involves multiple Chinese male suspects who used drugs to assault women, with most victims being Chinese women.
The piece centers on the concept of “chemical submission” (soumission chimique), meticulously documenting how a private Telegram group called “German Old Driver Driving School” evolved into a criminal network. On the surface, the group used car-related slang like “driving” and “refueling” as camouflage. In reality, it served as a hub for sharing experiences of drugging and sexually assaulting women, discussing drug dosages, and exchanging videos. The core group had 8 members, with associated groups expanding to thousands of participants and over 2000 active discussants.
Zhang Dapeng, the main criminal, was 43-44 years old at the time of the incidents. He had lived in Germany for over 20 years. His methods included posing as a woman on platforms like Xiaohongshu/RedNote and WeChat to contact Chinese female renters, then drugging and assaulting them during viewing apartments. He was arrested in Frankfurt in November 2024. Prosecutors charged him with 22 counts, including attempted murder and aggravated rape. In February 2026, he was sentenced to 14 years in prison, plus “preventive detention.”
Jiang Zhongyi, a 28-year-old master’s student in Munich, repeatedly drugged his victim while maintaining a romantic relationship with her. In April 2026, he was sentenced to 11 years and 3 months for two counts of attempted murder and six counts of aggravated rape.
Shao Zhiting, 32 years old at the time, held a bachelor’s degree from Shanghai Jiao Tong University and a master’s in medicine from Peking University. He was pursuing a PhD at Charité Medical University in Berlin. As of May 2026, his trial was ongoing. He is accused of providing medical expertise on drug administration within the group and committing sexual assaults in China. Victims include girls under 18.
The article mentions a specific type of drug—benzodiazepines—which produce a neurological effect known as anterograde amnesia. These substances interfere with the brain’s ability to convert short-term experiences into long-term memories, leaving victims with no recollection of events under the influence. Upon regaining consciousness, they might only notice subsequent symptoms like fatigue, headaches, or physical discomfort, often mistaking them for illness or overexertion.
Court records from the Munich trial show that Jiang Zhongyi administered doses five to ten times above safe levels. He mixed drugs into beverages or used anesthetic-soaked cloths over victims’ mouths and noses, causing them to stop breathing several times during the assaults.
However, all convictions so far target only those who directly committed the crimes. The more than 2000 active members in the group who regularly discussed dosages and shared videos, have not faced systematic investigation. Whether they constitute legal accomplices and how to define their role remain unanswered. This is likely the most significant unresolved legal issue left by these cases.
Kat’s photo of the month—
Lily’s dish —
By China Business Herald (中国商报)
During Labour Day holiday, NPCs (stands for Non-Player Character), live actors who interact with visitors in scripted roles, became a major draw at tourist sites across China.
At Jiangxi Province’s Gexian Village resort, characters known as “Little Yellow Fish” (小黄鱼) attracted crowds with flirtatious antics like feeding candy to visitors by mouth, or playfully covering them with a red bridal veil. These gimmicks, which tap into young people’s desire for “emotional value”, have been quickly copied by other places of interest eager to boost traffic.
NPCs are also creating a brand‑new career track. A 199-cm-tall fitness coach dressed as Xiang Yu at the warlord’s former residence, was paid according to a “height × 10” formula, earning nearly 4,000 yuan (about $550) over two days during the Qingming holiday. In Changchun Botanical Park, a Monkey King character went viral, prompting the park to scale up its NPC team from 40 to 140 people. Since March 2026, more than 50 scenic spots across China have posted new NPC job ads.
Young travelers today no longer settle for passive sightseeing, but a “step into the story” and feel more immersed. Visitors who engage with NPCs stay 2.3 hours longer on average according to relative data, and of those who made a return visit, 68% do so in anticipation of new NPC plot developments.
Lily’s photo of the month—
Joyce’s dish —
The Coal Mining Blast in Shanxi — A Tragedy Long Foretold (山西矿难，一场早有预兆的祸事)
By Fir RECORD (冷杉RECORD)
From the moment Cui Yang saw news of the Shanxi mining explosion, she began desperately searching for her 56-year-old father, an underground conveyor worker who had spent decades moving between coal mines across the province.
Terrified, she phoned several hospitals treating the injured, but his name was nowhere to be found. That night, one of her father’s coworkers told her he had been buried underground in the blast. On May 24, the mine officially informed the family that he had died.
“Just two more years, then life would finally be secure,” her father had told her when she urged him to leave the dangerous industry.
He was killed in a gas explosion, just one year before retirement.
Another miner’s daughter recalled her father’s supervisor once bluntly telling workers: “It’s not that the mines need you — it’s that you need this job.”
The May 22 explosion at the Liushenyu coal mine in Shanxi province killed 82 people, making it China’s deadliest mining disaster in nearly 15 years. Like many past mining tragedies in the country, the accident exposed familiar problems like excessive production, inadequate ventilation and weak gas-risk controls.
This report by Lengshan goes beyond the cold casualty figures. It gives voice to the people left behind — and raises deeper questions about the industry itself.
Joyce’s photo of the month—
Hope you had a wonderful May, and see you in June!
The Elephant Room team🌞
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