Wah kakis, listen up, because this is the kind of legendary workplace drama that makes your daily morning kopi taste extra bitter.

Picture this: you and 14 of your office kakis chip in your hard-earned cash to buy a Hong Kong Mark Six lottery ticket. You’re just regular civil servants minding your own business, when suddenly—heng ah!—lightning strikes.

Your group actually tio the jackpot. We are talking about a jaw-dropping HK30 million, which translates to a shiok S4.84 million sitting right there in the bank.

When the Jackpot Hits, the Brain Shortcuts
Normal people would scream, hug each other, and immediately start planning what kind of luxury cars and early retirements to buy. But enter our main character: a 36-year-old blur sotong with a masterclass in how to ruin a good thing.

Since he was the designated runner who physically bought the ticket, the lottery winnings went straight into his personal bank account. The second that massive chunk of cash landed, his brain completely short-circuited. Instead of rounding up the group to distribute the loot, he pulled the ultimate ninja move by calling in sick, going completely MIA from the office, and leaving his 14 colleagues hanging in the wind.

The Audacity of the S$1.6 Million “Admin Fee”
After three days of radio silence, he finally surfaced long enough to drop the most shameless WhatsApp text in corporate history. Roughly translated, he tried to gaslight the entire group: “Brothers, I think I should keep HK10 million (S1.61 million) for myself first. Why? Because I was the hardworking hero who walked to the betting outlet mah! The rest of you 14 can share whatever is left.” Wah, talk about next-level audacity! His colleagues were so triggered they nearly vomited blood right onto their office keyboards.

The Emergency Showdown That Went Wrong
Realizing they were dealing with a certified scammer, they scrambled to call an emergency showdown on the evening of September 10.

For a solid 30 minutes, they tried to talk some sense into him, begging him to look at the math and remember who chipped in for the initial ticket. But this stubborn clown just crossed his arms and flat-out refused to budge.

Worse still, he kept taking MC in the days that followed. His panicked kakis started having flashbacks of him booking a one-way ticket to a tropical island with their hard-earned millions.

Terrified that he was going to run road with the entire pot, a 53-year-old colleague finally said, “Screw this,” and marched straight down to the police station to make a report.

What Law Enforcement Can Do for the Aggrieved Colleagues
* Investigate and freeze funds: Police trace the cash trail and lock down bank accounts to ensure the suspect cannot spend, hide, or transfer the prize money.
* Build a watertight case: Investigators collect WhatsApp chat logs, bank transfer receipts of the initial pooled money, and witness testimonies from all 14 colleagues to legally establish joint ownership.
* Prosecute the suspect: Authorities push the criminal theft case through the courts, meaning the suspect faces potential jail time under Hong Kong law instead of enjoying a luxury lifestyle.
* Lay groundwork for restitution: The official police findings and court records give the group the concrete legal backing needed to recover their rightful shares.

From Scrooge McDuck to Police Lockup Rice
Hong Kong police don’t play play. They moved fast, tracked him down, and slapped the handcuffs on him for suspected theft. Instead of swimming in a pool of S$4.84 million cash, this genius is now eating plain rice in a police lockup.

Moral of the story? Greed will always turn a smart plan into a clown show. Want to share a cup of kopi? Make sure your business partners aren’t planning to run away with the kettle!