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February 12, 2018

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A missing bag that went viral

Deng Jianguo, associate professor of journalism at Fudan University, lost a bag on a shuttle bus at Huanghua Airport in Changsha, Hunan Province, on Thursday. The story of that bag would soon hit the airwaves.

It contained a computer with vital documents, including papers from years of research. The documents were so important he offered a 10,000 yuan (US$1,590) reward for its return.

But in the end, because of the outpouring of support from the public and the team effort that ensued, Deng didn’t end up having to pay the reward at all, he told Shanghai Daily in a phone interview yesterday.

He was heading hometown for the Spring Festival, a time of family reunion for most Chinese people. “I didn’t realize it was even lost until after I arrived downtown,” he recalls.

“Then I dashed back to the airport, and reported the case to airport police at about 10pm.”

At the same time, he offered his reward to anyone who could return his bag. He told his story on WeChat and other social media channels. Major news media including The Paper also reported the case.

“My son was wondering how I had become a ‘celebrity’ just because I had lost my bag,” the professor remarked, jokingly.

After working around the clock analyzing surveillance videos, airport policemen finally zoomed in on one man who apparently took Deng’s bag from the shuttle bus. Police found the person and returned the professor’s bag to him yesterday.

Everything in the bag was intact, including that all important computer.

“For me, it was a story of a happy ending strewn with despair and frustration,” the professor said.

His story, he said, showed the power of new media. Online users even called him to share their own experiences in similar situations. “People really care, even about a stranger.”




 

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