The heavens have their own arrangements in the mysterious workings of the universe. You should never abuse power and act recklessly or you will reap karma.
An ancient saying goes: “Karma never fails!” Some people dismiss these unscientific beliefs, but although karma is hard to prove scientifically, a shocking “instant karma” case once occurred in Taiwan. Luo Qi, a violent debt collector for an underground moneylender, was a notorious bully who feared neither ghosts nor gods.
He drove Mr. Chen to suicide over debt collection and even boasted about it, claiming that those who didn’t repay would meet the same fate. However, he experienced astonishing “instant karma” within a year.
The victim’s plight
According to Taiwanese media reports, Mr. Chen, the victim, had become addicted to betting on the lottery and borrowed NT660,000 (US$20,170), more than tripling the original amount. Unable to bear Luo’s repeated debt collection visits, Mr. Chen saw no way out and committed suicide in August 2010, leaving a note asking for the prosecutor’s help. His son tearfully reported the incident to the police.
Mr. Chen’s son told the police that after his father retired at 60, he became obsessed with lottery betting. In March, he was introduced to Luo Qi and borrowed money at high interest rates. Soon after, debt collectors began visiting their home, banging on the iron door and hurling insults. This happened at least three times, terrifying the family into silence.
In April, Mr. Chen moved out to protect his family, but the debt collectors continued to harass them, forcing them to change their phone numbers. On August 18, driven to despair, Mr. Chen drank pesticide in a park and died despite emergency medical treatment.
The suicide note
The police found Mr. Chen’s suicide note in his rented apartment. The note detailed the violent debt-collection tactics of Luo Qi’s group, which had driven him to desperation. He warned his son to be careful and pleaded for the prosecutor’s help. Hoping to prevent others from suffering the same fate, his son reported the incident to the police. Luo Qi, suspecting that Mr. Chen had faked his death to escape the debt, brazenly went to the morgue to confirm his death.
The police repeatedly applied for a wiretap warrant against Luo, but were initially denied. With the support of Prosecutor Guo, the seventh application was finally approved, leading to a breakthrough in the case. After nearly a year of surveillance, the police discovered that Luo had not only marked “deceased” in his records after Mr. Chen’s death, but also used it as a threat to other borrowers, warning them they would meet the same fate if they didn’t repay.
Investigations revealed that since 2006, Luo had instructed his girlfriend, Zheng Yumei, and his subordinates to lend money at high interest rates and use violence to collect debts. The interest rates were exorbitant, with victims charged 30 to 45 percent every 10 days. Even those undergoing dialysis or cancer treatment were not spared, as Luo’s men would chase them down in hospitals.
One victim undergoing dialysis was harassed in the hospital, causing his family to fear staying with him. Another victim, Mr. Zhang, who had throat cancer, was threatened with being shot if he didn’t pay up, and his health insurance card was confiscated to force repayment.
Instant karma strikes
Despite Luo’s violent debt collection methods being effective, “instant karma” struck him down. Within a year, his father died of illness, and his son, in his twenties, was tormented by nightmares, unable to sleep, and eventually hanged himself at home in early 2011. He was neither studying nor working at the time.
In 2011, Luo’s whereabouts became difficult to track. However, the police speculated that he would appear at his father’s funeral. On July 18, they staked out the hospital. A co-conspirator, Mr. Chen, attempted to warn Luo, but Luo was in the hospital basement morgue with no cell signal and missed the warning.
After gathering intelligence, the police followed Luo from the hospital to the crematorium, allowing him to bid his father farewell before arresting him and five others. They were charged with organized crime, usury, robbery, and unlawful detention.
Conclusion
A bully who wouldn’t even spare those suffering from illness, chasing them into hospitals for debt collection, likely never imagined that he would be arrested after his father’s funeral. Within a year of driving Mr. Chen to suicide, Luo’s son committed suicide, his father passed away, and he himself was brought to justice. As the saying goes: “Good and evil will be repaid; even if you fly high and far, you can’t escape.” It seems that in the mysterious workings of the universe, the heavens have their own arrangements for paying off karma.
Follow us on X, Facebook, or Pinterest
