Related News
New-rich create booming need for bodyguards
Print Edition
At the 鈥淕enghis Security Academy,鈥 which bills itself as China鈥檚 only dedicated bodyguard school, students learn that the threats to the country鈥檚 newly-rich in the tech age are more likely to emerge from a hacker than a gunman.
Each day, students in matching black business suits toil from dawn until midnight at the school in the northern city of Tianjin, where digital defenses are given equal pegging with the traditional close-protection skillset of weapons training and high-speed driving.
Around 1,000 graduate each year, hoping to land jobs as guards to China鈥檚 burgeoning ranks of rich and famous, positions which can be worth up to US$70,000 鈥 several times more than an annual office wage.
But the school says it can鈥檛 meet demand as China鈥檚 rapid growth mints millionaires 鈥 4.4 million according to a Credit Suisse 2019 report, more than in the US.
The course fees are up to US$3,000 a student; and while they had to cancel training between February and June because of the coronavirus pandemic, it has not dampened demand.
Only the best make the cut, says founder Chen Yongqing, insisting his disciplinarian standards are stricter than in the army.
鈥淚鈥檓 quick-tempered and very demanding,鈥 the army veteran from China鈥檚 northern Inner Mongolia region said.
鈥淥nly by being strict can we cultivate every good sword. If you don鈥檛 forge it well, it will break itself.鈥
About half the students are ex-military.
They train in rows in a large, shabby sports hall, holding blue plastic guns ahead of them with a steady stare 鈥 before practising hustling their clients safely into a black Audi with smashed windows.
Other sessions are held in a classroom or gym, where they box in matching red T-shirts.
Mobile phones are confiscated throughout, while meals are taken in silence in a large dining hall presided over by pictures of acclaimed graduates, who have protected everyone from China鈥檚 second richest man Jack Ma to visiting French presidents.
The guns at the Tianjin school are fake 鈥 China outlaws possession of firearms. For live firearms training, students are taken to Laos.
But in a country with a low rate of street crime, the modern minder needs an up-to-date skillset, against professional hackers.
鈥淐hinese bosses don鈥檛 need you to fight,鈥 Chen tells his students of a client base which includes the country鈥檚 biggest real estate and tech firms.
Repelling hacks on mobile phones, network security, spotting eavesdroppers and wiping data are all required tools in the bodyguard鈥檚 armory.
Even so, old-school threats still exist 鈥 earlier this year billionaire He Xiangjian, founder of Midea and one of the country鈥檚 richest men, was kidnapped at his home.
According to Chinese media, He鈥檚 son escaped by jumping into a river and call the police, who arrested five suspects.
Student Zhu Peipei, a 33-year-old army veteran from north China鈥檚 Shanxi Province, hopes becoming a bodyguard could offset his lack of professional skills or academic qualifications.
鈥淎nd of course, it鈥檚 cool.鈥
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 娌狪CP璇侊細娌狪CP澶05050403鍙-1
- |
- 浜掕仈缃戞柊闂讳俊鎭湇鍔¤鍙瘉锛31120180004
- |
- 缃戠粶瑙嗗惉璁稿彲璇侊細0909346
- |
- 骞挎挱鐢佃鑺傜洰鍒朵綔璁稿彲璇侊細娌瓧绗354鍙
- |
- 澧炲肩數淇′笟鍔＄粡钀ヨ鍙瘉锛氭勃B2-20120012
Copyright 漏 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
