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During the disaster, to give you a little bit of fun paragraph to spice things up. It’s a completely and utterly true story.
At the end of 1991, after 7 years of hard work, I finally got my passport from the government and was able to go to the US. But then, just as I was getting my U.S. visa and getting ready to pack, I got a call from an American friend, Xiao Sang, who lived in Beijing. On the phone, Xiao Sang begged me to do one thing for him before I left. He wanted me to help him kidnap a Beijing citizen.
Here’s how it happened.
In 1991, pets were still a very rare thing. Xiao Sang’s girlfriend in Beijing, bought a puppy for 1,500 yuan. He and his girlfriend took good care of this little creature, naturally, and took it everywhere they went, fearing that it would be abandoned at home alone.
Not together one day, his girlfriend to treat back problems, to a Chinese doctor’s home in the hutongs outside Dongzhimen. The two drove Xiaosang’s car outside the doctor’s house, and his girlfriend went in alone, with Xiaosang guarding the puppy inside the car. It didn’t take long for a number of residents to gather outside the car. After all, at that time, there were not many foreigners in China, and the hutongs in Beijing, which were far away from the foreigners’ residence, were basically a “no foreigners and dogs allowed” area, so it was inevitable that they were surrounded by people who wanted to see what was new. So it was inevitable that they were surrounded by people watching.
But the small sang and the dog were waiting in the car, suddenly the small sang remembered something and had to go in to remind his girlfriend. He knew he couldn’t take the dog into the old Chinese doctor’s clinic, so he left it in the car. Because of the fear of closing the car window will be hot dog, when leaving, he deliberately rolled the window open a slit. Who knows, it is this seam, led to the disaster.
As I said earlier, pets were a very rare thing at that time. Rare things will be missed. When Xiao Sang and his girlfriend came out of the clinic, the car lock was unlocked and the puppy was gone. And then look at the onlookers, residents are quickly dispersed.
The anxious and angry Xiao Sang and his girlfriend, make every effort, a moment to threaten and bait, and a moment to cry and plead, chasing the puppy how and where. However, all the people are tight-lipped, although from their eyes, Xiao Sang can see that they know the whereabouts of the dog are well known. The question was tightened, and some of them looked toward a thin man leaning against the clinic’s courtyard door. Xiao Sang rushed to him and asked urgently about the whereabouts of the dog. The thin man’s eyes wandered, but the mouth but pretended to say something easy: the dog is lost, you foreigners have plenty of money, and then go get one is it.
Xiao Sang knew there was a fraud, but realized that on that occasion, no matter how he asked, he could not get an answer. So he left his business card to some of the residents present, begging them, any information, must call him, and offered a reward of $100, asking them to report dog thieves.
In fact, the puppy was stolen by the skinny guy leaning on the yard gate. Shortly after Xiao Sang returned home, the report call really came. The report was made by a neighbor of the skinny guy. He said that the skinny guy is a recently released prisoner of labor, since childhood good courage, neighbors in the alley bumped into him, are the most perfunctory two sentences, and then go around and walk away. Neighbors said that the dog was stolen by him, must be to sell money. However, when Xiao Sang anxiously asked the neighbor whether he was willing to testify, the neighbor said with a smile: If you dare to make that shrew’s evidence, what I was doing on the spot? Then, the other party hung up the phone.
Xiao Sang called the police. The police said that unless you are present at the scene of the stolen goods, this matter can not be done for you. Xiao Sang did not believe in evil, and committed the American temper, directly to the thin man confrontation. The thin man how to answer his small sang did not tell me, but apparently with a scoundrel insult flirtation, otherwise small sang in and I recounted the incident, will not be so furious ……
The face of the eyes are swollen with tears girlfriend, and hate and anger under, Xiao Sang made a bold decision: he and two other American buddies about to kidnap the thin man, brought to the suburbs to torture to force a confession, must he say where the puppy can not. They also said smartly, to wear a hood or mask, so that the boy could not see their faces, so that even if you want to sue them afterwards, it is no evidence of the bite ……
However, the brothers and sons are talking about the energy, I do not know who among them, a sentence, so that all of them are dumb: these foreigners, although the Chinese can say, but after all, inevitably pronunciation is not accurate four voices are not complete, a mouth, the prospect of revealing the kid immediately heard them foreigners, after the case to the official, a pinch of a precise.
