The hapless assassins kept passing on the contract -- each time taking a cut of the cash -- in the hope that someone lower down the chain would actually carry out the killing.
Chinese hitmen jailed over repeatedly outsourced murder
A string of hitmen who repeatedly subcontracted a murder to each other -- then failed to go through with the job -- have been jailed in China.
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But when the man with the lowest price got his marching orders, he decided instead to fake the murder -- and enlisted the help of the intended victim.
The whole farcical enterprise collapsed when the would-be target simply called the cops.
A court in Nanning heard how the original dispute erupted in 2013, when a businessman surnamed Wei sued real estate developer Qin Youhui.
Fearing a costly and lengthy legal battle that could dent his bottom line, Qin hired assassin Xi Guangan to "take out" Wei, the court said, paying him two million yuan ($282,000).
Xi, however, didn't fancy getting his hands dirty, and subcontracted the work to Mo Tianxiang for half the price.
Mo, in turn, handed the job to another would-be killer, Yang Kangsheng, for 770,000 yuan.
Yang, spotting what he thought was an easy way to make a quick buck, hired Yang Guangsheng for 700,000 yuan.
Yang Guangsheng then extended the chain to a fifth hitman, Ling Xiansi, who agreed to do the job for just 100,000 yuan ($14,000) -- five percent of the original contract.
However, Ling realised the price wasn't worth a possible life sentence if he was caught, so he decided to try to fake the murder -- and got in touch with his mark.
Wei -- the man who was by this time supposed to be well and truly dead -- told the court that he met the possible assassin at a cafe and agreed to pose for a photo where he was bound and gagged.
The photoshoot over, Wei trotted off to the police station, where officers set about unwinding the tangled tale of incompetent killers.
All five -- plus the man who originally ordered the hit -- were jailed last week, for terms ranging from two years and seven months to five years.
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