"Have you killed people?" When a young Shenzhen white-collar worker asks you this question, don't be alarmed.

"Kill people" is only a term used in "mafia," a parlor game that refers to ousting a player from the game as "being killed." The game, also called "man slaughter" said to be brought to China by IT engineers in 1999, has become very popular among white-collar workers in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, especially journalists and IT engineers.

Shenzheners have been playing "mafia" in restaurants, in pubs, at home, during outings since 2000, and in "mafia" themed clubs since the end of last year.

Two "mafia" clubs have opened in Shenzhen -- both by "mafia" fanatics. One of them, Killer, opened November 29 last year in the Huaqiangbei area of Futian District, and currently boasts more than 2,000 members. The other, PK Club, opened January 23 this year in the Xinzhou area of Futian District and has about 1,600 members. Both Killer and PK Club charge 10 yuan (US$1.2) per hour on each player.

"I opened Killer because I can no longer bear playing "mafia" in restaurants, which close too early," said Qian Ke, general manager of Killer, the first "mafia" club in Guangdong. Both Killer and PK Club are open from 3 PM to 8 AM.

Most of the "mafia" players at the two clubs are white-collar workers, senior managers, and entrepreneurs. About 50 percent of the members of Killer own a car and a home, said Qian. Tu Haozhi, manager of PK Club, said many players at PK Club were from the Shenzhen Media Group.

"About 100 members of Killer are frantic fans, who will spend at least five nights a week in the club. In the May Day holidays, the club had to open 48 hours in a row, because some players would not leave," said Qian.

"Mafia" is a role-playing game that assigns players identities such as "mafia member," "policeman," and "villager." Players must keep their own identities secret and try to unveil the identies of others through reasoning. "Maybe that's why white collars like it," said Qian. Club members call one another by their nicknames.

A female player who calls herself Angel is the best player at Killer. She believes the game not only improves one's intelligence, but also expands one's social network. The landscape designer spends at least five nights a week in the club. "'Mafia' is a good alternative for playing mah-jong and drinking at bars," said Angel.

Many members of the two clubs have become good friends. At least six people found their sweethearts at Killer, while four people who got to know each other at Xi'an's PK Club have already gotten married. "We have become matchmakers," joked Du Jianfeng, vice general manager of Killer.

Yet for some, addiction to the game means spending less time with family or friends who don't play the game. Zhizunbao, a real estate agent who named himself after a character played by Hong Kong comic star Stephen Chow, said he often plays till 4 AM during the weekend. He once played 12 hours without a break.

With Killer starting to make money last month, Qian plans to open a second club in two months. "At least 100,000 people in Shenzhen play 'mafia,' or know how to play 'mafia,'" he said. He believes the number will reach 300,000 people by the end of the year.

Tu, however, is not satisfactory with the Shenzhen market. PK Club Shenzhen does not operate as well as PK Club in Xi'an, said Tu. Opened July 28 last year, PK Club's Xi'an branch has over 6,000 members.

(Shenzhen Daily June 22, 2006)