A man in China got a shocking wake-up call after dropping his tailor-made gold straw worth 100,000 yuan (about RM64,000 / US$14,000) while riding his electric bike. The man, surnamed Shou from Zhejiang province, recently went viral for asking the police to help him find his precious drinking accessory.
Shou had placed the 100-gram gold straw in his trouser pocket while cycling home at night. But when he hit a bumpy manhole, the straw slipped out, disappearing into the street. Panicked, he spent an hour searching before finally calling the authorities.
Two police officers arrived and were stunned by the unusual request—but quickly sprang into action, using torches to scour the area. Thirty minutes later, they found the golden straw about 100 meters from the manhole, lying near the pavement.
Shou was overjoyed. “Now my wife will not punish me by demanding I kneel on a washboard,” he joked—a humorous Chinese idiom for wife-imposed punishment.
The straw had originally cost 90,000 yuan (around RM57,600) to make, but with gold prices surging over 10% in just a month, it was now worth 100,000 yuan (RM64,000). Shou, a long-time gold buyer, also owns a silver straw for milk tea, which is his favourite drink.
Unfortunately, the straw was slightly damaged in the fall. Shou plans to melt it down and have a new one made next summer, but says he won’t carry it in his pocket again.
Online reactions were priceless. One user quipped: “He drinks milk tea with a gold straw but still rides an electric bike!” Another added, “I wouldn’t even believe a straw could be gold if I saw it lying on the street.”
With gold jewelry becoming increasingly popular among young people in China—both as an investment and a fashion statement—Shou’s story perfectly blends humor, luxury, and a love for milk tea.
