Chinese Businessman Pays Assassin $282,000 to Kill Competitor, Job Gets Passed on 4 Times

Tan Youhui, a real estate agent in Nanning, China hired a hitman in 2013 to erase his competition, surnamed Wei, who had also filed a civil court against his company, according to Sohu via Shanghaiist.

Tan paid a man named Xi Guangan to carry out the hit for 2 million yuan ($282,700) in cash. He also provided the hitman with Wei’s information, such as a copy of his identity card, cell phone number and license plate.

However, instead of doing the job himself, Xi hired a man named Mo Tianxiang to do the deed. Xi then returned to Tan and demanded another million yuan ($141,360), but the latter only agreed to pay after the job was done.

The cycle repeated as Mo went out to seek another person to finish the job. He hired a man named Yang Kangsheng to kill Tan and was offered 270,000 yuan ($38,160) upfront and another 500,000 yuan ($70,760) once it’s done.

Meanwhile, Yang handed the task to another person, Yang Guangsheng, with an upfront payment of 200,000 ($28,272) and a promised 500,000 yuan ($70,760) after killing Wei.

The cycle continued as Yang Guangsheng hired Ling Xiansi to kill the competitor for 100,000 yuan ($14,000).

However, Ling came up with a plan to make it look like Wei died as he realized killing someone for that amount of money was not worth it.

He then organized a meeting with his target in April 2014. Ling tried to convince the man to go with his plan, but it backfired as Wei went to the police instead of faking his own death.

Six men received jail time for the murder plot. Tan received a five-year prison sentence, while Xi was sentenced to three years and six months.

Kangsheng and Guangsheng both received three years and three months, while Mo was sentenced to three years in prison.

Ling received the lowest jail sentence with two years and seven months.

Images via ChinaPeace.gov