Twitch streamers JakenBakeLIVE and Andy Milonakis got a reminder of the risks of being generous to strangers while hanging out in China earlier today.
Milonakis is in Shanghai where he’s been streaming his adventures around the city. Today’s escapades alongside fellow streamer JakenBake led to Milonakis crossing paths with a street performer. Milonakis dropped some cash in the performer’s tip jar and stuck around a bit to watch.
Once the pair started walking away from the performer, an elderly woman came up to them trying to sell some small knick-knacks, like balloons and flowers.
Milonakis declined, but the woman persisted, even pulling out a QR code for digital payment when the pair used the “I don’t have any cash” excuse.
Eventually, against Jaken’s advice, Milonakis slipped the woman some cash. As they were waiting to cross a street, another elderly woman selling the same products approached them. Jaken said they didn’t have any cash, but he’d be willing to buy her some food at a nearby convenience store. She agreed, but not before letting the other merchant know.
Now walking as a group, the four of them crossed the street. While in the crosswalk, Milonakis snuck the other woman some cash as well. Jaken didn’t see Milonakis do it previously, but he caught him in the act the second time.
“Andy, what are you doing dude?” Jaken said.
Shortly after entering the convenience store, the women each grabbed several items off the shelf. Another woman came to them and apparently was told that Jaken was buying food as she also started picking items.
While the women shopped, Milonakis received a $100 donation that said “buy them some stuff poor ladies.” That extra $100 proved necessary as the women quickly spread word of Jaken’s generous offer to other people on the street.
It seemed like Jaken had experience dealing with the street merchants of Shanghai.
“They told their friends, like, two more just came in,” Jaken said. “If you bring in one, a whole fucking line starts.” It became clear why he told Milonakis to avoid giving the women any cash.
By the end of the transaction, Jaken was buying groceries for six people instead of just the original two. It appeared to be mostly cheap items, like candy and microwaveable noodles, but that didn’t make Jaken’s expression of panic any less hilarious.
“No more, no more, no more, no more,” Jaken said with audible desperation to one of the women he was paying for.
In the end, the merchants and friends were fed, and Jaken was promised reimbursement from Milonakis. Everyone was happy, especially the viewers who got to watch the situation get out of hand right before their eyes.
