On Dec. 9, Chinese mainland game streamer and travel blogger Lan Zhanfei's kidnapping became a trending topic, sparking widespread discussion.
Lan posted that he was held at knifepoint by one assailant and two black accomplices inside a five-star hotel in Cape Town, South Africa. The incident lasted four to five hours.
Lan revealed in his account that the kidnappers had allegedly planned the attack six months in advance. They first attempted to approach him disguised as fans at the airport but failed, and later carried out the nighttime abduction in his hotel room.
Lan noted that choosing an official taxi ultimately saved him from a more dangerous ambush.
The kidnappers allegedly bribed airport and hotel staff to track his movements. They attempted to coerce him into transferring money and applying for online loans while collecting biological evidence—fingerprints, hair, and semen—to threaten him with fabricating a "rape" case to prevent reporting the crime.
After the incident, Lan immediately reported it to domestic authorities and the Chinese embassy in the local area. However, he was informed that the probability of solving the case was extremely low, and the primary purpose of reporting it was to prevent being framed.
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