In mid-June, Peng Wenle graduated with a degree in Computer Science and Technology from Wuhan University, subsequently gaining direct admission to the school's Ph.D. program. "If my parents hadn't been determined to find me, I might still be living in a village, farming and raising livestock", Wenle said after the graduation ceremony.
In 2007, Peng Gaofeng and his wife Xiong Yini moved from Qianjiang city, Hubei province, to Shenzhen to open a phone repair shop. One year later, their son Wenle was kidnapped near the shop. Security camera footage showed a man carrying the boy onto a bus.
Xiong lost 10 kg after her son went missing. Peng entrusted the shop to his wife and traveled extensively, posting notices and offering a $15,000 reward outside their shop for any information.
In 2008, a journalist interviewed Peng about the incident and regularly posted Wenle's photo on the social media platform Weibo, appealing for community support.
On 1/2/2011, a student in Jiangsu province contacted Peng, stating they had seen a child resembling Wenle in Pizhou city. When the student sent photos, Peng recognized his son and notified the police. Authorities collaborated on the investigation and located Wenle on 8/2/2011.
At the police station, Wenle recognized his father and said in a Qianjiang accent, "This man is my dad". Two days later, DNA test results confirmed their biological relationship.
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Peng Wenle at Wuhan University, China. Photo: *SCMP* |
The investigation revealed that Wenle's kidnapper was the person who raised him in Jiangsu. This individual had a daughter but desired a son, so he renamed the boy Han Weicheng. After the man died from cancer in 2010, his wife continued to raise Wenle and send him to school.
When found, Wenle was in second grade and had developed a bond with his adoptive mother. Initially, he refused to sever ties with the Jiangsu family. Upon returning to his biological parents, Wenle was sensitive, often reacted when touched, and competed for attention with his younger brother. At times, he threatened to run away, believing he was not loved.
To help his son integrate, Peng showed him childhood photos and did not forbid him from contacting his adoptive mother. After one year, Wenle gradually accepted his past and integrated into the family.
In 2022, Wenle scored 632 points on his university entrance exam, 223 points higher than the physics admission threshold in Hubei. He chose computer science at Wuhan University due to his interest in artificial intelligence and desire to study close to home.
The search for Wenle later became one of the inspirations for the 2014 film "Dearest", directed by Peter Chan. His family continues to support parents with missing children.
Ngoc Ngan (According to *SCMP*, *China Youth Daily*, *China Daily*)
