During a search of Luo's belongings, police officers find a copy of "The Art of War" in his bag. Photo: Screenshot from The Paper

In a bizarre turn of events, a man in South China was caught attempting to sneak across the border with a copy of "The Art of War" in his possession out of fear of being bullied abroad. The man had fallen victim to a scam promising high-paying jobs overseas and was afraid of being taken advantage of once he arrived in a foreign country.

On March 14, the border patrol from Fangchenggang border management detachment in South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region uncovered an organized attempt to illegally cross the border, arresting two organizers and three individuals attempting to sneak out of the country.

At around 5 pm that day, police officers received information about individuals attempting to cross the border from Dongxing city. Following action by authorities, another organizer was apprehended at a bus station in Dongxing that day.

Upon questioning, it was revealed that the three individuals, including a man surnamed Luo, were from other provinces and had no legitimate employment. They had come across online job postings promising high salaries of up to 20,000 yuan ($2,766) per month and had been lured to Dongxing by the false promises of the recruiters.

Interestingly, during a search of Luo's belongings, police officers found a copy of "The Art of War" in his bag. Luo explained that he had seen the book's content in a short video and believed it could be useful in navigating potential disputes abroad. He had purchased the book to study and prepare himself for any unforeseen circumstances.

The two organizers have been criminally detained, while Luo and the other two individuals have been given administrative penalties for their illegal activity. 

The incident serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of falling for scams and the importance of being cautious when seeking opportunities abroad, observers said.

Global Times