Five Reluctant Hitmen Jailed After Each One Hired The Other To Do The Deed

Apparently, Tan had some beef with his business competitor, identified only by his last name, Wei, who had recently filed a lawsuit against Tan's company over a development project dispute.

So Tan decided Wei needed to go, and hired a hit man to make that happen.

But rather than complete the hit himself, Xi took that money and spent half to hire another hitman, Mo Tianxiang.

Mo, as it turns out, was also reluctant to assassinate Wei, and outsourced the job to another hitman, Yang Kangsheng. I think you know where this is going.

Here's how you can break it all down to understand it just a little easier:

Tan hired Xi, who hired Mo, who hired Yang, who hired a different Yang, who then hired the fifth and final hitman, Ling Xiansi.

By the time the job was assigned to Ling, the money had decreased from an initial two million yuan to just 100,000, (or $14,000), with each hitman keeping some for himself and spending the rest to hire the next guy.

Instead, he met with the businessman and told him about the unbelievably elaborate plot, offering to help him fake his death rather than kill him.

Ling took pictures of Wei tied up and gagged, which were then sent up along the extensive chain of subcontractors until it reached the original client, Tan the real estate developer.

Tan, as well as all five hired hitmen, were arrested and charged with intentional homicide.

For initiating the murder plot, Tan was sentenced to five years in jail, while the middlemen all received prison sentences between two to four years.

h/t: CNN