College freshman "tests father's love" by faking kidnapping

Speakers: Li Ningjing, Sam Duckett, and Lu Sirui

[Photo: from Baidu.com]

A college freshman was detained in Jiangsu province along with two friends after they reportedly faked his kidnapping and demanded ransom to "test his father's love."

The 18-year-old surnamed Zhu, from northwest China's Shanxi province, traveled to Taizhou and attempted to find a part-time job over the summer holiday.

According to police, Zhu's family began receiving threatening images and a video over WeChat on July 13 showing that Zhu was tied up and gagged. 

Zhu's family contacted Taizhou police. Officers there traced the videos to a hotel and waited for the men to return. Unexpectedly, it was Zhu who returned to the hotel, alone and unharmed.

Zhu told police he had always doubted his father's feelings for him and planned the fake kidnapping so his father could "prove his love."

Zhu and his accomplices were detained on suspicion of blackmail and extortion.

The audio clip is from Studio+, produced by CRI.