Wang Youpei, a mover who chopped off his finger in a fury after being accused of theft, talks with reporters as his wife weeps outside local police bureau in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi province, on January 11, 2010. Wang told police investigators that on January 9 he saw his colleague, Yang Yongfu, opening a metal box that belonged to their customer, which Yang denied, according to local newspaper Chinese Business View. Both suspected the other had stolen the
jewelry reported missing by its owner. They bickered and blamed each other until Wang, in a frenzy, dashed out for a kitchen knife and chopped off the first finger of his left hand on January 11, the day of his 44th birthday. Wang initially refused the expensive but urgently-needed surgery until a local hospital offered the operation for free on Tuesday afternoon, 26 hours after his reckless self-mutilation. Doctors said Wang would need to wait another week to see if the surgery succeeds. The theft case is still under investigation, local police said. [Photo/CFP]
