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Chinese Couple Sells Kids To Fund Online Gaming

Posted by samzenpus on from the achievement-unlocked dept.

A Chinese couple who really like to game are under arrest for selling their kids and converting the money into game currency. From the article: "In 2009, Li Lin and Li Juan welcomed their second child, a baby girl, and came up with the idea to sell her for money to fund their online game obsession. They did so, receiving RMB 3,000 (less than $500), which they spent entirely shortly after. The couple then proceeded to sell their first child and got 10 times as much for him -- RMB 30,000, or about $4600. Upon having their third child -- another boy -- the parents followed in their previous footsteps and also got RMB 30,000 for him." I wonder what the "kid seller" achievement looks like?

7 of 223 comments (clear)

  1. Good for the kids by Manfre · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The couple clearly should not have any kids. It's good that other, hopefully more capable, people will properly care and provide for them.

    1. Re:Good for the kids by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

      People who buy other people's kids frequently don't have their best interests in mind.

    2. Re:Good for the kids by v1 · · Score: 1, Insightful

      I've regretted the decision my entire life.

      By making that decision, you probably gave your daughter a much better start in life than she would have had otherwise. She may not recognize that just yet, but she probably will, given time.

      --
      I work for the Department of Redundancy Department.
  2. Win / Win by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Insightful

    Cash for games AND more time to play them? Living the dream.

  3. not neccessarily a "gaming" story by rjejr · · Score: 5, Insightful

    People have been selling their kids since, well, people have been having kids. I'll admit this is the first time I've heard of it strictly for gaming purposes, but they didn't trade in their kids for games - they sold them for money - only what they did with the money is different.

    1. Re:not neccessarily a "gaming" story by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      This is the only reasonable comment I have read on this story. People should study anthropology to understand this issue. Essentially cultures that place very little value on the act of sex will typically place very little value on the results of the low value act. Cultures that place a very high cultural value on the act of sex will place a high value on the results. Asking people to place a low value on an act and a high value on the results of the act creates a contradictory cultural value system which will typically result in social conflict and contradictory activity. Duh.

  4. It must be true!! by Dr+Kool,+PhD · · Score: 5, Insightful

    No link to original source? And original source is supposedly Chinese state-run media??

    Don't believe everything you read on the Internet.