For ten years he did not make
contact with his family, and his family presumed that he
was dead.
Then, in January this year, an amateur photographer
snapped him and posted the pic on the web.
Almost overnight he became a viral sensation.
With
his long unkempt hair, scraggly beard and prominent
cheekbones, Mr Cheng was dubbed 'China's sexiest tramp'
and 'Brother Sharp.' |
|
Since his virtual fame, Mr Cheng, who has
been left shy and withdrawn after his experiences, has received
offers to appear in advertisements and he has also worked
as a catwalk model.
His caring fans have also donated 100 000
Yuan – about R120k - to help him get his life on track.
Now, Mr Cheng's incredible rags-to-riches
story is to be told on the big screen, with filming for
a movie due to start in September.
Meanwhile, back in sunny Cape Town, I found
a group of bergies surfing the net on their Blackberries.
They had StumbledUpon Cheng’s story and were wildly
– all of them talking at the same time – no
one listening – discussing what they would do if the
same thing happened to them.
Guppy – pictured below - however,
insists that the only reason why something like this has
not happened to him is because he is ‘coloured.’
Shall we prove him wrong and
go viral with this one?
