Part 1/9:

The Economic Struggles of Post-Lunar New Year China

The evening of February 16, 2025, witnessed a bizarre and alarming incident in Shanghai as a 17-year-old male attempted to rob a bank using smoke bombs and a replica firearm. The event quickly gained traction on social media when a video captured the smoke and chaos around an ATM during the nighttime robbery. According to reports, the bank was closed at the time, and no one was harmed. Police soon apprehended the suspect, whose family revealed prior mental health issues which had worsened recently due to non-compliance with prescribed medication. This incident resonates deeply with the broader narrative of economic difficulties and rising desperation among the populace.