In Hubei, a 33-year-old man who was thriving in business before the COVID-19 pandemic saw his livelihood abruptly cut off by the crisis. He ended up owing money to the bank and struggled to make ends meet in the food and beverage industry. Under immense pressure to alleviate his financial burdens, he fell into deceitful practices, accumulating a massive amount of debt and feeling trapped with no way out. Eventually, he made the tragic choice to jump off a building to escape his troubles.
Recently, a self-media personality from Hubei known as “Xiao Ange” shared a video expressing how his friend, burdened with debts totaling 5.8 million Chinese yuan, jumped from the 30th floor, taking his own life at the age of 33.
“Xiao Ange” recounted attending his friend’s funeral, where the sight of his friend’s cold body left him deeply saddened and unable to find solace. His friend was only 33 years old. The sounds of weeping in the funeral home echoed painfully, with his parents, hair turning grey from the stress, burying their own son, a scene too heart-wrenching for anyone to bear.
According to “Xiao Ange,” his friend’s story unfolded from a successful business partnership in construction that had brought them substantial profits. However, the onslaught of the pandemic disrupted their financial stability over three years, leading to the collapse of their company as project funds could not be recovered. Left with significant debts to the bank, they had to dissolve their business, leaving them in a precarious situation.
Struggling with financial obligations, his friend invested nearly 400,000 yuan in a franchise with hopes of turning a profit. Despite an initially promising start, they soon realized there was little to no profit to be made. Overwhelmed by car loans, multiple mortgages, and mounting pressures, his friend turned to online ventures late at night in search of quick money-making opportunities. Falling prey to a deceptive online game promising easy earnings, he spiraled into a gambling-like situation where the more he invested, the more he thought he could earn.
“Xiao Ange” described how his friend lost control of his rationality, ignoring all advice and pouring all his savings into the online scheme until he was left with nothing.
Desperately borrowing money from relatives and friends, claiming it was for his food and beverage business, his debts snowballed to over 5.8 million yuan, including bank loans, various online loans, and borrowed sums from loved ones. As creditors from banks and online loan companies bombarded him with calls for repayment, friends and family members gathered at his doorstep demanding their money back.
Facing legal action from the bank, his three properties were foreclosed and seized, leaving his family homeless. Overwhelmed and consumed by depression, he made a fateful decision to end his life by jumping from the 30th floor, tragically concluding his young life at 33.
“Xiao Ange” questioned whether his friend’s fatal decision to end his life would absolve him of all his debts. His wife, children, and parents were all unwittingly thrown into the fire…
Editor: Fang Xiao