Chinese man drops $14,000 gold straw on way home, police find it: ‘Now my wife will not punish me’
A Chinese man lost his $14,000 gold straw while riding his e-bike, prompting police to search and recover the luxury item.
A man from China’s Zhejiang province went viral on mainland social media after accidentally dropping his gold straw worth 100,000 yuan (US$14,000) while riding his electric bike. The man, identified only by his surname Shou, had the extravagant straw custom-made for drinking milk tea, according to a report by the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
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Shou was on his way home one night when he hit a bumpy manhole, causing the 100-gram gold straw to fall out of his trouser pocket. Realising what had happened, he panicked and spent nearly an hour searching the area before deciding to call the police for assistance.
Police step in to help find the glittering straw
Two police officers responded to Shou’s call and were reportedly stunned when he explained that they were searching for a solid gold straw. The officers then used torches to scour the road in hopes of finding the precious item.
After half an hour of searching, they discovered the straw lying near a pavement about 100 metres from where it was dropped. Shou was overjoyed when the police handed it back to him. “Now my wife will not punish me by demanding I kneel on a washboard,” he said.
Soaring gold prices make it more valuable
According to the craftsman who made the straw, Shou had paid 90,000 yuan for it. With gold prices rising by more than 10 per cent over the past month, the straw’s current value had climbed to 100,000 yuan, reported SCMP.
Shou, who has been investing in gold for more than a decade, said he enjoys drinking milk tea using gold and silver straws. Unfortunately, the gold straw was slightly damaged during the fall. He has since had it melted down and plans to have another one made next summer.
Reflecting on the incident, he said he would not carry the new straw in his pocket again.
