00:00My neighbor's kid was choking on boba about to suffocate.
00:02I immediately did the Heimlich and got the pearls out of his throat.
00:04The kid was fine, but then his parents demanded I pay them.
00:07They said he just choked a little, but I broke their son's ribs.
00:09Medical bills plus rehab costs, they wanted a hundred grand from me.
00:11I argued back, but they pushed me off the building.
00:14Died on the spot.
00:15When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the day she bought her son that boba.
00:18That day, I put on my headset and gamed with my friends all day, something I never do.
00:22Someone was banging on my door.
00:23My neighbor, Zhang Yaru, was screaming outside.
00:25Help, Xiaolin, are you home?
00:27She called once, twice, three times until she was sobbing.
00:29I turned my game volume all the way up and kept battling it out.
00:31My friend on the other end heard the noise and asked me about it.
00:33Hey, is that banging coming from your place?
00:35Nah, you're hearing things.
00:36I casually bought some gear, turned up the volume, kept chatting.
00:39No way I was opening that door, because I knew who was banging.
00:42It was Zhang Yaru, and she had a life or death emergency.
00:44Because not long ago, I was reborn.
00:46In my past life, I was watching TV when I heard frantic knocking.
00:49My neighbor screamed, help!
00:50Xiaolin, are you home?
00:51Please save my son.
00:52I rushed to open the door and saw Hao Hao's face turning purple.
00:55He took a sip of boba, and suddenly he's like this.
00:56Watching Hao Hao clutching his chest, struggling to breathe, I knew right away he was choking.
01:01I picked up Hao Hao and did the Heimlich, pressing hard on his abdomen.
01:04I tried to calm him down while telling Zhang Yaru to call 911.
01:07Hao Hao was only five, but he was huge for his age, weighing over 80 pounds.
01:10His belly was thick with fat, so I had to push even harder.
01:12In an emergency like this, every second counts.
01:15Every second without air is another second closer to death.
01:17I gritted my teeth, sweating like crazy, my hands getting scratched up from his struggling.
01:21Finally, Hao Hao coughed up several huge boba pearls.
01:23Color rushed back to his face, and the ambulance arrived.
01:25Hao Hao was saved.
01:27Zhang Yaru hugged her crying son and thanked me over and over.
01:29I thought that was the end of it.
01:31But I had no idea this was just the beginning of a nightmare.
01:33That same night, Zhang Yaru and her husband showed up at my door with medical records.
01:36Hey Xiaolin, you need to pay for Hao Hao's medical bills.
01:38I was totally confused.
01:39What medical bills?
01:40Zhang Yaru threw the papers at me and snapped.
01:42Hao Hao just choked a little.
01:43Why'd you use so much force?
01:44You broke my son's ribs.
01:45What the hell were you thinking?
01:47Going that hard on a little kid when you could have just patted his back.
01:49I've seen online that young people hate kids these days.
01:51Never thought one of those monsters lived next door.
01:53I stared at her in disbelief.
01:54Just thinking about what happened still terrifies me.
01:57Hao Hao's face had turned black from suffocating.
01:59His eyes were bloodshot.
02:00One more second and he would have died.
02:02And now you're casually saying he just choked a little?
02:04Zhang Yaru glared at me.
02:05He just choked on boba and you broke his ribs, you heartless monster.
02:08I bet you did it on purpose.
02:09You've always hated Hao Hao.
02:11Before I could respond, her husband blocked my door.
02:13I asked Hao Hao.
02:14He said you were squeezing him so hard he couldn't breathe.
02:16If it wasn't for you, he would have coughed up those pearls himself.
02:19Kids don't lie, just pay up already.
02:20I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
02:22I thought they were joking.
02:23Before I could react, Hao Hao's dad shoved me aside and barged into my place.
02:26He plopped on my couch.
02:27Hao Hao's got broken bones.
02:29Medical bills plus rehab, that's a hundred grand total.
02:31Not a penny less.
02:32Pay up or I'm not leaving.
02:33This was absolutely insane.
02:34I started arguing with them right there.
02:36The argument got heated and they started shoving me.
02:38Hao Hao's dad even slapped me so hard my lips started bleeding.
02:40In the chaos, they shoved me out the window.
02:42When I opened my eyes, I was back to the day she gave her son that boba.
02:45The banging got louder and louder, but I didn't move.
02:47These people need to face the consequences.
02:49It's not my job to watch her, kid.
02:50I pretended not to hear and kept gaming with my friends.
02:53Four people in our voice chat.
02:54They can all confirm I was gaming with my headset on all afternoon.
02:56No way I heard any knocking.
02:57Time ticked by.
02:58It had been 20 minutes since Hao Hao choked on those pearls.
03:00That's when I slowly opened the app connected to my doorbell camera.
03:03The footage was crystal clear.
03:05Hao Hao had collapsed on the ground, not moving.
03:07Even through the camera, I could see his face turning black.
03:09His hands curled up.
03:10Legs stretched out stiff.
03:12Zhang Yeru was desperately calling 911 while dragging Hao Hao toward the elevator.
