Imagine paying to go to work. It's a reality for an increasing number of young people in China, who would rather go to a mock office than spend all day stuck at home while they're unemployed.
Shui Zhao lost his food business in April 2024. Since then, he has begun paying 30 yuan (about £3) to go into a pretend office. He has colleagues, a space to work including a computer, Wi-Fi, and is encouraged to hunt for real jobs or start his own business.
"It's like we're working together as a group," Zhao told the BBC. Some other companies running similar operations also include snacks, lunches, and drinks as part of the daily fee to use the "office" space.
China's youth unemployment rate is stuck at 14%, but it's clear from the dedication of these pretend to work schemes that young people do want to work. For some young graduates, the situation can appear even more pressurised, as if they do not provide proof of work within a year of leaving university, they may not receive a diploma. The pretend to work offices can be a way around that, battling a sense of powerlessness many young Chinese citizens feel when they first step into the working world.