Wang Zhongkai’s 9-Cent Internet Café Becomes Shelter as Occupancy Climbs to 90%
Updated
Updated · Sixth Tone · Aug 5
Wang Zhongkai’s 9-Cent Internet Café Becomes Shelter as Occupancy Climbs to 90%
1 articles · Updated · Sixth Tone · Aug 5
Summary
0.6 yuan-an-hour access, free showers and laundry, and 10-yuan meals have turned Wang Zhongkai’s internet café in Shandong’s Kangyi Town into a de facto refuge for struggling customers, some staying for months.
90% occupancy followed Wang’s decision last year to slash prices after more than a decade of weak business, even as the café’s margins stayed thin and his family invested over 700,000 yuan in equipment.
150 computers now support not only gamers but also long-term residents, including out-of-towners who take game-boosting work arranged through Wang or sleep free in reclining esports chairs when they cannot afford 200-yuan monthly rooms.
China had about 122,600 licensed internet cafés last year, up 12% from 2024, but average annual revenue fell to 197,000 yuan from 216,000 yuan, underscoring the pressure behind Wang’s survival strategy.