Nanjing news

Bored manager bilks company for gambling debts

A bored company manager who got hooked on slot machine gambling was charged last week with bilking his company out of 12 million RMB in order to pay off his debts.

In 2006, at the age of 19, Mr. Xu scored a job with a large-scale food processing company. A year later, he was promoted to the head office. In the beginning, he worked hard, but after a year, he started to get bored.

Thus, he got into slot machine gambling, resulting in heavy debts. He began to sell goods from his company's warehouse without reporting them to the finance department. Eventually, he pinched a total of 12 million RMB. Last week, he was charged with official embezzlement and transferred to the Jianye District Procuratorate for examination and prosecution.

– original story

Police escorts for citizens during peak crime season

The Dongshan Police Station began its annual escort service and also warned citizens that the next 20 days is the peak season for robbery in Nanjing. Regarding the escort service, people who dial 110 may request a police escort if they are withdrawing more than 5000 RMB. On average, 3-5 people are expected to use this service per day.

In general, citizens should be wary of people walking around with blatant disguises (helmets, sunglasses, masks, etc). For the next 20 days, police will also beef up their presence in jewelly shops, ATM areas, etc.

– original story

Brawl erupts, KTV destroyed

Dueling groups of drunken construction workers clashed last Monday in a machete brawl over the use of a KTV microphone that resulted in 14 arrests.

That evening, construction worker 'Mr. Wang' met up with five pals to celebrate the holiday and also the receipt of their end of year bonuses. They went to a KTV parlor and began to drink heavily, while hogging the only microphone in the place. Mr. Wang, heavily inebriated, got lost in the moment and began belting out (very poorly) an Anhui folk song.

When others complained, Mr. Wang rushed them with a flurry of punches and kicks. He chased them off, caught one, and thew him into a roadside river.

With the group chased off, Mr. Wang began to worry about retribution. Therefore, he went back to his dorm, picked up a machete, and returned to the KTV with some friends. There, they rushed another group of workers using the microphone. A firerce brawl broke out and the melee drew additional workers from both camps into the fray. Ultimately, the KTV was completely destroyed.

Police rushed to the scene after receiving the alarm and arrested 14 people on suspicion of criminal behavior.

– original story

Students lured by illegal loans

A recent ad making the rounds of local campuses offers students fast cash loans for extremely high interest rates.

According to the ad, students may procure a loan of 2,000 RMB with a daily interest rate of 1 RMB and a weekly interest rate of 5 RMB. Bank experts are surprised, as this is 69 times higher than official bank rates. For example, if you borrow 1000 RMB and pay it back after 6 months, then you will pay 2200 RMB in total.

Another option in the ad is a 500 RMB or less loan, which can be lent immediately, with just a copy of the student's ID card. For loans of more than 500 RMB, collateral is needed, for example a watch or computer.

Longhu reporters contacted the loan company and learned that they don't worry about unpaid debts, and besides, they don't lend out any more than 2,000 RMB. From a legal perspective, however, this is usury, which is illegal.

According to regulations, legal private lending should have the interest rate appropriately four times higher than the bank loan interest rates in the same period. So even the student doesn’t pay back, the court would at most student to pay interest four times more than bank interest rates, other part is invalid.


– original story

Supermarket beat: the peak buying season

Shopping season is at a peak point, so Longhu reporters hit the aisles of Suguo to see what people are buying.

Shandong worker Xiao Li has been in Nanjing for three years. He already has his train ticket back home. In his shopping cart was soy milk, salted duck, and Hsu Fu Chi candy. The soy milk is for his parents, while the salted duck and candy are for the kiddies.

Mr. Chang works in the Bank of Communications. His objective was pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, and Italian-style bacon, as he had promised his family a New Year's feast that was even tastier than Pizza Hut.

Other hot items include tobacco and alcohol, tonic, Chinese knot ornaments, large and small tiger dolls and so on.

– original story