A 19-year-old girl from Fuyang, Anhui, named Ahui, revealed to reporters on October 22 that she signed a contract with an MCN company without informing her parents and has now been ordered to pay 150,000 yuan in damages. "I really can't afford it," she stated. In 2022, at the age of 16, Ahui secretly took her mother’s ID and bank card to sign a contract with a Wuhu-based MCN company to become a livestreamer. Over two years of streaming, Ahui transitioned from chatting to outdoor live "ordering broadcasts" (where viewers send gifts in exchange for actions), earning a monthly income ranging from over 1,700 to 20,000 yuan, totaling approximately 200,000 yuan, of which she only received about 80,000 yuan. By the end of 2023, after numerous fellow streamers and staff left the company, she decided to return home and stop sharing income with the company. After being rejected, she withdrew from the MCN on her own and was subsequently sued.

Due to changing her phone number, Ahui did not receive the court summons and notice, only learning about the judgment for compensation of 150,000 yuan when preparing for labor arbitration. She appealed, arguing that she was a minor when she signed the contract, but the Wuhu Intermediate Court rejected her appeal, stating that she was already 16 at the time of signing and was primarily living off her labor income, thus recognized as having full civil capacity. Ahui is now determined to comply with the judgment but hopes to negotiate for a reduction or installment payments. The contact person from the involved MCN could not be reached for comment. Lawyers advise that MCN contracts can be complex, and it is best to have a legal professional review them before signing, avoiding any blind commitments!