We’ve all experienced the apoplexy that comes with a dropped Internet connection, especially in China, where connections can drop in so many ways (such as a non-VPN’ed google search of a sensitive term, which is the worst). But needless to say, few of us have acted on our threats to “kill someone.”
The guy in this story did though.
Brought to us by Charlie Custer of Tech in Asia:
A spotty internet connection can be a real annoyance, but a gamer in China surnamed Zhao took things to a whole new level at an internet cafe in Renqiu, Hebei. When the connection dropped while Zhao was playing a favorite web game, he got angry and sought out the owner of the cafe at his nearby home. The two got into an argument after the owner (surnamed Ren) suggested that Zhao had downloaded a virus that caused the drop, and Zhao began to hit Ren with his fists. Ren, trying to protect himself, brandished a hammer (though he didn’t strike Zhao with it), and Zhao responded by grabbing scissors and stabbing Ren repeatedly. Ren tried to counter with the hammer, but Zhao grabbed it and began smashing him in the head until he fell to the ground, dead. When Ren’s wife came over, Zhao smashed her in the head with a hammer too, also stabbing her with the scissors and a nearby kitchen knife.
Hints of Dostoevsky in that crime, if I may be allowed to say.
Chinese Gamer Murders Two, Burns Down House When Internet Cuts Out (Tech in Asia)