How a Hong Kong student’s virtual business exposed sex scandals at university camps

Identified only as Hin Hin, the youth takes on all manner of requests, mostly for a fee, doing the assignments himself or hooking up clients with others. He also entertains troubled souls seeking a listening ear or a platform to air their grievances – which was how the university allegations came to light.

The virtual business is run through the Instagram page “Hin Hin Man Si Ok”, the Cantonese romanisation of Yorozuya, a term from Japanese manga and anime series Gintama that literally means “house of 10,000 businesses”.

“Back in high school I did a lot of part-time jobs but I still found life boring,” the student told the Post in a recent interview. “I want to build a platform that can help people solve problems by bridging them with others who have the skills or resources.”

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The business operates on a free-pricing system and has so far received a wide range of requests such as flat-cleaning for HK$300 (US$38), grilling meat for a client at a restaurant, preparing decorations for a wedding proposal, penning an apology letter or even giving a daily wake-up call at 6am.

But in recent weeks, Hin Hin received some unusual requests, with three victims who claimed to have suffered sexual assaults at orientation camps in three universities telling him they wanted to share their ordeal via his platform.

“Please help me spread it, I do not know who I can talk to,” the first victim, a nursing freshman at the University of Hong Kong (HKU), wrote in a direct message to Hin Hin on August 26.

Two more victims subsequently sought help from him as they called on more people who had similar experiences to come forward. Hin Hin did not charge any fees for the cases.

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The allegations, which sparked widespread public concern, eventually led to the arrests of two suspects studying at HKU and Education University on August 30 and September 6.

“I am glad that it helped, otherwise the suspects wouldn’t have been arrested, and the incidents wouldn’t have caught so much public attention,” the student said.

Hin Hin’s Instagram page, run solely by him, now has more than 29,000 followers and over 5,000 requests posted since its launch last December.

Almost a year into his endeavour, the student is making some HK$20,000 a month from 40 clients, ranging from primary school kids to middle-aged people, requesting his help daily on average.

He said he would waive the fee for certain requests.

“Some just wanted to share with me about their day, and some needed to talk to someone because they were frustrated,” he said, adding that he would listen to their problems on the phone and refer them to social workers and NGOs that had reached out to him before.

For jobs he was unable to take on himself, he would hook up clients with others who could provide help.

He said the most common requests were from those searching for lost items, looking to hire someone, seeking a like-minded friend or partner, or online sellers of items.

But he never accepts requests that involve settling personal scores, crowdfunding, or illegal activities.

The most unforgettable experience, Hin Hin said, was emceeing a wedding banquet for a couple for HK$1,000, the highest price he had ever been offered despite having no experience in this field.

“It was very hard because I am a very introverted and quiet person,” he said, adding the couple were happy with his performance following two weeks of preparation.

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Other memorable jobs included babysitting two toddlers for a few hours and helping a man decorate a wedding proposal and filming the process.

Among his clients was Martin Chan*, a 27-year-old who asked Hin Hin to help him reconcile with his girlfriend in March by making her a gift.

Chan, who works in finance, said he was based abroad and barely had time to talk to his girlfriend. They fought over the phone a lot and he wanted to do something for her, but was too busy with work.

“So I asked Hin Hin to make her a drawing … and he even suggested sending her a handwritten card and flowers, that was very thoughtful,” said Chan, who ultimately paid HK$800 for the service.

Hin Hin said he wished to continue running the social media page as a one-man band despite it requiring his round-the-clock attention.

“Some people are struggling to find someone to talk to, or to ask for help in their own social circle, so they feel more secure finding strangers,” he said.

“And this is also about meeting new people, learning new things, and enriching my life, but not making big money from it.”

*Name changed at interviewees’ request