Break-up artist for hire in China Tue, Nov 15, 2011 | The New Paper Breaking up with your partner is always difficult. But in China, there is somebody who will do the breaking up for you. Mr Ge Bangshan will do the painful job. He is one of the well-known "break-up artists" on Taobao.com, China's biggest and most famous e-retailer. He charges a small fee - 100 yuan (S$20) for his services. For a higher fee, he will ensure the girlfriend or boyfriend does not stalk the other, threaten suicide or harass you. Mr Ge's profession has its critics, Beijing daily Global Times reports. "Artists" like him are blamed for encouraging casual relationships among the young. Many think relationships are too personal a matter to call in a professional. Mr Ge, from Hubei province, admits that it's a cold and heartless business. But he's doing not too badly. His clients are mostly youngsters who get into a relationship quickly, but want to get out of it faster. He tells Global Times: "Love hurts. Love bites. Love is short, and friendship is long. Nowadays, nobody can promise he or she will love another until death do they part." A majority of his clients are women who have problems dealing with their angry ex-boyfriends. He will pretend to be a friend of the client and use the information she gives to talk their boyfriend out of the dead relationship. Mr Ge doesn't take all the cases which come his way and he has certain rules when taking on jobs. He won't handle divorces, won't help women steal men from their wives, or help wives deal with the other woman in their marriage. His clients must be over 20, and must not have "extreme behaviour". He himself has been a target a couple of times. He had water thrown on his face at restaurants and had to endure abuse on the phone. Mr Ge stresses: "Being a break-up artist is not an easy job. It requires good communication skills and a knowledge of psychology. "A good breakup artist must understand what went wrong in his client's relationship and then help to find a solution."