A woman tearfully called her husband after landing at the airport, saying her bag was gone and she feared losing hundreds of thousands of yuan in business deals. Just when she was on the verge of a breakdown, a phone call came through.
According to Hangzhou Daily, on the evening of September 27, Ms. Jin, who had just flown back to China, anxiously called her husband while on the high-speed train. "I left Xiaoshan Airport and was already on the high-speed train when I realized my bag was missing." Normally a decisive and capable person, her voice was trembling at that moment. On the other end of the line, her husband's heart jumped to his throat: something important must have been lost. His wife, Ms. Jin, is from Taizhou and works in foreign trade, constantly traveling. He knew all too well what was in that small black bag she carried everywhere — US dollars, som (the currency of Uzbekistan), a translator device, cosmetics, and a passport that absolutely could not be lost.
On the day of the incident, after landing at Xiaoshan Airport, Ms. Jin transferred to Metro Line 19 to reach the East Railway Station, then took a high-speed train back to Taizhou. The exhaustion from the long journey meant she never noticed along the way that the small bag was no longer with her.
The turning point came after 4 PM that day. A station attendant at Xiaoshan International Airport Station found an unclaimed black bag near the security scanner and handed it to the police office as required. Police officer Wang Zhen and auxiliary officer Zhu Yike opened the bag and inventoried its contents according to procedure: 1,375 US dollars (approximately 9,218 yuan), 16,000 som, bank cards, a translator device, cosmetics — and a passport. The name on the passport was none other than Ms. Jin.
▲Scene reconstruction: Ms. Jin's bag was pushed to the ground by her own suitcase. The police quickly called the family member's phone. "This is Hangzhou Metro Police. Is Jin XX your family member? We found a bag that appears to contain your wife's belongings." Ms. Jin's husband was both surprised and delighted: "My wife was just crying on the phone saying she lost her passport! She transferred flights, switched to the metro, got on the high-speed train — she had no idea where she lost it. You found it this quickly? Thank you so much, I'll have her contact you right away!"
That evening, Ms. Jin got in touch with the police and verified each item via WeChat — nothing was missing. She immediately said she would come to Hangzhou from Taizhou the next day.
The next day, Ms. Jin showed up at the police office as promised, carrying a banner she had custom-made overnight. The police noticed a detail: after opening the bag, she didn't count the US dollars first, but went straight for the passport and carefully put it away. When the police asked why the passport was so important, Ms. Jin smiled bitterly and explained: she has been in foreign trade for years and had a South America trip scheduled after the National Day holiday. If the passport were lost, re-applying for visas would be time-consuming and labor-intensive, likely causing her to miss multiple trade shows and delay contract signings. Add to that already-booked flights and hotels, and the losses would amount to hundreds of thousands of yuan. "Thanks to your diligence and sense of responsibility, I can enjoy this holiday with peace of mind."
The passport was returned to its owner, and the story had a warm ending. The police also offered a reminder worth remembering: when riding the metro, getting on and off, waiting for trains, buying tickets, and using the restroom are all moments when it's easiest to lose focus. Always keep your belongings "in hand, on body." If you lose something, contact station staff immediately; if you find something, turn it in promptly, so every lost item can find its way "home" sooner.
Source: Hangzhou Daily, China News Service