So, these few Western rash, is a veritable everything is ready, only lack of east wind. Or rather, everything is available, only one Eastern rash. So, there is the above-mentioned, Xiao Sang called me that phone call.
This Xiao Sang, mixed with China for many years, is very understanding of the Chinese can not face this weakness. He and his girlfriend on the phone war of attrition, repeatedly bombarded, finally I was confused, in the phone promised him. In order to make me as foolproof as possible, Xiao Sang said that the action would be three days before my departure. This way, as long as I was not caught in flagrante delicto, even if the crime was committed, I would have already left China. He also said that I would not have to do anything during the operation, but that I would be the one to ask questions during the interrogation of the thin man – as if he meant that I would be a kidnapping coercer and would get off the hook.
Kidnapping, is to go to jail, regardless of the object of the kidnapping is the person who did what. I went to college, I understand this. Also, I would have been “bottom of the tide”, at this time, if anything else, so that the government pinched the pigtail, then I’m afraid that my life is not eaten more can not go away.
However, the definition of youth, is to make something not young later incomprehensible. That’s what I did, on the boat of thieves Xiao Sang them.
To catch thieves.
In
Xiao Sang had a well thought out plan for the kidnapping.
At that time, in Beijing’s hutongs, the majority of the poor old people were still using public toilets. All year round, especially when it was windy and rainy, when they wanted to have a convenient time, it was the most inconvenient time for them. Before we acted, Xiaosang had already understood the situation and looked at the terrain: every night after the “news broadcast” program, the thin man will come out to his home at least 30 meters away from the public toilet to inconvenience. The company’s main business is to provide a wide range of products and services to the public.
The day of action, I took some trouble to lie to my girlfriend to get away, and in the afternoon came to the location designated by Xiao Sang. We had an early dinner, just after dark, and drove the Beijing 212 jeep with the license plate removed, and came to the hutong of the thin man’s house. Xiao Sang’s girlfriend took out several long black stockings for women and gave them to everyone to wear on their heads. (Sorry, the head set should be called wear, but really have not heard of wearing socks a said, on balance, or wear the right it.)
When they finished wearing them, they looked up at each other and found that the foreigners’ faces were invisible through the black stockings, but their noses were as high as ever. And, the other half of the stockings hanging in the back of the head, like the ancient torture before the prisoner in the court of law to untie the long hair, all look like masked Dou E, eerie, and comical.
This draped, we drove the jeep to the corner not far from the thin home, parked in the shadows, waiting. From where we parked, over a piece of rubble that had been demolished on the site of a dangerous house, you can clearly see the thin man’s home.
But soon we realized that all of us, including me, had missed the most obvious point: we were not somewhere else, but in a Beijing hutong. When Xiao Sang used to come here to “see the sights”, he drove slowly through. He didn’t pay special attention to the occasional pedestrian walking through the hutongs. However, when we parked the car at a corner inside the hutong during the action, we realized that three or three, plus two or three, plus three or two, plus two or three …… that Beijing’s hutong is simply the world is bustling plus the world is bustling, every moment there are people passing by. When people see a military jeep without a license plate parked in the shadows, almost everyone will be curious to look towards the car.
We thought we were in the dark and invisible to the outside world. But by this time, we realized that the street lights in the hutong were so bright that they made us all feel faint inside. At least once, an older man, came up very close, to the car window after a look, a shock, and then quickly backed up and left …… we finally sat down. This is too revealing target.
Taking advantage of the fact that there was nothing passing close by, everyone jumped out of the car and walked briskly to the rubble across the hutong, hiding behind a pile of old bricks left behind after the demolition of the house. But still, it didn’t work. The people in the hutong seemed to know that we were hiding there. Every time someone passes by, they will intentionally or unintentionally look in our direction ……
Finally, it was time for the “news broadcast” to begin. From behind that pile of bricks, I could hear the sound coming from many TV sets in the hutong at the same time. Those were the days when information was not yet open. The “news broadcast” was almost the only way for people to get information outside of their homes and hutongs. By the way, if I were writing a novel, I would say that the TV news that night was about the public security authorities at all levels, strengthening their efforts to combat criminal offences, including kidnapping …… but I am not. The truth is, that night’s “news broadcast” content, although I heard it all, but did not listen to anything – too damn nervous.
