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Poster News Chief Reporter Zhang Wen, Reporter Li Yifang, Editor Li Shuolin reported from Liaocheng

At 2 pm on August 22, 2024, the second trial of the kidnapping case of the son of Guo Gangtang, the prototype of the movie "Lost and Love", opened. After more than three hours of trial, at around 5 pm, the trial ended. Guo Gangtang, who walked out of the court, told reporters that the second trial did not announce the verdict in court.

Guo Gangtang was interviewed after leaving the court

"The two of them argued and shirked responsibility with each other during the trial. During this trial, Hu Fuji admitted that he was involved in the trafficking of Guo Zhen, but he still denied the other children, saying that Tang Lixia took care of them all herself. They kept arguing with each other during the trial." Guo Gangtang told reporters that Hu Fuji was still the same as in the first trial. He refused to admit his guilt and showed no remorse. He was still denying everything and had no remorse at all. At the end of the trial, Tang Lixia said she was sorry for the victims.

Before the second trial, Guo Gangtang told reporters that he had new evidence of Hu Fuji's child trafficking. After the trial, Guo Gangtang said that since this trial was because Hu Fuji and Tang Lixia appealed after the first trial, they were just listening.

But after the trial, he submitted new evidence to the court, "We found the eighth child abducted by Hufuji, Feng Zhongmin from Liangshan, Shandong. The child's mother also came to the trial today. I also believe that these materials can really increase the sentence on Hufuji."

"I believe that the public prosecution organs and relevant departments will severely punish these human traffickers, and we look forward to a good result. We also hope that through bloody cases, we can remind those who are taking chances that they must not steal children or become human traffickers at all costs," said Guo Gangtang.

Guo Gangtang was interviewed outside the court

Reporters noticed that before the second trial opened, Guo Gangtang arrived at the court an hour in advance and accepted interviews from the media at the gate of the court.

Talking about the human trafficker Hu Fuji who abducted Guo Zhen, Guo Gangtang was emotional. "He (Hu Fuji) is a devil on earth. Stealing one child is accidental, but stealing two, three, four, or five children, should he be put to death?"

Guo Gangtang told reporters that he was looking forward to the trial and hoped that the traffickers would be punished. "What we really want is for these traffickers who have extended their evil hands to children to receive the due punishment."

The reporter noticed that more than an hour before the trial began, many parents from all over the country had gathered at the court gate, and they were reluctant to leave until the trial was over. They hoped to increase exposure and spread the information about the abducted children through the media.

Guo Gangtang also expressed the hope that the media present would focus more on those parents who have not found their children, "because they are still on the road, and their children have not been found yet." Until the last minute before entering the court, he introduced the information of those abducted children to the camera. At the same time, he repeatedly placed signs with information about other parents looking for their children in front of him, trying to convey this information to every camera.

Guo Gangtang introduces information about abducted children through the camera

In addition to the parents who are still looking for their children, the reporter also noticed that parents who have already found their children, such as Jie Kefeng and Zhang Lihua, also came to the trial.

On December 1 last year, 25 years after his son was abducted, Xie Kefeng finally reunited with his son Xie Qingshuai. On the road to finding his son, Xie Kefeng attracted attention from the outside world because of his identity as an entrepreneur. In order to find his stolen son, he once offered a reward of one million yuan through the media.

In preparation for the second trial, Xie Kefeng drove from Xingtai, Hebei Province to Liaocheng early in the morning on August 22 with six parents who were looking for their children. He wanted to support Brother Guo and witness the human traffickers getting the punishment they deserve. He also wanted to support those parents who were still searching for their children, hoping to give them some strength.

Like Guo Gangtang, although he has found his child, Xie Kefeng is still on the road of helping others find their biological parents. "Now I basically receive 10 to 20 messages every day." After successfully finding his son, he empathized with the plight of other families looking for their biological parents, so whenever he received relevant requests for help, he would lend a hand within his ability. "Now that my child has been found, I have more time, more ability, more experience, and more energy to help more parents find their children and help more children find their biological parents. In fact, we do this every day, and I have to spend more than ten hours a day doing this."

Talking about his relationship with his son, Xie Kefeng said that they get along very well. "Basically, we have dinner together every night when we go home." Xie Kefeng said that it feels great to enjoy the happiness of family life. He also hopes that his son can start a family and start a career soon. He also revealed that his son's wedding date will be set next year.

Xie Kefeng helps parents who are looking for their relatives to speak out

Zhang Lihua, a cancer-stricken mother who had been searching for her son for 30 years, finally found her abducted son in June this year. She also came to the scene. "My son drove me here." She said she must come to help Guo Gangtang, and also hoped to help those brothers and sisters who are still searching for their relatives. "I hope their children can go home and reunite as soon as possible like my children. As someone who once fought side by side with them, I want to be with them now that I have come ashore."

When talking about her time with her son, Zhang Lihua's face was filled with uncontrollable joy. "People say that mothers make their sons fat, but in my case, it's my son who makes me fat. He cooks all three meals a day."

According to previous reports by Poster News, on September 21, 1997, Guo Gangtang's two-and-a-half-year-old son Guo Zhen was abducted. In the following 24 years, Guo Gangtang began his long journey to find his son, riding a motorcycle alone. A flag was stuck behind the motorcycle, on which was a photo of the child when he was two years old. He rode 10 scrapped motorcycles from Mohe in the north to Hainan in the south, and traveled a total of about 500,000 kilometers in the arduous journey of searching for his son.

Parents looking for their relatives and the information board at the entrance of the court

In 2015, Guo Gangtang's experience was adapted into the movie "Lost and Love". In recent years, he has become more well-known as the prototype of "Lost and Love". On July 11, 2021, the public security organs of Shandong and Henan held a family recognition ceremony for Guo Gangtang and Guo Zhen in Liaocheng City, Shandong Province, and the family was reunited after 24 years of separation. The two suspects, Hu Fuji and Tang Lixia, were also arrested by the police.

On December 27, 2023, the Liaocheng Intermediate People's Court of Shandong Province sentenced the trafficker Hu Fuji to death with a two-year reprieve for the crime of trafficking in children; and sentenced Tang Lixia to life imprisonment. After the first-instance judgment, the two defendants appealed. On August 22, 2024, the Shandong Provincial Higher People's Court opened a second trial of the case.

Editor: Yang Kai

Reviewed by: Feng Shijuan