CHENGDU, China — A sharp-eyed food delivery driver in southwestern China spotted a seemingly ordinary white pillow with a critical message scrawled in blood—helping police rescue a woman trapped in her bedroom for 30 hours without food, water, or contact with the outside world.
The Discovery
On August 12, in Leshan, Sichuan Province, university student and part-time delivery driver Zhang (surname withheld) noticed something unusual while making a food run: a white pillow stained with dark red liquid, lying on the roadside near a residential complex. More alarming? The pillow bore the numbers “110 625″—China’s emergency police number, followed by what appeared to be a location code.
Alarmed, Zhang immediately called the police. With the help of a nearby hotel employee who recognized the pillow’s design, authorities traced it to a homestay on the 25th floor (unit 625) of Building 6. Fearing a violent crime or kidnapping, officers rushed to the scene.
The Distressing Truth
When police arrived, they knocked repeatedly before forcing entry—only to find the homestay’s owner, a woman surnamed Zhou, trapped alone in her bedroom.
Zhou explained that she had been accidentally locked inside for 30 hours after a sudden gust of wind slammed her bedroom door shut. The door’s broken latch prevented her from opening it, and her phone was left in the living room, cutting her off from the outside world.
Desperate Attempts to Get Help
Over the hours, Zhou tried everything to signal for help:
- Kicking and banging on the door
- Jumping and stomping loudly to attract neighbors’ attention
- Hanging a red suit out the window
- Dropping foam boards from her bed onto the ground below
But no one noticed. With no access to food, water, or even a toilet, she grew increasingly desperate.
In a last-ditch effort, she bit her own finger, used her blood to write “110 625” (police + her location) on the white pillow, and threw it out the window—where Zhang spotted it.
Relief and Gratitude
When police finally broke down the door, Zhou burst into tears of relief, telling local media, “I felt like I was seeing family again.”
Deeply moved by Zhang’s kindness, she offered him 1,000 yuan (US$140) as thanks—but the student refused.
“He’s just a student, yet he wouldn’t take the money,”Zhou said. “It made me feel the warmth of society.”
