{
  "id": 11390462,
  "title": "Techie was stung by a wasp, held overnight by Chinese police, then trapped in a 13-hour meeting",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/techie-was-stung-by-a-wasp-held-overnight-by-chinese-police-then-11390462",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-02T08:01:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Register",
    "slug": "the-register",
    "url": "https://www.theregister.com/software/2026/10/02/techie-was-stung-by-a-wasp-held-overnight-by-chinese-police-then-trapped-in-a-13-hour-meeting/5300368"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In a recent story shared with The Register's On Call column, a tech professional named Carson found himself in a series of unfortunate events while on a business trip to China. Initially, Carson was sent on a sales meeting without securing the necessary visa, which caused complications upon his arrival.\n\nFeeling a sharp sting from a wasp, Carson's trip took a turn for the worse when the insect managed to sting him three times. The sting left his thigh swollen and throbbing, making the already uncomfortable 12-hour flight to Hong Kong even more unpleasant. Upon arrival, Carson was met with further challenges as he was denied entry to mainland China due to the visa issue.\n\nHe was then subjected to a series of events that included a fine of approximately $247, which he paid using currency that was illegal to import or export. Carson was then placed under guard in a hotel overnight, before being forced to endure a 13-hour meeting with colleagues who were working on the sales presentation. Despite the long hours, Carson was eventually allowed to sleep for a few hours before the police woke him for breakfast and to take him to the airport.\n\nUpon departure, Carson was surprised to find that only first class seats were available, and had to purchase a more expensive ticket. Once in the lounge, Carson was reunited with his passport, and the police finally returned it to him. During this time, Carson's visa was finally approved, and he was able to board another flight back to Shanghai, where he met a waiting taxi driver. However, his journey was far from over as the bid team had already moved to a different city, leaving Carson to travel 300 km away at midnight.",
  "summary": "Sales calls can be even nastier than support calls",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Register Software",
        "title": "Techie was stung by a wasp, held overnight by Chinese police, then trapped in a 13-hour meeting",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/techie-was-stung-by-a-wasp-held-overnight-by-chinese-police-then",
        "published": "2026-10-02T08:01:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}