A YOUNG man from North China’s Hebei Province, who was abducted as an infant and reunited with his birth family last year, has recently made headlines again for declining three apartments and a car gifted by his wealthy father, choosing not to become a “rich kid.” Xie Qingshuai, 26, from Xingtai, was kidnapped Jan. 20, 1999, when he was just three months old. His biological parents, successful owners of several construction companies, embarked on a decade-long search, spending over 1 million yuan (US$140,000) to find him. He was finally reunited with his family in December last year. His life transformed overnight, leading many netizens to joke that he had gone from an “orphan” to a “wealthy second-generation.” However, in a Dec. 5 interview with Shandong Radio and TV Station, Xie revealed that he had declined the housing units and car offered by his father. Xie expressed concerns that accepting such wealth could alter his mindset and lead to reckless spending. “I feared that accepting these gifts might change my outlook. Suddenly becoming ‘second-generation rich’ is reminiscent of the protagonist in ‘Hello Mr. Billionaire,’ who goes from rags to riches and starts spending extravagantly,” he said. The 2018 Chinese comedy film tells the story of an unsuccessful goalie who finds himself to be the heir to a billionaire but must spend 1 billion yuan within 30 days to inherit 30 billion. Xie added: “I told my dad that all I need is an apartment to use as a marital home. I can buy my own car, even if I have to work hard.” Last December, Xie began leveraging the attention from his family reunion to venture into live-streaming, initially facing significant backlash as this new endeavor started just 23 days after their reunion. Critics accused him of “cashing in on sympathy” and being “too eager,” which led him to briefly pause his live-streaming activities. In July, Xie formally launched a studio and announced live-stream e-commerce as his entrepreneurial focus. The first five live-stream sessions he held, starting July 29, attracted over 20 million viewers and generated sales of up to 50 million yuan. Defending his decision, Xie stated that the revenue from live-stream e-commerce allows him to provide better for his family and assist others in need. “I believe that not engaging in e-commerce would be a waste of resources. In this era of traffic and attention, there’s nothing wrong with doing this,” he added. Xie and his two siblings also appeared in a sports competition show run on a Shandong TV channel in July this year. (SD-Agencies) | 