He was told he can get US$120,000 reward for 26-day isolation

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A man in China has paid 20,000 yuan (US$2,800) in registration fees to participate in a “self-discipline challenge” three times, hoping to win a substantial cash prize, but he was unsuccessful in all attempts.

The man, surnamed Zhang, took the company behind the challenge to court in Xian, in northwestern China, believing his dream of winning 860,000 yuan (US$120,000) had been shattered and claiming he had been defrauded, according to the Huashang Daily.

Zhang was drawn to the advertisement for the challenge, which stated that contestants would be rewarded with a lucrative sum for staying in a room for several days while adhering to specific rules.

According to the challenge rules, participants are placed in a room monitored by several surveillance cameras. They can only turn the light on and off once a day and must do so before 6am each day.

Participants must not move, shut down, or cover the monitoring cameras, and if they shield their face from the camera, this action cannot last more than three seconds.

Challengers are required to use their mobile phones during designated times each day and must return the devices to their original place. Additionally, they are prohibited from covering or drinking the beers provided in the room.

A participant can earn 6,800 yuan (US$930) if they successfully follow the rules for three days. The prize increases to 28,000 yuan for six days, 58,000 yuan for nine days, and ultimately 860,000 yuan for 26 days. The registration fees also increase based on the prize level the contestant chooses.

Zhang paid 6,900 yuan to enter the 860,000-yuan challenge on September 24 but failed within 24 hours after being caught covering his face for more than three seconds.

Undeterred, Zhang submitted another 6,900 yuan on September 25 for a second attempt.

“I was unemployed at that time and in debt. After failing the first time, I felt I had the experience to give it another go,” he said.

However, the next day, while making the bed and turning his back to the camera, Zhang was disqualified again for violating the rule against covering his face.

Shortly after, he borrowed money from a friend and paid to enter the challenge for a third time. “I’d like to take a gamble,” Zhang admitted. “I thought that since I had already spent so much money, I shouldn’t leave empty-handed.”

This time, he managed to stay in the room for 10 days before inadvertently covering the beer in the room, leading to his disqualification.

A relative later suggested to Zhang that he might have been scammed, prompting him to sue the organiser, Xian Mulin Culture Communication Company. A court accepted the lawsuit, although it remains unclear when the case will be heard.

Zhang’s lawyer claimed that the company’s challenge rules were unreasonable and unfair, imposing a severe psychological test on participants.

Such self-discipline challenges are not uncommon in China. Last month, a court in eastern Shandong province ordered a company to refund 5,400 yuan to a man who had paid 6,000 yuan to join a similar “isolation challenge”. He failed because he used a pillow to cover his face while sleeping.

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