The “news broadcast” is about to end, the thin man’s courtyard door, suddenly “creak” was pushed open. From the door came out a man in a pullover. We all panicked at once: It’s him? Not him? We should go on foot? Or get in the car and go after him? All of them were pressing Xiao Sang in one way or another. In the panic, Xiao Sang finally said that the man was too short to be a skinny man, but his sister-in-law.
Still, her appearance gave us a reminder to get back in the car early and start at any time, even if the people on the street would see us, it would have to do. So, we got back into the car and drove it less than ten meters from the skinny guy’s house. “This is the final fight. Unite ……” finally, until the end of the “news broadcast” of the “International Anthem” began to play. Next was the music of the weather forecast ……
At this time, the door of the courtyard was suddenly pushed open once again, from which flashed out a medium-sized thin man. Seeing him, a few of us once again stared through the hole in the black veil with an unmistakable grim gaze at the long, crooked half of the stockings at the back of Xiao Sang’s head, Xiao Sang, it’s him isn’t it! Is it him?! Xiao Sang gaze for a moment, after the mouth rushed out: is he! Just see that Xiao Sang car lights do not turn on, in the darkness suddenly start, hand-shift old jeep like a cone of a wild boar behind let a person stabbed, jerked forward a little …… stalled.
It is too nervous for Xiao Sang. Again.
When the car started again, our target thin man has been out of the house for ten or so meters. He must have heard the sound, looked back at our side and seemed to hesitate, and then continued to walk quickly in the direction of the toilet. It seems that he has been alerted and realized that if he turns back towards the house at this point, he is bound to be intercepted head-on by our jeep, so he chose to continue in the direction of the toilet ……
Xiao Sang or black lights, a foot on the gas, “boom”, the car along the narrow alley, rushed up. Those few seconds, really hot seconds. All the people in the car, behind the black stockings, staring at the back of the man getting closer and closer, even forget to breathe. The car quickly through the narrow streets, away from the guy who stole the dog, getting closer and closer, more and more can see his back, even his feet wearing white plastic-soled cloth shoes, can be seen clearly in the darkness alternately forward.
However, to only a few meters away from him, one of the youngest Americans, suddenly suppressing the panic inside, once again asked Xiao Sang: when it is really him? It was really him! To this day I do not know, perhaps this American this colorful / voice stern question, the terror and suspicion infected to Xiao Sang; more perhaps Xiao Sang really not sure whether that person is the thin man himself; and then perhaps Xiao Sang simply has been in a state of vulnerability than who are panic, the result of the pro-formation more hesitant concern, just we are also very panic, did not pay attention to …… Anyway, in this critical moment, Xiao Sang very uncomfortable move a body, actually muttered: “as if, as if not him. Seems to be, seems to be his brother ……”
The people in the car, all at once exploded: what?! How is it the brother? Is it him personally?! Or his brother!!!? Brother?! In person!!!? Meanwhile, outside the car we watched as the man went into the toilet. And in the moment he went in, Xiao Sang finally saw, this time, to judge with certainty: it was not the brother. It was the thin man himself. There was another explosion in the car, blaming and complaining ……
We waited anxiously. Time, second by second, passed. Occasionally people go in and out of the public restroom, we do not know the situation inside, so do not dare to rashly rush in. The thin man inside and after at least 10 minutes, we realized that he is no longer inconvenient, but also inconvenient finished. However, he could not see him come out. Meanwhile, the car outside the passing pedestrians, more than the “news broadcast” before. Occasionally there are some people, simply standing not far away, talking to each other up, just do not go.
The girlfriend of Xiao Sang, who had already lost her composure, now began to shout and insist on leaving. In fact, everyone’s adrenaline, in the most critical few dozen seconds after the skinny man came out of the house just now, have been released almost. Now, each of our intuition is telling itself, see good, it’s time to withdraw. Otherwise, I’m afraid that in a few days the TV news will have our names and deeds reported.
