With many shopping malls closed during the Covid-19 virus outbreak, a man in Anhui took advantage of this opportunity to make one into his home.

Earlier in February, the man, surnamed Wu, sneaked into a mall in the city of Tongling and there he lived for about half a month.

He cooked his own meals inside, using the mall’s facilities and products.

After being caught, police estimated that he went through 2,000 yuan ($284) worth of the mall’s stuff.

Wu has claimed that during the epidemic period he had no other choice but to break into the mall to survive.

The outbreak has been an especially difficult period of time for China’s migrant workers. A number of them have found themselves stuck in cities like Wuhan following public transport lockdowns, living out on the street and relying on donations from kind-hearted others.

In Wu’s case, netizens have suggested that the mall hire him on as a cook.