A string of hitmen who repeatedly subcontracted a murder to each other — then failed to go through with the job — have been jailed in China.
The hapless assassins kept passing on the contract — each time taking a cut of the cash — in the hope that someone lower down the chain would actually carry out the killing.
However, when the man with the lowest price got his marching orders, he decided instead to fake the murder — and enlisted the help of the intended victim.
Photo: AFP / Nanning Intermediate People’s Court
The whole farcical enterprise collapsed when the would-be target simply called the police.
The Nanning Intermediate People’s Court heard how the original dispute erupted in 2013, when a businessman surnamed Wei (魏) sued real-estate developer Qin Youhui (覃佑輝).
Fearing a costly and lengthy legal battle that could dent his bottom line, Qin hired assassin Xi Guangan (奚廣安) to “take out” Wei, the court said, paying him 2 million yuan (US$282,761).
However, Xi did not fancy getting his hands dirty and subcontracted the work to Mo Tianxiang (莫天祥) for half the price.
Mo, in turn, handed the job to another would-be killer, Yang Kangsheng (楊康生), for 770,000 yuan.
Yang, spotting what he thought was an easy way to make a quick buck, hired Yang Guangsheng (楊廣生) for 700,000 yuan.
Yang Guangsheng then extended the chain to a fifth hitman, Ling Xiansi (凌顯四), who agreed to do the job for just 100,000 yuan — 5 percent of the original contract. However, Ling realized the price was not worth a possible life sentence if he was caught, so he decided to try to fake the murder — and got in touch with the mark.
Wei — the man who was by this time supposed to be well and truly dead — told the court that he met the possible assassin at a cafe and agreed to pose for a photograph where he was bound and gagged.
The photograph taken, Wei trotted off to the police station, where officers set about unwinding the tangled tale of incompetent killers.
All five — plus the man who originally ordered the hit — were jailed last week, for terms ranging from two years and seven months to five years.
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