Failure to Recover Unpaid Wages

Liu Quan and his father, along with other workers, worked at a construction site in Caofeidian District. The project foreman, Du Chunyu, failed to pay them more than RMB 56,000 in outstanding wages and advance payments.

Administrative Intervention and Case Closure

In October 2023, after mediation by Ding Guoqi, a staff member of the Caofeidian District Labor Inspection Brigade, Du Chunyu signed a document acknowledging that he owed RMB 47,200.

However, shortly afterward, the Labor Inspection Brigade closed the case based solely on “payment completed” documents unilaterally provided by Du Chunyu’s lawyer, without verification or notifying Liu Quan. The case closure was later alleged to have been an unlawful administrative action.

Reaching a Dead End in Seeking Legal Remedies

Over the following one and a half years, Liu Quan traveled back and forth 14 times, covering more than 2,800 kilometers in an effort to seek an explanation and recover the money owed.

He attempted every available legal channel, including:

• The 12345 government service hotline;
• Online complaints;
• Labor arbitration proceedings;
• Other formal complaint mechanisms.

However, none of these efforts produced results. His repeated requests for an explanation regarding the reason for the case closure were also refused.

The Family Fell Into Severe Difficulties

During the period of seeking legal remedies, Liu Quan’s family suffered a series of hardships.

In the summer of 2024, heavy rainfall caused his family’s old house in their hometown to collapse, but they lacked the financial resources to repair it.

In August 2024, his mother suffered a cerebral infarction (ischemic stroke). Due to insufficient funds for medical treatment, she was forced to leave the hospital earlier than recommended.

Escalation of the Dispute and Warning Signs

On February 17, 2025, when Liu Quan made his 13th visit to seek payment of unpaid wages, he concealed a hammer on his person and explicitly stated:

“Whoever uses a hammer to strike my case, I will use this hammer to strike them.”

This was regarded as a clear warning signal that Liu Quan’s emotional state had reached the verge of collapse.

Final Attempt Before the Explosion

On April 7, 2025, one day before the explosion incident, Liu Quan made his final phone call seeking assistance.

The staff member refused to further address the unpaid wage issue, citing that:

“Du Chunyu would sue you for intentional injury.”

The Explosion Incident

On the morning of April 8, 2025, Liu Quan, who was reportedly in a state of desperation, arrived at the office area of the Caofeidian District Labor Inspection Brigade carrying a homemade explosive device and detonated it.

According to publicly available information, before detonating the device, Liu Quan took the initiative to disperse nearby workers who had gathered at the scene.

Liu Quan himself suffered the most serious injuries in the explosion, classified as Level I minor injury (light injury).

First-Instance Court Judgment

In March 2026, the first-instance court found Liu Quan guilty of:

• The crime of explosion, and
• The crime of illegally manufacturing explosive materials.

After applying combined punishment for multiple offenses, the court sentenced him to six years’ imprisonment.

Controversy in the Appeal Process

Liu Quan refused to accept the first-instance judgment and filed an appeal.

His defense lawyer argued that there were multiple substantive and procedural issues in the case, including:

• The facts supporting the charge of illegally manufacturing explosive materials were unclear.
• The materials involved allegedly did not meet the threshold required for criminal liability.
• Relevant labor inspection officials had committed serious procedural violations during the administrative handling process.

The defense requested that the Tangshan Intermediate People’s Court hold a public hearing as soon as possible to review the appeal case.

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