Teenage boys rob hotel to buy girlfriends iPhone

What a sensation has Apple created to China? There is a “3rd apple” theory on the Internet explaining the craziness  in a funny way – “The 1st apple had tempted Eve into Serpent’s conspiracy and opened up human’s eyes to good and bad; the 2nd apple had inspired Isaac Newton to discover the law of universal gravitation; and the 3rd apple, brought Chinese worship of face, pretentiousness, and machiavellianism to full play.”

Exaggerating maybe, but we do hear news every now and then about how Chinese people try to get an iPhone, using fair means or foul. Last month, we reported that Chinese scalpers hired groups of migrant workers to wait in line for iPhone 4S. Much earlier, a girl offered 5 nights of sex for an iPhone 4S. This time, a 17-year-old teenage together with 4 of his friends robbed 330,000 yuan from a hotel with the common wish – getting their girlfriends an iPhone.

4am on Dec 18th, 2011, 17-year-old Chen rushed into the HR office of a hotel in Nan’an Shijing Town with the hints from his insider friends, whom helped him carry the safe to the car and flee the scene. Next day, the gang drove to Sha’men to squander the 330,000 cash as well as a 80,000 yuan worth Rolex from the safe. They spent nearly 100,000 of it in a disco in just one night.

It wasn’t until 10 days later that Chen along with 7 relevant accomplices were arrested. The police were astonished at how the young group plotted everything from placing insiders, using stocking mask to erasing finger prints etc.

Probably proud of his new wealth, Chen took a photo of himself gesturing “V” on top of stacks of cash with one of the iPhone 4S he bought with the stolen money.

It is said that Chen dropped out of school after 17. With not much to do, he and his peers often spend the day roaming around on the street dreaming of sudden rich. To get an iPhone for their girls was one of their common goals for the deal. (Source: Netease)

Netizen reaction on Netease:

Guess they watched too much HK gang movies, ate with too much gutter oil and drank too much Mengniu (contaminated) milk.

Stupid, why not just rob an Apple store, more direct that way

Nowadays in Beijing, there are at least 3 iPhone on a bus. I think they are SB (stupid) for sure.

There is no end for new found stupidity. Last year someone sold their kidney for an iPhone, this year someone robbed a hotel.

Sigh, there is this receptionist girl in our company earning 18oo a month but still saving her ass off to get an iPhone. Then again, she still has to squeeze in the bus everyday carrying her “luxury phone”.

Every product has its own target consumer. Apple is never for ordinary folks. Rich people can buy whatever they like, but for poor people I really don’t see why, just pure stupidity.

Half of the my female friends have switched to iPhone while they don’t really that well off to afford one. I think most of them want an iPhone to fulfill their vanity.

This is the bitter fruit of comparison, the kid didn’t even know the right way to make money. Nonetheless, it is the whole society’s crazy worship towards iPhone to blame.

Chen and the stolen safe.

The tool.

Not much left after the squandering in a disco and some iPhone for girlfriends.