On the evening of September 27, Ms. Jin, who had just returned to China by plane, anxiously called her husband while on the high-speed train. "I left Xiaoshan Airport, I was already on the high-speed train, and only then did I realize my bag was missing." Normally a decisive and capable person, her voice was trembling at that moment.
On the other end of the line, her husband's heart leapt into his throat: something important must have been lost. His wife, Ms. Jin, is from Taizhou and works in foreign trade, constantly traveling. He knew all too well what was in that small black bag she carried with her everywhere — US dollars, som (the currency of Uzbekistan), a translator device, cosmetics, and a passport that absolutely could not be lost.
On the day of the incident, after landing at Xiaoshan Airport, Ms. Jin transferred to Metro Line 19 to rush to the East Railway Station, then transferred to a high-speed train back to Taizhou. The exhaustion from the long journey meant she never noticed along the way that the small bag was no longer with her.
The turning point came after 4 PM that day. A station attendant at Xiaoshan International Airport Station found an unclaimed black bag near the security screening machine and handed it over to the police office according to regulations. Police officer Wang Zhen and auxiliary officer Zhu Yike opened the bag and took inventory according to procedure: 1,375 US dollars (approximately 9,218 yuan), 16,000 som, bank cards, a translator device, cosmetics — and a passport. The name on the passport was none other than Ms. Jin.
Scene reconstruction: Ms. Jin's bag was pushed to the ground by her own suitcase
The police quickly called the family. "We are from Hangzhou Metro Police. Is Jin XX your family member? We found a bag that appears to contain your wife's belongings." The husband on the other end was both surprised and delighted: "My wife was just crying on the phone saying she lost her passport! She transferred flights, switched to the metro, and got on the high-speed train — she couldn't remember where she lost it at all. You found it this quickly? Thank you so much, I'll have her contact you right away!"
That evening, Ms. Jin got in touch with the police and verified the items one by one via WeChat — not a single thing was missing. She immediately said she would come to Hangzhou from Taizhou the next day.
The next day, Ms. Jin appeared at the police office as promised, holding a banner she had custom-made overnight. The police noticed a detail: after opening the bag, she did not count the US dollars first, but went straight for the passport and carefully put it away. When the police asked her why the passport was so important, Ms. Jin explained with a wry smile: she has been in foreign trade for years, and after the National Day holiday she has a trip to South America scheduled. If the passport were lost, re-applying for visas would be time-consuming and labor-intensive, likely causing her to miss multiple trade shows and delay contract signings. Add to that the already-booked flights and hotels, and the losses would amount to hundreds of thousands of yuan. "Thanks to your diligence and sense of responsibility, I can enjoy this holiday with peace of mind."
The passport was returned to its owner, and the matter came to a warm conclusion. The police also offered a reminder worth remembering: when taking the metro, getting on and off, waiting, buying tickets, and using the restroom are all moments when people are most easily distracted. Always keep your belongings "hand on bag, bag on body." If you lose something, immediately contact station staff; if you find something, hand it in promptly, so that every lost item can find its way "home" sooner.