'It's a grenade': Journalist reveals contents in top Chinese paparazzo's lost phone can 'bring down showbiz heavyweights'

Chinese celebrities with skeletons in their closet oughta be quaking in their boots, right about now.

"Oh my god, I found out yesterday that Teacher Zhuo Wei lost his mobile phone," shared Taiwanese entertainment journalist Ge Siqi in a Weibo post on Tuesday (Feb 20), referring to the well-known Chinese paparazzo.

In a screengrab of a text conversation between the two which accompanied Siqi's post, Zhuo Wei, whose real name is Han Bingjiang, is seen sharing that he'd lost his device.

"Will the messages in the phone be in danger [of being exposed]," Siqi enquired, to which Zhuo Wei replied that close to a year's worth of information is gone.

"Oh my, isn't there any chance of finding it? There are so many closed circuit cameras in China," Siqi worriedly exclaimed, before revealing the cause of his anxiety: "Even I'm afraid of losing my phone, it contains all the secrets of the entertainment industry."

"I can't find it, but it's password-protected so the other party can't see anything," Zhuo Wei coolly replied.

Siqi, however, appeared unconvinced, writing in his post: "Will the thousands of confidential showbiz files in the phone be accidentally exposed?"

He added that from what he understands, Zhuo Wei "does not have a habit of backing up his files".

"The few photos I've seen before... are enough to bring down showbiz heavyweights," he stated gravely.

He expressed hope that the person who finds the phone can hand the item over to the police so that it can be returned to its rightful owner. "You must understand that when you pick up Zhuo Wei's mobile phone, it's not just an ordinary phone but a grenade!"

While Siqi's proclamation is arguably dramatic, there may be valid cause for his concern.

After all, Zhuo Wei was once known as "China's top paparazzo" following his many celebrity exposés, reported China media outlets.

This included the 2014 reconciliation between stars Faye Wong and Nicholas TseZhang Ziyi and Wang Feng's then-underground relationship as well as the cheating scandal involving married Chinese actor Wen Zhang and his co-star Yao Di. 

Zhuo Wei, however, reportedly had his personal Weibo account suspended in 2018, after being accused of intruding into the privacy of a Chinese actress and inciting public anger, according to 163.com.

In its report following Siqi's announcement, the entertainment news site also drew comparisons to the Edison Chen photo scandal back in 2008, which saw thousands of private images illegally retrieved from the actor's computer after he brought it to a shop for repairs.

Numerous intimate photos of Edison with other female celebrities were subsequently leaked on the internet in the high-profile case which hogged tabloid headlines.

Commenters on Siqi's post, however, were evidently unconcerned by the possible ramifications of the lost mobile device, with some even reacting to the news with some measure of excitement.

"If I picked up the phone, I can't imagine how happy I'd be," wrote one netizen.

Stated another: "I look forward to the big earthquake in the entertainment industry."

One user figured that Siqi might have made the wrong move in making the announcement.

"Now that you've publicised it in this way, even if someone finds it they won't return it but would immediately find ways to crack the password."

ALSO READ: 'Do you have any morals?' Chinese idol Wang Junkai rages at paparazzi for causing chaos at airport

candicecai@asiaone.com

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