In early November, Zhang left his hometown for Cambodia, invited by a friend with the promise of "high-income construction work." This, however, was a carefully laid trap. After traffickers brought him to a tightly guarded, closed-off complex, he realized they had sold him to an online scam organization.

His limited technological skills became his unlikely salvation. At the scam operation, Zhang could not meet work requirements due to his inability to type. "The boss saw me peck at the keyboard, unable to scam anyone, so he decided to sell me to another camp to recoup his investment," Zhang recounted.

While being transferred to a new facility, the vehicle carrying the traffickers and their victims unexpectedly encountered a police checkpoint. Seeing Zhang as both unproductive and a liability if they had to escape, they pushed him out of the car and fled.

Penniless and without a passport, Zhang wandered adrift in the foreign land. He was fortunate to walk to an area near the Chinese Embassy in Phnom Penh. There, he borrowed a phone to call for help and connected with Haiyang, a fellow countryman who owns a guesthouse and supermarket locally.

For over 20 days, Zhang has received food and shelter from Haiyang while awaiting repatriation procedures. Haiyang stated that his establishment often provides refuge for Chinese individuals who are disillusioned with get-rich-quick schemes or have managed to escape scam operations. "Rare escape cases like Zhang's are uncommon. Most people endure horrifying experiences or are beaten if they try to escape," Haiyang said, warning everyone to be cautious of "easy work, high pay" offers abroad.

Haiyang's wife has witnessed numerous tragic incidents. She recounted a group of young people who attempted to trek through the jungle back home after running out of money, only to message days later that their captors had seized them again. Others broke their legs jumping into rivers during escapes and had to beg for money for medical treatment.

Currently, Sichuan police have contacted Zhang to coordinate his safe repatriation.

Minh Phuong (According to The Paper, Ettoday)