03:15That's when I heard the ambulance sirens downstairs.
03:17Hao Hao was only five, but super bratty.
03:19He and some other kids always messed with the elevator.
03:21They'd call it from the first floor and press every single button.
03:23The paramedics couldn't get up.
03:24I saw the property manager post in the group chat,
03:26Please watch your kids and stop them from messing with the elevator.
03:29Someone replied,
03:30What's wrong with kids having some fun?
03:31Yeah, kids are residents too.
03:33Are they not allowed to use the elevator?
03:34Stop discriminating against kids, okay?
03:36It's just pressing some buttons.
03:37Isn't the elevator public property?
03:39Why make such a big deal?
03:40In desperation, Zhang Yeru sent several voice messages.
03:43Please stop pressing the buttons.
03:44My son is dying.
03:45The chat finally went quiet.
03:46On my camera, Zhang Yeru was video calling the paramedics.
03:49The paramedic's urgent voice,
03:51How's the kid?
03:51Try the Heimlich to get the object out.
03:53Zhang Yeru panicked.
03:54The what?
03:55The Heimlich?
03:56I don't know how.
03:57Is there anyone else at home?
03:58Any neighbors?
03:58Get them to help.
03:59Zhang Yeru remembered me and started pounding on my door again.
04:02Xiaolin, open up.
04:02I know you're home.
04:03Please save my son.
04:04Right then, someone in the chat said the elevator broke down.
04:06Stuck on the 25th floor, not moving.
04:08The conversation at my door continued,
04:10The elevator won't be fixed soon.
04:11To save time, we'll head up while you bring the kid down.
04:13Zhang Yeru tried to lift Hao Hao, but at almost 80 pounds, she couldn't carry him alone.
04:17My game just ended.
04:18Seeing victory on the screen, I let out a sigh of relief.
04:21Timing it right, it was time for the final blow.
04:22I know you've been home.
04:23Why didn't you open the door?
04:24Why did you let him die?
04:25I covered my scratched face.
04:27Did you knock?
04:28I really didn't hear anything.
04:29I was gaming with friends on voice chat.
04:30They can all vouch for me.
04:32Besides, you're Hao Hao's mom.
04:33Your kid's in trouble.
04:34Why blame me?
04:34She kept going.
04:35I don't care.
04:36I'm gonna kill you.
04:37You'll pay for my son's life.
04:38She lunged at me, but the paramedic on the phone yelled,
04:40Is this the time to fight?
04:42We're heading up.
04:43Get the kid downstairs now.
04:44She let go.
04:45If anything happens to my son, you're dead.
04:47Hao Hao was barely moving on the ground.
04:48Over 20 minutes since he choked.
04:50Even if there was a gap in the blockage, being without oxygen this long could leave serious brain damage.
04:54With the paramedics urging us, I grabbed Hao Hao's arm and helped drag him to the stairs.
04:58As soon as we entered the stairwell, several huge toy cars blocked our way.
05:01The Zhangs had dumped Hao Hao's toy cars, walkers, and scooters there, completely blocking the fire exit.
05:05I'd mentioned it before, but they never cared.
05:07Management tried too, but Zhang Yaru just cussed them out.
05:10Eventually, management turned a blind eye.
05:12Looking at those toy cars, I stepped right on them and crashed to the ground.
05:14My screams echoed through the stairwell.
05:16The paramedics on the video call heard everything.
05:18The paramedic asked, what happened?
05:20I got up wincing.
05:21Nothing, just tripped over some toy cars in the hallway.
05:23It's fine, let's keep going.
05:25To make my fall look worse, I had crashed into the hardest toy car.
05:27My knee was all scraped up.
05:29Zhang Yaru screamed, are you blind?
05:30Watch where you're going.
05:31You could have hurt my son.
05:33I made my voice sound pained.
05:34I'm sorry, Yaru, I'll get up right now.
05:35I'll be careful.
05:36Even if I have to crawl, I'll get Hao Hao downstairs.
05:38I kept gasping and groaning.
05:40With the elevator broken, a crowd had gathered on the first floor.
05:43Someone said, they brought this on themselves.
05:44Management said, no stuff in the hallway.
05:46Serves them right.
05:47They'd fill the whole building with their junk if they could.
05:49Some called Zhang Yaru out.
05:50Others praised me.
05:51Xiaolin's so nice, helping even though she's hurt.
05:53She can't watch her own kid, but keeps yelling at the neighbors.
05:56Exactly, helping is a favor, not an obligation.
05:57We kept going down floor after floor until we met the paramedics on the 18th floor.
06:01My heavy breathing echoed through the stairwell.
06:03The moment I handed Hao Hao over, I collapsed, exhausted.
06:06But this wasn't time to rest.
06:07I had to go down with them for my final performance.
06:09After who knows how many more flights, we finally made it downstairs.
06:12Hao Hao was put on a stretcher.
06:13The lead doctor checked his pulse, then pulled out a heart monitor.
06:16Everyone watched as the monitor showed a flat line.
06:18The doctor shook his head.
06:19He was without oxygen too long.
06:21I'm sorry for your loss.
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