The passers-by in a bustling Chongqing shopping district were not sure what to make of the three young men in business suits sleeping in the middle of a public square.
Were they performance artists?
Fliers with resumes scattered in the square next to puddles of fresh vomit were a clue to the mystery.
It turns out that the young men were trying to impress a prospective employer with their drinking prowess at lunch on Monday after being interviewed for a sales job.
Their capacity for liquor falling short of their ambition, the trio ended up so drunk that police had to call an ambulance to take them to hospital.
Photos of the young men made their way to popular news sites on the internet - which was soon abuzz with heated discussions about the lack of job opportunities for school-leavers, the poor education they receive and the kind of skills that are really needed for success in business.
By 6pm yesterday, the news had attracted 3,775 postings to a discussion on the Netease website.