After a short period of awkward silence, Xiao Sang finally said very Q, we scared the skinny man out of the toilet, it is already a “victory”, we can all withdraw. Although the youngest American, but also to save face a little down, and muttered a couple of arguments, but the others are silent, none of them agreed with him. What is on everyone’s mind at this time is self-evident to each other. Xiao Sang released the clutch and drove forward to continue driving. When passing the toilet, it was dead silent.
Xiao Sang drove his jeep out of the dark hutong and onto East Chang’an Street, where the lights were flashing. For a while, my eyes couldn’t adjust to the brightness. I remember that when I took off the socks I was wearing on my head in the back seat, I felt the air of Beijing at night, so fresh. Is this the end of the attempted kidnapping case? Hey, it’s not.
Next
As mentioned in the previous paper, Xiao Sang and a few of us attempted to kidnap the dog thief and left the scene of the crime early. But I myself, not a few days after the night of the crime, left the country to the United States of America. In those days, there was no Internet email, transatlantic phone calls are super expensive, so after going there, has not been and Xiao Sang and his gang contact, only the girlfriend at the time, from time to time there are letters sent. When the time has passed the month menstruation has become obsolete (Note: self-edited back to the text sentence), suddenly one day, received a letter from his girlfriend, inside said she …… Oh, not pregnant, is that she found out a secret of mine. The first thing that I did was to ask you about the situation. Now, she said in her letter, she knew what I was going to do.
When I read this, I was stunned and read further – my girlfriend told me that she knew from Xiao Sang that I had gone to join his kidnapping attempt. She went on to tell me that Xiao Sang and his girlfriend started to feel the aftermath when they got home. Whenever I received a phone call the next day, I was too afraid that it was from the police to answer it right away. However, a few days passed, everything remained normal, the two hanging on the heart, which was gradually put down.
Unexpectedly, at this time, they suddenly received a phone call, a police officer called.
In the phone, the police first bright identity after saying that Xiao Sang their puppy, in his place, and let them go to claim. The police officer said the dog was in his possession and asked them to go and claim it. There, they did see the puppy that was jumping for joy when they saw them. Xiao Sang’s girlfriend, a moment can’t own, weeping with joy …… after happy, the two of them repeatedly thanked the police uncle …… since it is not to say.
You may ask, what’s going on here, it’s that easy?
Afterwards, Xiao Sang through different channels, to understand the original story. It turns out that Xiao Sang their puppy, after being stolen by the thin man, was soon transferred to the area of the South Exit Badaling, ready to sell a good price. And it was at this point that there was our flawed attempted kidnapping. Although fruitless, however, perhaps because it was loosely organized and made a lot of noise, this operation played a very dramatic role that we did not expect. It is often said that there is no fear of thieves stealing, but there is no fear of thieves thinking. But it is difficult for ordinary people to realize that the reverse of this saying is also the same. The thief is also afraid of being missed, or rather, the thief is more afraid of being missed. Why? The answer is also simple: because he is a thief, the thief has a thief’s heart, so the thief will be more of a thief’s heart, the heart of ordinary people.
Although we did not know it at the time, but after that reckless action, the skinny man’s day, it can be difficult.
From the perspective of the thin man, he has no way of knowing whether Xiao Sang really gave up the pursuit of it, or all the time in the dark continue to think about him. And a thief who is afraid of being missed will naturally be doubly careful. But, specifically for the thin man, he the thief is faced with, but a very simple, but horizontal and horizontal left and right can not solve the problem – he has to eat and drink, but also have to poop.
The poor guy, every time the “news broadcast” after the time to go out to the toilet, but did not dare. He wants to eat and drink, his career requires him to go out every night to commit a crime, but he does not dare.
Why? Because he was afraid to go out and meet the head wearing socks.
The common saying also says that the man who knows the time is a good man. Common saying also said that the living can not let the urine suffocated.
Live thieves can not let the urine suffocated. So, a few days later, that puppy was mysteriously sent to the police station and returned to the owner.
The above is the whole story of the attempted kidnapping case I participated in. Although the attempt, but it taught me actually very simple and very logical a truth: bad people than good people are also afraid of evil moves.
Thieves are more afraid of being missed.
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